Chapter 153: King’s return and Emperor’s scolding
Kingdom of Amber, fort of Jaipur, afternoon of 14th march 1557.
Two days have passed since the Rajputs’ retreat. King Tejpal returned to his kingdom with reinforcements from Rewari. Upon his arrival, he was shocked to see the large Samrajya’s force, setting up tents outside his fort. Baljit Singh recommended stationing their reinforcement forces outside as well, to which Bheem agreed.
With a minimal escort, they entered the fortified city of Jaipur, famous for its lengthy walls. The gate was broken, showing clear signs of resistance, but the atmosphere inside the walls was vastly different.
Upon entering the gates, King Tejpal received a warm welcome from his subjects and was greeted first by General Puran Das. As they made their way to the inner palace, General Puran Das provided him with unbelievable updates about recent events.
Civilians cheered the arrival of their king, showering petals and chanting his name in glory, while soldiers maintained their vigilance to guard their liege’s pathway. The atmosphere was full of joy and celebration.
As King Tejpal crossed the inner palace entrance, he was greeted by the Queen Kalyani in the palace compound, who awaited him with a thali and a lit diya. General Puran Das offered to take care of the escorts, while Prince Baljit Singh and Bheem, serving as vice lieutenant general, stood by and received the warm greetings.
As she performed the ritual of rotating the thali to ward off bad luck, Tejpal teased her, "I heard my queen fought on the front lines herself. So, my archery lessons were useful after all?"
She retorted, "You only helped me with my aim. I was already trained to hold the bow."
Tejpal grinned at her foul response which pissed off Kalyani. She decided to change the subject but her anger remained.
Holding the thali and applying the tilak (a mark set on the forehead),she complained , "You were supposed to come after three days. Why did you come so early?"
King Tejpal, placing his hands behind his back, replied playfully, "It would be foolish of me to stay apart from my wife, even for a second."
Queen Kalyani feigned a pout, "You’ve learned to speak grandly. I thought you might have gone to someone more beautiful."