❝I would rather be a beggar and single than a queen and married.❞
Elizabeth I

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THE Maharani looked out of the window in her room which was situated to the farthest right corner, laying parallel to her bed with rested against middle of the northern wall. The sky looked like a giant mysterious abyss speckled with pearls as the Moon glimmered in its ever-green glory, enveloping the tranquil kingdom underneath in its pale radiance while the trees danced as the winds embraced them. Akira felt tired after the events that had taken part a few hours ago as she sat there welcoming the cold breezes.

The monstrous halcyon doors flew open as Akira heard unhurried footsteps approaching her.

"Akira" Came the firm voice of her mother.

"Maa?" Akira turned around to look at the former Queen - who looked as imperial as ever - with a perplexed expression.

Akira walked her mother's way, bending and touching her feet as a mark of respect and her mother raised her hand as to give Akira her blessing although her expression held nothing in their cold embrace.

The Queen was taken aback. Why wouldn't she be? After all, her mother hadn't come to her chambers to talk to her other than the times it was absolutely necessary ever since her ceremonial and those 'absolutely necessary' moments were very scarce.

"What brings you here so late Maa?" Akira asked, puzzled, as she examined her mother's stiff figure.

"I—" Her mother hesitated before saying what was running through her mind, "I need to talk to you about something vital."

Akira merely nodded, indicating her mother to go on as she offered her mother to sit down on the divan - embroidered with the finest of silk threads - in front of the window.

"Look Akira," Her mother started off calmly as she sat next to her daughter, "You have now conquered Mahapuram."

She continued, "And that's what you wanted to do ever since you were crowned the ruler of our kingdom." Akira nodded at her mother's statement.

"You have brought honor to our kingdom by avenging your baba's death." A small flower full of pride blossomed in the Queen's stone-cold heart as her mother acknowledged her accomplishment. The Queen had expected her mother to say a few words of appreciation, congratulating her on her remarkable feat but her mother drove the conversation in a totally other way.

"But you are now a 20 year old woman now—" The former queen started, taking her daughter's hand in hers as she looked into her eyes almost tenderly.

Akira cut her off, exhaling deeply, "Maa, can you just tell me what is going on? We are clearly not addressing what's actually on your mind and it's irksome, to say the least."

Devmata sighed and briefly closed her eyes and kept going, "Of course..." She took a pause and opened her eyes, spitting out the words which she had with-held for so long, "I think it's time for you to get married."

Akira took her hands back away from her mother's as her eyes widened in disbelief, "Married?"

"Yes-"

Akira stood up – a skeptical look on her visage, "I am not marrying."

"Akira." Devmata stood up too, her eyes pleading, "You need to understand that it's time for you to get married."

"Maa" The queen started off calmly as she turned away from her mother and fiddled with her hands, as she often did when she didn't have enough words to express what she actually wanted to say, "I told you... I am not getting married and that's my decision."

"Akira you fulfilled your objective, you avenged your baba's death, what's left to do now?" Her mother took hold of Akira's wrist forcing her daughter to look at her.

"Maa just because I have avenged baba's death doesn't mean it's the end of the world." Akira answered exasperatedly as she looked back at the woman who was trying her best to convince her.

Her mother let go of her wrist as she sat back on the divan. Looking exhausted and annoyed, the former queen placed her face in the palm of her hands and muttered, "You don't get it."

Akira took two steps towards her mother and questioned – aggravation casing her voice – "What do I not get?"

When no answer came, Akira pressed on, "Tell me, what is it that I don't get? Enlighten me with this forbidden knowledge, mother."

"We will face more and more resistance if you stay on the throne." Her mother met her eyes, "Have you not noticed the past two years? The sheer amount on attacks we had to face?"

The monarch cut her off as her mother looked down at her feet, uninterested in what her daughter had to offer, "And did we not win all the attacks plotted against us, mother, that too with low casualties? Those attacks were nothing compared to the ones we had to face when baba was in power. In fact, I believe we have now conquered more and forged new alliances."

The former queen sighed, "A woman wasn't meant to rule Akira, you know it. We will be the target of many if you are the ruler, they will never see you as their equal." Her mother voiced her opinions, looking up at her, "Never."

"Maa—" Akira rubbed her temples as she commanded herself to not lose her temper, "I have protected our kingdom for years, have I not? And I assure you that I will do it in the future too but I can't marry just to give some guy our kingdom and the throne-"

"But that's how marriages work." He mother tried to reason as she stood back up, "Look at your baba and me, we were a successful marriage, Akira."  

"Well, I am not you" She retaliated harshly, "and am not giving away my throne or kingdom just because some random buffoons think I am not a capable ruler." Akira paused, re-collecting her thoughts, "I am not getting married and that's the end of this conversation."

Akira turned away from her mother once again, not quite meeting her eyes. Gathering whatever courage she could, she muttered what she really felt, "Why don't you just tell me the truth and say you want Veer on the throne." 

The queen turned around to look at the woman behind her, "After all he's your 'golden boy', the true ruler of our kingdom. You favour him mother, just say so—"

"Akira." Her mother threatened lowly, as she put on an offended look, "Now you're just spewing whatever you feel like."

"Am I?" The sovereign cocked up an eyebrow, a hint of anger clouded in her eyes, "You have openly shown your disapproval ever since I have sat on that throne and it comes as no shock that you do not have any interest in what I have to offer as a ruler of this kingdom."

Some time passed in silence – as if her mother was still processing the words. The former queen finally retorted, her tone was harsh, matching her daughter's, "Akira I have had enough with you. You should be glad you weren't married off at the age of sixteen like numerous other girls. Now, you're getting married whether you like it or not."

Akira turned around with a brutal look and looked her mother in her eyes, "Well then pray that the suitors you send are immortal because as long as I am alive, they won't be."

Finding that she had nothing more to say, the queen gestured to the doorway, "You should get some rest mother, the night has been exhausting. Shubh ratri." She turned away from her mother, looking out of the window at the blissfully quite kingdom.

Akira heard incoherent livid mutters from her mother before she walked out of her chambers, her footwear making noise against the exquisite limestone. 

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The Next Morning

The Maharani walked inside the limestone-forged throne-room and nodded at the courtiers who sat at their respective seats. As the Maharani took her seat, one of the ministers – Akhil - stood up and bowed before speaking up, "Maharani..."

"Yes Mantri Akhil?" The Maharani looked at the courtier.

"Uh–" The minister casted an unsure look at the other courtiers, "We heard that you..." He took a thorough pause, re-thinking his choices, "you are getting married?"

The Maharani gripped the sides of her throne securely - the gold almost cutting into her already scarred palms - at the mention of the topic and sighed in slight annoyance, "No, rest assured, I am not getting married."

"But Devmata Annapurna announced that-" Another courtier started, oblivious to the queen's unsympathetic expression.

Akira glanced at the courtier, malice dripping from her gaze as she cut him off, "I know what my mother announced mantri ji and I gave you the answer to the question you asked – I am not getting married and that marks the end of this discussion, understood?"

"Ji Maharani." The courtier looked down at his feet, trying to mask his terrified expression.

"Good" The Maharani let go of the side of her throne and looked at another minister - putting the conversation about her marriage to an end, "So, how is our kingdom's trade going?"

The courtier stood up and bowed before continuing, "Maharani the trades have been flourishing very well, this year the Indigo and Opium crops particularly bloomed and the exports of spices on the whole is going absolutely astounding."

A faint smile graced the queen's rock-hard features, "Wonderful, now, make sure that the export goes well and that all the farmers and workers get good prices for their work, we can't let the people because whom we are flourishing go to bed hungry. Also, get our craftsmen the finest of orders from around the country, alright?"

"Ji Maharani" The courtier bowed once again as he sat down.

"Akhil-" The Queen was interrupted as a messenger entered the courtroom.

"Maharani" The messenger bowed in front of the queen before conveying the message, "I apologize for interrupting you but someone has come to meet you."

Akira raised an eyebrow, "Who is it?"

"Rajkumar Varun Vashishth of Jaampura."

Akira absent-mindedly traced the gold patterns carved on her throne's arm as she looked back at the messenger, "Why is he here?"

"He is here to discuss the prospect of your marriage."

'It's been barely one day since the announcement has been made and the beggers are already here.'

The Queen had to prevent herself from rolling her eyes and banishing the rajkumar from her palace as she decided to simply nod, "Take the Rajkumar to the guest chambers and look after him, I will meet him in there when I am done with this discussion."

"Ji Maharani." The messenger bowed down once again and left, leaving the Maharani to think about what was about to come.

'A lamb to slaughter already? This should be fun.'

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