Rebirth and Second Chances

Chapter 198: Irvin - Understanding

I'd spent all that time and effort creating a disguise to decide it would be better if I approached the young widow as Sidhe. It had allowed me to gather the information I needed, but I realized she had little reason to trust any of her fellow Hindus, especially wealthy young men.

I understood part of the reason behind the pressure that was being exerted on her when I finally reached her home. It wasn't the most extravagant building in the area, but it was well maintained, obviously well cared for and loved, modest, comfortable home for an upper-middle-class family. That wasn't what made the building so attractive, it was the location.

The maxim 'location, location, location' as it applied to real-estate could have been conceived and predicated on this building. Although it wasn't located in the heart of Embassy Row, the house abutted the Sumerian Embassy. On the back end of her home, a lush garden and coniferous hedge was the only thing that marked the border between her property and the Sumerian Consulate.

Not the strongest of the Pantheons, in fact, it was considered a lower-tier Power, still, the Ambassador had access to the wealth of his people's world if needed. They hadn't shown any interest in her lands, but if my supposition was correct, her suitor recognized an opportunity that the Consulate had ignored.

The Sumerians were engaged in hostilities with the Akkadian Pantheon, and this property would be a fortuitous staging point if hostilities escalated. The Akkadian Pantheon would make good use of the property. The enmity between the two factions began when the Akkadians attempted to expand their planetary holdings by invading the Sumerian worlds.

That war had ended in stalemate neither faction gaining, but since that event both factions had been playing games, trying to one-up the other, keeping score and counting coupe. This property would allow the Akkadian a minor advantage in that game.

I had only been able to discover the politics involved in this young woman's misfortune because King Teigh had included a colony of Aziza as part of the Embassy staff. Spying and information gathering was almost a requirement for an Ambassador to stay informed, and the Aziza would serve as Lord Clive's information gathering resource.

I had approached Knight Tadeus, a lesser functionary for that Aziza colony, to help. Because he was willing to give me a hand, I finally understood at least some of the variables that were in play. Tadeus was adept at gathering information, it was a simple matter for him to expand his search. Once I realized how the property could be used in the feud between the Sumerians and Akkadians, I asked him to search for evidence that would explain the government's policy.

Like the Sidhe, the Hindus had differing factions that ruled. Nine Royal Houses, each holding a claim to at least one world, all under the auspices of the Gods of Hinduism. They were a House divided, and the infighting had resulted in the government staying their hand in this circumstance.

The Royal family of Jaipur had laid claim to Derva, with Maharajah Padma Singh the titular ruler. From most accounts, his reign had been benign, but prosperous. He was not noted for angry outbursts, anything like the insanity of Queen Mab. He was a devout student of Hinduism and has focused his life's work on the worship of the Brahman trinity of Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva.

Unlike the Sidhe, the people of Derva were not immortal, because of that and the certainty that Karmic matters affected reincarnation, they were devout. They could extend the length of their lives by leveling and System Perks, but because they believed in the cycle of reincarnation, they weren't as afraid or averse to the ramifications of death as others.

The Sidhe weren't the only people that enjoyed effective immortality. The Nymphs, Satyrs, and Medusa's of Olympus, for example, could only die if they were killed. But our immortality was another reason for the jealousies and harsh treatment our Gods had been forced to endure by those people that didn't share that trait.

Knight Tadeus, once he agreed to gather information for me, was efficient. It was only a matter of hours before I knew the details of the young widower's problems irrespective of the political nuance that she found herself mired in. The house was had been purchased by her husband, Farhan Patel, a minor member of the royal family, awarded the title of Vaidya when he leveled up his skills in medicine to Masterclass. He made use of the building's location as both home and office.

Saanvi Patel, the young woman who I needed to contact, was one of the outstanding beauties of her generation, sought after by many of the affluent, the daughter of a minor Rajah, she rejected professions of love by the wealthy and privileged. But she fell in love with the hardworking and dedicated Farhan, refusing all offers of marriage or the person her parents had selected, a minor scandal in a world where parents decided and chose the spouse for their children.

Her decision to hold out for love was rewarded when young Farhan, the man she had set her heart on became the youngest Masterclass Divine Physicians on Derva ever to have attained that position and rank. Along with the home he had inherited from his family, his thriving practice meant that they were well set to lead a happy life.

A life that was seemingly blessed after the quick birth of twin boys. Boys, they named Ishaan and Hiran, names that translated into 'Bringer of Riches' and 'Gold'. Sons that the acknowledged were the true treasure of their family.

Things were going well, the family prospering, until Rajah Indrajit, a distant nephew of the Maharajah brought his ailing father to Vaidya Farhan for treatment. As often happens when power and corruption have become systemic and commonplace, the Rajah noticed Saanvi and her beauty and coveted what was not his. That her home location would make for a good location for a new Rajah palace, or a bargaining chip in the game between the Sumerian and Akkadian only increased his desire to own what was not his.

Rajah Indrajit's father was past saving, and with his death all but assured, the prideful Rajah vilified the Divine Physician, destroying his business and reputation. These actions of vengeance and spite might have been enough for most men, but not for one that coveted another man's wife and home.

There had never been any proof who had killed Farhan, all witnesses to the attack vanishing, but Saanvi had suspicions that the knife that killed her husband was the tool of Indrajit. Even without proof, she maintained that belief. Her suspicion was enough that she refused his offer to purchase her home when money became tight and she knew she had no recourse but to sell.

Tadeus was able to uncover the truth about Farhan's murder, the Rajah had paid one of the Thug's, a reviled group of assassins that proliferated on Derva to kill her husband. The group was allowed to exist; the leader having leverage against too many people of wealth and power, people that feared that leverage and offered him and his organization protection.

Saanvi's parents would have and should have helped her, but her older brother wouldn't allow it. He had assumed the title of Rajah when her father had retired, and his word was law for the family. There was no reason, other than money, for his refusal, and Tadeus was able to confirm that the family's newly attained wealth was the result of a business opportunity. An opportunity that would restore the family's fortune. An agreement between Rajah Indrajit and Rajah Bevafa, her brother was directly attributed to this new infusion of cash.

The men I had overheard gossiping were righter than they realized how desperate Saanvi was becoming. She had sold the last of her jewelry, furniture, and art, weeks ago. The money she had gained from those sales was quickly running out and it had come to the point that she was going to have to make a decision. Take the last bit of wealth she had and flee the world and hope.

Hope that she could start over.

Hope that she could build a new life.

Or accept Indrajit as a suitor, the man she believed had killed the father of her children and agree to marry him.

Now that I had all the facts, I hoped to give her a third choice. One that would assure her safety and spit in the eye of a brother whose very name meant faithless and a Rajah that would stop at nothing, break any rule or law, covet another's wife. I would offer her a shining chance, a toss of a coin. But at least what I could offer would substantive, her choice would not be reliant on at the whim of providence.