Chapter 201: Shivaji's Resolve

The tall trees rustled under the strong breeze of the night. The silvery glow of the half-moon covered the area below. The sounds of insects and wild animals could be heard faintly in the distance.In the lush green forest, sounds of crackling fire could be heard. Hundreds of the soldiers were setting camp in the middle of the forest at night. Tens of small bonfires were set up for making food.

Chatter could be heard among the soldiers. They were nervous but they cracked jokes among each other to calm themselves down.

The Maratha soldiers were heading towards their capital.

The atmosphere was heavy. Everyone was scared. They all had millions of doubts.

'Would they be able to protect their family.'

'Would they be able to see another day in this beautiful world.'

'Can they see the faces of their family again?'

They all kept their doubts to themselves and braced themselves to their duty, their Dharma, to protect their land from the Mughal scum.

Shivaji was surrounded by commanders and some veteran soldiers in the army. He was the main commander of the army that was going to defend the capital.

He already sent a message to the capital about their arrival tomorrow. Baldev gave him complete authority to lead the troops on the capital. The palace guards and some reserve troops left to protect the capital.

Shivaji watched the soup boil in the pot with a dazed gaze. He had taken a huge responsibility on his shoulders.

A veteran soldier, he was a middle-aged man. He had a bit of graying hair and patted his back.

"What are you thinking about, young man?" he asked with a rough laugh.

"Nothing…" Shivaji replied with a fake smile.

A commander named Hriday chimed in.

"He is a young lad and leading an army for the first time. Of course he is nervous. AHHAA"

He was of similar age to the veteran soldiers. He had a long beard and gray hair. Scars covered his face and body from years of battle.

They laughed along and cracked jokes to diffuse his nervousness.

Hriday came close to him and whispered.

"You will do good. have some trust in yourself." He said with a bright smile and sipped on his soup from the wooden bowl.

"Hey you guys!! Give the commander some soup."

"Sure Sure… Old man. You jumped first and took your share without giving any to the commander." a soldier chimed in.

"I am not old... yet." He complained.

The others burst out laughing as Hriday tried to retort it.

He also chuckled with them.

After drinking the soup and having a good time. He gazed upon the lonely half-moon in the sky.

The weight of the responsibilities finally settling down.

"Mother, I shall make you proud." He muttered.

The rest of the night was a blur. He could barely sleep from the nervousness.

Commander Baldev knew that he wouldn't survive and gave away his life to stall for time for the king to come back to the capital. He also had to do the same to defend the capital.

He couldn't let all the hard work of the commander go to waste.

The army began to move in the morning towards the capital. They reached the entrances of the huge fortifications of the capital. The huge gate stood in front of him. The fort was equipped with some crude cannons. It didn't work long since it was very old. It was better than nothing.

The commander of the walls came to greet him and read the letter by Baldev. He quickly moved to give full authority to him.

The Reserve forces were called in for the incoming siege and preparations began very quickly for the situation.

Able-bodied men in the capital were quickly recruited and given equipment to fight. It was to supplement their numbers as much as possible.

Shivaji went to meet the queen of the Marathas. She was still managing the palace and capital affairs in the absence of the king. Continue your journey with mvl

He walked into the palace. The servants seemed to be nowhere. Dust was caked on the walls. It seems that the Palace expenses were cut.

He could see some maids in the distance, probably the ones that volunteered to stay back to help the queen.

Shivaji stood in the study room of the Queen. Unlike the palace, it wasn't dusty.

"So you are the one that Baldev sent to defend." The Queen looked up from the documents.

Her eyes were bloodshot.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

She sighed.

"You are a child. Are you sure you are ready to take on this responsibility?"

The Queen saw Shivaji earlier taking a blood oath. She knew from his demeanour. He wasn't the kind to back down in this situation yet she wanted to confirm.

"Yes.."

"Will your mother be okay with it?"

Shivaji had an awkward smile on his face

"My mother would be disappointed in me if I ran away from my Dharma." He said confidently.

"I see, you seem to have a strong mother."

"Thank you, Your Majesty. She is the best mother." He said it with a bright smile.

She looked lost. The situation right now seemed hopeless. Askar Khan was marching to the capital and a child was sent to defend the capital.

She had to be strong and guide the citizens of her country. She was the mother of all the citizens.

"Do you require any help with the preparations?"

That was the best help she could provide. The queen could gather personnel to speed up the preparation process.

Shivaji thought for a while, rubbing his chin.

"Yes, we might need some help."

"What help do you need?"

"Can you ask the maids tending to the injuries and moving stuff during the siege?" Sёarch* The Nôvel(F)ire.nёt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

"Maids?"

It wasn't the norm for the ladies to be involved in the battle preparations. She was quite taken aback.

"Yes, Maids. I will ensure they are treated like my sisters." He said confidently. "I am sure, with their help. We can defeat them."

The queen smiled warmly at the confidence of the young man barely his son's age.

"Very well, I will do that."

"I wish you the best, Shivaji."