Yashika The uncanny puzzle of KING[ 18+]

34 -Stand for you

"You love to test my patience," he teased. Just as she was about to dash away, clutching the blanket around her, he caught her by the waist and twirled her around. Their laughter and giggles filled the room, a melody of newfound joy and shared happiness.
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"This shall be our one and only chance. We cannot afford to lose this battle at any cost." Digvijay's eyes met those of every person standing there. They all bore a determination within them, a hunger to triumph.

Ratan Singh, having finished explaining the route and plan of entrance into the castle, now turned to Yashika. She stood alongside Digvijay, Ratan Singh, and five other officials and warriors destined to lead their battalion during the attack.

"Are you certain you wish to risk it? It will be extremely dangerous. I acknowledge that you know how to wield a sword and fight, but knowing it and being in a real war are two different matters. Besides, it is no trivial matter to take a life and leave someone behind to die." A flicker of doubt crossed her eyes, but then she saw Digvijay's face and the reassuring look he gave her.

"No matter what your decision is, I shall always be with you." His words were enough to dispel her doubts. "I am ready for whatever comes my way."

"Very well then, tonight we shall enter the castle through the same passage. Ratan, you will lead the second battalion through the east gates. And Madhav..." he turned to one of his warriors, "you shall deliver the message to the king, but only after we are settled and ready to attack from our positions." He paused, awaiting confirmation of understanding.

Thus, he instructed each and every one of them. Yet he sensed a doubt in Madhav's look and encouraged him to speak.

"Why do you wish to warn them, or perhaps I should say alert them? Would it not be easier if we attacked without their knowledge? The chances of victory would be greatly enhanced." Digvijay offered a gentle smile and replied, "It might be easier, but would it be righteous? We are warriors, and as such, it is our duty to be fair with our responsibilities as well as our enemies. It is in our blood to fight fair and square. Even if they deceive us, we shall remain honest in our duties. And the strongest shall prevail." After his words, there was no argument left in the room.

A newfound determination glimmered in their eyes, and with it, they stood ready for the impending attack.

At that moment, they gathered in the very temple Yashika visited each day, a sacred place that now bore witness to their resolve.

It had taken considerable time to assemble every soldier of their newly formed army. After Digvijay was declared dead, the kingdom had fallen back into the hands of his father, yet the true puppeteer behind the scenes was his mother. It soon became evident that his father was but one of her many pawns, used in her relentless pursuit of power. Since the people and ministers would hardly accept a woman as their ruler, she employed every underhanded tactic to seize control, biding her time until the perfect moment to assert her claim to the throne.

In her insatiable hunger for power, she had become blind to the very son she had borne.

In the days that followed, Digvijay dug deep into the shadows, uncovering the truth that lay hidden. For the past twenty days, he had meticulously tracked every person involved in his mother's schemes. Once he had gathered the essential information, he wasted no time in plotting their counterattack. After three sleepless nights filled with strategy and rigorous training, they were finally ready to exact their revenge.

All these warriors, each one of them, were driven by a singular thirst for justice—justice for their families, their children, their parents. They were the outcasts, the forgotten souls who had suffered in the wake of war, whose loved ones had perished while no one extended a hand to care for their shattered families in the cruel year that had passed.