The guarding soldier once again entered inside the camp but this time he had another soldier just next to him. He was wearing the typical dirty brownish robe worn by the messengers of the Kashyapa Clan. He was thin built with an average height and short black hair which looked ruffled maybe cause of the air and sharp eyes like a hawk. His lips had gone parched as the whole face was sweating profusely.
There was a large squarely pouch-shaped bag hanging on his waist. In one of his hands there was a small circular metallic seal that was most probably his identity batch as a messenger from the Kashyapa Clan and the other hand was carrying that looked like a Karpasika Pata.
"Your Highness."
As he entered into the Prince Shantanu's Camp, he bowed his head toward the prince. The bow was a traditional bow from the wrist that was usually given to prince and princesses. This bow changes into a more mannered one when the soldier or messenger was in the front of his king, then they would have to knee down on one of the knee and then bow their head. But this also changes when they were facing a king of another kingdom, in those cases they just have to bow their head with slightly arching of the back.
"Stand up. And tell me everything about what is going on in the clan and what urgent matter you spoke of?"
The Prince was as calm as usual, there was not even a trace of worry on his face as he calmly looked toward the messenger and asked him.
"Reporting to your Highness, few days ago forefather received a news that you were attacked and someone tried to assassinate you. Forefather was furious when he heard that someone's weapon reached so close to your neck as to even make a cut as well as even wounding your shoulder. When this news also spread in the whole clan after a day the ministers decided the soldiers guarding your camp to be severely punished along with the Prayag King and his Kingdom.
So the forefather had asked those soldiers' respective regiment commanders to dismiss them from their position and imprison and punish them personally. And as for the Prayag Kingdom, the forefather had ordered all the regiments commanders to come here along with their elites of the regiment. Even forefather himself is coming."
After reporting the events happening in the clan till that he moved both of his hand forward and presented the Karpasika Pata to the prince as he continued,
"Your Highness, theses are the dismissal order by the commander of their respective regiment of the those soldiers who were guarding your Highness' camp that night as well the order to bring them back to the clan as soon as possible for their punishment.
As well as all the commanders and ministers have given suggestion to change the commanders of the army you have brought as they think that they have failed in protecting you even when the battle is not happening."
After saying till that the messenger stopped and shifted his gaze to take a look at the faces of the commanders present there and whose dismissal he was talking about.
Just as expected, there faces had turned ugly and fear-stricken as all of them were looking at the prince. It was on the Prince Shantanu to take or skip that suggestion and decide their future accordingly. If they were to be dismissed from their posts from the future king then that would be the end of their reputed career. The charges for their dismal was not insignificant one, as they would be dismissed for the charges like being unable to protect the crown prince.
The future they had dreamt while coming with the prince who will be soon king, the dream of being commander of their regiment will always be the none fulfilled dream for them.
"Your Highness, you're totally correct if you're thinking of taking that suggestion and want to remove us from our posts. Even we are ashamed of our inability and the grave mistake we made that night, that mistake is going to be our gravest sin of our life. The injuries we saw on you that night felt like someone injured our own pride. So we will not say anything if you want to remove from our post.
But before you do that we just want to request one chance the last chance to make the culprit behind this pay the price. We are just requesting this as our last request and for all the time we had followed you, we just want this last chance."
Commander Urjavat was kneeling on his both legs with his head bowed and sound as calm and resolute that it showed his determination of what he was saying.
When he was asked to lead the Ashvarohi Regiment on the Prince Shantanu's conquest as the commander of that regiment, he saw it as a chance of making his dream come true sooner than expected. He was going with the crown prince on his conquest leading a regiment so if everything remain normal then there was so much chance that when prince would be crowned as king, he himself would be also crowned as commander of the Ashvarohi Regiment.
But soon he was called by the forefather of the Clan, he had talked to forefather previously many times but that was as his senior's replacement as well as he would be accompanied by other vice-commanders. So when the forefather called him and just him for a personal meeting he was shocked as he start recounting his mistakes he had made previously and which of them can warrant him to punished by forefather. But surprisingly to him forefather had a request for him. When he heard forefather requesting something to him he felt like a dream. The request that forefather made him was to protect the Prince Shantanu's life at any cost.
That's why that day when Prince Shantanu was attacked he left like he had done a great sin and from that day he was itching to pay the Prayag King the price of harming the Prince and his pride. The battle was the last chance for that so how could he let that chance slip by, so he was begging for that chance, he was not even going to care for his dream of becoming the Commander after that.
Seeing the Commander Urjavat kneeling on both of his feet and begging for a chance, the other commanders and officers were stupefied for few moments but soon even they kneeled on both of their legs and start saying the same thing. The only thing that mattered to them after that night was to wash off the sin that was attached to their brilliant history and journey.
"No need for that, I am not that stupid to replace my commanders when the battle is right in front on our door.
Stand up, you guys have helped me and supported me from the start of my conquest so we will be ending this together. And if someone among you still wanted to be punished after this battle then we will talk about that after the conquest is over and we went back to the Clan."
The Prince was looking at them with a calm face as it was all natural and he had already expected that outcome. Even the vice commander Medhavat was kneeling along with the others. Even when that was all this plan and in whole camp only he and the prince knew about it, but still in his eyes and on his face was a natural borne worry and fear that could be seen just like a perfect actor acting his part of the play.
"Thank you your Majesty for your kindness…"
All of the men who were kneeling stood up at once while saying that and other pleasantries they can think of that time, everyone was saying that from their heart cause now they know that even if what they had dreamt of before coming with the prince was now uncertain cause of that incident but they were happy cause the punishment they deserve for that incident was mostly likely revoked.
Just when the Prince Shantanu and all of his commanders and other officers were inside the camp discussing the matters, a person shrouded in black clothes was approaching near the outer layer of the Prince Shantanu's army camp.
"Stop right there."
The solider stationed outside shouted just when the black robed man crossed the Kashyapa flags hoisted at the entrance of the camp used as a mark for them showing otheres that they were occupying that territory. The soldier tried to see his face but the face was covered with a black piece of cloth.
The black robed man raised one of his hand towards the sky, in that hand there was a white piece of cloth which he waved in the air. And from the other hand he took out something from inside his clothes and while throwing it towards the soldier he shouted,
"Give this to your prince."
After saying that he turned around and left like nothing happened even without unconcerned about the commotion he had caused and chains of warnings he was being given behind his back.