Chapter 61: Bad News...! Part:1
Vijay woke up in his palace to a pleasant morning. Kavya had awakened him early, and due to the recent hassles, he couldn't spend as much time with her as he wished. Currently, Kavya turned 17 years old this year and looks more beautiful than ever.
Vijay decided to go on a stroll with Kavya today, to spend some quality time with her. They both headed to watch the sports competition being held at the nearest school. After the introduction of rugby to the army, it quickly gained popularity throughout the empire, especially among the boys in schools who loved the game. They picked up the rules quickly, and since rugby was a practical and physical game similar to warfare, it had received strong endorsement from the Ministry of Culture and Education in recent months. The match about to begin today was a trial organized by the school in Hampi to raise funds for the school's development.
After enjoying the kids' match, Vijay decided to stroll around the nearest park with Kavya. She hugged him as they walked alone in the empty park. It was a rare moment as he was often surrounded by guards. Unfortunately, Kavya had a depressed expression on her face, Which Vijay quickly picked up on and asked in concern, "What is wrong? Why the long face? Tell your husband, and I will do my best to fix it for you," trying to comfort her.
Kavya hesitated for a moment, but then replied after gathering the courage she needed, "It's nothing, husband. You are always busy, and I have nothing to do at the palace. So when you go away on your duties, I have nothing to do at all. I become very bored and have no one to communicate with. So, I was wondering if I could do something."
Vijay felt guilty after hearing his wife's words. With all the responsibilities he had taken on since his coronation, he hadn't had much time to spend with his wife. Unfortunately, he couldn't even change this outcome in the near future, Because of his Ambitions that will always keep him busy. Nevertheless, he was thankful to Lord Vishnu for having an understanding wife who didn't blame him.
"What is it? Tell me, and I will do whatever is in my power to help," he assured her.
Kavya replied hesitantly, "Husband, please don't be mad at me when I say this, but I discovered that when I was helping you design the uniforms for the school children earlier, I enjoyed this type of work the most. I often came up with new and creative ideas. So, I was thinking, maybe I could start designing new types of clothing, and I believe I would absolutely love doing that," she said, her voice filled with hesitation.
Vijay was pleasantly surprised by Kavya's plans. In this era, women typically didn't have an entrepreneurial spirit, but he had witnessed the feminist wave in the 21st century and accepted the idea of women in positions of power and influence.
He wasn't annoyed by Kavya's request; in fact, as far back as when Kavya showed her interest in fashion, he had already made his plans to privatize some sectors of the government and allow the citizens of Vijayanagar to set up their own businesses. He saw the potential for Kavya to start a fashion empire similar to LVMH in later generations. However, these plans had been delayed as he needed to establish the necessary infrastructure for businesses to prosper. But now, with his wife bringing it to his attention, he decided to fast-track his plans a bit.
"Okay, I promise you. You can temporarily recruit some skilled female craftsmen and start designing the clothes you like. However, you can't sell them to anyone just yet," he told her.
Upon hearing Vijay's words, Kavya was overjoyed. She jumped around him with joy like a bunny and tightly hugged Vijay. Blushing, she kissed his cheek and said in a soft, grateful voice, "Thank you so much, husband."
Just as the couple were having their lovely time, Roshan broke inside the royal palace unannounced, looking for him.
Vijay, who had recognized Roshan's voice from outside, quickly coaxed Kavya to let him go and left to meet Roshan, as he knew that his spymaster wouldn't disturb him for some trivial news.
Vijay observed Roshan's dishevelled appearance, with disarrayed hair and red, sleep-deprived eyes, displaying a sense of panic all over his face. Seeing him in this state, Vijay knew that the problem was big, So he put on a dignified expression and asked Roshan in a grave tone, "What happened, Roshan?"
"Your Highness, I received a top-level priority message from the Mughal Empire yesterday. But on my way to meet you, I received another top-level priority message from the Lanka branch of the Secret Service," Roshan replied in a stuttering voice. Despite being the leader of the Secret Service organization, he couldn't have imagined the gravity of the news he was about to deliver. He feared that hearing this news would shake Vijay to his core.
Vijay, however, remained calm and composed as he urged Roshan, "Tell me one by one and stop stuttering, you are the spymaster for God's sake."
Roshan continued, "Your Highness, it's not good news. The Mughal Empire has just completed the integration of their empire, and there have been unusual military movements in the past few days. Upon further inquiry, we discovered that the Mughal Empire was mobilizing a formidable army of 200,000 soldiers, preparing for an expedition either against our empire or the Maratha Kingdom."
To Be Continued...
The source of this c𝐨ntent is fre𝒆w(e)bn(o)vel