Empire Ascension: The Rise of the Fated One-Chapter 193: Safavids arrival in Bengal

Bengal kingdom, Chittagong, dusk of 9th April 1557.

In the absence of Queen Raamya, Bengal was ruled by Regent Devendra Das, the most trusted general of Queen Sayantika during her regency. Before joining Hemu in the campaign for Delhi, Sayantika transferred the ruling rights to him, a position he maintained even after Raamya was crowned queen.

Under his leadership, significant changes swept across the kingdom. Devendra replaced many ruling nobles with Hindu leaders loyal solely to him, although some regions remained under the influence of supportive Pathans who pledged their ultimate loyalty to him.

Chittagong was one of the few ports where he faced rebellion. Hindu Commander Keshav Dutta, whom he had appointed, successfully quelled the unrest and was granted lordship of the port city. 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

However, due to his declining health, the lordship was being passed to his eldest son, Shraman Dutta. As dusk settled over the port, Shraman delegated the responsibility of welcoming the Safavid delegation from Persia to his younger brother, Anirudh Dutta. Anirudh stood at the dock, parchment in hand, while nearby, his Portuguese friend, Colonel Raul Mendes, waited attentively.

Anirudh felt unease as he gazed at the imposing Safavid armada anchored in the bay. Turning to Mendes, he spoke in Devanagari, "Bhai Mendes, are you sure it’s wise to let them set foot on our land? With the sheer scale of their fleet, I doubt they come here to wage war."

Mendes scanned the surroundings with a keen eye. The armada of cannon galleys appeared insignificant compared to their two formidable carrack warships. As one of the five colonels dispatched to Bengal to safeguard their interests at the port and protect against any sudden Dutch attacks, he felt confident. His long stay in India had made him comfortable with the Devanagari dialect, and he had become a good friend to Anirudh.

"Don’t worry, bhai," he replied reassuringly, his accent both peculiar and engaging. "We have two carracks deployed for safety. If anything goes wrong, you have my back."

Feeling a sense of relief from Mendes’ words, Anirudh straightened his posture as the main Safavid ship began to dock.

The first to disembark was the admiral Pasha himself, who arrived with written permission to dock after promising a hefty fee to the local authorities. His eyes widened at the sight of the two carracks, their devastating firepower fresh in his memory from before their journey. Still, with all clearances in hand, he felt no fear.

Chittagong’s port looked promising. Towering structures lined the shores, their cannons poised for defense. Numerous docks bustled with trade, dominated by Chinese junks and Arabian dhows. Aside from the Portuguese behemoths, the port appeared to be a welcoming hub for commerce, and he was eager to explore the markets.

According to protocol, the captain was to meet the local authorities. However, upon hearing that the ruling family’s representative would greet them, he decided it best to make a good impression and accompanied his soldiers as they descended from the ship.

Stepping onto solid ground after nearly a month at sea filled him with optimism. There, he spotted a man wearing an angarkha and dhoti, flanked by a Portuguese in military uniform. A mix of port guards and Portuguese musketeers stood by. He approached the man in the dhoti, sensing his nobility, and greeted him warmly, "As-salamu alaykum."

Anirudh interrupted, his tone brimming with arrogance, "State your business, delegate."

The admiral Pasha instantly recognized he was dealing with someone stupid, ignorant of proper etiquette. They had informed the authorities earlier that they were delegates from the esteemed land of Persia, yet this man spoke to him as if he were merely a merchant.

Before he could respond, the captain of the ship chimed in with enthusiasm, "Gustakh! Do you know whom you are addressing?"

Realizing his blunder, Anirudh glanced at Mendes for support. The colonel stepped forward diplomatically, speaking in Portuguese, "I apologize for my friend’s behavior. He’s new to diplomacy and wishes to know your purpose for docking here. Please present your clearance."

The Portuguese translator of safavids conveyed the message to the admiral, who felt a wave of gratitude for the help. "We don’t want any trouble either. Thank you for your assistance. We are here as important delegates to Delhi from Persia. Here is our clearance," he replied, handing over the necessary documents.

Anirudh frowned, struggling to grasp the exchange, but Mendes translated, even though his own patience was wearing thin.

"The clearance is in order," he confirmed, taking the document and gesturing for the Admiral to proceed to the docks.

With a sigh of relief, Anirudh watched Mendes handle the docking process, feeling the tension ease as the Safavid ships settled under the flickering torchlight. They were also granted temporary space for their whole contingent of armed naval personnel under vigilance.

A palanquin descended onto the dock, instantly capturing the attention of both men. Flanked by a heavy escort, its presence signaled that it belonged to someone of royal status.

Mendes, skeptical of the situation, stepped forward. "Who are you carrying? We received no prior information about this."

Admiral Pasha replied nervously, "It’s royalty, the princess from Safavid. This was mentioned in the request for permission. I recommend, Colonel, that we don’t complicate matters for either party."

Understanding the gravity of the situation, Mendes decided to let them pass. However, Anirudh interrupted after getting translated the exchange. "No, no. This is our land. We follow proper protocols. Whoever it is must come down and reveal themselves."

A commotion erupted as the royal guards bristled at this casual treatment. Admiral Pasha held his patience, trusting in Colonel Mendes’s judgment while attempting to quell the growing unrest among the royal guards. They saw him as too young to command their respect and were eager to retaliate against Anirudh for his perceived disrespect, their loyalty to the royalty fueling their anger.

As the turmoil escalated, the curtains of the palanquin were drawn back, revealing Princess Nusrat. She stepped out and called to Admiral Pasha, "Dariah Salar? Is everything all right?"

Silence fell over the dock, and the royal guards became instantly obedient with just one statement. A hidden chill ran down their spines as they averted their gazes to the ground, fearful of offending the princess by speaking in between. Even Admiral Pasha swallowed hard, unsure of how to respond.

Stepping forward, the princess commanded attention. She wore a striking red kaftan, a long tunic of Persian design with wide, open sleeves. Her head and neck were covered with a scarf that was folded like a hijab. Her face was half covered, with only her eyes revealing.

She inquired in a little bit of Devnagri that she had learned throughout the journey, with a mix of Persian and a slight bow. "As-salamu alaykum. Is there any trouble? I am here to all for inspect. May I know who is in charge?"

Her voice was filled with melody and innocence, in contrast to the commanding tone that the admiral was used to. Throughout the sea, her presence felt like personal torture to him, as her bold and unpredictable demands made him fear losing his head. Yet now, her appeal was so formal and submissive that he couldn’t believe his eyes for what he was seeing, nor could he believe his ears for the words that he caught on.

He replied, "Sehzadi Sahiba, I kindly request that you remain inside. It is just a normal misunderstanding."

Both Mendes and Anirudh were captivated by her beauty. Mendes’s eyes lingered on her figure, tracing the elegant curves beneath her flowing garments. Despite her attire, the lines of her form were unmistakable. It had been nearly a decade since he had encountered such exquisite beauty.

Anirudh, on the other hand, stood with his mouth agape, unable to comprehend how someone could be so fair in complexion. The flickering torchlight, combined with the soft glow of the half-moon, enhanced her allure.

Mendes being good in diplomacy, took charge of the situation. "Wa alaykum as-salam, Sehzadi Sahiba," he said, bowing deeply and nudging Anirudh’s head to encourage him to follow the Persian custom. "It is nothing serious, but I must commend your efforts to come out and address the misunderstanding."

The princess noticed the extra effort Mendes was making to impress her and smiled, her visible eyelashes lowering in satisfaction. "It is fortunate we have capable authorities to handle this matter. Now, if you will please excuse us."

However, Mendes pressed on. "Wait! Sehzadi, may I ask where you plan to stay?"

Turning back, Princess Nusrat raised an eyebrow. "Anywhere Allah takes us. For now, I’m thinking of staying where my soldiers are."

Mendes nudged Anirudh, who understood what needed to be said. "I believe it would be better if you allowed us the honor of serving you. It would be a great privilege to host royalty from Persia."

Nusrat giggled, "Are you certain you can maintain the standards? Atleast, my people are well aware of my tantrums. I doubt you are the city lord, nor do you have permission."

Mendes interjected, "Please, Sehzadi, grant us this honor. We have a mansion nearby, and if you insist, you can accompany us with some guards. We can manage the permission for your stay at the fort in the meantime."

Admiral Pasha protested in Persian, "But Sehzadi, they are strangers..."

Nusrat replied calmly, "Don’t you want to create a good bond with the locals? Perhaps we can learn more about their customs. I don’t see what there is to fear."

The warning in Nusrat’s eyes was clear, and Pasha dared not counter her. He had already warned.

Nusrat, along with her selected guards, accepted the offer and followed Mendes and some of his soldiers to their mansion, with Mendes and Anirudh leading the way.

Leaning toward Mendes, Anirudh inquired in a low voice, "Do you think this is a good choice? She is royalty."

Mendes smirked, responding in his peculiar accent, "Trust me, bhai. It will be fun. Besides, she agreed herself."

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//A/N:

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