Chapter 46: The Last advise

** Delhi outskirts , some miles away from Purana Qila **

In the outskirts of Delhi, amidst the rustling of the wind and the faint glow of torches, King Istehar Khan of Agra sat in his tent, swirling a goblet of wine as he awaited the arrival of his ally, King Abdul Hameed of Kashmir.

As Abdul Hameed entered the tent, Istehar Khan rose to greet him warmly, embracing him with a brotherly hug.

"It took you two days to reach here?" Istehar Khan inquired, a hint of concern in his voice.

Abdul Hameed took a sip of wine before responding, "Things are different now. Your impulsive actions have made it difficult for others to openly align with you. I needed to wait for the right moment."

Istehar Khan furrowed his brow at Abdul Hameed's words, placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "I understand your caution, but remember, we are on the same side."

Abdul Hameed gently removed Istehar Khan's hand from his shoulder, his smile fading. "No, we are not. I came here to make that clear, Your Majesty."

Istehar Khan's voice boomed through the tent, echoing his fury, "Abdul Hameed! How dare you defy me?"

Istehar Khan's eyes widened in disbelief as Abdul Hameed continued, his voice calm yet firm. "Lower your voice, Your Majesty. I am not your subordinate on the battlefield; I am an equal king. If I choose to speak out, your reign will be over."

Enraged, Istehar Khan retorted, "You betray your own men for these infidels! We may bow to them in deference to their power, but to fully side with them is folly!"

Abdul Hameed chuckled, taking another sip of wine. "Indeed, but they are powerful now. With our forces combined, we are nothing but mere ants before elephants."

A glimmer of hope flashed in Istehar Khan's eyes. "Its not over yet. We can gain their trust, increase our influence, and seize our chance when the time is right," he suggested eagerly.

Abdul Hameed's laughter echoed in the tent. "Take our chance? You underestimate their power, my friend. Even generations of your descendants won't stand a chance against them. Because they have a bigger trump card."

Confusion clouded Istehar Khan's face, prompting Abdul Hameed to clarify, "Do you think your humiliation was solely due to Shadi Khan? Age seems to dull your senses more than it should. Do you know the master of behind the scenes."

Istehar Khan trembled with rage, his fists clenched. Despite being enraged, his face still contained little curiosity.

In that small dimly lit tent, tension hung thick in the air as King Istehar Khan and King Abdul Hameed engaged in a heated exchange. Abdul Hameed's calm demeanor contrasted sharply with Istehar Khan's growing frustration.

"It is Prince Aditya, the newly found prince. He is no ordinary man. His ideas and reasoning are beyond our comprehension, and most importantly, they are unprecedented," Abdul Hameed explained, his hand resting firmly on Istehar Khan's shoulder.

Istehar Khan scoffed dismissively. "What could that child possibly know? He dares not go against any of his noble subjects. He's nothing more than a silver-tongued charlatan. I have concubines who provide more useful mouth service than him."

Abdul Hameed regarded Istehar Khan with pity. "You are delusional," he remarked, taking another sip of wine. "Aditya's diplomatic skills and persuasive abilities surpass those of any commander. He seeks stability and respect, qualities you seem incapable of understanding. He may be the solution we've been seeking."

Istehar Khan's patience wore thin, and he seized Abdul Hameed's collar in frustration. "You admire that brat over me?" he spat, his anger boiling over. "He's nothing more than a child with milk teeth, not fit to lead more than ignorant peasants. Don't make me laugh," Istehar Khan spat.

Abdul Hameed calmly extricated himself from Istehar Khan's grasp. "Even a dozen rulers like you cannot match his potential," he retorted. "You speak about interests of your men, yet your lust for power blinds you. I feel sorry for your narrow-mindedness."

Abdul Hameed chuckled at Istehar Khan's fury and retorted, "And I pity you, Istehar Khan, for being so foolish. Call me lazy if you must, but at least I am loyal to my men who have stood by me. We have water, land, and women – why should we seek the trouble of power? Its not like we are compelled to change our faith, yet we still enjoy greater freedom. "

He scoffed as he added, "Besides, unlike your forefathers who shamelessly converted their religion for a false legacy, I remain true to my beliefs. "

Istehar Khan's rage boiled over, and he drew his sword, pointing it menacingly at Abdul Hameed. "Take back your words, Abdul Hameed," he demanded, his voice trembling with anger.

Abdul Hameed's laughter echoed in the tense silence, and he responded boldly, "Go ahead, try me. The Samrajya will avenge any harm done to me, and my lineage will endure – unlike yours, which will be wiped out for your lack of restraint."

Istehar Khan's resolve wavered at the veiled threat, and he lowered his sword, his hands trembling with uncertainty. Abdul Hameed smirked at the shift in demeanor, his confidence unwavering. "You see, I wasn't sure at first either," he remarked calmly, "but I've come to realize the consequences of my choices. Under the new Samrajya, not only I can achieve stability for my people but also ensure my safety, simply by invoking its name."

With a dismissive wave, Abdul Hameed bid Istehar Khan farewell, thanking him for the wine. "I quite enjoy this new reign," he remarked casually, "where I can savor wine without facing the restrictions of old era. Change yourself before it's too late."

As Abdul Hameed departed, leaving Istehar Khan seething with anger, the king's fury exploded, and he lashed out, slashing his sword at nearby furniture. Fruits kept on the table were scattered in all directions, as a testament to the brewing storm within Istehar Khan's heart.

With the departure of Abdul Hameed, a hooded figure emerged from the shadows of curtains, addressing Istehar Khan with a tone of concern. "You said he would be useful, but it seems your most trusted companion has betrayed you."

Istehar Khan composed himself, realizing he was not alone in his vulnerability. He responded, "Everything will fall into place once we take care of that loyal dog Shadi Khan."

The hooded figure smiled knowingly, replying, "I see. I will ensure, your Majesty gets what he wants, but I urge caution before we actually plan. The alliance will restore the sultanate's reign in Hindustan, with you as the primary benefactor."

Greed flickered in Istehar Khan's eyes as he contemplated the offer. "Very well," he agreed, his voice tinged with anticipation. "But I demand triple the size of my current territory with full autonomy in return of my support. For now, I will do as your master wishes, but later the heads of both Shadi Khan and Abdul Hameed must lie at my feet."

As the hooded figure nodded his head in approval, Istehar Khan drove his sword into the ground, sealing his pact with determination and ruthlessness.

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Author's Gratitude

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Dear readers,

I want to express my heartfelt gratitude for your unwavering support during the first 30 days of writing my novel. Your continuous encouragement has propelled me to write 43 chapters in 30 days, surpassing my initial expectations of 35k - 45k views with over 54k+ views and for that I share my deepest grattitude.

I dare not compare myself with other books and their authors as I am nothing than a newbie writer but I cannot stop myself from sharing this joy and express my heart felt gratitude of your love and support that made me realized that I am going in right direction.

I am actually overwhelmed by the data of your support I got so far for this first month of my writing. Also I would like to apologize for the untimely release of my daily chapters or any annoyance due to my poor editing or interacting skils. Your support has motivated me to strive for more improvement and better quality.

I am excited to share that I have received the offer for contract recently and thats a big deal for me which is ofcourse possible only because of your support, but I have decided to keep my options open for now and keep this novel free for the time being and give you a good demo of my work.

I want to assure you all that I am still committed to my last promise of a mass release of 10 chapters. However, due to unexpected travel, I had to use up my stockpile of chapters. Now, I need some time to prepare them again. I cannot give a specific timeframe as I've learned to expect unforeseen circumstances, but I will do my utmost to deliver on my promise. As a man of culture, I will do my best to include a chapter involving R18 content in that cluster as well.

Taking this situation as a suitable occasion, I would also like to apprecaite that Your comments have been invaluable in helping me correct my mistakes, choose new directions and stay motivated whenever i felt down and I seriously mean it. I am truly grateful for your silent but crucial support through votes and cheers and from this I learnt the need for seperate space for better interaction.

I am considering creating a discord server where we can interact more freely and incorporate your opinions or wishes or even character names of your choice into the story with minimum condition of no change in main story outline. I will also add spoilers for feedback and be more open to discuss your all queries which might not be possible here. Please bear with me as I navigate this as new territory and need some more time to set up a suitable server.

Even though my heart is itching to add more but I have to stop here. In closing, I pray for the almighty's blessings upon you all, and for my fellow Indian brothers, "Jai Hind!"