Chapter 18: C17: Attack

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Aditya was not the same when he came back from his retreat at the jungle. His mood was off, his aura giving off danger and his eyes were cold with indifference and probably anger. Aditya was not the same. He could never be the same. Aditya's father noticed the changes in him, but shrugged it off as being something related to the stress of the administration and the new duties. His quest for searching for a suitable bride for Aditya went in vain, as Aditya rejected every proposal, giving some foolish excuses. He wondered if his son was in love but quickly shrugged off the thought. If he was, then Aditya would inform him.

But all these thoughts and wars were short lived when one fine morning a soldier announced that Krishnapura was under attack. The palace especially. Intruders had gotten into the palace killing the guards that secured the entrance with arrows that were fired from secret hiding spots. A handful of about hundred men had skillfully broken into the palace and had entered the palace. They were dressed in black outfits with turbans around their heads and masks around their faces. They had entered the chambers of the kings while a few of them were fighting the soldiers who had quickly managed to spring into action. Aditya was also ready in his armor and he held the sword gifted by Maheshwar in his hand. Raja Chandra Verma was defending their private quarters while Aditya was fighting them in the corridors.

Being swift and powerful, Aditya quickly knocked three men with a single plunge of the sword. Pulling the sword out, he marched ahead landing a blow on the man who ran towards him with a sword. In another two swift strikes, two other men were killed. By now, The Commander in Chief Ranvijay Kumar and the Army Head Pratap Singh had also come down to the chambers and joined their King in defending the palace.

The men in black were on the ground, most of them dead and a few hanging in between. "Check if all of them are dead. If anyone's alive, treat them. I need to interrogate these bastards." Aditya oozed out rage and he held the bloodied sword in his hands. He turned to go towards his father's chambers when a soldier came running to him.

"Maharaj!"

"What?" Aditya barked. The soldier shivered under his voice and meekly pointed towards his father's chambers. Aditya's nerves heightened and before he knew it, his feet began running in the direction. Aditya's feet came to an abrupt halt seeing the scenario before his eyes.

His father was on the floor clutching his chest hard. Blood was oozing out from his fingers as he tried to put pressure to the wound. A grunt from his father snapped Aditya out of his shock. He quickly ran towards his father and pulled out his angavastram. Wrapping it around the wound, he tied the cloth across his chest, placing his palm to stop the blood. "Call the Vaid ji. Now." He barked, his body trembling with fear and anger. He quickly lifted his father in his arms, he rushed to his father's room and placed him gently on the bed. Patting his cheeks gently, he tried to initiate a conversation to keep him awake. Sprinkling water from the pitcher on the stand by the bed, Aditya tried hard to keep his father awake. The royal physicians entered the chambers and quickly began treating the king. They cleaned the wound and applied a herbal paste to prevent infections. The head physician asked Aditya to step aside so that they could treat the king. Aditya reluctantly nodded.

"Don't worry beta. His wound is fatal, but it can be treated. He shall be fine." Aditya wordlessly nodded. A soldier entered the room and bowed his head in front of the king. He ushered the King to come out of the room so that he could inform him of the news.

"Five people are alive sir. Rest of them are dead and a very few are fatally wounded. They are tied down in the dungeons, Your Majesty." The soldier informed him. Aditya looked at his father one last time and then marched towards the dungeons.

"Who sent you?" Punch. "Why did you guys plan the attack?" Punch. "How did you enter the palace?" Punch. "Who is this mastermind?" Punch. Aditya was burning in fury, as he interrogated the captive in front of him. The commander-in-chief, Ranvijay, quickly pulled Aditya back before he could kill the man in front of him.

"Aditya. Calm down. You will kill him." Ranvijay said. Aditya shrugged himself off Ranvijay's grip.

"These bastards deserve to die." He spat, vengeance oozing from his words.

"Aditya, they will be served the punishment they deserve. Don't spoil your hands with the blood of these bastards." Ranvijay spoke. The other men who were tied in other cells trembled in fear.

"Then speak. Who sent you?" He barked. The man in front of him shivered as he spoke.

"Raja Harshavardhan" He uttered, but his words were heard crystal clear to Aditya and Ranvijay. They looked at each other before Aditya spoke.

"Prepare the army. We are going for a war." Ranvijay could only nod at the King's orders.

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Raja Harshavardhan is definitely going to be avenged. Check my Instagram to see the scenes of battle and war.

Shhhh. 🤫Mature chapters being written.