Chapter 14 : Winning Hearts and Minds

Arnab couldn't believe his luck. He had stumbled upon a high-level corruption scandal involving the Finance Minister and Park Ji-Won, a public relations officer. But the real shocker was the fact that the Finance Minister was the father-in-law of the King, and his daughter was the second wife of the King. Arnab knew that if he tried to expose the scandal, he would be crushed by the power of the establishment. So, he decided to take a different approach. Arnab's mind was working at full speed, trying to come up with a plan. And then, he heard about the grand celebration planned for the Princess's birthday the following week. It was the perfect opportunity for him to get close to the Princess, who could potentially help him expose the corruption scandal. He knew that the King had invited poets to participate in the event and compete against each other. The winner of the competition would be granted any wish by the King.

Arnab had always been good with words, but he had never written a poem before. He spent the next few days reading books on poetry and practicing his writing skills. As the day of the competition drew closer, Arnab grew more and more nervous. He had to win this competition at any cost.

On the day of the competition, Arnab dressed in his finest clothes and made his way to the palace. He saw that the other poets were all from wealthy and powerful families, and he felt out of place. But he didn't let that deter him. He took a deep breath, walked up to the stage, and recited his poem.

"Corruption, the poison of power,

A plague that devours every flower,

In a kingdom, it spreads like wildfire

, A cancer that consumes, never to retire.

The King, blinded by his own kin,

Fails to see the destruction within,

His kingdom, once proud and fair,

Now in ruins, with none to repair."

To his surprise, the crowd was mesmerized by his words. Arnab's poem was a powerful critique of corruption and the abuse of power. When he finished, there was a stunned silence. Then, the crowd erupted in applause. Arnab had won the competition.

The King was impressed by Arnab's poem and asked him what his wish was. Arnab knew this was his chance to meet the Princess. He asked the King if he could have a private audience with the Princess. The King, impressed by Arnab's words, granted his wish.