Ajeya ran through the secret passageway to the insides of the fortress. He was so sure that he will find mischief makers with Maharaja Bhallaladeva. But instead, on the way, in the infirmary he saw Maharani Prasanna Devi who was awake putting little Bhadra to sleep.
"Maharani Prasanna Devi"
She looked up and saw Ajeya standing there in his war armor.
"I am Ajeya from Kunthalam."
"What happened? Devasena and Bavagaru are fine?"
"No time for all those Maharani. I think you should leave this place with Yuvaraja as soon as possible. Something serious has come up."
"But.. Rajamata.. Maharaja."
"I will see to them. But now Yuvaraja and your life are important as well."
Saying Ajeya was about to take Bhadra when a dagger pierced his hand making him wince and turn to see the source. Ajeya's eyes widened as he saw Bhallaladeva standing there with an evil grin.
"Bhallaladeva"
Ajeya mumbled.
"MAHARAJA BHALLALADEVA"
Bhalla said as he threw another dagger aiming his heart. Ajeya fell down gasping for breath and life.
"Die! Your Death will get me my prize! How dare you try to take my son and wife away from me. If you can save your breath.. Go and save your Rani and Yuvaraja."
Bhalla said as he took Bhadra from Prasanna and walked out dragging Prasanna along. After locking her away with Bhadra, he rushed to Sivagami knowing that Ajeya would have made his way out of the fortress by now.
"Amma!"
"You asked for proof! Come out and see"
Sivagami rushed to the high tower and saw Ajeya rushing towards Baahubali near the warfield rocks.
"He was in the infirmary with Prasanna and bhadra."
Sivagami stood looking as she saw her son looking around with his face closing in anger. Her son, whom she thought to be the follower of Dharma, was there with a Kunthala warrior at his feet. Everything blurred in front of her as she summoned Kattappa.
"KATTAPPA!"
There Amarendra looked at Ajeya who had let his life in his feet. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He remembered The last words spoke Ajeya spoke to him.
"Rani yuvaraja.. Save them.."
He knew his wife. He trusted her to be safe and keep the kids safe. Moreover, he trusted Naayaka and Sulochana too. He had already given instructions for them to take Devasena, kids and leave to the hideout while Bhargava and Naayaka can save Kunthalam from the assassins. So he knew that his family was safe. So he marched forward only for a small troop of soldiers to stop him. Amarendra frowned. They were not Maahishmati army. So he fought them trying to move forward towards the fortress.
Kattappa got on his horse and moved towards the warfield trying to contain his tears. The words Sivagami said kept ringing in his ears and head.
"What do you do when there is a person rebelling against Maahishmati Kattappa?"
"Imprison them. Kuthraka pothey.. Champeyali as per law."
"You are to do what the King or Rajamata orders right?"
"Yes. As per the promise, we do anything for the authorities of the Throne of Maahishmati."
"So as an Authority, I can order you?"
"Thalli?"
"Kill Baahubali!"
For a moment Kattappa's world stopped spinning. Did she really..?
"Rajamata?"
He called again with uncertainty.
"Kill him. He is a Rajadrohi."
In his life, many times he thought being a slave to such an empire was boon, sometimes a bane too. But today he absolutely felt disgusted. He wanted to go back in time and stop his forefathers from making this promise. Because of them, today he is in this stage, where he was ordered to kill his son, whom he brought up with his own hands. He was ordered to kill the father of the child, whom he carried on his head happily and danced around the village. He was being pushed to kill the husband of one woman who considered him a father and not a slave. How could he?
Taking a deep breath, he met Sivagami's eyes with new found guts.
"I am not doing this. As a punishment, you can slay me"
Saying he presented his sword in front of Sivagami bowing his head. He heard Sivagami take a deep breath.
"Kattappa. You have 2 choices. Either you do it. Or see me doing it."
And his world fell apart. He could never think of the situation where a mother would kill her son. So he bowed down.
"Vaddu thalli. Your son cannot bear to see you kill him. Let his blood wet my hands. Nene veltanu."
Sivagami's face showed no emotions as he stood up and walked out with his sword. Even now his hands were refusing to obey him.
Amarendra was confused. Why was he fighting to get to the fortress? Who were the people. What the hell was going on?
He missed two assassins bending down from their swords and made them prey to his axe. Soon he saw his Mama approaching who was being stopped by the army too.
"Mama!"
He called as he threw his spare dagger to his uncle Kattappa so that he can fight the assassins. He saw his uncle catch the dagger on the cue. But he frowned seeing something off with his Mama.
But Amarendra looked forward and saw 3 men coming forward to attack him. Taking a deep breath, he gripped his axe and sword together. Tackling one with axe, he pushed sword through the other one's throat as the third fell head down as Amarendra kicked him.
He put the axe through first one's heart when he felt a sword through his stomach. The pain was tearing him. But he turned back to tackle his attacker when the pain became 100 fold.
His legs lost balance as he took steps backward as his brain refused to believe what was in front of his eyes. His heart kept rejecting what his brain was trying to say. While his mouth uttered, only one word as he sat on the nearby rock with a THUD.
"Ma.. Maaa?"
Kattappa knelt on the rocks sniffing.
"Raja Agya Baahu. I did not stand a chance against the Royal orders."
Amarendra closed his eyes once and opened after few minutes. He knew that his uncle was helpless when it comes to taking Royal Orders. He remembered the story of this clan where the king ordered the son to kill the father because they refused to obey the orders and the Son had to kill so as to save his own life.
He looked at his uncle and saw that his uncle refused to meet his eyes.
"Mama!"
He called. Kattappa looked up at the child he brought up himself. He could not stand to look into the eyes that did not hate him, but understood him and forgave him. He could not.
"Mama! Amma.. Careful. Save her"
Was all Amarendra could tell because, the blood loss from his middle was making it difficult for him muster energy to speak.
"Mama!"
He called one last time eyeing his uncle and then the sword that had always been with him. Understanding, his uncle placed the sword in his hands. With all the will he could muster up, he looked up at the fortress and around at the assassins he killed. He did save his motherland. That gave him all the energy.
JAI MAAHISHMATI
He hailed his motherland before he let the darkness take over him. The last he heard was Kattappa's sniffs and last he saw was a fire at the end of the darkness.
"Ohhhh.. Yedoku nanna.. Mahendra.. Stop crying nanna... What is wrong with you?"
Devasena tried consoling Mahendra who was crying his lungs out. But he always had a support because Jayawanta was crying too.
"Nanna Jayawanta.. What happened?"
She said taking both in her arms and tried soothing them not minding her tiredness. Both of them held her mangalasutram from each side and cried so much that it started scaring Devasena. At that moment she heard a noise and went out to see Naayaka and Sulochana with Veera.
Devasena breathed sigh of relief.
"Sulochana.."
"Rani Devasena.. What happened? Why is Yuvaraja crying?"
"I don't know. Jaywanta and Mahendra have been crying very bad. Take Jayawanta. And Naayaka. You should leave for Kunthalam immediately."
Sulochana tried calming Jayawanta in vain.
"I know, Bhargava is already on his way. Maharaja Baahubali has given us instructions for us to take you all to our hideout."
Before Devasena could refuse one of their warrior came there all injured and holding his life in his hands.
"Vrupaksha?"
Devasena and Naayaka identified him.
"Rani Devasena.."
Vrupaksha called.
"Evayindi.."
Devasena asked. But somewhere she knew something was wrong. Very wrong.
"Maharaja Baahubali.."
Everyone held their breath. Mainly Devasena.
"Has been backstabbed. He is no more.."
Was all he could say before he let his life go on the feet of his queen. Devasena immediately went in and wrapped Mahendra in a saree and tied him to her front as he was not letting her mangalasutram go.
"Naayaka, leave to our country now. Sulochana.. You are going to our hideout."
Saying she climbed on Veera, her tiredness forgotten as she galloped towards the fortress.
"Sulochana.."
Naayaka called.
"No.. I will come to hideout with Rani Devasena and our Yuvaraja. I think Avantika is safe already. You go and save our motherland. I will be here to save our Queen and Prince."
Saying Sulochana bid adieu to a very hesitant Naayaka who had to choose between his love, family and duty.
There Bhallaladeva came to the warfield and found Amarendra who was lying there like a corpse. Like? He was a corpse. Bhalla smirked. Taking the Amarendra's axe he approached his body.
All his 25 years of anger pent up seeing his dead brother. Foster brother!
"Naaku Poti ga vastav ra? You? A competition to me? To Bhallaladeva, the Chakravarthy of Maahishmati? Ahhh!"
Saying he hit the axe on Amarendra's arm with all his anger.
"You take the throne, that is mine?"
Saying he hit again on the other arm.
"My mother, my throne, my kingdom.. EVERYTHING YOU OWN ARE MINE.."
Saying he hit again.
"At last, the woman you married, I laid my eyes first on her. But again, you had to take what is mine. MINE!"
Bhallaladeva looked like a man possessed as he kept hitting and injuring the man who was already lying lifeless. He knew that Kattappa would not disobey any order given by his mother. But he had to see by himself. He wanted to vent out everything that has been building inside him for all these years. But it was not enough.
"Do you think after you taking everything that was mine, I will let your son do the same to my son. How wrong Baahubali."
Saying he sat on the rock nearby and saw his brother's face that still had the smile which infuriated him even more.
"So now, I get back everything. My mother.. The same mother whom you think equal to god, the epitome of justice, ordered to kill you. Next is your wife and son. NOW WE ARE EVEN BAAHUBALI! YOU TOOK WHAT WAS MINE.. AND NOW I TAKE WHAT IS YOURS"
Saying he gave one last blow.
But he was still not satisfied. He looked around the field and saw their war goddess in front of whom stood a lit torch. Taking that he moved to the field center where Amarendra Baahubali lay. Bhalla took his ultimate revenge by lighting the fire in the field with Amarendra in the center and called his men and ordered them something and moved towards the fort with a little bit of satisfaction.
In Fortress, in Sivagami's study..
Kattappa dragged the sword that was drenched in Baahu's blood. His hands were drenched in Baahu's blood. Sivagami was sitting on her seat that was adorned with a tiger. Her eyes were staring at nothing particular when she heard the sound of Kattappa's sword.
She looked up and saw Kattappa kneeling in front of her as he sword fell down with a clunk. He forwarded his hands.
"I stabbed Baahubali. Here are my hands stained in his blood."
Sivagami sat like there was no life in her. Her eyes welled up, but her face showed nothing else. No remorse, no regret, no deep sadness, nothing.
But Kattappa had had enough. He stood up and did something a slave had never done. He touched Sivagami's hands which got a first reaction from her. A frown. But what he actually did shook her. Because he had colored her hands with the blood in his hands. Baahubali's blood.
"Kattappa?"
She whispered in question.
"Will you ever able to wash this off your hands?"
He dared to ask.
"Kattappa?"
She yelled coming down from her sitting posture. But Kattappa was not done yet.
"THAPPU CHESAVU SIVAGAMI"
"KATTAPPPAAA!!!"
"Yes! The epitome of justice. Has done a sin herself Rajamata."
Both of them turned to see Chandrika there with Prasanna who looked distressed and distraught.
"Prasanna?"
"RAjamata! I warned you. You believed everything you heard and saw and announced Bavagaru as Rajadrohi and threw him out with chelli who was carrying the heir of this Empire, the Mahannotha Samrajyam which you always had pride and arrogance on. But you never saw that everything you saw was picturized this way by your own flesh and blood. The snake of son you gave birth to."
Every word brought immense pain in Sivagami's face and tears in her eyes.
"You are the murderer of Bavagaru. Amarendra baahubali is dead because of you Rajamata!"
"You are the killer Sivagami!"
Prasanna and Kattappa showed the mirror of truth to Sivagami that pierced her like a 1000 arrows. In all these they forgot one person who came there and was listening to everything. The sound of a baby's cry made them look in the direction to see Devasena sit there like a living corpse. Sivagami's eyes teared up even more.
"Thalli Devasena! You gave me the respect of a father. And in return I only killed your husband, your happiness!"
Kattappa wailed at his own helplessness and what it had brought him down to. But nothing reached Devasena. Because, Devasena was dead!