Jadar was stunned. Allaudin was incapable of anything, except bowing to the queen's orders like a hand puppet. Once Moghul, he certainly could not rule. She would rule for him. Or probably eliminate him entirely after a few months.
So Janahara had finally made her move. To challenge Prince Jadar, the son who had earned the throne, for his rightful place. The battle had been joined.
"So what do you propose to do? She waited just long enough to trap you in the Deccan." Mumtaz's fury was turning to despair. "If you go back now, you'll be accused of abandoning Burhanpur. If you march on south, you'll be unable to return for months. And by that time Allaudin will be married. Father said she has convinced the Moghul to give him a personal mansab rank of eight thousand zat and a horse rank of four thousand suwar. Allaudin, who scarcely knows a bow from a wine bowl, will now have his own cavalry."
Jadar was looking at her, but he no longer heard.
This changes everything. There'll be no silver. The queen will see to that.
And no silver means no troops can be recalled from the Deccan mansabdars.
Which means we lose the Deccan. But she'd gladly give the
Deccan to destroy me.
Jadar looked at Mumtaz and smiled. "Yes, I must do something. But right now I'll see my chitahs fed." And he turned and strode briskly back toward his tent.
A dense mantle of evening smoke enveloped the camp as the three generals passed through the entry of the gulal bar. They advanced to the front of the sarachah platform and halted to wait for Jadar. Each had brought a silver cup, as Jadar had instructed.