I'm five years old now.
They held a grand celebration the other day. Apparently, surviving past the age of five is a big deal here—even for royalty. According to Durga, a child's magic isn't stable until they turn five. Before that, mana can go out of control inside the body and… well, kill the kid.
Which honestly explains a lot.
And why, you ask?
I mean, come on—what person from Earth wouldn't want to try magic? I definitely did. I tried a lot of things, mostly without anyone knowing. Meditation seems to work best. Or at least, it helps me sense mana inside my body.
I can also sense it around me now.
And yeah… that part is awful.
It's nauseating. My head hurts all the time. Sometimes it feels like my skull is being squeezed from the inside.
Because of that, I ended up sick—bad enough that I was basically bedridden for a while. There are always two royal physicians and one temple physician nearby now.Apparently, I'm not allowed to be left alone anymore.
Anyway. Misery aside.
I've learned more about myself recently. The biggest thing being that my biological mother died giving birth to me. And from what I've gathered, the reason was… me. Or rather, the fact that I was drawing far more mana than an ordinary child should.
Knowing that hasn't helped much.
With that, and the fact that I'm basically a grown man on the inside, it's getting harder and harder to face my father—or the current Mahadevi, who is now my mother in every way that matters.
She isn't my biological mother. And I also have a younger brother, one year younger than me. Which makes him my half-brother. Or stepbrother. I'm honestly not even sure what the correct term is.
Naming issues aside, I don't know how she truly sees me. Does she see me as a pest? A reminder? Something that should not exist? Or otherwise?I honestly don't know. Not like I can ask her and she will answer honestly.
All of that would already be complicated enough.
But the thought that someone died because I exist?
That's been eating at me.
I don't even know how I got here. The questions keep looping in my head.
Did my soul replace the original child?Was the baby going to be stillborn, and I somehow took its place?
And regardless of which one is true—does that make it my fault that my biological mother, the former Mahadevi of this kingdom, died?
Those thoughts, combined with my unsupervised attempts at using magic, are probably what pushed my body over the edge.
I got so sick that I couldn't eat properly. I couldn't sleep either. The physicians keep giving me these herbal mixtures and bland foods. They taste terrible, but they seem to help. Slowly.
Still, I really thought I was done for when I collapsed like that.
This is a world I don't fully understand yet, so I'm not sure how much of their treatment is actual medicine and how much is superstition. But from what I can tell, they at least understand basic hygiene and care.
So I'm probably fine.
Hopefully.
Anyway.
My father, the King, is currently away on a state visit to the neighboring Ranga Kingdom—the land my biological mother came from. He should return in a few days. I think her death has complicated things there, but since I'm still alive, maybe it will work out.
I don't really know. Matters of state aren't exactly discussed with me.
My stepmother visits me often, and she usually brings her son with her—my brother. Whatever worries I had before, this kid is ridiculously chubby and cute. To the point where even as a grown man on the inside, I want to squeeze the life out of those soft, light-brown cheeks.
As I was thinking that, they arrived at my room.
"How are you, Hamsa?" the Mahadevi asked, her brows knit with concern. "Are you feeling well? Is there anything you require?"
Rajkumar Hamsa saw the worry on her face and forced a small smile before replying.
"I am… well, Mahadevi Bhadra," he said carefully. "You need not trouble yourself over me like this. With His Majesty not present, I know your duties must have increased greatly."
Even as he finished speaking, he noticed her expression tighten.
She looks upset.Is it because I'm recovering?Or because she took time to come here and I just brushed her off?
What am I even saying…
As Hamsa's thoughts raced, Mahadevi Bhadra spoke again, having noticed the confusion on his face.
"That is good to hear," she said, her tone softening. "Garuda wished to see you. He has been worried."
She turned slightly and motioned behind her.
The young boy immediately ran forward, clutching something in his hands. He hurried up to Hamsa's bedside and carefully placed a few small wooden toys in front of him.
"This is for you, big brother."
…He's so damn cute.
I mean, I'm mentally twenty-seven or twenty-eight. I don't exactly play with toys anymore.
Still.
Hamsa reached out and accepted them.
"Thank you, Garuda," he said.
The boy beamed, then quickly ran back to his mother's side, half-hiding behind her robes.
Cute.
"Well then," Mahadevi Bhadra said after a moment, "You should rest. I will come to see you again tomorrow."
"Mahadevi, you truly do not need to," Hamsa said, a little too quickly. "I am well enough, and there are physicians and maids here to attend to me. Please… look after your duties. And your health."
The Mahadevi paused, listening to him carefully.
Then, without saying more, she turned and left the chamber, accompanied by her attendants—and Garuda, who glanced back once before following her.
----------------------------
As the Mahadevi walked with her attendants, they passed by Garuda's room, where the young prince was left behind. She needed more time to attend to her now-increased duties, and there was little room for idle play.
As they continued down the corridor, she spoke.
"Lata," she said, "Inform the Mahamantri to proceed with today's court session and to act as we discussed this morning. And repot to me in my chamber afterward."She paused briefly before adding, "Also, send a messenger to the temple. Request an audience with Acharya Ram."
"As you command, my lady," Lata replied.
She gestured to the attendants behind them, and several immediately broke away from the group to carry out the Mahadevi's orders.
The rest continued on, moving from the Royal Residence toward the central palace. They climbed the stairs to the second floor, where they entered a lavish room. Cabinets lined the walls, and seats were arranged neatly within—less a chamber of rest, and more a place meant for work and deliberation.
Several men and women were already present in the room. Scribes sat at their desks, writing steadily, while their assistants moved about, retrieving files from the cabinets and offering help where needed.
At the center of the room stood a chair[1] raised slightly above the others. The Mahadevi took her seat there, and the maids beside her began fanning her with large pankas that required both hands to operate.
One of the scribes rose from his place, approached her, and laid a scroll upon her desk before bowing and returning to his work.
The Mahadevi unrolled it and began to read.
They are on the move again. Greedy, as always.Even after the concessions we were forced to grant, they still demand more.
What troubles me most is this—now they are attempting to draw the Dharmaraj Empire against us. I do not believe their Samrat is foolish enough to act. Not even he, and certainly not the Rangas, forgot how they were crushed in the last war. And after their betrayal, I doubt many will be eager to side with them.
Still… the concerning part is this.
Several families have begun making quiet contact with the Parthian Empire. They are not openly hostile, but tensions have been rising, and border skirmishes are no longer uncommon.Once His Majesty returns, we must decide how to deal with this.
She continued reading reports—some from ministers, others from spies. After some time, she paused and leaned back slightly.
"Lata," she asked, "Do you think Hamsa sees me as hostile?"
The maid, who was pouring fresh juice into a cup, hesitated before answering.
"I cannot say for certain, my lady. The Rajkumar has been… particular since birth."
"Yes," the Mahadevi replied quietly. "So I have heard."
She took a sip of the juice and ate a piece of fruit before speaking again.
"In that case, summon the maids who were responsible for Hamsa when he was still an infant."
"Certainly, my lady," Lata replied.
She left at once and returned some time later with two maids in tow.
The two women looked terrified, as though they expected punishment. They stood before the Mahadevi, who was still writing notes upon a document.
They waited in silence until, after a few moments, the Mahadevi finally looked up.
"You were the primary caretakers of Rajkumar Hamsa during his infancy, were you not?" she asked.
The maids nodded quickly, unable to find their voices.
"Calm yourselves," the Mahadevi said. "You have not been summoned for punishment. I wish only to know what he was like as a child."
At that, the maids slowly relaxed and prepared to answer.
[1] When I say chair, I am nor referring what one would normally think of as one. Here we have a practice of sitting with your legs crossed and often on the ground. The chair here in most times, id a raised wooden platform with a flat top and a table placed on top at an angle to ease writing. Even that throne from the begining was something like this. And if not for work a chair would just be a raised wooden platform with cossians on wither wide and bottem for comfert. I will attach an image here in the comments when i find one, or you can just look it up on google.