Battle and Awakening

  The story starts with a man, breath ragged and heavy, asking himself in a sad, pained tone:

  "Is this the life I have always wanted? I killed so many men because of this? I fought war after war only to get another war in return?"

  In the midst of his inner torment, an arrow suddenly struck his thigh. Snap back to the brutal reality of battle—he dropped to his knees, but the wound was nothing more than a scar in the relentless tide of war. With grim determination, he removed the arrow and charged back into the fight.

  His sword sang a ruthless song as he cut down his enemies; some he hacked their heads off, others he gouged out their eyes, and some had their intestines ripped out in the frenzy of combat.

  Exhaustion crept in, but raw anger surged through him as he bellowed across the battlefield,

  "Vastarrrrrrrr... Where are you, coward? Come and face me like a real man!"

  His challenge was answered in kind—a giant of a man, standing 7 feet tall and clad in heavy armor, struck him from behind with a massive hammer that sent him flying several feet.

  As he teetered on the edge of collapse, a distant voice cut through the chaos:

  "Sooonnnnnnn..."

  Through blurry vision, he saw a woman on the fort's wall. Clad in a tattered white saree, with chains binding her hands and her face marred by scars,

  she shouted urgently,

  "Son, please forget about me and get out of here, or these monsters will do the same to you as they did to your father!"

  Roused by her cry, the man regained his senses and stood tall, fixing his gaze on the advancing giant.

  The brute charged with his hammer raised high; in a split second, the warrior dodged and, seizing a fleeting weakness, struck with savage precision. He slashed off the giant's hand, then, as the giant howled in pain, severed the other. With a final, decisive thrust, his sword plunged into the giant's neck, felling the behemoth.

  Yet, the battle was far from over—enemy reinforcements surged, and with no choice left, he fell back with his battalion.

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  That man was Rajhindr—a 5-foot-11, muscular fighter, hardened by countless wars.

  Scene Shift: Rajhindr's Tent

  Later, inside the dim solitude of his tent, sleep eluded Rajhindr as memories flooded in. His mother's anguished face haunted him—her shouts echoing in his mind.

  "How did it come to this? I searched for my mother for ten years and failed, and when hope finally died, fate reunited me with her after fifteen long years—only to see that bastard's hand defiling her. I swear, I will cut his hand off. Is this really going to be the last war I fight? When will I finally be able to rest?"

  His voice was heavy with sorrow and burning with vengeful resolve.

  Scene Shift: 20 Years Ago in the Vastara Kingdom

  There was a fair that day, and the entire kingdom of Vastara was alive with joy. "Do you know how beautiful our queen will be?" whispered the people in awe.

  Scene Shift: The Royal Palace

  Inside the palace, the atmosphere was jubilant. Ministers, citizens, and guests marveled as King Dacrahindr entered the wedding ceremony. Waiting for him was the most beautiful woman in the world, adorned in traditional attire. "She is looking like a goddess," murmured someone in the audience.

  The king took his place beside her, and the priest began the sacred ritual, asking, "Do you both accept each other as your partners for this life and the rest of your lives?"

  Looking into each other's eyes, they replied together, "Yes, we accept each other as our partners for this life and beyond."

  Thus, King and Queen (once known as Rei Snan and now Rei Hindr.)

  The Snan family, renowned and old, had once aided Dacrahindr in winning wars by buying him an army; the ties between the Snan and Hindr families ran deep. Dacrahindr's grandfather and Rei's grandfather had fought side by side in many battles.

  Scene Shift: The Bedchamber of King Dacrahindr

  Later that night, as King Dacrahindr entered his private chamber, he found Rei sitting on the bed, her saree concealing her face. He sat beside her, gently lifting the pallu to meet her eyes, and whispered,

  "I have always loved you, Rei. You were the only thing I ever wanted. I don't relish ruling this kingdom, but I do it because you asked me to."

  Softly, she replied, "I have loved you since the moment I saw you. I always dreamed of you on that throne."

  Their intimacy grew, and soon they were kissing, shedding each other's clothes in a raw display of passion. As Dacrahindr kissed Rei's nipples, she provocatively remarked,

  "Your mother never really breastfed you, but it's okay—I'm yours. You can suck my breast as long as you want."

  Startled, the king paused and asked, "How do you know about my mother?"

  With a cool detachment, she replied, "A concubine told me."

  His eyes darkened with fury as he growled,

  "Never ever talk about my mother again! She was a whore—spreading her legs for anyone, anywhere, only caring about money. I curse the day I was born of her."

  After this, words nearly failed them both, but the passion soon rekindled, and they came together like wild animals—seeding the start of a complicated destiny.

  Scene Shift: Six Months Later

  In another part of the palace, the queen stood by a window watching her king spar in the training yard. Her swollen belly was a visible promise of the future.

  Scene Shift: Three Months Later

  A piercing scream shattered the calm of the fort. The king rushed toward the sound, but a concubine intercepted him. "What the hell happened to my wife? Is she alright? Is our child safe?" he demanded.

  "She's fine, my king. Your first child will be here soon," the concubine reassured him.

  Soon, the screams subsided, replaced by the sound of a newborn's cry echoing through the fort. Overwhelmed, the king trembled as he cradled his first child, and with shaking hands, he named him "Raj Hindr."

  Chapter One Ends