Mumtaz Mahal

Chapter 2: Mad Tiger

Chapter 2: Mad Tiger

When the Prince Khurram arrived, he immediately walked to the hall of his father but he was suddenly blocked by his father's militias.

"Prince Khurram!" the militias bowed their heads when they realized that it was their Prince who they blocked.

"I want to have a word with His Majesty," the Prince said then flashed a smile to the militias.

"Forgive our rudeness, Prince Khurram, but His Majesty is having some private moment with the Empress and ordered not to be disturbed," said by the head militia.

"Alright."

The Prince then nodded and told the militias to inform the Emperor that he wanted some words with him before turning his back to the militias.

While he was walking away from the Emperor's chamber, the militias talked about him.

"Did the Prince just smile a while ago?" the head militia asks his men whose eyes were full of confusions.

The Prince was never good to others, the way he treats his people is different from those who are not under him.

"I suppose he does, sire," one man said.

"I thought I would lose my head before the war came when I saw him," the other man said.

"Me either. I really thought that this would be my last day," the head militia said.

His shoulder relaxed as he released a sigh out of relief.

Meanwhile, the Prince was having his tea, a gift from a Chinese Emperor, when his servants came back to report the data that they had gathered along the way.

"My Lord, the Lady was named as Arjumand Banu Begum. She is the fifteen-year-old daughter of Abu'l-Hasan Asaf Khan and Diwanji Begum –the daughter of a Persian noble, Khwaja Ghias-ud-din and..."

"And?" the Prince asks.

"She is the niece of Her Majesty, Nur Jahan. Asaf Khan was her older brother, my lord," the servant continued.

The prince let a thunderous laugh that echoed around his room. He can't believe that the lady who just got his attention was just a niece of his step-mother. How small this world could be?

"You've done well," he said, patting the servant's shoulder.

"Her Majesty will surely agree with this marriage, for her to preserve power," he said without thinking of what he had possibly said.

"My Lord, if Her Majesty will hear those words she would probably punish you," one of his servants said. He is very young, but not the youngest among the ranks, one of the newly hired perhaps.

The Prince tilted his head and looked at the young boy –the one who spoke earlier- whose shoulders are now starting to shake and face getting paler.

"You're afraid of her young boy, do you?" the Prince asks.

"Y-yes, of course, M-my Lord. She's the E-empress Nur Jahan, the wife of His Majesty," the young boy, probably already on his ten, said while stammering.

"Is that so?" the Prince asks cockily.

He pouted his lips and cast an eye over the young boy's physique. The kid is very thin, hairs were dry and so his skin is. The Prince then shook his head and walked towards the boy. He patted his head and said calmly.

"You feared the wrong person, my boy. The Empress may hold the power for now, but I will have it later on," the Prince said, adding to the fear that the poor boy was feeling.

Khuram is just in his teen but could already shake everyone who does negative to him –even anyone who does not know him will actually fear him. Even his glance gives fear to anyone –including those who adore him even shakes the moment he lays his hawking eyes on them. Adoration and fear are what they feel when he's around but sometimes, their fear eats their adoration towards the Prince. He's charming indeed, but he is also deadly.

"B-but, how could you have i-it? My lord, y-you are not the crowned prince," the kid widened his eyes when he realized what had come out from his pretty mouth. "My lord, forgive me. I did not mean to...My lord, forgive me! Please, spare my life!" the poor boy pleaded --head where on the floor as he cries and begged for his pardon.

The Prince's lips were on a grim line, eyes were dark as he breathes heavily.

Everyone in the room was silent and awfully looking at the poor boy who's begging.

"Abdul."

"My lord?" Abdul replies.

"Send the boy to the Northern Border," the Prince said.

"Yes, my lord."

"My lord, please spare my life! I will do everything for you just to be forgiven. My Lord! Have mercy on me!" the poor boy cries as he begged.

"You should have thought of your life first before speaking against me, kid. You choose, where would you want to fall; in my hands or in the Barbarians?"

The kid did not answer but instead pulls a sword from a militia and killed himself.

The Prince took a sigh and lazily gaze his remaining servants.

"Do you pity him?" the Prince asks. No one dared to answer him. All kept their mouth shut.

"I treat my people better than others but it does not mean that I am giving you the chance to speak against me. Do not ever think to cross the boundary, even just once. Always remember that I am your Lord and you are just my servants!" the Prince growled.

The Prince was about to add something when someone shouted from outside, asking some permission to enter his chamber, the messenger of his father probably.

"You may enter!" the Prince shouted as he heads his way to his cushion.

The large door opened, making an entrance to the messenger.

The messenger gasped when he saw how blood was being scattered to the floor and did not dare to ask what had happened.

"Have you eaten your tongue?"

The messenger swallowed hard and takes a bow.

"M-my lord, the Emperor summons you. He's now in Her Majesty's chamber."

Khurram nodded and then he stood up on his cushion, and then faced his servants –Abdul most particularly.

"Gather my militia and order them to slaughter the child's family."

"My Lord? But why?" Abdul dares to question him. Obviously having sentiments to the child and so its family.

"The child has those kinds of ideology, did not even believed of my capability, I suppose his family was thinking that too. If a child rebel against the empire then his parents should be blamed, for they did not raise him well. Any further queries?" the Prince utter then raised a brow to Abdul.

Abdul nodded and just shut his mouth.

"Now move and do as what I've told you."

The moment the prince left the room was the only time that all his servants had to breathe from relief.

To be continued...

This story may be based on the true to life story of Shah Jahan but most of the events written here were products of my imagination.

Thank you.