The Magadhan army set camp beside the sacred river Daya—its waters calm, its flow silent, as though the earth itself held its breath.
They were only two days from Kalinga's border.
But even under the stars, tension hung like smoke.
---
A Quiet Moment
Ashvath sat by the riverbank, polishing his blade, but his thoughts were far from war.
Sita approached, barefoot on the wet stones, a faint smile playing on her lips.
"You polish that sword more than you sleep."
Ashvath glanced up, then returned to his task. "This sword doesn't dream."
She sat beside him. The river reflected the moonlight across her face.
"You've changed," she whispered. "Since that temple. Since the fire."
Ashvath paused. "I saw death in that place, Sita. But more than that, I saw what I could become. If I'm not careful..."
She leaned on his shoulder. "Then be careful. But don't forget who you are."
He looked at her—really looked.
Not as a scout, not as a soldier, but as someone who'd walked through every shadow with him.
"Do you ever think," he murmured, "what it would be like if all this ended? No swords. No crowns. Just... peace."
Sita smiled softly. "I do. But then I remember—peace isn't something you wait for. It's something you fight for."
And without another word, she kissed him. Not fiercely, but like the world might fall apart any moment—and maybe it would.
---
The Spy Among Them
Back in camp, a young boy walked unnoticed among the soldiers. Silent. Watching.
He slipped past guards, crept beneath supply wagons, counted how many spears and elephants.
He saw everything.
And that night, when all slept, he slipped into the forest... and ran.
Ran toward Mokshara.
---
The Warning
Ashoka stood atop the command tower, watching torchlights in the valley below. Beside him, his strategist, Devadatta, handed him a note.
"It was found tied to an arrow, shot into our camp wall. The handwriting is... hers."
Ashoka read the message:
> You bring your army to the gates of Kalinga, but you leave your heart unguarded. I will burn your soul before I burn your land.
—Mokshara
Ashoka crumpled the note.
He turned to the shadows beyond the trees.
"Let her come. Let her try."
---
End of Chapter 11