Princess Fighter: Search for the Throne

LI

Himprayag

Although Mithilesh was the son of King Indraditya's concubine, he was treated no less than a royal prince and enjoyed the same privileges as his blue-blooded sister.

His sister hated Ahilya.

Although the king gave the same treatment to his two children, 'beloved sister' never missed an opportunity to remind him of his low birth. According to him, if this was another country other than Himprayag, he would not even be allowed into the royal palace, forget the dream of ruling one day.

Lucky for him, his father was like his ancestors, believing in the motto 'Most Deserving Ruler' which meant that they both had the chance to become the snow-capped monarchist. Also, she may not have been born by the Queen but her mother was an official concubine.

That should be taken into account, too, right?

Mithilesh may not be a fighter as strong as her sister, but her brain cells are much more advanced than her siblings. In fact, he had already started moving his chess pieces and hoped to see the effect soon.

"I think your skills got a little rusty after all the leisurely trips around the country," Ahilya told her representative.

He had managed to subdue his match partner and point his sword at the neck of another person.

Gayatri released a pointed blade from her pulsating pulse at the neck and snorted at her main commander.

"Liet? Fighting the bandits day and night across the country will make your subordinates tired, not rusty. Moreover, if you drag him into the training arena right when he has just arrived back after twenty hours without - stopping traveling," he replied.

"Is that a complaint I hear from your mouth? Are you upset with me for not caring enough?" Ahilya gave him a faint smile.

Suddenly the air between them shimmered and the atmosphere changed from professional to very personal.

Gayatri took the sword from Ahilya's hand and threw it to the ground. He pulled her into a tight hug and whispered in her ear,

"I missed you!"

Ahilya bowed and soaked her comrade musky scent, who was also her lover and replied,

"Not more than me."

"Yes-well, here too, you will try and win, Princess?" Gayatri pushed him back and asked.

"Let's find the answer in my room, okay?" Ahilya said and took out her fallen sword.

His thin body and toned muscles did not accurately reveal his circular inner strength which was the result of years of training in the dusty and rough ground.

There was no weapon he could not give, and was one of Himprayag's best warriors. But more than that, he is known for his legendary discipline.

The only weakness he had, was the person walking next to him. The girls grew up doing everything together, competing, fighting, practicing, and now love.

Gayatri is her biggest advocate and understands her burning ambition to lead the country one day. Ahilya hoped this support came from her mother but unfortunately, Nayantara devi was busy playing politics with the King's favorite concubine, Mithilesh' mother.

...****************...

A few hours later

"Prince Mithilesh, Rudradev is here to see you" a servant came and told him.

She did not manage to go back to sleep after waking up early because her little sister showed strength and now a throbbing headache right at the start of the day. But he had been waiting for this meeting for a long time. After careful evaluation and cleverly pursuing him, Mithilesh manages to bring his father's most valuable minister into his room.

A pale, short, skinny man stood in the spacious hall, inspecting one of the scrolls displayed on the bookshelf.

"I see you're interested in your home country's artifacts. I believe it was given to the king of Himprayag at that time by the first queen Chandragarh and personally carried by one of your ancestors" Mithilesh's pleasant voice made Rudradev spin and see it.

The man did not bother bathing or changing clothes and walked into the hallway in a disheveled state.

As he caught the gaze of another man, Mithilesh grinned and said, "I don't want to keep you waiting. Therefore, I don't have to bother to take a shower. I hope you don't mind."

Rudradev said nothing but to sit in one of the seats after being offered.

"I'm flattered by your interest in me, Prince Mithilesh. Please tell me how I can serve you," he spoke after a while.

Mithilesh leaned back in her chair and observed the passive-faced man. He had heard many great things about this young priest from various sources. The man managed to keep his humility but the story of his growing influence in the palace eventually reached Mithilesh.

Although Mithilesh prides herself on being smart, she is also wise to recognize someone better than her.

"I want you to help me get to the throne" he said without batting an eye.

Rudradev had prepared for something similar to this, but did not expect the Prince to say it directly, without further ado. If he didn't know better, he would have considered the Prince too hasty or too naive. But he is well aware of Prince Mithilesh's political intelligence.

Had it not been for the brilliance of Princess Ahilya's military might, Mithilesh would have been the heir to the throne long ago.

...****************...

Himprayag

As is the case today, the entire army has supported Ahilya while most of the palace supports the young prince. All the situation required was a balance that could fall on one side, making the person win.

Mithilesh believed that Rudradev was a catalyst that could turn things around to his advantage.

He had the king's ears and also worked with other kingdoms on Himprayag's behalf, making him a worthy partner.

"I'm just a little cog in this vast kingdom. I think you've overestimated my influence or rather his lack of it on such an important decision" he replied humbly.

Mithilesh smiled slightly and said, "Anyone who can make the king change his trade policy with just one suggestion, is not a small cog. Nevertheless, I do not ask you to make the King change him, only pledge your allegiance to me. That's all."

Rudradev had deliberately kept an apolitical stance ever since he took over from his father. He was well aware of the enmity between siblings, like everyone else and chose not to join any camps. But it seemed like he would not be able to avoid it anymore.

...****************...

East Zila

When Ramanujam warned them about sleep deprivation and its effects a few nights ago, Mriga was unaware of its full meaning or how deadly the effects were.

Now that his face was several inches away from dipping into the egg curry in his bowl, fortunately, he gasped from the zombie state and looked around. The only solace is that he's not the only one who feels the symptoms.

Anyone who is a human will feel it and therefore the conclusion reached is that the organism sitting in a tilted position opposite its seat is not a human.

In fact, it was the pressure of his fingers at the right time that prevented his face from getting into the food bowl, but he only found out now and pushed his palm away from his forehead.

"Friends, at this level, we will be excluded from the program. Everyone has failed or done a task that was given to us badly, today. Mriga, had your recalcitrant arrow hit Amrapali guruji by chance, no one would have done it could have saved you. How can your target move from North to East in a fraction of a second?" Abhirath sounded resolute, and more importantly, awake.

"Are you suffering from insomnia, coincidental and therefore unaffected by the situation?" Nirbhay asked calmly.

Abhirath did not even bother to respond to it and continued glaring at the four of them.

"This is SO UNFAIR! How can I function all day and night with a total of three hours of sleep?" Mriga grumbling.

"Two days ago, the last time I remembered how it felt in bed," cried Vandit.

Abhirath shook his head due to their excessive behavior, but before he could say any further, Lata came there.

"It seems that this program is proving to be too much for all of you. So, the chairman has given the rest of the days off for the five of you. I thought maybe we could go for a look around and sample the popular, local cuisine of the Eastern zilla. What do you think of all of you?" he asked them with a smile.

"We are very grateful for the suspension of his sentence. Please give our thanks to Guruji. And we apologize for making it difficult for you to take us around" Abhirath said charmingly.

The four of them felt their eyebrows touch their hairline. See who's the expert on chameleons.

Had they not seen this version of Abhirath with their own eyes, none of them would have believed it. The hard dictator a few seconds ago had simply disappeared and was replaced by a handsome and refined speaker.

Even Lata seemed to be affected by the explosion full of her charm and was slightly dyed. Shaking his head, he said that it was not a problem and he would meet them within fifteen minutes at the exit.

As soon as he left their table, both Vandit and Mriga looked at each other as if giving a cue and rushed to speak first.

"My stomach…"

"My head…"

"The two of you don't dare to say a single syllable. Everyone will accompany the senior and say a proper thank you. Understood?" Abhirath growled softly.

"Wow, look at this guy! Where did the soft and cute look that was on your face a minute ago go? You are a real bully!" nirbhay.

"Actually, I don't think seniors would mind if you were the only one with him on this date. So if you like, we can give it to you," Chiranjeev said in an indifferent manner as usual.

If a laser was invented in that era, Chiranjeev would have been exposed to a laser beam fired from Abhirath's eye.

Mriga was suddenly excited to hear the gossip and looked from one man to another. Did he miss something?

Vandit signals a warning to him that he should not think about opening his mouth in this situation and being his best friend, he understands it loud and clear. If no other learning had come out of this apprentice, he would at least be a better expert at reading body language, or so he entertained himself.

In the end, they all put on a wide smile on their faces and dragged their tired bodies towards the exit.

...****************...

East Zila

"I'd rather be whipped in class than come see these dunes. Just by looking at it, my mind imagined how comfortable it would be to sleep on it," Vandit whispered sadly in Mriga's ear only to be pinched hard by him.

"Just because it's torturing you, you should go ahead and put that shadow on my head as well? I have endured enough of my own suffering. Keep yours to yourself, okay?" he's grumbling back.

The task of having a polite conversation with Lata has fallen on Chiranjeev's shoulders and of course, Abhirath. The three sluggishly followed them with a frown, the head drooping over a lethargic body.

Thankfully, they ended up sitting down for dinner early at one of the dining venues. Lata excused herself to go and freshen up and Abhirath turned her accusatory gaze at the three right at that moment.

"Would you be what you've been like all night? The boulders are stumbling, ready to collapse at any time. How can a little lack of sleep make you a sad state? Is this what you plan to serve your country?" he asked cynically.

Now it's too much for Mriga. Big tears welled up in her eyes and she stood up.

"This big rock asked for permission to go back and hit something. See you at 12pm tonight," though he said that he asked for permission, he didn't bother waiting for him and walked around in a huff.

Abhirath gets up to chase after him but is held back by Chiranjeev.

"Let him go. It was just a combination of fatigue and nervousness. After all, he could not let go of the food, whatever the situation. Give him time alone. He will come back" he said confidently.

Abhirath sat back down reluctantly but remained attentive in the direction he was heading. As Chiranjeev predicted, Mriga became cold after a while, especially when her stomach was rumbling violently.

He came to the beach that was across the street from where they were sitting for dinner. He looked around at the almost empty surroundings and turned around to return.

BAM!

His feet fell into a hole that someone might have dug before. Stumbling, he was face down on the sand.

"Ouchhhhh, my legs!" he hissed in pain as he tried to wake up.

"Miss, are you okay?" a polite voice next to him, asked.

Mriga twisted her neck and looked at the man in the darkness but could not see his face well.

"My feet, it looks like I'm twisting it," he spoke with gritted teeth.

"I'm a Vaidya. If you allow me, may I see it?" the man asked.

He was too in pain to refuse, even if he wanted to. With great difficulty, he turned his body on the ground and sat down. As he nodded, the man took his foot out of the sandal and examined it gently.

As her fingers touched her ankles, she screamed, and she smiled apologetically.

"I'm afraid this looks like a bad fall. There's nothing around here. I can only ask you to lean on me while we cross over to somewhere across the street where I can get basic medicines," he offered in a hesitant tone.

"Well, uh. My classmate's not far from here. If you can help me go there, it'll be a lot of value to me" he said.

Even though that person looked pretty good, he did not want to be stuck with her on an almost empty beach or some unfamiliar place.

He nodded and lifted it. Placing his arm under his shoulder, he tilted to the side, making him burden himself. Painfully, Mriga retraced her steps to the restaurant, condemning her impulsive behavior for getting into such a soup. He could already imagine Abhirath's pouting face.

"Mris!" As if his mind had pulled him here, he heard her panicked screams.

"I'm cursed!" muttered.

"Did you say something?" the man next to her asked.

“Uh, that guy. Looks like my friends are looking for me,” he replied, holding back the rest of his statement.

By the time Abhirath saw them from afar, Mriga found a bench to rest her legs. He sat down with a sigh, he raised his face to look at his rescuers, now they were under the illumination of the lights. He was a handsome man, a little older and had a charming aura around him, he thought.

"Yes God! It's you" exclaimed Vidyut.

Mriga looked around to see if the man was referring to anyone other than himself. Realizing that he was staring at her, he frowned and tried to recall whether they had ever passed each other before. Confused, he looked at her for an explanation as a wide grin spread across his face.

"What happened to you? Where are you hurt?"

Abhirath reached them, panting.

He moved the questioning gaze of the stranger towards him and briefly explained about the incident.

Abhirath crouched down to look at her legs, which were already swollen.

"This is not good. Should we go find Vaidya?" he said he sounded worried from minute to minute.

"Ah .. As I mentioned to your friend, I am a Vaidya. Glad you're here. I want you to find me vinegar and cloth to tie his legs" Vidyut introduced himself and instructed.

Abhirath nodded and ran towards the restaurant which was flanked by several shops on both sides.

"I never imagined that we would meet again. Looking at you, it seems like you don't remember me, right?" Vidyut asked Mriga as they were alone again.

......................

* vinegar was first discovered in 5000 BC in Egypt and is known as the wine of the poor.