SCENE 1 – SAMRATNAGAR, ARYAN'S OCCUPIED CITY
[Early Morning – Aryan's Command Tent]
A large, fortified command camp stands at the heart of Samratnagar—once an enemy stronghold, now Aryan's temporary base. The city buzzes with activity. Traders from neighboring regions set up shops. Civilians look more at ease. Aryan walks through the camp with a quiet intensity. Veer, his first tiger, now fully grown, stalks beside him like a silent shadow.
Nearby, Sena, still youthful and agile, bounds playfully through tents under the watchful eye of Ranvi.
CAPTAIN ADHIR (bowing)
Prince Aryan, the northern grain caravans have arrived. The people are fed. No unrest reported.
ARYAN (nods)
Good. Now we begin planting roots.
DEVIKA (entering)
You've stabilized three cities in a year… even adult kings don't move this fast.
ARYAN (softly)
Speed is nothing. Depth is power.
SCENE 2 – THE COUNCIL OF STRATEGY
[War Map Room – Afternoon]
Aryan stands at a massive table, staring at a war map dotted with flags. His top followers are present: Captain Adhir, Ranvi, Devika, and a mysterious newcomer — a veiled woman who doesn't speak much yet.
ARYAN
Kaligarh is guarded by a coalition now. They know I'm coming. We won't charge blindly. We'll burn them from the inside first.
VEILED WOMAN (quiet, firm)
Then I'll get you the keys. I have people inside the palace. Some still loyal to your blood.
DEVIKA (surprised)
Who is she?
ARYAN (calmly)
Our future key to Kaligarh's gates.
RANVI (half-joking)
You keep collecting allies like trinkets.
ARYAN (grinning faintly)
Trinkets don't move kingdoms.
SCENE 3 – VEER'S RETURN TO THE FIELD
[Training Grounds – Sunset]
A demonstration. Aryan's troops gather as he trains with Veer, now a fearsome beast. Aryan rides him through an obstacle course, sword in one hand, commanding the tiger with barely a gesture. The army roars with awe.
CAPTAIN ADHIR (to the crowd)
You fight for a boy with the strength of legends! Who else rides death and calls it friend?
Morale skyrockets.
SCENE 4 – QUIET MOMENT UNDER THE MOON
[Aryan's Tower – Night]
Aryan stands at the balcony overlooking Samratnagar. Devika joins him silently.
DEVIKA
You don't sleep much anymore.
ARYAN
Kaligarh haunts me in dreams. My father still sits on that throne. But not for long.
DEVIKA
You mean to fight him?
ARYAN
I mean to save him… or bury him if I must.
He walks back inside. Veer and Sena watch from the shadows like loyal sentinels.
SCENE 5 – INCOMING CHAOS
[Spy Headquarters – Secret Chamber]
A coded message arrives at Aryan's intelligence base — now staffed by over 200 elite spies from his growing force of 370.
SPY LEADER VIRAJ (alarmed)
We have trouble. A noble house has risen in rebellion against the enemy… and they want Aryan's help. If we delay, they'll be crushed. If we act too soon, Kaligarh will know we're coming.
He looks at Aryan's emblem stamped on the letter.
VIRAJ
What will you do, Prince?
Cut to Aryan's unreadable smirk.
End of Chapter 24