Chapter 87: chapter 87

R A N A J A Y The air crackled with the tension of an impending storm. Soldiers whispered prayers as they tightened their grips on swords, shields, and spears. Across the plains that stretched before Amaravati’s gates, the banners of my father’s army rippled in the wind like dark omens. Jayavikram had come to take what he believed was his by divine right.But I stood in his way.“Ranajay,” Sanmayi’s voice was calm yet resolute as she approached me atop her mare. Clad in armor that gleamed under the dim light of dawn, she carried herself with the poise of a queen and the fire of a warrior. “The vanguard is ready. The eastern flank awaits your command.”I nodded, my gaze fixed on the horizon where my father’s forces were assembling. “He’s brought everything,” I murmured. “The full might of his army. Nandini’s schemes, his generals, his loyalists.”“And yet he underestimates us,” Sanmayi replied, her lips curving into a faint smile. “As he always has.”Her confidence was a balm to my fraying nerves, but I could not ignore the weight of what lay ahead. The plains of Amaravati would soon be drenched in blood, and though victory felt within reach, the cost of it loomed heavy in my heart.I turned to Aditya, who was awaiting my command. “Signal the archers to hold position until the cavalry draws their frontline out of formation. Once they’re scattered, we’ll move the infantry in waves.”He saluted sharply. “It will be done.”---The clash began with the roar of hooves. My cavalry surged forward, a thunderous tide aimed at Jayavikram’s center line. At first, his army responded as expected—meeting the charge with their own mounted forces. The clash of steel and the cries of men filled the air, and I could see the chaos beginning to unfurl.From my vantage point, I scanned the battlefield, watching for the signal from Sanmayi’s scouts. We had spent days planning for this, pouring over maps and terrain, anticipating my father’s every move. He was a seasoned warrior, but his pride often blinded him to subtlety.“There!” Sanmayi pointed to the east, where a plume of dust marked the movement of Jayavikram’s reserve forces. “He’s committing too early. His reinforcements will be vulnerable if we flank them now.”I turned to my second-in-command. “Send the eastern flank forward, but keep half in reserve. I want them to feign retreat once they’ve drawn the reserves out.”The officer hesitated. “If the retreat fails, they’ll be overrun.”“They won’t fail,” I said firmly. “Sanmayi’s scouts have ensured the terrain will work to our advantage. Do as I command.”He bowed and galloped off to relay the orders. Sanmayi glanced at me, her expression unreadable.“You trust them to hold?” she asked.“I trust you,” I replied, meeting her gaze.---The battlefield was a nightmare. Smoke and ash blurred the edges of vision, and the cries of the wounded pierced through the cacophony of war. I rode alongside my infantry as they surged forward, the ground trembling beneath our combined force.The eastern flank had done its job, luring Jayavikram’s reserves into a trap. Sanmayi’s plan had been precise—our forces had used the natural ravines to encircle and cut them off, turning what could have been our disadvantage into a decisive victory.But the center line was another story. My father was there, commanding his troops with the fury of a man who felt his legacy slipping away.“Ranajay!” Aditya rode up to me, blood streaking his face. “The center is holding, but barely. Your father’s vanguard is pushing hard.”I nodded, gripping the reins of my horse tighter. “We need to break through and reach him. If his men see him fall, their morale will shatter.”“Easier said than done,” Aditya muttered, but he signaled for a contingent of knights to follow us as I spurred my horse forward.---The moment I saw him, time seemed to slow.Jayavikram sat astride his black warhorse, clad in golden armor that gleamed like a beacon amidst the chaos. His blade, crimson with the blood of my men, glinted in the pale sunlight. His eyes met mine across the battlefield, and even at a distance, I could see the fury that burned within them.I had always known this day would come. Yet, as I charged toward him, the weight of our shared history pressed against my chest. This man had taught me how to hold a sword, how to command, how to lead. And now, I was raising my blade against him.“Ranajay!” he roared as I approached, his voice carrying above the din. “You dare to stand against me? Against your own blood?”I reined in my horse mere paces away from him, leveling my sword. “You left me no choice,” I shouted back. “This kingdom is not yours to destroy with greed and pride. Amaravati deserves better than a king who would tear it apart for his own ambition.”Jayavikram laughed, a harsh, bitter sound. “And you think you are better? A boy led by his heart, blinded by a woman who poisons the throne with her rebel blood? You are weak, Ranajay. Unworthy of the crown.”His words stung, but I refused to falter. “Your hatred for Sanmayi blinds you to her strength. She fights for this kingdom, while you fight only for yourself. Today, I end this—for Amaravati’s future.”He snarled, raising his blade. “Then prove yourself, boy. Let us see if you have the strength to stand against your own father.”---The duel was ferocious.Jayavikram’s strikes were powerful, each one intended to break me, to remind me of the years he held dominance over my life. But I met him blow for blow, my movements honed by years of training and the clarity of my purpose.“You could have stood beside me,” he growled, his blade narrowly missing my shoulder. “Together, we could have ruled unchallenged.”“At what cost?” I retorted, deflecting his strike and countering with one of my own. “Betrayal? Tyranny? I will not rule over a kingdom drowned in blood.”Our swords clashed again, sparks flying. Around us, the battle raged, but in that moment, it felt as though the world had narrowed to just the two of us.“You’re a fool,” Jayavikram hissed, his voice ragged. “Sanmayi will destroy you. She will turn the people against you, just as she did with me.”“You turned them against yourself,” I said, finally driving him back. “And now, your reign ends.”With one final strike, I disarmed him, his sword clattering to the ground. He stared at me, unarmed and defeated, his chest heaving.“Do it,” he spat. “Prove you’re nothing more than the weakling I always knew you were.”I raised my blade, my heart pounding. For a moment, I wavered. But then I lowered it, stepping back.“No,” I said. “I will not kill you. Amaravati deserves justice, not vengeance. You will stand trial for your crimes, and the kingdom will see what kind of man you truly are.”Jayavikram’s eyes burned with hatred, but I turned away, signaling to my men. The battle was over.---As I returned to Sanmayi’s side, weary but victorious, she took my hand in hers, her eyes filled with quiet pride.“You did what was right,” she said softly.“For Amaravati,” I replied.And as the sun set over the battlefield, I felt the weight of the crown settle on my shoulders—not as a burden, but as a promise.