Agneya - The Unknown King

Chapter 3 - Soulmate

Agni looked at him and sighed heavily while running his hands through his shoulder length hair.  He really needed a break from all this so Megnath suggested that he should take rest before attending the court which still has more time to start.  He left from there leaving him alone for some time.

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Soon the Royal court of Pranyakta was filled by the Kings and their trusted Minister and Army Generals.  Apart from them some chosen people from different Kingdoms who held the posts of Prime Minister, Revenue Minister and Army General of the Pranyakta Kingdom were also present.  The Pranyakta Army is something which consisted of people from all the Kingdoms and they are recruited after some tough tests.  The Prime minister who is incharge of this Royal court addressed the people convened for the meeting and greeted Samrat Rajnath as a way of starting the court.  Then Samrat initiated by saying, "I know that you people are wondering about the next King.  As we had already discussed a lot on Megnath or Dakshesh being crowned, we couldn't unanimously agree to crown any one of them as they have only 3 or 4 of the elemental powers and the other ones will be left out".

Everyone was patiently listening to his speech and agreed about their disagreement on this matter.  Then Samrat continued, "So I have found the person having all the five powers".  The court was silent for a moment and Samrat said, "And he is from my bloodline".  Agneya entered the court and all the attention turned towards him.  Agni passed by everyone present while taking a glance around him and went near Samrat and greeted him formally.  Samrat asked him to sit on the throne of Yuvraj which was placed right beside him.  In front him, on the left and right sides, there is a row of seats where people are seated.

Agni nodded at Megnath who was seated on his right at the front of the row.  Similarly Dakshesh was present on his left.  The only thing that Agni couldn't figure out is the Book that was kept in the decorated stand right beside the King, on his left.  Samrat addressed the court again, bringing back Agneya from his thoughts and said, "He is Agneya, your next King.  He is also my Grandson but from my daughter.  Hope you all have not forgotten the fact that I have a daughter ".  Agneya so wanted to ask him whether he himself ever remembered his daughter or not, but kept quiet for the timebeing.

After explaining the court that he has found all the powers in Agneya, Samrat asked Agneya to come near him and took his hand to place it on the Book kept beside him.  As soon as Agneya kept his hand on the book, it glowed brightly and then Samrat asked Agneya to remove his hand from it.  And the glow died down.  Samrat was over the moon and said while looking at the court, "Now it is proved that my grandson is the one who got the 5 elemental powers.  So we don't need to argue among ourselves about who should be crowned next". 

After agreeing with Samrat's decision wholeheartedly, the court was dispersed.  Before leaving, Samrat asked King Rajendra about his daughters' welfare and replying humbly he said, "They have attained the appropriate age for joining Pranyakta academy today, Samrat.  So next week they will join here".  Saying so he departed from there.  Now only Samrat, Agni, Megnath and Dakshesh remained in the court. 

Agni was still looking at the book and his own hands, when Samrat said, "Agneya, You are at the right age to join the Pranyakta academy which will start the next academic year by next week.  Before that we will help you in all 5 divisions of powers with basic training, which will be known to every person here.  Further more, you will learn under the highest scholars of each division, present in the academy, who are basically the retired Kings of each of the 5 Kingdoms".

Agni nodded at him and then asked in confusion, "Since the people here are immortal, shouldn't there be many generations of ancestors present here?".  Samrat frowned at that and asked, "Who told you that we are immortals?".  Agni looked at him sharply and said, "As far as I know, you had abandoned my mother because she had turned into a mortal after being marked.  And so she cannot cross over the realm frequently.  Although I still don't believe the reason for why you didn't visit her ever". 

Samrat averted his eyes from his accusing gaze and explained, "Yes your mother became a mortal.  It doesn't mean we are immortal.  We are different from mortal people in the sense that our life expectancy is thrice that of the mortals.  That is, on an average, we live for 200 years.  But that's the maximum limit of our lifetime.  We don't live on forever like immortals".   Agneya was still processing whatever he had told and then asked Megnath, "Shall we look around the palace once?".  Megnath nodded at him and Dakshesh too tagged along with them. 

After sometime they all reached the garden and Megnath was describing the different wings of the Palace.  Agneya saw that Dakshesh was looking at a rose which he picked and he was smiling while looking at it.    Agni stopped Megnath and asked seriously with a frown, "Why is he smiling like a drugged person who forgot his existence".  Megnath looked at Agni for a second and laughed at his description.  Dakshesh came near them, hearing his laugh and asked about the matter.

Then Megnath continued, "It's actually a drug only Agni.  And the name of the drug is Sheela".  Dakshesh blushed at her name and Agni understood their teasing and smiled at them.  He just got reminded of his own brother who followed him everywhere since the moment he was born.  Arunaditya was that stubborn child who couldn't be controlled by anyone but his brother.  Seeing Agni smile for the first time ever since he came, Megnath shook him and asked him 'what' through gesture.  Agni shook his head negatively and said while looking at Dakshesh, "So you already found your soulmate?  When is your marriage?". 

The smile on Megnath and Dakshesh's faces were wiped off, hearing his question.  Agneya too noticed it but before he could comprehend their expressions, Dakshesh excused himself and went away.  Megnath sighed and Agneya asked, "Did I ask anything wrong?  My mother told me about the mark of a soulmate".  Megnath answered him, "Agni, You may not know the entire thing about this soulmate.  Let me explain you first". 

They sat on a stone chair present in the garden and then Megnath said, "Sheela is not his Soulmate.  She is his love but not the destined one.  Here in Pranyakta, only the Royal family members can either mark or get marked by their soulmate.  Not all common people will get their soulmate by marking.  Royal family of all five kingdoms as well as our family, need their soulmate for the reason that only the children through your soulmate can inherit all your powers.  Ofcourse, Not all their children will inherit all the powers.  But the person who is not your soulmate, may not even be able to bear a child in the first place.  And even if they did birth a child,  they will never be able to attain the level of the legitimate children".

Agneya didn't know what to think about this system of Polygamy.  The only thing that fascinated him about this realm was the mark of a soulmate.  But seems like the people here had made a joke of this by practicing polygamy.  Agni thought to himself, "God has given you a soulmate because she/he is your destined one.  Made solely for you.  A person who is perfect in all your imperfections and make you a whole complete person.  Just like my father and mother".  

Megnath showed him a direction of the Palace and said, "That is the part of the Palace where all the women will reside.  The Official wives will have their own seperate chamber where they will raise their children as well.  And the other wives will have to share their chambers together as it is deemed by Samragyi, until they have any children.  They will be called by their husband whenever they wish to.  Whereas the official main wife will be visited by the husband in her own chamber ". 

Megnath was suddenly called by his son, so he left the place after excusing himself.  Agneya looked on at his retreating figure judging him whether he has more wives or not.

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Akashpura

"Charu!  Charu!  Get ready fast", Damini called out for her friend cum Princess, who was taking a long time in the bathroom. 

Loosing her patience, she called out again, "Charusheela".

Glossary:

Samrat - Emperor
Samragyi - Empress
Rajkumar - Prince
Bratashree - Brother
Bhabhishree - sister-in-law
Mamashree - Uncle (Mother's Brother)
Mamishree - Aunt (Mother's brother's wife)
Bade - elder or big
Chote - younger or small

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Hi guys,

Next update is here.  As usual there will be a weekly update.

Do vote and comment if you like the chapter.

Thanks,
SM.