Tyranny of Steel

Chandra Tomara stood within the confines of the Royal Palace of Anangpur with his eyes wide in shock. He had just now received reports of what had transpired in the Holy Land of the Abrahamic religions. He could not believe his eyes as he read the word's "one eyed emperor" written on the scroll within his hands.

While he had been aware for some time that the mighty Timurid Empire was planning to reclaim their Holy Land from the Byzantine Empire. He had never expected that a strange power further west could unite its people into a single realm, and its leader would convince the warring factions in the Mediterranean to put down their arms and unite against a common enemy.

Most shocking, this mysterious one-eyed monarch was from the realm he had once sent his son to as a diplomat, something Ishwar had failed to inform him of. If this was true, then the prophecy was close to being fulfilled. It was only a matter of time before this man led his hordes into India and destroyed what little remained of his family's empire.

He had no choice, though he intended to lock away his niece until the troubling times had passed. The appearance of a one-eyed warlord meant that time was running out. If he wanted to prevent his people's fate, he would have to do the unthinkable. He had to kill the princess.

However, Chandra was a shrewd man, and he knew if he got rid of the girl the wrong way, it would arouse suspicion. He needed to slowly poison her, so that she grew sick and died of what appeared to be illness. Thus, he immediately called for his court alchemist to prepare the ingredients to assassinate the Anangpur Princess.

The Court Alchemist was an old, and wise man with bronze skin, and gray hair. When brought to the regent of the Empire, he bowed his head respectfully before inquiring about the sudden meeting.

"Your majesty, it is the greatest honor for a man such as myself to assist in whatever ails you. However, I must admit it is a strange hour of the night to be discussing such things. Perhaps you are incapable of sleeping? I'm sure I have a cure for that..."

However, this was not the case, and instead Chandra brought the man in close as he whispered about his dastardly plot to assassinate his niece.

"Ranjit, my old friend. What I am about to ask you to do is of the utmost importance for the safety of our realm. However, I need it to be conducted with complete and total secrecy. Can I trust you to do this on my behalf?"

The elderly alchemist stroked his beard for a few moments before nodding his head in agreement.

"If you have come to me for help in this matter, then it must not be something simple. Please enlighten me on how I can assist you..."

In a whispering voice, Chandra revealed the extension of his plot.

"I need you to find a poison that will slowly, over time, degrade a person's health until it comes to a point where it appears they die of sickness. This process needs to take months, or even years, and show no sign after death that the body has been poisoned. Can you do this for me?"

The man reflected on the astonishing demand for several moments before nodding his head in affirmation of his abilities.

"It won't be easy, but I can accomplish the task. However, I have to ask, who am I poisoning?'

Upon hearing this response, Chandra shook his head before ensuring that his plot was handled on a need to know basis. He could not very well trust the elderly alchemist to poison the young princess if he was aware of her identity.

[Do you want to read more chapters ? ] "You leave that up to me. Just know that this individual will bring great destruction to our Empire if left to their own devices. However, their identity is complicated and thus they must be eliminated covertly. Do you understand?"

It took several moments for the Alchemist to respond. He did not like the idea of poisoning a target without knowing who they were, or what kind of threat they posed. However, if the matter was really as important as Chandra claimed, then he supposed he had no choice but to accept the position. Thus, with a heavy sigh, the man named Ranjit agreed to the regent's demands.

"Very well, I understand. I will do what you require from me. I will acquire the poison. As for how it is delivered, that is up for you to decide."

After hearing this, a wide smiled formed on Chandra's lips as he practically celebrated his victory in that moment. If the Princess was not alive to lure the one eyed warlord to their domain, then the prophesy could be prevented. He quickly thanked the man for his service before departing.

"Thank you Ranjit, I knew I could count on you!"

After saying this, Chandra quickly got to task on the other portions of his assassination scheme. As for the Princess in question, she was currently locked within her room, where her brother Dharya was visiting.

Princess Priya Tomara hugged her brother tightly. It was not often that the boy could sneak into her quarters and spend time with his sister. He could tell by how thin she was that she was not being properly fed. Her disheveled appearance was heartbreaking for the boy emperor to see.

"Priya, so much time has passed and you are still not growing. I have no choice. If Uncle will not feed you properly, then I will have to smuggle in your meals myself. I can no longer sit by and watch that old bastard punish you for no reason. Though I still lack the strength to overthrow his rule, I swear one day he will pay for his crimes."

The young girl smiled as she heard her brother promise to avenge her. However, she was more interested in hearing about that legendary land that her cousin Ishwar had visited years ago, and thus inquired about it.

"Tell me about it again, that mythical land to the west that Cousin Ishwar visited!"

The boy emperor sighed when he heard this. Every time he visited his sister, this was all she wanted to hear about, however despite his reluctance to talk about the story once more, he ultimately conceded. Considering the tale of their cousin's journey brought her so much hope, Dharya felt it would be cruel to deny the girl what little happiness she had in this cruel world.

"According to Ishwar, he travelled far to the west, across the Timurid Empire, and even the Gates of Byzantium, entering a land called Austria. Their capital was a city of technological wonders which he had taken a magical carriage through the mountains in order to visit. Supposedly, this carriage could fit hundreds of people, and completely operated with no beasts of burden.

Upon his arrival to the capital of this mysterious city, he noticed that the people there had pale skin, golden hair, and blue eyes. Even the common people were dressed in such luxurious attire that it made our cousin envious. The Palace of this Kingdom was magnificent. He said it was over three times the size of our own, and filled with marvellous paintings and luxurious tapestries. It even had a garden that was rivaled only by the heavens.

Ishwar says that a benevolent one eyed man, who, despite his disfigurement, was still handsome and charming, rules this Kingdom. This King used his power and wealth to help his people prosper, and was loved by all within his domain."

Priya's emerald eyes glistened with interest as she heard the tale for the thousandth time. As always, she asked a simple question when it came to this part of the story.

"What was this one eye'd man's name?"

Upon hearing this question yet again, Dharya sighed heavily before revealing what he was told by his cousin.

"Berengar von Kufstein, they say he was a man who rose from the low nobility to the position of a mighty King who all of his neighbors envied. Supposedly now he has expanded his borders and created a vast Empire in the center of the land known as Europe. Despite his wealth, he still focuses on investing in his Empire so that he can form a peaceful and prosperous land where his people can thrive. This land is now called the German Empire and is said to be the most powerful realm in the world."

The young princess slowly drifted off to sleep as her brother told her the story of Ishwar's journey to the west. Once she was out cold, he lifted her up and placed her on her cot, where he covered her with what little sheets she had.

"Sweet dreams, my little sister."

After saying this, Dharya left the girl's quarters, struggling to come up with a solution to usurp power from his uncle. If he did not, then it was only a matter of time before his sister met a disastrous fate. He was completely unaware that the man had already planned to poison the girl into an early grave.