CHAPTER 20- Confrontation. (updated)

1538, Capital city, Dharanikota Kingdom.

After the battle, it took some time to reorganize. There were many soldiers injured on both sides, and there were many who could not even recover. Although a proper post-battle assessment will take some time, there were at least a thousand dead soldiers from each side.

Rudra himself almost collapsed after the battle, the result of overexerting himself and ignoring multiple grievous wounds to his body. In the heat of the battle, it was not only General Sangama who had injured him.

There were multiple wounds on his body, caused by the soldiers who Rudra had killed in his manic state. Any experienced soldier can have one or two such wounds and can keep going, albeit at a reduced capacity. But no one can tank all of them.

It confirmed Rudra's suspicion that his body was enhanced somehow. It was something that started after his second death. The same thing with the manic state he is entering every time he fights, it started happening only after he had woken up in the forest.

He had to be careful about it. The emptiness he felt whenever he was around death, was one of the main reasons for his manic state. He shuddered at the thought of being consumed by that emptiness. Whatever this was, it was related to his rebirth.

Currently, Rudra was in front of the gates of the Royal Place. The medics had warned him not to move too much because of the injuries he suffered. But, Rudra did not care. He will heal with time, but the task cannot be delayed any longer.

He marched along with the entire Royal guard to the palace, to deal with his uncle Karana Deva. Killing him will end this stupid rebellion, and he can rule his new kingdom with peace.

As he crossed the gates and entered the courtyard, he noticed that the soldiers had gathered servants and held them in a corner. The courtyard itself had not changed much, as it had been less than a month since he had been here. It certainly felt like a long time.

"They said that lord karana Deva had asked them to gather here and surrender, Your Highness." a captain from the Royal Guards said. It seems that his uncle thought they would have been a hassle.

Rudra moved past them and entered the palace main, flanked by his bodyguard Bashir, and officers of the army and Royalguard.

For the first time in his life, as walked through the small palace, it felt empty. No people were rushing around, no messengers carrying messages, no janitors cleaning the floors. Nothing.

The Royal courtroom was empty except for one person. Sitting on the throne, with his father's crown on his head, was his uncle Karana Deva. He looked regal and fit for that throne if not for the blood on his hands and a rotting head used as a footrest.

"Welcome Nephew. I hope the hunting trip went well?" his uncle asked, ignoring everything that had happened since.

"You know very well what happened uncle. Know quit playing games. And whose blood is that on your hands?" Rudra asked his uncle. The man had sent away everyone who could know what had happened.

"I killed my family. I killed my children with these hands. I choked the life out of my wife and I watched her die." the man said as he looked at his own hands.

"Why?!" the prince asked, slightly shocked at the reply of his uncle. They were just children. Why did he have to take their lives?

"Would you have let them live? I know I wouldn't if I were in your position. It is better to die knowing that they are dead than fearing what will happen after I die." the man replied, strangely content with what he had done.

That answer made Rudra realize something. For the last few days, he was operating on the moral compass of a modern person. Sure he had killed people, but it never occurred to him that he may have to take the lives of innocents someday.

Seeing that his uncle would rather kill his wife and children himself than leave them to the will of Rudra, he asked himself. Would saving their lives be worth it if they rebelled against him one day?

The small battle he fought just a few hours ago had cost the lives of at least a thousand soldiers. Was saving his morality worth the thousands of lives that would be lost? The answer was a firm No.

He shouldn't be a hypocrite. He was coming from waging a battle that cost the lives of others. If he wanted to be morally superior, he should have left for the Himalayas after he had woken up, and become a monk.

"Thank you, uncle. You had saved me the trouble. May they gain Moksha." he bowed to his uncle, only to hear the laughter as a reply.

"HAHAHAhahahhaa… everyone is the same. That is the lust for power this throne causes. Now, now. You came to finish me off and seek your revenge I assume?" his uncle replied, after curtailing his laughter.

"Yes." was all that the prince replied. It was a strange feeling. Finally getting to complete the thing that he had obsessed with since he woke up in that forest. Maybe this will finally fill the empty feeling that he was cursed with.

"Ah. That is where you are wrong my dear nephew. Why would I give you that final satisfaction? Consider this the last act of King Karana Deva of Dharanikota." his uncle proclaimed, and proceeded to stab himself in the eye with a dagger Rudra had not seen till that moment.

"God Dammit" Rudra cursed as he ran up the short stairway to the throne. By the time he reached his uncle, the man was already beyond saving. But it didn't matter to Rudra.

"Wake up! Wake up! Wake the Fu*k up!!" he screamed at his uncle, shaking him as the blood poured out from the grievous wound.

"Prince.." Kadhumalla called to the young prince as he slapped the dying man, trying to wake him up.

"NO!! He will not take this away from me!" Rudra said to Kadhu and proceeded to rip the dagger from his uncle's face. He stabbed it back immediately and removed it again, Only to stab it again, and the cycle continued, fuelled by his rage and desperation.

Kadhumalla, the other royal guards, Bashir, and the colonels from the army had to wait for a few minutes, for the Prince to cool down. When the young man stood back up and turned to them, all they saw was a blood-covered man.

Rudra's wound started acting up, leaking blood because of the physical agitation. His entire top half was also covered in the blood of his uncle, from the repeatedly stabbing the corpse. He wiped his face with a cloth and hoped that the blood had covered up the tears that had sprung from his eyes.

"Gather all of the people who wanted to support this man. I'm sure they are still in the city. Gather all the people who are supporting me too. I want to have a chat with all of them." the prince told to the gathered people and then turned to drag the corpse off the throne.

"Everyone leave the room. I need some time for myself." the prince ordered the soldiers, prompting them to move out, as he sat on the Bloody throne.