The ring in question had a history of its own. It was carved and designed by a roman jeweler. It had a diamond set in between navrang (9 colored) stones. It had been exchanged through many hands and had finally reached Malika Mariam through her great uncle. The Queen had gifted this to the king at their wedding which the king had treasured close to his heart.

Shehzada Sher Shah kept turning it in his hand like he couldn't believe he was holding it.

"Now you know beyond doubt that I have been sent by a vaffa (title awarded to an extremely loyal man of the Shehenshah)"

"This demands an explanation young lady, I want to know how you got this from Abu Fazal?"

"There are a lot of things that require explanation Shehzada, but right now we have more important things at hand, like arranging for your safety"

"Is my life in danger?"

"Of course it is"

"But there's no one who is interested to become the next Shehenshah, why would anyone try to kill me?"

"There are plans to usurp the kingdom that involve eliminating you"

"Who is behind them? Just tell me their names, I'll take care of them" he says, cracking his knuckles.

I was clearly dealing with a man who was impulsive, acted without thinking and who had serious temper issues. When he was in one of his rages he resembled the animal he was named after, the lion.

"Shehzada, you cannot go around killing people without proof. You are not a Shehenshah yet. And even if you were, killings like these would just spoil your reputation. A just king is loved and respected by his subjects and to become that you need to think before you act"

"Who do you think you are, dictating my actions!" he says, grinding his teeth and taking a step towards me with glaring eyes.

"Fine then!" I say, exactly matching his tone. "Go ahead and act as you will, it will land you in your grave faster than your father". This is no way to speak to a Shehzada. But, I wasn't his ordinary subject. Here, I was sent as his teacher and this pupil needed a lot of tuning.

"My father died of haiza (Cholera). 3 different Hakeems have testified to that. How dare you project it as a murder?" His anger was rising by the minute. The only thing that was holding him from pounding me was the fact that I held a lot of information.

"Huh! Did it ever occur to your mind Shehzada that haiza is an epidemic. And fortunately the only person to have contracted it in our huge kingdom is our Shehenshah"  I say in cool tones.

A sudden change comes over his features. The anger that was heating him moments ago leaves in seconds. His face looses its color, his eyes reflect desperation and he slumps down on the couch in defeat.

"You are right. There is something very wrong going on here" he says, his voice barely audible.

"Right then, the first thing you are going to do tomorrow morning is shift your chambers. Each part of the palace is infiltrated with spies. Especially the Harem and royal chambers. The only place safe for you to stay in is... the servant quarters".

"No way!" He responds. "How can a Shehzada live among servants? Its unthinkable!"

"He has to, if he values his life"

"How will staying in servant quarters protect my life?" He asks in exasperation.

"The spies in the royal chambers report your every move to him at the end of the day. That gives him an idea of what you are up to. If you move to the servant quarters he can no longer keep an eye on you, that increases your safety and gives you personal space to plan your next move. You will stay there until further changes"

"I see..." he replies. "But, who is him?"

"I will not tell you his name for you won't believe me. I will prove it to you."

"You are a mysterious girl Sa'eed, I would like to see your face, take off the mask".

"I will not for you are not my mehram, I will remain behind a veil even if I have to assist you for the rest of my life." He gets the message loud and clear. "Now" I continue, "as a precaution you are not putting a morsel or drink a single drop from the royal kitchens. His men work everywhere and death can easily reach you through food".

"You are forgetting that even if the poison doesn't kill me, in the end starvation will". He smirks pleased to have found a fault in my plans.

"I will bring you your food Shehzada and coming to your present body guards, they can't be trusted, its time you replaced them. Tomorrow after shifting your chambers you will go to the slave market. In the 7th stall to the right on the main street you will find a portly short man with a long black beard selling a sturdy Ethiopian slave called Ali. You will buy him and trust me he will prove to be better than 10 bodyguards and as loyal as a vaffa"

"Which room in the servant quarters should I shift to? "

"The room which holds cleaning supplies. Get the room cleaned and evacuated if you want but do not move the cupboard in it. Take only the necessary things that you really need with you. Hopefully you will be back to your own chambers in a few months InshaAllah".

"And what reason am I going to give the people around me for this sudden madness?"

"Tell them you need some peace and quiet and a change in environment for some quiet contemplation. Also prepare well for your speech tomorrow in front of the ministers as to why you should become the next king. For today this is enough, I need to leave the palace before sunrise. Hope to see you again tonight Shehzada".