As soon as she stepped outside, she was caught off guard by the sight of Mukund's face.

"Vedavalli, you need to come," he said, his voice urgent.

Mukund's tone was unusual, and she wondered what could be so important.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"It's the market," Mukund said, his eyes troubled. "Something's happening"

Shouts and screams filled the air, and the sounds of clashing weapons echoed through the streets. The prince and the advisor rushed outside to see what was happening, and they were met with a chaotic scene.

A group of villagers had gathered in the center of the village, wielding sticks and pitchforks, and were facing off against a squad of soldiers from the neighboring kingdom.

The soldiers were trying to collect taxes from the villagers, but the villagers were refusing to pay, insisting that they were being unfairly burdened.

As they watched, a young girl ran out of one of the nearby houses, screaming at the top of her lungs. One of the soldiers reached out to grab her, but she slipped away and ran towards the crowd of villagers.

That was the moment when the situation exploded. One of the villagers raised his pitchfork and charged towards the soldiers, and the others quickly followed suit. The air was filled with the sound of clanging metal, shouting, and the screams of the wounded.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

Vedavalli and Mukund exchanged a glance. They knew that they had to act fast.

"We need to find a way to separate them," Vedavalli said, her voice filled with determination.

Mukund nodded in agreement. "I'll distract the soldiers. You get the villagers to safety."

Vedavalli didn't hesitate. She quickly made her way towards the villagers, who were locked in combat with the soldiers. She shouted at them, urging them to stop fighting and move to safety.

"Come with me!" she yelled. "We need to get out of here!"

Some of the villagers hesitated, still caught up in the heat of battle, but Vedavalli kept at it. She grabbed one of the women by the arm and pulled her towards the safety of a nearby building.

Meanwhile, Mukund managed to get the attention of the soldiers. He ran towards them, waving his arms and shouting. The soldiers turned towards him, their weapons raised.

But Mukund wasn't intimidated. He kept running towards them, dodging their attacks and shouting insults. The soldiers were so focused on him that they didn't even notice when the villagers slipped away.

Finally, Vedavalli and Mukund managed to get everyone to safety. They took the villagers to a nearby temple, where they could rest and recover from their injuries.

As they tended to the wounded and helped the villagers calm down, Vedavalli and Mukund couldn't help but discuss what they had just witnessed.

"I can't believe both kingdoms are engaging in illegal tax collection," Vedavalli said, shaking her head in disbelief. "The villagers were right to resist."

Mukund nodded in agreement. "It's a shame that the common people have to bear the brunt of the greed of the ruling classes. We need to do something about it."

Vedavalli looked at Mukund, a sudden realization dawning on her. "You're right. We can't let this go on any longer. We need to bring this to the attention of the Queen."

Mukund nodded. "I'll prepare a report detailing what we saw today. We can present it to the Queen and urge her to take action against those responsible for this illegal tax collection."

As a sense of purpose washed over her, she forgot all about the sad memories from her childhood.