Chapter 3 Spy Building

Leh came out of his thoughts when his brother's messenger came for him.

"Second prince" he bowed,

"His Majesty is calling for you in his study." Leh nodded at him and made his way back to the library from where he had just come back.

On the way there he thought to himself that the last warning he gave to Sural was not enough. He should have known it would not be enough to warn off Sural. Sural was the kind of person who if told that by jumping from a height he would die, he would not believe anyone and jump to check it himself.

Leh would need to do something bigger if he wants Sural away from Niya.

"Father, you called for me." Leh bowed and asked respectfully.

"Leh---, You can leave now," Emperor said to the crown prince's messenger after noticing that he still stayed there even though his work was finished.

After he left the emperor continued,

"Leh, go to the general's household and tell him that I require his presence for dinner today. And inform the kitchen that I shall be having my dinner in the study today."

"Yes, Father."

And that was how Leh ended up at the practice grounds of the general's mansion where he saw her practicing with Ralph again which pissed him off. Today everything seems to piss him off including Niya.

He had a little argument with her and then went to the general's household's main gate where the steward was waiting for him.

"Your majesty, the general is waiting for you in his study."

"No need steward, just tell the general that his majesty the Emperor has invited him to dinner tonight." Saying this Leh took his horse and left.

Leh did not go back to the imperial palace instead he made his way to the outskirts of the city.

Since he was a child Leh remembered that his half-brother hated him and not only Sural hated his mother Lady Asulah too. Maybe it was because he thought they took his place or maybe because Lady Rekolina was not that good of a woman and it was her blood that Sural had in his veins too.

Leh had tried to investigate Lady Asulah but all he got were tidbits of rumors. The emperor had forbidden anybody from speaking of Lady Rekolina ever again after he married Lady Asulah, maybe this was another reason why Sural hated his mother.

The reason why Leh knew that Sural hated Lady Asulah was because he had killed her and Leh did not have enough to prove it yet but he knows because he was there when it had happened, he had seen Sural mixing slow poison in Lady Asulah's medicine.

He was just five years old at the time. It had happened a week before he was administered to the academy and that is why he did not get to investigate and present proof of what Sural did. His brother had convinced their father that Leh was a child and it is best for him to leave for the academy and stay away from the mournful environment. Delirious with grief and not wanting his son with his beloved woman harmed the emperor agreed with his eldest son's choice.

When finally, after one week, he got to return to the palace for a holiday all the witnesses and proofs were gone.

Even as a five-year-old Leh was smart enough to know that he was next in line to die. So, he started to make himself stronger and stronger. And now he was at the point where he knew that no one in the whole empire can beat him.

While Leh was at the academy, sad that his mother was gone that was also the time he got to meet Niya. Strong, brave Niya.

When they first met Niya did not know that Leh was the second prince she only got to know it after Leh started making his presence known by being her competition. But that was well accidental.

When Niya joined the academy, she was the only girl there. So, she had worked hard just to prove to everyone that she deserved to be there. Leh always thought that it was not worth it, she did not need to prove to anyone just how competent she is. Although it did help her reach a pinnacle in life.

Leh reached a beautiful mountain on the outskirts. But instead of going ahead on the road he climbed down from his horse and made his way to a stone wall covered with leaves which to other people looked just like what it was but it was an engineering miracle done by the people of his mother's kingdom.

Leh entered through the gate and reached behind the mountain where there were two huge buildings. This is where his army of spies lives. The building on the right is their living quarters and the building on the left is where they work and all the information is stored.

Both buildings are identical and have five floors.

The interior of the work building is more complex though. There is a library underground in the work building where all the valuable information collected till now is stored. The first floor is where errands are assigned the second floor is where weapons are stored. The third and fourth floors are training rooms and the fifth floor is a study where the meeting is conducted.

Leh gives his horse to one of the spies who stores it at a stable and then he makes his way to the work building on the way he orders another spy,

"Send Ebaki to my study on the fifth floor."

"Yes, prince."

Ebaki is the chief among all the spies that work for Leh. All the spies here are orphans that Leh had adopted. Ebaki was the first one he is two years younger than the prince.

The plan of adopting orphans was a full proof one. Every year Leh would adopt kids from the orphanage and then send them to another house in the countryside which no one was aware of, there children got the education and treatment they deserved and it was not kept a secret from them that the prince was the one who takes care of them. Then when they grow up enough to take care of themselves, they were given the option to work for a prince which was a well-paid job.

Most of them agreed some rarely declined. Those that declined were given a hundred gold coins and the opportunity to go out and explore alone and if they wanted to return and work for the prince the doors were always open for them. The most different thing about Leh's establishment was that unlike the royal army here women were also given equal job opportunities as men.

As Leh enters the room. The whole place is filled with people rushing around doing their work and nobody even acknowledges Leh's presence in the room. Leh likes this kind of dedication.

So, without disturbing anyone he makes his way towards the stairs and reaches his study where Ebaki is already waiting for him. Leh takes a seat behind the table and asks Ebaki to sit too. Ebaki declines and waits for the prince to order.

Ebaki is usually like this he is a man of few words. Ebaki has a scar on his face which was inflicted by the manager of his old orphanage. Leh has not much idea about what Ebaki had gone through before Leh found him. Ebaki refuses to share unless the prince would order him. And, Leh would never order him, his secrets were his own to share.

Ebaki and Leh were more like brothers than a master and a servant but Ebaki never acknowledges it. If one-day Ebaki decided to confide to his prince Leh would always be there.

"How are the businesses going anything to worry about?"

To run the spy household and the orphanage Leh had started a few businesses which were quite successful over the years.

"No, your majesty nothing to worry about and the businesses are running well."

"What does my father want to speak to general about?"

"His Majesty is planning a surprise attack on the east border of the kingdom of Gloj"

The kingdom of Gloj was his mother's hometown. There was a time when these two kingdoms were on friendly terms. But it all changed when his mother died.

Leh's mother was good friends with the then crown prince now emperor of the empire of Gloj. In fact, the prince was madly in love with Lady Asulah.

When Lady Asulah died the emperor blamed Leh's father for her death and declared war on the kingdom of Jyon. Technically it was a mistake of his father for ignoring the fact of how bloodthirsty his eldest son is.

Leh wanted the peace between the empires restored but he knew it was impossible till it was revealed that Sural was the one who had killed Lady Asulah.

The emperor of the kingdom of Gloj was on friendly terms with Leh and still welcomed him to his kingdom.

Sometimes Leh really wondered, what did his mother even see in his father? And if the emperor of Gloj loved his mother so dearly, why did he choose to let her go. If he wanted, he could have married his mother.

If it came to Leh then he would rather have Niya hate him but still by his side than let her just go.

Leh sighed and said,

"Inform lord Rykon, and ask him to send their legion of soldiers that are corrupt but proven otherwise in court. Tell him it is the easiest way to get rid of them without anyone knowing what went wrong."

Ebaki was impressed. He always knew that his master was an extraordinary man. By doing this he not only got rid of the corrupt soldiers but the soldiers further at the border would be warned of the danger and would be better ready too.

Lord Rykon is Leh's uncle. This spy household was also developed due to his help in providing engineers, this place is located at the only peaceful border between the empire of Jyon and Gloj. This was the land by which his mother traveled when she got married and both the emperor for this very reason had left this land to be peaceful and trade still ongoing.

"Also find me the records of the first prince's corrupt activities over the years."

Over the years the second prince has been doing quite many illegal activities. Money laundering, and illegal businesses with extra high prices were just a few of them.

Leh has let them be because he knew they were not enough punishment for Sural. And now Leh wanted more than just justice. He wanted revenge.

He wanted Sural to reach a very high point in his life and then fall. That is the kind of pain he will make Sural go through.

Sural made his move by asking their father to get married to Niya. Now it was Leh's turn.