Empire of India: Rise of the Ruthless Prince

The harvest festival was underway in the capital city of the Empire. The decorations were complete and a lot of festive stalls were open in the city. Traders and farmers from various regions flocked to the capital. Fresh produce was being sold to the citizens at a reduced price. The abundance of the produce made the price lower. The people brought grains and produce with a smile on their faces.

Everything was affordable and they could survive the coming year with the bountiful harvest. It was a big deal for the poor families that try to survive on the bare minimum every season. During a bad harvest, these sections suffer the most due to the high prices of the produce and grains.

Hampi was covered in the vibrant decorations by the citizens. The arches and temple entrances were adorned with flower garland made of marigold and jasmine. Rangolis were drawn in front of everyone's house. It was made using a mix of rice flour and petals of flowers in the season.

Pandalas were erected in front of some houses or public areas for communities to gather and celebrate the joyous occasion. Pandalas were temporary shetlers propper by using banana stems and coconut fronds. They also displayed the harvest in a colorful and special way as a way to offer them to the deities. Bulls and cows adornments were painted on the clothes and displayed as a token of their help.

The bulls and cows were decorated with a special cloth and bells as a sign of respect for their hard work to ensure the bountiful harvest.

Devotees flocked the Virupaksha temple in the capital to offer their prayers to the deity. The soldiers were deployed to patrol the streets and ensure the safety of the incoming citizens. They were also in charge of managing the crowd in the temple.

The line was too long since the devotees from many parts flocked to catch a glimpse of the deity. The soldiers managed the line and ensured that there was no mishap. Temporary canopies were erected by the soldiers to give shade to the devotees standing under the scorching sun.

They also ensured there was enough water for everyone to quench their thirst. Soldiers carried the water containers and ensured that no container was empty.

Outside the Virupaksha temple in a huge field, there were different events being held under the supervision of the temple. Carnatic music and devotional hymns were sang there. Devotees eagerly sat down on the ground to listen to the hymns.

On the other sides, there were skits of stories from the Mahabharata and Ramayana by young men and women. There were also classical dances from various parts of the Empire featured.

Lastly, near the temple were the recitals of the holy scriptures and their fundamental message to the people. It was overseen by a priest from the Virupaksha Temple in the capital.

Flags of the Empire flew tall in every part of the capital. Temporary victory pillars were erected by the citizens. The news of the annexures of the Sultanate spread far and wide in the Empire. There was a positive impact of the news in the parts. The Emperor's reign was prosperous so far for the citizens. They had witnessed many changes and reforms that helped their daily lives.

The victory against the Sultanate reinforced the idea of safety under the Emperor's rule for them.

Meanwhile, the Royal Edict for the farming method was successfully passed under the proxy leadership of Viswa. It was unanimously passed by the royal council. No one questioned his merit or status to lead the council. Everyone in the Council witnessed the work ethic of Viswa. It was unmatched and precise.

Little did Viswa know. Almost all of the Royal Council members, including the recently joined council member Aradhana, admired him for his flawless planning and efficiency. They all strived to be as useful as Viswa to the Emperor. Viswa, on the other hand, had no idea about this and thought most of them held a hidden prejudice towards him.

He managed to present all the results and get it passed as quickly as possible. The messengers were dispatched with the method details to the huge farming regions first, then he focused on the more smaller regions. The bigger farmers change would eventually snowball into smaller ones.

Harsha, even on the day of the festival, was under a pile of work. He rarely took a rest from the Empire's work. The last time he took some time off was the little time he spent with Gauri.

He sighed deeply and began to go through the papers piled up in his study room. Viswa entered with a smile, as he spent some time with the old man. He was particularly fond of him. He saw that man as the father figure he never had.

'He is smiling, eh!. I wanted him to forge relationships as well.'

Harsha understood the importance of relationships after taking the throne. For the first time during the coronation, he felt a surge of emotions. A foreign concept for him at the time. Now he was able to show a bit of emotion here and there. Although the concepts of sadness and happiness were a bit foreign to him, he wanted to learn them. He was curious about those feelings.

'I also got a weird feeling spending time with Gauri. I wonder what it is.'

He thought.

The emotions he lost during his time at the research lab. He spent countless years enduring torture like tearing and rejoining the limbs without the painkiller medicines to increase the pain tolerance. Poison testing, mental torture. He only remembers the pain from those days, nothing else. At some point he was able to kill anyone without a hint of remorse.

"Your Majesty." Viswa interrupted his thoughts with a wide grin.

"What is it?" Harsha shook his head and glanced up.

"Aren't you going to see the festivities?"

Harsha was also curious about the festivities. It would be the first time he would enjoy a festival. Last year, the festival was lackluster and he couldn't join since he was so focused on building strength to take the throne.

This would be the first time since he was transported to this world.

"I have to finish this first."

Viswa shook his head. "Your Majesty, I have taken care of everything. I think it's necessary to relax once in a while."

"You will become mentally exhausted."

Harsha sighed and chuckled. "Ahh…"

He leaned back and stretched. Viswa was right. He was mentally taxed.

His thinking had significantly changed in this year. He didn't know how, but slowly but surely his thought process was changing.

"You are right! Guess I will indulge this time." He smiled brightly.

He and Viswa went to the market district disguised as ordinary citizens. They didn't take anyone else. Harsha was safe with Viswa, who was the best bodyguard he could ask for in the capital.

The evening sun was dipping across the horizons. Tiny flickers of flames riddled the capital. Hundreds of diyas were lit up in the capital as the night began to fall. Every house and every shop had a diya. Everyone was happily talking and enjoying the festivities. Dances, feasts, and shopping. The night market had games for kids and adults to enjoy.

Harsha watched and tried some of the games. It was quite fun watching the kids cheering for him trying to get a toy. He eventually won a game and gave a little girl the toy. She happily showed the toy to her elder brother and parents.

'This is quite enjoyable.'

He thought as he walked to the Virupaksha temple.

He witnessed the dance performed by young ladies. It was elegant; the illumination of the dim light of the flames made it even more fulfilling. The soft music was soothing, the young woman danced elegantly, and it seemed as if the flames were also dancing to her whim.

"This is beautiful." He muttered, enamored by the dance.

He later watched some skits and heard some recitals of the holy scriptures. After hearing some scriptures, he wished to learn more about them.

Everything was a unique and new experience for him. He felt satisfied and relaxed after listening and enjoying the festivities in the capital.

With the final prayer at the Virupaksha temple. Harsha headed back to the royal palace. The stress in his mind was lifted. The mental exhaustion was slowly fading, leaving him with a tinge of satisfaction. Read exclusive chapters at empire

Viswa smiled seeing the expression of Harsha. For the first time, he saw a genuine smile on his master's face.

Harsha turned to Viswa. "It was a nice evening."

"It does seem you enjoyed it. Your Majesty."

"AHAHA, true. It was enjoyable. I experienced some new things."

Viswa smiled.

"Anyway, I have something to inform you." Harsha said with a serious look. "I will be departing tomorrow to Surat for the meeting with the Marathas."

"I shall be accompanying you." Viswa said with a confident look.

"No, you will not. I have some other work for you."

"Huh?" Viswa went wide-eyed.

"I need to manage the aftermath of the annexure as my proxy."

Viswa went silent and thought.

He finally smiled.

"I will do as you command, Your Majesty."