Beneath a Marble Sky Chapter 16

Consequences

• Arjumand is surprisingly cool with being sent away into hiding with a man she only learned was her father the day before.
• Father tries to tell Jahanara that she made the wrong choice—she should have gone south with her family.
• But Jahanara feels like she needs to be present at the ensuing battle between her brothers to help goad Aurangzeb into fighting in the right place. After all, he could just see their army and go around to take the now-unguarded Peacock Throne.
• So, Jahanara pulls a Mulan and heads out to the chosen battle site disguised as a soldier.
• Jahanara was half right. She did have to goad Aurangzeb into fighting then and there, but the rest of the ambush strategy collapses miserably. Not only does Aurangzeb fail to conform to the way they expected him to attack, but he also cuts off any hope of Jahanara safely escaping once the battle begins.
• Nizam's surprise appearance with Dara's cavalry works for a moment, but then Dara is thrown from his battle elephant, and his forces fall apart.
• Nizam tries to save Jahanara from the battle, but she's taken captive by a surprisingly sympathetic officer in Aurangzeb's forces.
• Aurangzeb now goes by the name "Alamgir," which is much easier to type and also means "Conqueror of the World."