The air in the training hall still felt tense from their earlier conversation. Satya could sense it the kind of heaviness that hangs between two people who have agreed to an alliance neither fully trusts.
For now, at least, he and Shunga were on the same side. Temporary allies. Two men with one enemy.
Shunga crossed his arms. "Let's leave emotions aside. There's something bigger you need to hear."
Satya raised an eyebrow. "Go on."
"The army," Shunga said. "We scraped out a victory this time, but victory doesn't repeat itself automatically. Next time? I can't promise the same outcome. Our numbers are low. Our training standards are slipping because the ministers keep cutting our funds."
Satya thought for a moment. He knew Shunga wasn't lying. "You want to expand the army."
"I want us to survive," Shunga said bluntly. "That requires soldiers."
Satya paced for a few breaths, weighing the kingdom's worsening finances. "Fine," he said finally. "You have my permission to recruit more men. But not too many. The treasury is already bleeding."
"That'll do," Shunga nodded. "For now."
The conversation ended there. Shunga bowed slightly and left the training chamber.
Satya picked up his sword and resumed practice, but his movements felt heavier now. His mind kept circling the same question.
Could Shunga be trusted… or was this alliance just another dangerous gamble?
And there was another fear too one far more immediate.
The corrupt ministers wouldn't sit quietly now. They would come for him soon.
Scene Shift
A dim room. Curtains drawn. Sunlight slipped through in thin golden lines, slicing across the faces of men seated in a circle. Their expressions were sharp and tense.
"It's time," one of them whispered. "The king the puppet is trying to make a name for himself. Before his reputation grows, kill him."
Another minister leaned forward. "But Shunga is in the capital. As long as he's here, we can't touch the king."
"So what?" a third snapped. "If we don't act now, those two will wipe us out. Either we kill them first, or they kill us."
A cold voice cut through the chaos.
"Quiet."
All eyes turned to the man sitting at the center their leader.
"I understand what needs to be done," he said slowly. "Prepare everything. I'll handle the rest soon."
Scene Shift
Satya, unaware of the conspiracies tightening around him like a noose, was preparing for something entirely different.
He stood before a mirror, adjusting simple cotton clothes the kind worn by ordinary workers. Gone was the royal jewelry. Gone was the heavy crown. He looked almost unrecognizable.
He tied a cloth around his shoulder, completing the disguise.
"I need to know the truth," Satya murmured. "What my people think of me. What they suffer. What they need."
If he wanted to rule well, he had to understand his people. And no report from a minister could be trusted.
He stepped out of the palace quietly, blending into the common crowd.
A king walking among his own people… unaware of the deadly storm gathering behind him.