The wind howled with its fierce spirit, but the tides of the sea reigned over its stormy rage. The sky was adorned with stars while the lone moon added its elegance with its simple presence. Amidst this dim moonlight, the fleet of twenty ships tore through the waves as they carved their way to the port of Bengal.

  The royal Safavid fleet, a majestic assembly of merchant vessels protected by their formidable war galleys loaded with cannons, ventured from the Persian Gulf into the Arabian waters.

  On the deck of the fgship, a young woman of twenty years leaned over the railing, savoring the rare sight of dolphins leaping and frolicking beside the hull of the ship.

  She wore a gown of royal blue, richly adorned with intricate Persian designs that shined in the moonlight complimenting her jade like skin. The outer cloak, made of luxurious fabric, enhanced her royal charm as she stood engrossed in the sight against the sailing waters.

  She wore a jewellery that included a captivating gemstone, often got engulfed on her soft curves as it struggled to peek out but got stuck due to the rythm of sailing tides.

  A veil concealed her face, revealing only her almond-shaped eyes, which shifted to the dark clouds gathering on the horizon, mirroring her internal turmoil.

  She was Nusrat Jahan, the daughter of Shah Tahmasp from one of his concubines. Despite her princess status, her life was fraught with challenges. Other daughters from the Shah's harems vied for influence and power, leading to assassinations and court intrigue, including the poisoning of her mother, who had been a favorite of the Shah.

  Although they were often seen merely as tools for marriage alliances, everything changed when Tashmap ascended to the throne as shah then decided to train his daughters in the arts of sabotage and espionage.

  Throughout her childhood, Nusrat had to endure hardships and earn her pce, eventually rising to become a top member of the Crescent Moon, a secretive organization with roots in the Nizari Ismailis, the legendary Persian assassins. Officially, it was known as an intelligence network, but its dark secrets were known only to the Shah.

  She had been sted to be gifted as a concubine to an Ottoman noble, Ahmat pasha from Kars city for her unparalleled beauty, to ease trade retions. Her main objective was to investigate the military outposts and monitor the noble. However, the pn was abruptly changed, and she was repced by a lower-ranking member, which infuriated her.

  To her dismay, she was assigned a new and crucial task: she was to sail hundreds of kilometers to meet a bastard prince who was neither a crown prince nor of any particur importance, which made her furious.

  She saw it as a way for the Shah to rid himself of her. Nevertheless, she maintained her composure, as the orders were to seduce him, marry him, and convert him to Ism, then lead him back to Persia. Since her ultimate goal was to regain her mother's lost glory and strengthen her power in Persia. Despite her anger, Nusrat controlled her emotions, knowing that she must continue the Shah's game.

  Amidst this turmoil, she was interrupted as the Dariah sar(Naval commander) of the ship called for her attention.

  "Sehzadi Sahiba, the storm is approaching. Perhaps you should take shelter for your safety." The naval commander, drenched in sweat, struggled to communicate. He didn't dare to look up, aware of her captivating charm and fearsome reputation.

  Princess Nusrat turned her gaze toward him with bored look. "Do you have anything interesting in the cabin? At least the winds might soothe my heart here." She rexed against the railings, leaning back as she sized up the commander with a mocking gaze.

  The naval commander, keeping his eyes lowered, replied, "Sehzadi Sahiba, there are musicians and…"

  He was abruptly cut off by the princess, who was already bored of games, music, and fttery. She longed to feel the wind and witness the tempest firsthand.

  Changing the subject, she addressed the pale-looking admiral, "Dariah sar, tell me, what do you think of me?"

  The naval commander replied, "You are the most important delegation from the Persian Pādshāhī(empire) to Hindustan, and I must serve you with my life on the line."

  Princess Nusrat raised an eyebrow in surprise and commented, "Such dedication. So, what do you think of my beauty? Don't you wish to touch me?"

  She pointed a dagger at his neck and lifted his slightly bearded chin. "And I want your honest opinion." The admiral, though young and newly promoted for his contributions was mesmerized by her beauty, feeling as though his heart had been stolen by her mere gaze. Even though his service was short he knew the line he must not cross.

  But this time his heart melted so he responded sincerely, "Sehzadi Sahiba, if I were to consider the 72 houris, they would all pale in comparison to you . You are an unparalleled beauty but to be feared and revered, not merely wished for."

  The princess was amused by the fttery and chuckled, "That's a very interesting answer. Perhaps I shall keep your tongue with me."

  The admiral got scared out of his wits. But the princess's gentle hands on his cheeks soon drifted his thoughts. "Now, oh wafadar gulām (loyal servant), do you know anything about that bastard prince? Why does the Shah have such an interest in him?"

  The admiral gulped and replied in a measured tone, "I don't know much, Sehzadi, but according to rumors, the prince has taken the Mughal Badshah hostage and turned the tide of the war in his favor. They ended up signing a peace treaty, and our Shah wants him in his court."

  The princess's irritation fred she dropped the knife but clutched the admiral's neck instead. "Tell me something I don't already know, or this fleet will have a new Dariah sar."

  The admiral choked out, "That's... all I know."

  With a sigh, she released her grip. "Forgive me. Sometimes I can't control my rage." She added she changed her gaze back to sailing tides." Getting same answer makes me lose my mind. Just leave me alone and sail the ship faster."

  The naval commander hold his neck in relief. Royalty is always a mess and he liked his neck very much. The tension seem to die down but soon an unexpected event came knocking their doors.

  'Boom!'

  Suddenly, a loud explosion echoed, drawing their attention. In the distance, they saw a naval battle ongoing with Omani and European ships.