Empire of India: Rise of the Ruthless Prince

Harsha woke up after a restful sleep, feeling refreshed. It was the first time he had slept comfortably since arriving in this world. Initially, he was unsure of the world around him and constantly wary about his safety. Now, after looking around and meeting the Empress, he had a vague idea of his safety inside the palace, but he still remained cautious due to the incident that happened yesterday.

As he got up and dressed, his mind replayed the previous day's events. 'Her body had some signs of training, though,' he thought, recalling the unsettling encounter with Rukmini. 'Hmm... She might be someone planted to monitor me by one of the princes vying for the throne!'

Harsha paused, his eyes narrowing as he buttoned his tunic. The memory of her struggling beneath his grip was vivid. Her muscles were too toned, her reactions too quick for a mere maid. 'Who sent her? And why make such an obvious move?' he pondered, suspicion growing.

The memory of her amber eyes, filled with fear brought a wry smile to his face as the image lingered in his thoughts. 'Whoever sent her must think I'm easily manipulated. This is going to be quite fun!'

As he walked through the Palace, he noticed that, unlike on the battlefield, there was no direct animosity directed towards him. However, he could still feel the servants' disdainful gazes following him as he toured the halls.

He stopped by a window, looking out at the well-kept gardens below. " it's too peaceful here," he murmured to himself, his thoughts drifting back to the constant vigilance required at the front lines.

After he reached his room after a short walk through the halls of the Huge Royal complex. A young servant approached him timidly, carrying a tray with a steaming cup of tea. "Your Highness, would you like some tea?" the servant asked, her voice shaking slightly.

Harsha glanced at the servant, noting her nervousness. "Oh! yes, I do," he said, taking the cup. "What's your name?"

The servant hesitated for a moment before replying, "It's L- Latha, Your Highness."

Harsha sipped the tea, appreciating its warmth. "Tell me, Latha," he began, his tone casual but with an underlying intensity, "what do the people here think of me?"

Latha's eyes widened, clearly caught off guard by the question. "Well, Your Highness, I... I'm not sure. People talk, but... it's not my place to say," she stammered.

"Speak freely," Harsha insisted, his gaze unwavering. "I value honesty."

Latha swallowed hard before answering, "Some of the servants... they think you're... different, Your Highness. They remember how things were before."

Harsha nodded thoughtfully. "I see. Thank you for your honesty, Latha. You may go."

As Latha bowed and hurried away, Harsha leaned against the plush sofa, contemplating his next move. 'I need to understand this place better,' he thought, 'and find out who I can truly trust.'

'Ah... I need to take a bath and freshen up. I smell disgusting,' Harsha thought to himself. He hadn't bathed in two days during his journey back to the capital city. He stretched his body, feeling the stiffness in his muscles.

He called for a maid, who promptly arrived to prepare his bath. Soon, Harsha immersed himself in the warm water, sighing in relief as the heat seeped into his aching body. The scent of jasmine filled the air, calming his mind. He leaned back, closing his eyes, enjoying the soothing sensation. 'This is exactly what I needed.'

After soaking for a long time, he finally emerged from the bath, feeling rejuvenated. He dressed in a long tunic that reached his thigh, paired with white pyjamas. The soft fabric felt comforting against his clean skin.

Just then, a knock echoed on his door. "Enter," Harsha called out.

A servant entered, carrying a stack of books and maps, fulfilling his request to the Empress. The servant placed them silently on the table, bowing slightly before leaving.

Harsha approached the table, running his fingers over the worn covers of the books and the crisp edges of the maps. 'This should help me understand more about the palace and the political landscape,' he thought, a determined glint in his eye.

"Time to get to work," he muttered to himself, pulling out a chair and sitting down, ready to delve into the information before him.

'Wait, I can understand this language, At least it was something useful from God.' Harsha realized as he started skimming through the book.

Harsha was skimming through a book on the history of the Vijayanagara Empire, his disinterest evident in his gaze. Trained rigorously in the historical evolution of empires and their formations during his time as a test subject, he possessed a fair understanding from his previous life.

However, this knowledge focused solely on the evolution of battle tactics and the management of men by commanders during turbulent historical periods.

Vijayanagara was founded by Harihara and his brother Bukka Raja of the Sangama Dynasty in 1393 Vikram SaNovelBinat (1336 Gregorian calendar). The current emperor, Krishna Deva Raya, was known as the strongest emperor in the history of Vijayanagar. He was known for his brilliant administrative qualities and military prowess.

Harsha paused, then sighed with a hint of disappointment, "Though he failed to possess a vision for his empire, as he didn't give importance to military technology, resulting in the gradual decline of the empire."

As Harsha kept reading, he noticed something odd in the book. With every page he turned, his suspicion grew.

'Hmm... Interesting,' he thought. 'Didn't the Yadavas fall apart in the 13th century? Why are they still alive as a small kingdom?'

He flipped another page, his brow furrowing deeper. 'And the Bahmani Sultanate was supposed to be a major power, but here it's depicted as a minor state. What's more confusing is the presence of two different sultanates surrounding the Kingdom of Yadava, called the Qutb Sultanate and the Kasim Sultanate.'

Harsha leaned back, tapping his fingers on the table thoughtfully. 'This doesn't align with what I know. Something's definitely amiss.'

He called for the servant who had brought the tea earlier. "Can you fetch me another book on our history? Something older, if possible."

The servant bowed and quickly left the room, returning moments later with a dusty, leather-bound volume. Harsha accepted it with a nod, opening it eagerly.

'Let's see if this one tells a different story,' he thought, diving into the pages with renewed curiosity.

As Harsha studied the map, he noted the empire's extensive reach, including Bidar, parts of present-day Maharashtra, and Odisha. Another surprising detail caught his eye: Goa was part of the empire, but parts of Sri Lanka were not.

"So weird," he muttered. "No Portuguese influence in Goa? that's pretty weird "

He dove into the history of the empire, focusing on the reign of Krishna Deva Raya. To his shock, the book detailed seven wars fought on different fronts by the current emperor. Krishna Deva Raya had inherited a declining Vijayanagara Empire, under siege by the Bahmani Sultanate, which controlled some of Maharashtra, parts of Odisha, Telangana, and the Hoysala Kingdom, which ruled part of Karnataka.

"Krishna Deva Raya fought six wars against them, winning five," Harsha mumbled to himself "The last war ended just as I reincarnated into this world, with Krishna Deva Raya beheading the Bahmani Sultan and nearly tripling the land controlled by the Vijayanagara Empire from the start of his reign."

He leaned back in his chair, absorbing the magnitude of these revelations. 'This place is full of historical inaccuracies compared to what I know. But one thing is clear: Krishna Deva Raya was an incredible military leader.'

The Emperor also fought a civil war in the midst of this due to the betrayal of his brother, Achyuta Deva Raya, and weakened the power of the nobles in the Empire as a massive purge of nobles took place due to the civil war.

'Weakening the pesky noble class is always a good thing for faster reforms in the empire,' Harsha thought, a smirk playing on his lips. 'The emperor did the right thing by purging a whole set of nobility. I can only imagine their expressions during the executions.'

He decided to take a break so he closed the book. He was partially expecting such a shift in history as God had previously mentioned the "Possible alternate History". The map was so weird. So he decided to take a break and went for a walk around the Palace garden.

Harsha was enjoying his stroll in the lush garden of the Royal Complex. The breeze calmed and soothed his injured body, and the scent of flowers along with the earthy fragrance of the soil felt so soothing to him. He was yet to recover fully from the injuries in battle. It was taking longer due to the shock the body experienced during the battle, though he was mentally sound.

Harsha wandered through rows of colourful blossoms, the petals brushing softly against his fingers. The garden was a haven of calmness, with neatly trimmed hedges and winding pathways that invited exploration. He followed a stone path that led to a secluded area, where a small fountain burbled quietly, adding a gentle melody to the peaceful atmosphere.

The flowers bloomed and glistened with dew drops as they basked in the morning sunlight. He sat down on the soft grass to enjoy the scenery and breeze in peace.

Praveen came running towards him, his face marked with urgency. Skidding to a stop, he bowed deeply, gasping for breath.

"Your Highness," Praveen said between heaving breaths, "I have an urgent message for you."

"The Emperor has returned, Your Highness," Praveen announced, his gaze shifting with unease. "You are summoned to the Northern Complex by the Emperor himself." He paused briefly, then continued, "He wishes for you to join him in the Royal Court as soon as possible."

Harsha clicked his tongue in mild irritation and replied, "Fine, let's go immediately. Just let me get my robe." He ordered a maid to retrieve his robe from the drawer and swiftly put it on. As he adjusted it, he thought to himself, 'Well, I had to meet the Emperor sooner or later anyway. The sooner, the better.'

Praveen, sensing his mood, hesitated before speaking, "Your Highness, it's important to attend promptly. The Emperor awaits."

He nodded curtly, adjusting his robe, and commanded.

"Lead the way,"