CHAPTER 11

CHAPTER ELEVEN – BAD NEWS!! " Her Majesty Queen Bitaqir " The Aghas announced as she walked into the study. The worried expressions on the viziers faces raised all warning bells in Bitaqir. " Viziers, what is the matter?" She asked as she took her seat. " The messenger has returned" Azim Pasha spoke and the look in his eyes were screaming bad news. "And ... " Bitaqir asked whilst trying to calm her beating heart. " They refused the treaty, Shanara wants war with the loser becoming a territory of the winner" Azim Pasha spoke in a monotone and all traces of tiredness left her body and she stood alert . " Pasha we cannot afford a war right now , is that correct ?" Bitaqir asked praying that it isn't so, but the look in the Pashas eyes slapped her right back into reality. " Can we be able to provide for our people amidst this war?" Bitaqir asked concern lacing her voice . " We have enough in storage to last the citizens a month, maybe two" Abdul Pasha replied. Bitaqir wanted to swear the agricultural minister but then again she was aware he wasn't at fault. " How much longer can the soldier hold them back, before they storm the remaining cities " Bitaqir inquired. "Three days, a week at most" Azim Pasha replied with uncertainty. " You don't sound certain, ride to the north immediately and make sure of that, buy us some more time, if possible" Bitaqir instructed. Azim Pasha might try to get on her nerves a lot but he is an excellent strategist, so for that she really admired him. " Yes Majesty" Azim replied and left the study at once. " The women and children in the palace should be moved to the underground beneath your chambers and latch the entrance, the enemy might try to infiltrate the palce in our absence. There is a passage way that leads out of the palace with twelve different exits, in case of an emergency they should leave through the most secured passage. I know the underground more than anyone." Mahdir Pasha spoke in a very confident voice. " Do so Pasha, without raising an alarm, make sure to create fake trails leading away from the palace towards the south." Bitaqir spoke in one breath already feeling her nerves getting the best of her. Mahdir Pasha took his exist to start carrying out his tasks . "And what about the townspeople, we cannot just leave them to fend for their selves at times like this." Bitaqir inquired again worried. " The moment we match through the town the guards will lead them to the old palace at the mountain top, they will be able to survive for a month as there's a lot of food in stock and also fresh flowing water, also there has always been very tight security at that location, very easy to ward off intruders, a hundred guards can lay ambush and fend off ten times more soldiers if they're attacked." Abdul Pasha replied. " Good! then in that case start the preparations now" Bitaqir ordered realising the breath she wasn't aware she was holding on to. Abdul Pasha then left the study. "With all the guards protecting the citizens we are only left with the Janisarries and the Shanarian army is three times larger, we need more soldiers " Mahmoud reminded everyone. "Then what do you suggest?" Bitaqir asked with a straight face . "That we cut off the mountain soldiers and merge them with the Janisarries" Mahmoud Pasha replied. "That will leave the townspeople vulnerable and prone to attack, the will be left defenceless, no way" Bitaqir retorted dismissing the idea entirely. " Then what do you suggest , Majesty?" Ibrahim Pasha who has been quiet for some time asked and all eyes turned to her. "The soldiers will maintain their positions that I've already ordered and we will match with the Janisarries" Bitaqir replied not batting an eyelash. " We....? That is unwise" Abu Bakarr Pasha stuttered. " Yes Majesty, that is unwise. You should stay here and the remaining Pashas and I will match out " Prince Selim suggested and the Pashas all agreed. As much as Bitaqir wanted to retort she knew how right they were, if she was to accompany them to war then the enemy will seek her out to kill her and that will automatically cause them to lose. So she just held back and accepted the suggestion. " We have no reinforcement " Bitaqir stated the fact that everyone had being trying to ignore. " This is the first time that we have been attack in one hundred years, it has always been either a truce, or we being the attackers or it being our borders being heavily guarded withstanding any possible attempt of infiltration. " Abu Bakarr Pasha informed her. " Then how was the north infiltrated? " Bitaqir asked and the whole room became quiet. " I think that there's mole" Ibrahim Pasha stated. "I was thinking the same thing, so Pashas be as discreet as you can be" Selim spoke and the Pashas nodded in agreement. " You're right , Prince" Bitaqir concord to Prince Selim. " Can't we ask for aid from our Neighbours at the south and east?" Bitaqir asked. " We can but we won't get any aid" Abu Bakarr Pasha replied sounding as though he was forced to swallow a bitter pill and Bitaqir arched her brow in question. " To our east is Seildla, Shanara's long time ally . There is no way they will ever tyrn their back on them." Ibrahim Pasha said. " But what about Bradmore?" Bitaqir asked hope rising within her. "The south is Bradmore, a holy land, they have the strongest army in the four kingdoms but they never fight war, their Soldiers protect the land and capture any defaulter of the holy verse. If we want them to back us, then we need to bring forth such a proposal that they can't deny" Ibrahim Pasha informed her and Bitaqir pinched her nose bridge in disappointment. " They have everything they need, there's nothing we can offer them." Bitaqir murmured , but Prince Selim and Ibrahim Pasha who stood at her side heard her yet they acted deaf. "the Princes are supposed to leave for their respective appointed provinces, correct?" Ibrahim Pasha asked rhetorically . "I suggest we cancel that, have some of the Princes match with us to war, some at the mountain of the old palace and some with the harem." Ibrahim said. "I think that will be a good choice " Abu Bakarr supported. All present nodded in agreement and awaited the Queen's final decision. "Since that has been settled and everything has been sorted for now, rest well Pashas you match to war tomorrow at sunset." Bitaqir spoke with finality and left the study. A pair of eyes lurking in the shadows watching her from afar as she made her way to her chamber a vicious smirk on his face as he thought to himself how easy it would be for the young queen to fall into his trap.