In the shadow of a legendary feud, where ancient rivalries simmer, a hidden truth awaits. Beneath the surface of animosity and pride, a tangles web of emotions threatens to upend the fate of sworn enemies.
As the winds of destiny sweep them towards...
The galloping of horse echoed in the silence of Palace as it increases fastly while nearing the palace before an arrow swoosh past the people inside the palace, directly in the Sabha as a sign of challenge for the King of-
"Matsya Raj! I, Northern Panchala Raj Ashwatthama, challenge you!!" The thunderous voice echoed in the palace while the Archer wait for the acceptance only to find it done when an army of soldiers came out to protect their King and his palace but ashwatthama could care less when defeating them is more than easy.
Sneering at the audacity, of insulting him at Hastinapur while not even coming out from the challenge today, ashwatthama summoned his bow, targeting the army of soldiers as he release one arrow which multiplied in the air, hitting most of the soldiers before they fall down on the ground.
Quickly finishing off the soldiers, he jump down from the horse, entering the palace where the Mantri, two more soldiers and in between the soldier, the King and the spoiled brat of Prince.
Ashwatthama scoffed, pushing his bangs back from left hand since the right one is grabbing his bow while he kept walking forward, not showing any sign of stopping making the five people step back in fear of how an alone young man killed their whole army, not whole but still the powerful one as they had no reason to send the normal one since the wanted to show their power but it seems their own move cost them heavily.
The two soldiers made their move in order to protect their King and their only prince but hugged death, just in a moment as ashwatthama look at mantri, if he is also going to come forward but instead the mantri just remained still in his place.
Fixing his target again, Ashwatthama cracked his neck muscle at how easy this was, it didn't even demanded him much though he has to say, the army of soldiers were powerful that made him use powerful arrows too even if not the best one. He closed his one eyes, ready to release the arrow but opened it when the King came in front, wanting to protect his son.
"please leave my son. Please I beg you" Ashwatthama felt words climbing up his throat, itching to come out.
He has many things to say to that spoiled prince but he is no mood of talking beside killing a person for insult...............Might royals do this but he was not royal from starting, so he knows the value of a person's life beside he doubt his mother, his mother like Mata Gandhari and karna would be happy with that. His main reason of coming here is make that spoiled prince regret and nothing.
"I put my mukut at your feet, please leave my son"
Ashwatthama look at the mukut of Matsya Raj at his feet making him sigh at the fact that now matsya is under him and his goal has been accomplished now as he turn around to leave only to hear fast footfalls behind himself, which he already know, of whom it is making him step aside by which the Eldest prince fall down with the spear in his hand, but unfortunately he didn't fall on the ground instead on the tall peacock diya stand-
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-which pierced through his stomach, burying deep inside as the soul of Eldest prince left for heaven.
Ashwatthama stare at it blankly as the King mourn for his late son which was his only hier and only child. The sound of King's cries called out the ladies of the palace before the Maharani ran to the Sabha only to find her son's body hanging on the peacock diya stand while the king cry beside it making her ran towards her husband too before they both mourn for their only child.
The last rites of all the soldiers and the prince happened in the presence of the former King and Queen, weeping for their only son. Ashwatthama could had said 'My condolences' but it would be a lie if he would had said that and he does not want to lie to mourning parents as he remain there, standing far away in case the Maharaj would want a last fight with him for his Rajya or for his son or either he can do anything for then since the Prince's death was not the ashwatthama's goal. He only wanted to make him regret but in the last the prince didn't understood it and faced the consequences.
Soon after the last rite in Ganga the former King and Queen came towards ashwatthama who was ready for yells, slap from a mother who lost her son, challenge of fight from a former king or a mourning father but astonishingly, none of them came instead-
"The Matsya Rajya is yours now. We will take renunciation"
Ashwatthama felt his throat paining as he wanted to say something but can't which it seems they understood as the mother of the late prince spoke.
"I know about what he did at Hastinapur with you. You aren't at fault, just...........just............" She couldn't complete the sentence and ashwatthama didn't insisted or said anything. It was enough to know that they don't hold any grudge against him, maybe in the near future when he will get courage, he will go to meet them there.
"we will take our leave now" The former King said, hugging her wife who cry for her son, a mother's pain does not leave easily especially when it is about her children, it might never leave but he still hopes for them to move on.
Ashwatthama bowed down lightly as an apology when they both turned around to walk towards the forest since he does not have courage to apologize to them or say anything to them in front. Turning around, Ashwatthama went to the palace finding the workers and maids stood in the corner, terrified before he enter the palace only to find the mantri with the mukut in his hands.
"your name, mantri ji?"
"giritra, Maharaj"
"how loyal you are?"
"loyalty is given to a loyal King"
"you mean you weren't loyal to former King"
"I firmly believed that the future of Rajya was in danger when it was in the hands of Rajkumar Advik" So, that Prince's name was Advik.
"do you think I will be a loyal King?"
"A person who care about his family's reputation and his Rajya's reputation can be"
"I asked you something else mantri ji. Don't show me why you are a mantri, answer my question 'Am I?' since you aren't the only one who has read everything and then know about outside too. I am also a brahmin by birth"
Mantri Giritra stare at ashwatthama for a moment before nodding "yes you are" to which ashwatthama asked "why?" making mantri ji reply "cause you know how this world works. Loyalty for Loyalty, Friendship for Friendship, Respect for Respect and Enmity for Enmity"
Ashwatthama hummed, getting up from throne as the mantri forwarded his hands with the mukut which ashwatthama took while going outside but not before saying "send all the papers of Matsya to Northern Panchala, I will come here after a while and mantri ji, I too hate disloyal people" as he jump on his horse, leaving Matsya right after.
He went through the forest before finding a Rajya for stay at night making him sigh in relief that now he can find something to drink but what astonished him was the entrance big door of Rajya which is old, rusty, even broken from some parts while it is covered with leaves and plants making ashwatthama dust it lightly to see the sign on the door so that he can get to know, which Rajya he is in, only to find it is-
"this is Kashi"
Entering the Rajya, Ashwatthama found himself getting more shocked by each steps as he took a good look of Kashi and it's people.
