Prithviraj Chauhan: The Emperor of Hearts by Anuja Chandramouli

Author:Anuja Chandramouli
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Asia, Fiction, Historical, India, Love Stories, Romance
ISBN: 9789387326354
Publisher: Ebury Press
Published: 2017-05-14T23:00:00+00:00

Bhuvana did not bother with any small talk. ‘The situation is far more dangerous than even you realize,’ he said, his voice terse and urgent. Kanha did not respond, waiting in silence for the man to elaborate. He could hear the frogs croaking on the banks of the river and the chitter-chatter of insects.

‘Don’t you think it is a little suspicious that security isn’t as tight as it ought to be on their side of the river? They seem to have posted only a token number of guards on duty. They have been here for a few days, which means they too must have some knowledge about the points where a crossing can be effected and yet they have left them largely unmanned.’

Kanha nodded. It had struck him as odd too. You did not have to be a military genius to figure out that the Chalukyans were planning a nasty little surprise for them and Someshwar was being very obliging by accepting an enemy’s invitation with open arms.

‘Closer to the camp they are on high alert, with teams of sentries and archers on patrol duty. They have lit fires at the guard stations to make sure that they are on the lookout for a stealth attack.’

‘Looks like Bhimdev has taken every eventuality into consideration and covered it!’ Kanha commented drily. ‘Tell me, have your men discovered if Bhimdev is getting some additional help from allies that we need to know about? He seems a little too sure of himself.’

‘That is what I wanted to speak to you about,’ Bhuvana growled, his face distorted with outrage. ‘Their allies are none other than the Chauhans!’

Kanha stared at him in shock, not comprehending and then the truth struck him with the force of a sledge hammer. He was a dunderhead for not having seen it sooner! Every family had its share of bad apples and for as long as he could remember, in these parts the Chauhans of Nadol were believed to be as bad as they came.

Given their family’s history of fratricide, he had always felt it was a pity that Simharaj, grandson of the famous Vakpati-I, had not got rid of his quarrelsome younger brother, Lakshman. Instead he had allowed him to leave in high dudgeon and establish a separate kingdom in Nadol. Aside from the strategically important Mandore, it was a piddling excuse for an empire at best and a treacherous nest of vipers at worst.

The Chauhans of Sapadalaksha had always outshone the inferior branch of the family with the result that the Chauhans of Saptashata, as they liked to refer to themselves, had been every bit as jealous as the Kauravas had been of the Pandavas.

Bhuvana cleared his throat. ‘They have been hand in glove with the Chalukyas ever since Mularaj-I entered into an allegiance with them. Your ancestor Durlabharaja-II taught Mahendra Chauhan of Nadol a lesson for his treachery and they have clearly been biding their time to exact their revenge. It seems that Bhimdev has revived this old alliance with Kumarasimha.

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