Prince Aryaman prepared for the Blood Oath ritual the same way General Pushya had prepared, by secluding himself in a different room in the temple premises. He too was tasked with cleansing his mind, he had been in meditation for three days straight. He considered this as a win-win situation, he had to train his mind to open the Preta Simulation Orb, this three-day retreat would boost his spiritual reserves. In short, Prince Aryaman happily went into meditation. As one day progressed into another, his thoughts became clearer and clearer and kept lingering on his duty as a king.
Ever since he was a child, he had been taught about the dharma of a king. While dharma, predominantly covered his duty towards his kingdom, it went beyond it - a dutiful king would perform necessary duties to maintain order and promote the prosperity of the kingdom. The king guided by dharma would not only fulfill those duties but do it with compassion, seeing his happiness, in the happiness of his people, his welfare in their welfare, he lived for the people. Aryaman had mulled over this on and off for many years. When he was young he did not really understand it, as he grew up and watched his father make decisions for the benefit of the people, he slowly began to realise it. He would often go in disguise and roam throughout the kingdom to understand in person how the policies the king made at the court, affected the people in everyday life. He had met the old woman in one of his escapades and soon discovered that her humble hut by the city outskirts was a ripe center for news and gossip from all across Dayita kingdom and beyond. Naturally, it did not surprise Aryaman that the old woman also served as a hearing post for the king’s spies.
Sometimes, he wondered what it would be to live a life not for a grand purpose such as his, a simple life like that of a farmer in an obscure village. What would it mean to live a life as he pleased, do what he wanted, and pursue what he liked? What do I even like? He thought to himself. He did not have a definite answer for it. His only obsession was the divine sword left to him by his heavenly mother. For years he had tried to wield it without success, only to witness its glory through the cultivator Svetavastra. He had been in awe back then, and a renewed sense of purpose filled him again. Learning how to wield a divine weapon, could help him protect Dayita in these turbulent times. The king had closed the kingdom to contain the undead situation but Aryaman did not see that as a viable solution. They needed to take the offensive and rid the land of these ghastly creatures. And he felt the calling in his bones to do so.
It was early morning on the fourth day. The temple cellar was lit by the torches on the wall. A golden hue spread over the dim and dark stone walls. The priest, the King, Prince Aryaman, and General Pushya gathered, the latter two had freshly bathed in the temple pond and wore new clothes provided by the king. The new clothes were no longer austere like the two-piece shawl and dhoti they wore to the seclusion rooms. These befit their station and were made with fine silks and brocades. The King stood at the center of the cellar, with the priest by his side and the prince and the general facing him. The priest carried a plate with the oil lamp and a white-stoned ring. He began chanting ancient verses from the scriptures to begin the Blood Oath ritual.
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The general knelt on one knee as did the prince. The king took the ring from the plate and bestowed it to the general, who accepted it with his head bowed and both palms cupped to receive the ring.
“I present to you the heirloom passed down to the Dayita family through generations,” said the king. “General Pushya, this ring will bind you to Prince Aryaman through the Blood Oath. Do you accept?”
“I accept,” said the general solemnly.
The king turned to Prince Aryaman.
“Prince Aryaman, do you pledge your life for the people of Dayita and become worthy of the Blood Oath?” He asked the prince.
“I pledge my life to the people of Dayita,” said Aryaman with a firm voice that gently reverberated in the room.
The general wore the ring on his right index finger. He presented that hand to Aryaman. The white gem gleamed from the reflection of the light from the torches. Aryaman pulled out a short sword from his sash and cut his palm with it, letting droplets of blood fall into the white gem. The gem glowed the instance the blood drops started to fall on it and it latched into the skin of the general, who tightened the fist to cope with the searing pain but did not make a noise.
The glow soon subsided and the white gem turned yellow like a topaz. The priest gave a cloth to the prince to cover his bleeding palm, who wrapped it around his hand.
“The Blood Oath is complete,” said the king addressing the prince and the general. “You may rise.”
“General,” said the king. “You have given your undying loyalty to Prince Aryaman and he pledged his life for the people. This ensures that both of you are serving the same goal and selfish desires of one do not compromise the other. Both of you are but instruments for the greater good. Never forget that.”
“I won’t, Your Highness,” said the general.
“Prince Aryaman,” said the king holding Aryaman’s shoulders with both his hands. “You will carry a heavy burden on your shoulders once you become the king. The general’s loyalty is for the wellbeing of Dayita people attained through you, I hope your future reign carries forward the legacy we have built over the past centuries of peaceful rule.”
“I will strive for it, Your Highness,” said Prince Aryaman.
The general now knelt on one knee before the prince and expressed his loyalty to him.
“I will serve you till the day I die, Your Highness,” said the general.
“I will strive to be a person worthy of being served,” said the prince and motioned the general to rise. “I may make mistakes in this process for I am young and there is much that I do not yet know or have experienced. Do counsel me, General, if you feel like I am making wrong choices that can harm the kingdom. I don’t want a blind follower. I want a collaborator who can work together with me, without fear or favour.”
The king smiled at these words. Prince Aryaman had everything it takes to become the best king in his lineage.
“I will,” the general nodded and shook the prince’s hands firmly.