Reincarnated Prince of Kaligarh

📜 Previously on The Last Prince of Kaligarh:

Aryan began the siege of Kaligarh with a powerful speech and a thunderous first strike using weapons from Suryapur. The enemy shocked him by unveiling General Raghav Varun, a brilliant and deadly tactician. As night fell, both sides pulled back to prepare for the battles ahead…

SCENE 1 – MORNING MISCHIEF [ARYAN'S ROYAL TENT – JUST BEFORE DAWN]

The tent is quiet. The sun hasn't yet risen. Aryan, peacefully sleeping on his cot, suddenly jerks awake—something is very warm and very close to him.

He turns slowly—and nearly jumps out of the bed.

ARYAN

(by the gods—!)

Wha–!?

Next to him is Reva, curled up, wearing only a thin nightrobe, peacefully asleep like nothing is wrong.

ARYAN

(sputtering)

Wha… Reva!?

Before he can even think, the tent flaps fly open. Kaamaya and Meena stride in with water to wake him up.

KAAMAYA

Rise and shine, my prince—OH.

She freezes mid-step.

MEENA

What in the name of—

They both see Reva still sleeping on his bed. Their expressions darken.

KAAMAYA

You snake in silk.

MEENA

You're dead.

ARYAN

WAIT! I—I have no idea how she—this is not what it looks like!

REVA

(yawning, stretching)

Mmm. Warmest sleep I've had in weeks.

Kaamaya lunges. Meena's already pulling her sleeve up.

Aryan grabs his sword belt and flees barefoot from the tent.

SCENE 2 – THE WAR ROOM [LATER THAT MORNING]

The mood is far more serious now. Aryan, now fully dressed and composed, studies maps when a messenger bursts in.

MESSENGER

Prince Aryan! An ambush on the southern road! Lady Devika and the tiger Sena—they were targeted. Seventeen guards dead. We feared the worst.

Aryan's eyes widen. His expression goes cold.

ARYAN

Where?

MESSENGER

Near the old spice route, just before the Red Ravine.

Without hesitation, Aryan grabs his sword.

ARYAN

Ready my mount.

SCENE 3 – THE AMBUSH SITE – RED RAVINE]

The site of the ambush is grim. Seventeen bodies lie arranged with care. Blood stains the rocks and earth.

Aryan slides down from Veer, his tiger mount, and runs to where Devika lies unconscious, breathing but bruised. Sena, the younger tiger, lies beside her, bleeding from a gash but alive.

GENERAL YAKSHA

They were waiting. Archers, blades—meant to kill. But she resisted. And your tiger fought like a demon. We lost many… but not all.

Aryan kneels silently.

He closes his eyes.

Then he rises and walks to the line of fallen soldiers.

He looks at each face—young and old, farmers, ex-thieves, freed slaves. All wore no armor. All died for him.

The camp falls silent behind him.

He speaks.

ARYAN (firm, voice steady)

You were not trained. You were not paid well. You were not born for war. But still… you stood.

He looks to the sky, eyes glistening with fury and sorrow.

ARYAN

You died not for gold. Not for glory. But because you believed in something greater—me.

He swallows. Fists clenched.

ARYAN

I wanted to give you uniforms… drills… swords made by royal smiths. I dreamed of shaping an army that would never fall. But today, you stood with bare hands… and still didn't run.

He kneels, touching the blood-stained ground.

ARYAN

And I will never forget you.

His voice sharpens, colder now.

ARYAN

To those who sent assassins and blades into the shadows—I promise you this: You've taken seventeen of mine.

I will take seventeen hundred of yours.

He stands. His eyes blaze with a quiet, frightening rage.

ARYAN

Kaligarh will rise. And the world will remember who earned the crown.

A sudden lion's roar echoes across the canyon.

Soldiers look up, startled. But there's no lion in sight. The jungle is still.

WOLF RIDER (whispering)

That… that wasn't real, was it?

Aryan stares into the horizon, unmoving.

The camp is silent. Every man feels it—the shift. Their prince is no longer just a rebel.

He's a king in the making.

📘 End of Chapter 41