Chapter 50 - Lucky Aariv (1/2)

They had arrived in the city and were heading to the royal palace.

”ah... where am I?”

Aariv looked and saw the painter guy waking up. He had healed his nose so that shouldn't be a problem.

The painter guy looked around and then stared at Aariv's face for a while,

”It's you...and” He then looked down.

”My clothes... what did you...”

”Shut the hell up pervert,” Aariv said irritatingly.

”You're the one who is perverted, you forced me into your carriage and...” before he could say anything he heard his own voice and a magical scene.

”You naughty boy...” Aariv played the recording on the holocom and showed it to the guy.

”See this... it's you who jumped on me” he said pointing at the hologram.

”Wha... what sorcery is this.... and it was probably because I got drunk”

”Dunk?... you just had a small peg... it was just 50ml,” Aariv retorted and threw the shirt at him.

”Get dressed, we are about to reach the royal palace,” the man embarrassingly put on his shirt, forgetting about hologram.

”wait... royal palace?... wh... who are you?” he scaredly asked.

”I am Aariv Maurya, the first prince of Mauryan empire,” he said.

Painter guy's jaw dropped to the floor and then suddenly prostrated on the floor of the carriage and touched Aariv's shoes.

”Please forgive me, your highness, I... I have a little sister to take care of if something happened to her then...” he said while weeping. It was genuine fear. who wouldn't fear after doing that to someone with such a high status.

Aariv grabbed the collar of the guy, picked him up and threw him on his seat.

”I haven't decided to kill you yet. I asked you to enter my carriage because I was interested in your drawings in the first place... we will continue our talk later, for now you are going to be my luggage picker”

The 100 guards were rerouted to another resthouse while Aariv's carriage was escorted by the palace guards. Although the Mauryan Empire and Kalinga had animosity but still they had to welcome Aariv with the best of their ability.

The majestic carriage entered the palace and stopped in front of the gate, Mauryan ambassador was there to receive him with some servants. There were people from Kalinga royal family too but they kept their distance.

People continuously chattered seeing the Carriage, the ambassador went forward and opened the gate. Aariv majestically stepped out of it. People were in awe, seeing his dress. He looked quite handsome; all the females present had their hearts skip a beat.

Even the ambassador was mesmerized by his looks.

”Your highness, welcome,” He said with a bow.

Aariv nodded and stepped forward. The servants welcomed him by throwing flower petals on him. Surupa timidly got out and picked Aariv's luggage.

~Hmm, the army should have started to march towards here. I just hope that they can clear out all the possible spies.~ He thought he had ordered the army to only move at night and follow an offroad path. It was hard but not impossible.

He estimated that it would take at least 5 days for them to come and in 5 days, it was the marriage ceremony, according to the star positions and the horoscopes of the bride and groom, it was decided that the ceremony would take place at 9 in the night. In the meantime he decided to sightsee. He was also interested in knowing who the bride was.

...

5 days later,

He was staying in a guesthouse, just beside the royal palace. He had already caught 8 assassins until now. Right now he was talking to Black on his holocom.

”Where are you? Today is the wedding day; the ceremony will start in the night.” He asked impatiently.

”Your highness, I think we'll reach before midnight,” Black said.

”I hope you do,” Aariv said and hung up the call.

Aariv didn't value the Kalinga royal family but he valued the people. He couldn't kill the king and expect the people and the army to surrender. He needed to make the people hate their king so that he could come and act as the savior.

His plan was simple. Due to such a big marriage taking place, most of the ration was bought by the palace, leaving very little for the public. They had also imposed a rule that the people could only buy rations in a small amount.

Currently, people didn't have much food in their homes. Aariv had sent his men dressed as traders, they bought nearly all of the rations left in the city at a high price and sent them out of the city after that he was going to close all entrances of the city.

People would eventually get hungry in some days, then Aariv would fire his catapults and destroy the city wall but still he was not going to attack.