Goodbye ?...

Vijayanagar Empire, Hampi Palace

In the present time.

After seeing the flaming arrow shot from somewhere in the city, Vijay knew that war was right around the corner. He ordered the general who was standing beside him dressed in a chef attire, "Ramaiah, it seems we have a few rats in the city. Please clean them up quickly and silently."

"As you wish, Your Highness," Ramaiah replied Vijay, with a wicked grin before promptly leaving the balcony.

After giving the orders, he left the balcony and went to the secret room where he told Kavya to hide. He wanted to check on her and see how she was doing.

Upon entering the room, he found his wife pacing around the place with a worried expression. She was biting her nails nervously, which in all honesty, looked very cute in his eyes. As soon as Kavya saw Vijay, she rushed forward and took his hand.

Vijay, Still not accustomed to physical contact, blushed slightly like a small girl when his hand was held so suddenly, but he quickly composed himself. He had become more accustomed to such actions of her over the past month.

"Vijay, are we going to be okay? There are so many assassins outside, and I'm worried about your safety," Kavya asked with concern written on her face.

Seeing her so worried, Vijay was tempted to tell her a white lie, but he knew that it would only make her sadder if something indeed happened to him. So, he decided to tell the truth, "Kavya, I won't hide it from you. There's likely a war coming ahead, and in all honesty, I really can't predict its outcome. But what I can promise you is that, We prepared a lot to make sure we were on the winning side of the war. Once this war is won, it will pave the way for the expansion of the Vijayanagar Empire."

Vijay continued, his voice steady, "I understand your concern for my safety, and I deeply appreciate it. However, as the monarch, I have a duty to fulfil. I cannot remain sheltered within the safety of the palace. Please believe in me and have faith that I will emerge victorious from this conflict. I can't ask you not to worry, but together, we'll face whatever challenges come our way."

Kavya, after hearing her husband's words, couldn't hold back her tears anymore and cried. Vijay, who looked at her with worry but was still inexperienced in dealing with such emotions, felt a sense of restlessness about how to respond. He stood there, silently wiping her tears, wishing he could find the right words to comfort her.

However, before Vijay could find the words to say something, Kavya seemed to gather her strength, wiping her own tears away. She walked over to the bedside table where Vijay kept his Talwar. Despite the difficulty, she picked up the sword with both hands. With determination, she took the weapon to the pooja (prayer) room. After performing a ritual by applying saffron and turmeric to the sword, she brought the sword back to Vijay. She even applied a bit of kajal from her eyes onto Vijay's forehead for good luck.

With unwavering belief, she said, "I have total faith in you, Vijay. Just as your name suggests, return as a victor." Seeing this, She silently watched Vijay, her eyes full of trust.

Looking into her eyes, he was momentarily overwhelmed by a massive amount of pressure, her eyes reminded him of how much of a huge responsibility he was really bearing for his wife and his people, He also felt very fortunate to have such a supportive wife.

Taking the sword from her hands, Vijay left the room without looking back. He knew that if he looked back, it would be difficult for him to leave. So, he stopped himself from focusing on her anymore and resolved his mind to focus on winning the battle regardless of the challenges ahead.

Outside the city:

With all the spies dealt with and the civilians being evacuated, a lookout noticed a large number of soldiers on the horizon to the south of the city. Quickly recognizing the urgency of the situation, he rang the emergency bell beside him. The sound of the emergency bell reverberated throughout the city, spreading the news rapidly among the army. General Ramayya Senapati soon became aware of the situation. He hurried to the city wall and looked in the direction indicated by the lookout. There, he saw a massive force of men marching towards the capital city.

Vijay, who had just entered the barracks, was quickly informed by Senapati about the upcoming threat. With a mixture of excitement and fear, Vijay climbed up the wall to get a better view of the situation. While he had only read about wars in history books, this was his first time participating in one. It was unexpected for the scholarly scientist Vijay to find himself in such a situation in the 17th century. Fate indeed works in peculiar ways.

As Vijay observed the approaching army, he estimated that there were around 20,000 rebel soldiers. This number was somewhat comforting to him, as it was a manageable force that they could handle without incurring massive losses. He knew that even if his father had forbidden the nobles from maintaining armies, resourceful individuals would discover ways to circumvent that rule. The presence of this 20,000-strong army in front of them served as proof of that reality.

As the advancing army came to a halt a few hundred meters from the city walls, a person holding a white flag made his way towards the walls. The messenger directed their words to King Vijay Devaraya, stating, "King Vijay Devaraya, I bring to you a warning on behalf of my leader, Vimal Deva Raya. He demands the restoration of all rights and responsibilities to the nobles of the Empire, rights that rightfully belong to them. Furthermore, he claims that due to your alleged possession by a rakshasa, you are incapable of effectively ruling the nation. Unless you willingly step down from your position, my lord will wage a just and lawful war against you."

To Be Continued...