Tyranny of Steel

Night fell over the clear Indian sky, a full moon accompanied by a sea of stars illuminated the capital of the Anangpur Empire as two siblings met in secret. The Princess of the Empire, Priya Tomara, lies sickly in her bed. Over the past year, her condition had grown substantially worse, to the point that she was now bedridden.

Her brother Dharya, the Emperor, was nothing more than a puppet to his uncle's whims, and try as he might to build a loyal faction that could help him overthrow his regent, he had utterly failed in doing so. Now, with his sister on the brink of the death, the boy was filled with despair. 

"I'm sorry Priya. I don't know what is wrong with you. Not even the court physician understands why your health is failing. There is nothing I can do but sit here by your side..."

The girl had a weak voice as she tried to rise from her lying position. Despite her best attempts, she was too feeble to properly sit up without support. Ultimately, she coughed, before speaking the words on her mind. 

"It is I who am sorry dear brother, it appears my time has come and I can no longer keep you company... I only ask one thing of you before I pass from this world... Can you please take me to the Kingdom in the west that you spoke of? I know it is a lot to ask, but I wish to see the Grand City of Kufstein with my own eyes before I enter the cycle of reincarnation once more!"

Dharya bit his lower lip in distress as he heard this request from his beloved little sister. With the girl's current condition, he did not believe she would survive the trip. Still, it was her dying wish, and he wanted nothing more than to make the girl's dream come true. With a heavy sigh, he nodded his head before agreeing to the girl's request.

"Alright... I will take you to Austria. If it is the last thing I do, I will fulfill your wish!"

As if the heavens were answering his prayers, a knock resounded on the door, with the voice of his cousin appearing from behind the door. 

"Dharya, open the door right now. I have something urgent to talk to you about, it concerns the princess..."

Shocked by this news, Dharya quickly opened the door to reveal his older cousin Ishwar. The man carefully searched his surroundings before forcing his way inside and bolting the door behind him. He had a panicked expression on his face as he held a scroll in his hands. Dharya was curious why the man was acting so strange and quickly prodded him for an answer.

"Dharya, why do you look like you have just run a mile?"

The man was panting heavily as he scolded the little brat for making fun of him.

"Do you have any idea what I have been through this past hour?"

After saying this, the man shook his head before calming his nerves and informing the Emperor of what he had found out.

"Dharya, my father plots against you. I overheard him speaking with one of his ministers. The reason your sister's health is failing is because he is poisoning her. He has been doing it for quite some time."

This news shocked the boy Emperor. However, his fists quickly trembled as he felt like killing his uncle on the spot. He lunged for the door but was quickly stopped by his cousin, who thrust the scroll into the boy's hands.

"Dharya, calm down! Take a deep breath and listen to me! My father is convinced that your sister is part of an ancient prophesy that foretells the end of our civilization. It is utter madness, but he desires to kill her before she can summon a warlord from the west who will invade our lands and subject us all to a thousand years of darkness. The madman has actually convinced your entire court to act against your sister. I'm here to get the two of you to safety. If he's willing to kill Priya, then what will he do to you?"

Dharya read the scroll. It was cryptic and ancient. He did not know how the man could believe that Priya was the princess foretold to bring the Anangpur Empire's destruction. However, the thing that concerned him most was Ishwar's behavior. Was the man leading him into a trap? He had to investigate this matter further.

"Why are you helping me? Shouldn't you be siding with your father?"

Ishwar appeared to be offended by the question, however he did not get upset, or even defensive, instead he wore a bitter smile as he revealed his reasons for betraying his father's ambitions.

"Dharya, we are family. I have grown up looking after the two of you as if you are my own siblings. My father is driven by greed. I have known it for a long time, but I ignored it because he was not doing any harm to you, or Priya, and you are still a child who is not capable of ruling our lands. However, what I have just learned changes everything.

The fact that my father is willing to resort to poisoning his niece in order to maintain the power he has gained proves to me that he has long since abandoned his humanity. I will not sit idly by while the two of you are killed off as sacrificial pawns. None of that is important now. What matters is that we get you to safety. Come, I will help carry your sister. I have already arranged for you to travel to the German Empire in secret.

It is the only place I can think of that is powerful enough to protect you from my father's wrath and is far enough out of his sight that his agents can't get to you. When you arrive in the Reich, tell the Kaiser that I have sent you, and inform him of your circumstances. I am certain he will help you."

Dharya was unaware that Austria had formed into an empire and had many questions about this topic. He quickly protested, speaking to his cousin about his sister's dream to visit Kufstein.

"What? No! Priya wants to visit Kufstein. What even is this German Empire?"

This question stunned Ishwar, who was just now learning of the ignorance that the Emperor lived in all this time. He sighed heavily before educating his cousin on matters of international politics.

"Kufstein is the Capital of the German Empire. Over a year ago, the Kingdom of Austria united the German people into a large Empire. The fact that my father has not made you aware of this major event shows his true schemes. I must get you to safety quickly."

After saying this, the young man grabbed hold of the sickly girl and wrapped her in a blanket. He wore a pitiful smile on his face as he informed the girl that he was granting her request. 

"Come Priya, I'm going to make sure you and your brother visit Kufstein. You will be going on a long vacation for a while, and I'm afraid we won't see each other for many years..."

The girl merely smiled. Despite being close to death, she simply nodded her head and responded with thanks.

"Thank you, cousin Ishwar!"

The trio fled through the halls of the palace in silence. Luckily, Ishwar had already calculated the routes of the patrols and knew the best ways out of the building. Once they had succeeded in sneaking out of the palace, Ishwar led the two kids to a merchant caravan, where he covertly placed them inside a wagon. After doing so, he bade them farewell.

"You two need to behave and, most importantly, whatever you do, you cannot tell anyone who you really are until you meet with Kaiser Berengar von Kufstein in person. Only the merchant in charge of this caravan knows your true identity, and he has been paid a handsome sum to keep it a secret. As far as anyone else is concerned, you are his children. Don't worry, I will work hard while you are away so that when you finally return to your homeland, you can take your rightful place as the Emperor!"

Dharya had tears in his eyes as he thanked his cousin one last time before parting ways. 

"Thank you Ishwar, you have no idea how much I appreciate your help. I promise, when I am big and strong, I will return to the Anangpur Empire and reclaim my throne from my uncle. You have shown me the value of family with this act of kindness!"

With that said, the cousins parted ways, and before long, the Merchant Caravan had set off on a long and perilous journey to the Empire in the West. Without the poison regularly being administered into the girls' system, Priya would begin to recover from her feeble state, but it would be a difficult path for the girl to bear. Had Ishwar waited another day to enact this plan, the girl would likely be doomed to death.