Empire of India: Rise of the Ruthless Prince

"Yes, your highness," said Tarun, catching his breath.

"What happened to the battle?"

"It will be finished soon. I have let another regional leader take on the reins for now."

"I see."

Harsha looked at Bhairava bleeding profusely from his severed hand and sighed.

"Treat this guy and clean up the bodies," he said, pointing at Bhairava.

"Understood, Your Highness. There is a guide waiting to show you the way." Tarun responded with a slight bow, pointing at a hooded person.

Harsha walked towards the hooded man with a smirk. He could feel the air around the person. It wasn\'t a normal person. He was strong—like the old man, Nayaka.

"Lead the way." He commanded.

The hooded person didn\'t speak much. He could see the heterochromic eyes peeking through his hood. The man wore a mask. His physique was well built. He wore black clothes with red highlights at the end.

"So what is your name?" Harsha asked to satisfy his curiosity.

"I don\'t have a name." The man replied in a hoarse voice.

"I see! You must be that guy called Rakthasura that the old man Nayaka mentioned."

The hooded person didn\'t nod or reply to his comment. He simply guided him through the hallways into a desolate basement underneath the palace.

Lanterns lit up the basement.

"There was such a place here?" Harsha looked around in awe.

The basement stairs led down to a passage. The stone walls had moss growing on them. The hooded person grabbed a lantern on the walls and began walking into the passage.

"So. Did the Emperor request my presence?"

"Yes, Prince."

"So he must have an idea of what happened during his little sleep."

The man nodded slightly, admitting.

"You seem to be loyal to the Emperor; even you couldn\'t stop Lakshmi."

The man was still guiding him through the passage. His demeanor slightly shifted at the sudden jab.

"Lakshmi had control over the Royal Army. We can\'t touch her carelessly." He responded.

Harsha could see the light at the end of the passage. The passage opened up into a small but serene place. It was filled with flowers and trees all around the area. The place was surrounded by men dressed similar to the man that guided him.

He could see guards staring at him with a curious expression.

A small house was in the middle of the large garden. The house looked tidy.

"What is this place?" Harsha asked.

"This is where we relocated the Emperor amidst the ongoing civil war."

He was quite intrigued by the design of the palace and the pathways to this location. The main challenge right now was the Emperor.

The man guided him into a room. The neat wooden walls had some paintings of the Epics hanging on them. A giant bed was present right in the middle of the room, and the royal doctor sat close to the edge of the bed treating the Emperor.

The Emperor looked malnourished and pale compared to his usual self. It was evident that the coma took a toll on his physique. His muscles had considerable shrunk. Despite all this, his gaze was still fierce.

Harsha could feel the same intensity that he felt when he had first laid his eyes on the Emperor.

The Emperor looked at him.

"Sit," he commanded.

Harsha sat on the chair, a bit far away from the bed.

The royal doctor and the man who guided him quickly left to give him and the Emperor some time.

"You took the throne in the end." He said.

Harsha nodded slightly.

"Are you up for the responsibility that comes with it?"

"Responsibility?" Harsha looked puzzled.

"Yes, the responsibility of protecting your citizens and providing the best for them."

"I can do that better than you!" Harsha said in a cold voice.

The Emperor coughed violently, trying to control his laughter.

"I see. My son has grown a lot."

"Why did you ask to meet me?"

"Did you kill Lakshmi?" The Emperor asked with a sad expression flashing through his face.

"Of course. She started it, and I ended it. This was the natural course of action."

"That\'s what happened in the end..." His voice trailed off.

The Emperor turned serious. The air felt cold. The intense gaze was back. He could feel the authority he exuded.

"What if I don\'t want you to take the throne?"

Harsha got up with a smirk and unsheathed his sword, pointing right at the Emperor with no hesitation.

"I don\'t like threats. Next time you make it, consider yourself dead."

Harsha continued.

"You can take the back seat and retire from the Empire. I shall assume the throne. In the next few years, you will see the real extent of my ability, Krishna Deva Raya."

"Harsha, leading a kingdom is not a game. You have to put your feelings aside and be ready to sacrifice for the greater good of your people."

Harsha stayed silent as the emperor gave him advice to lead.

They talked about different things for a while. Time passed like a blur. The sun began to set on the horizon, and a faint glow of orange covered the small garden.

"So you will be stepping down," asked Harsha.

"Yes, but I will be taking control if I find you unfit for the throne."

"Do you think I am unfit for the throne right now?"

"No,"

The emperor did get all the information about Harsha from Rakhtasura. He had accomplished an extraordinary feat, and the scary fact was that it just took a year to get to the throne from nothing.

"Do your best, my son." The emperor finally said. His posture slumped as if a huge burden were taken off his shoulders.

Meanwhile, the battle of Hampi came to a close with the total surrender of Chandra\'s army.

This was the new chapter in the history books for the Vijayanagara Empire. The grueling civil war had finally come to an end.

Harsha finally won the battle that would shape his future in this world.