Chapter 3: The Empress
The Prince had eaten supper with the Emperor together with the Empress Nur Jahan –who's been observing the Prince. The way it moves, the way it talks, and even the way his eyes twinkles.
The Prince looks so innocent and charming in front of the Emperor, he was like a tamed puppy, very different from the rumors that the Empress had heard.
"Her Majesty, is there something wrong? You've been staring at me the whole time," the Prince innocently asked Nur Jahan.
The Empress smiles at him and shook her head gracefully before she took a sip of her liquor.
"I am just wondering, how old are you now, Khurram?"
The Prince shows his sweetest smile as he looks at the Empress. He can sense that the Empress is plotting something against him. The Empress dislike this third son of the Emperor, for Khurram has the chance to be chosen as the successor of Emperor Jahangir.
"Fourteen years old, Empress. About nine months I think," he said, pretending to think if his calculations were right.
The Empress nodded and a smile lightly at him then looks at the Emperor on her side.
"Your Majesty, Khurram is already at age and he's skillful and very talented. I think it's about time for him to be on a battlefield, to defend our land and expand it," the Empress suggested, flashing a smirk after.
The Emperor laughed at her words out of happiness. He then nodded his head and gaze at Khurram.
"What do you think, Khurram?" says by the Emperor Jahangir.
"Father, if the Empress says so, then I think, Khurram is ready to be in a battlefield," the Prince said politely.
The Emperor was very pleased about his son's reply. Khurram is indeed a kind of son he must be proud of.
"Anyway, I was told earlier that you wanted some words with me? What is it, Khurram?"
The Prince grinned when he remembers his plan of marrying Lady Arjumand.
"Father, since the Empress had told that I am already at age, Khurram thinks that it is about time for me to get married," the Prince said which literally made the Empress and the Emperor dropped their jaw our of surprise.
Silence enveloped the whole area and a cricket sound could almost be heard; luckily, the Emperor broke it with his thunderous laughter.
"After deciding to join the militia, you're asking us now to let you marry? You're making me proud every second that passed, Khurram. You've really grown up," the Emperor says, praising his son and the Prince could do nothing but to smile at that little praise from his father. On the other hand, the Empress is showing her very best fake smile.
The Emperor is now fond of Khurram, and this is not a good sign for her –it would never ever be a good sign, for this is actually a threat. Once Khurram rise to power, the Empress will surely be set aside.
"Don't worry, Khurram, Her Majesty will find you a suitable princess. The prettiest would become your bride," the Empress said, assuring the little Prince who only shook his head and told the Empress that it is not necessary to find a princess, for he already found the woman whom he would like to marry.
The Empress was wondering if who on earth would be this woman that the little Prince is liking, but when the Prince told her that it was her niece –Arjumand Banu Begum –she chuckles and somehow felt relief to know that the woman just linked to her family.
The Prince, his knees were on the floor, holds the hand of the Empress and begged her to allow him to marry Arjumand. The Empress made the little Prince stand and told him that he should not beg for her approval, for she herself is no against the plan of Khurram.
How the Empress could decline this opportunity? Their family is slowly stepping in the palace, and for her, this would mean that one day, she would have in her hands, the thing that we call; power.
"Alright, since it has been settled, we will send a man to Arjumand and invite her family to the palace to discuss the wedding. Promise me that you'll have me a lot of grandchildren, Khurram," the Emperor said, still pleased at his son.
"Rest assured, your Majesty."
Since the Emperor was very pleased with the Prince, he has been pardoned from getting out to the palace without the permission of his father.
The topic about Khurram's plan died when the Empress opened up a topic concerning the people of the Mughals. Some were raising a rebellion, though it was not that serious or not a serious threat to the empire, the uprising still needs to be suppressed to prevent it from growing and becoming a threat to the whole Mughal Empire.
***
"Does his Majesty now favored Khurram?" one of the Empress' trusted servant asks the moment she left the area where she shared food with Khurram and the Emperor.
"I am not certain, but there's a probability," the Empress replied.
"Khurram wants to marry my niece, Arjumand. It was actually a good idea but I am having a second thought about it," she added.
"Your Majesty, why not thinking to let your daughter marry Khurram instead to hold power? If Khurram will be Emperor Jahangir's successor, you can set a puppet government through controlling him," the servant suggested but the Empress shook her head as she walks towards her bed.
"Khurram is not easy to handle with; his eyes were burning in desire and passion. Though young he may be, but he's very wise at that age," said by the Empress.
"Do you believe about what the soothsayer once said? That one day, Khurram would be the Emperor and he would expand the whole Mughal and so his successors?" said by the servant who's now gently massaging the foot of the Empress.
"That would only happen if Khurram would be successful on the battlefield," the Empress said then releasing a quite devilish grin that later became a laugh.
The servant's eyes became wide because of Nur Jahan's idea.
"Empress, how about Lady Arjumand? Lady Arjumand will instantly be a widow, would it be ok?" the servant tilted her head as she voiced out her own idea.
"If Khurram died in the battle, Arjumand can marry the other son of the Emperor, as long as our Arjumand will not be touch by Khurram then that would be ok, I think."
"But what if he will be victorious? The Emperor would surely favor this son of him," the servant said, worried is in her voice.
"If he won't die on the battlefield then I'll have someone to kill him. A dead man can never be claimed that victorious after all," the Empress said.
"Empress, you're really brilliant," the servant complimented and the Empress just smiled at it and had thought that; though Khurram may very wise at his age, he's still a kid after all.
To be continued...
This story is historically based on the true to life story of Shah Jahan but most of the events written here were products of my imagination.
Thank you.
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Mumtaz Mahal
Historical Fiction@AquiraWP Lady Arjumand, later known as Mumtaz Mahal, is the sweet, religious and educated niece of Empress Nur Jahan. One day, she came to have a bad contact with Prince Khurram, the emperor's son which later known as Emperor Shah Jahan, who will...
