Chapter 196: Trial in Ladakh
Ladakh, Shey Palace, Afternoon of 10th April 1557.
Following the fall of Kashmir’s soldiers, Ladakh was on high alert. The first prince, Sange Namgyal, had exposed a flaw in his nephew Prince Tsewang’s peaceful plan to merge Kashmir with Ladakh. He convinced the old King Jamyang that if Princess Zara discovered Tsewang’s true identity, she might oppose the merger. With Kashmir’s vigilance at an all-time low, they could not afford to miss this opportunity.
Under the king’s orders, Sange led the Ladakhi army into the Kashmir Valley. They launched a direct assault on the fort after the wedding of Tsewang and Princess Zara. The objective was to capture the princess alive and force her to accept the merger.
However, driven by jealousy and ambition, Sange sought to kill her so that his nephew wouldn’t gain the merit of the union. He did not anticipate that Tsewang, who had fully embraced his new identity as the Kashmiri general Tenzin, would turn against him. Defying all odds, Tsewang took his revenge and killed Sange by impaling him.
When King Jamyang received word of his son’s death, his fury knew no bounds. Both Tsewang and Sange had become pain in his ass. Due to Sange’s reckless actions, Ladakh now faced war with the Bhargav empire, though they had been preparing for the worst. Knowing there were only three key passes into Kashmir, the king ordered his soldiers to hold these choke points at all costs, blocking any movement.
The high-altitude terrain gave Ladakhi forces a natural fortress advantage: where even a large enemy force would be forced to march through narrow path and that would be their graveyard.
However, the greater issue that troubled King Jamyang was the ongoing turmoil in Kashmir and the burden it put on Ladakh. Even though Tenzin had surrendered, the people continued to resist Ladakhi rule.
With their beloved princess dead and the would-be king imprisoned, unrest spread like wildfire. Maintaining control had become increasingly difficult, as soldiers were stretched thin across the borders and in the newly captured territory.
Reluctantly, the king summoned Tsewang. Only after speaking with him could Jamyang decide his next course of action and, most crucially, whom to choose as the final heir to the Ladakhi throne.
Guilty or not, Tsewang had dared to defy the king’s command, and now he was being summoned to the royal court to be judged for his treachery, with all the nobles in attendance.
The king’s aged eyes narrowed as his grandson entered the court. Tsewang, shackled in chains, walked with lifeless eyes. He still wore the old general’s armor bearing the insignia of Kashmir, which was a clear display of where his loyalty lay.
King Jamyang sighed inwardly at the sight. This was once his charming, ambitious grandson, the one he had envisioned as the future heir. But now, that spark seemed lost.