Princess Fighter: Search for the Throne

LXIX

Gurukull, Chandragarh

Someone gasps, is that him? She's she? Both?

His face was so close to his that he could see his sharp features on the edge of his vision. Somehow in the last few seconds, he noticed his scent. Is this what he always kissed?

Argh, why is he thinking this? What's wrong with her?

He had never noticed such things before.

This is Abhirath, his nemesis, the great bully, and now his friend. He never thought of him as a man!

The silence of the night does not help the problem. The senses are abnormally elevated. The wall behind him was cold but the heat of his hands kept him warm.

Is this a side effect of late puberty on him? Something like when girls seem to get excited too quickly at the slightest temptation Gosh.... does she try to remember her biology lessons in the middle of this?

To be honest, his first instinctive reaction to his confession was not really resisting. And if he doesn't reject her immediately, does that mean he's done with his attachment to Yash? Is he willing to find new love? Shit, he needs time to check his feelings.

This man showed a side of himself that he never even imagined, existed. And that doesn't make him think clearly.

Hold yourself, Mriga!

Telling himself to stay calm, he finally looked up to look into his burning eyes with the current intensity. While his gaze wandered everywhere, he was only immersed in the tiniest shades on his face.

Mriga could feel a nervous energy coming out of her and to her surprise, that was what helped her to calm down.

"Don't you say to just breathe and let it sink in for now? Then, why are you climbing on me at the moment? What's with this aggressive attitude?" he demanded it with a trembling but loud voice.

THE FILTH!

Abhirath's mind became too excited when he heard the second sentence spoken by him.

In fact, he didn't hear anything he said posted it. His eyes were fixed on his lips now which slightly opened after speaking. She tried to blow her hairline that was stuck to the side of her mouth.

The sight made him lose control of his rational side, completely. As if in a dream, he saw his index finger circling the wrong hair.

He rubbed it with his thumb to feel its texture before hooking it behind his ear.

Mriga's limbs froze as she felt the gentleness and admiration seen on her face.

When his thumb touched his ear, he took a sharp breath. The voice seemed to wake him from fainting.

"It's not the right time! What the hell am I doing?"

Struggling hard to banish the worldly image from his head, he finally noticed the voice in his head.

Clearing his throat, he gently pulled his hand from behind his back and took a few steps back from it.

It was as if in a tacit agreement, the two turned their gazes elsewhere. Now that there was a distance between them, it was easier to talk.

"Go back to the hostel and go to sleep. It's so late. I'll see you tomorrow night at the same time. Be prepared for a high-intensity session," with that, he turned around and left.

Mriga slid on the ground against the wall, the rough surface creating a rustling sound on his shirt.

"Sleep? Huh...is he kidding? Wait, what does he mean by high intensity? Geez... am I going to look for insinuations in everything he says next?" he muttered in annoyance before groaning and ordered his tired body to stand up.

As Abhirath turned the corner, he collapsed onto a thick tree trunk. Poking her neck back, she wanted to make sure that Mriga did not cross this path before she drowned completely on the cold surface.

He raised his hands and saw them trembling. Carrying a palm to his lips, he bit one of the fingers viciously.

"Argh, no, definitely not a dream!" He convinced himself.

A crazy grin spread across his face and he put a hand in his mouth, lest passers-by mistake him for madness.

Sitting on the ground, late at night and laughing out loud, does not really inspire others' beliefs about the person's mental state.

"Did I just propose to her? It was terrible, but I did it! How will I behave normally when I meet her next? Wait, how many hours before I meet him...?" He remained in that state for some time.

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

Himprayag

Shaurya has spent the last three days and nights sleeping only five hours. Even though his bones were tired, his senses remained sharp. He had trained with Bela specifically to survive in such a situation.

When he reached the cabin where he was staying, he whistled sharply, standing by the window of his room. The eagle, who was probably sunbathing on the roof, flew down and sat on the ledge of the window.

"Are you not a handsome man?" Shaurya smiled at him.

He wrote a note to Bela quickly and slipped it under the eagle feather. Shaurya stepped back to see if the flattened parchment could be seen from this distance or not.

Satisfied with his work, he stroked the eagle's head, which meant that he was now free to fly. As soon as the eagle disappeared from his sight, he took off the dirty robe he had been carrying for hours.

He pulled out the fake hair that had been attached to him since last night. Shaurya had cut the mane of a poor horse secretly the night before at the market.

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

Himprayag

Shaurya doesn't want to be seen wandering around the market, three nights in a row. Although he had visited different places, he did not want to risk any undue exposure. In order to change his appearance, this 'steer horse' inspiration had hit him.

And it's very effective. Moreover, his task was more or less successful, giving him enough ammunition needed for his meeting up front.

Looking out of the window, after the eagle flew up, he saw a stream of water flowing behind the hut where he was currently staying.

Bela had suggested this place to him. Not only is it remote, but it is also very beautiful. The old guard of the place had seen his face and was smiling happily.

'The vague 'Welcome to Himprayag' was enough to hint at the man's roots from another country. No wonder, Bela had asked Shaurya to stay here.

The water inside was cold all year round but almost froze at this moment. But Shaurya wants to clean the dirt off his body and soaking in the bathtub or washing with a bucket doesn't seem like enough for that.

For all his disguises and close interactions with dirt, he was a meticulous man with cleanliness that ranked high on his priority list, only if he could afford it!

Challenging the weather, Shaurya leaps out the window and walks towards the river with his thin kurta and pajamas fluttering on his body as a biting breeze strikes him.

Glancing at his surroundings, he undressed completely and dove into the almost frozen river.

"Ohhhh!" he could not stop the scream that came out of his lips on the first contact with the icy water.

With gurgling teeth, he submerged his head and swam beneath the surface that was slightly warmer in temperature. Ten minutes later, his body could no longer bear the torment.

Gripping against the edge of the grassy river with his hands, he pulled himself up. Water fell from his flexible muscles and dripped down his feet, pooling in the grass.

The weak sun peeked out from the overcast sky, making the day look a little gloomier than before. He raised his hand and squeezed the excess water from his scalp.

"Oh!"

Shaurya stared at that shocked voice. A young woman perched on her horse stared wide-eyed at her naked figure in what appeared to be a terrifying attraction. It seemed like he had stopped in the middle of a trip in this place.

She is beautiful, with angular features and currently her cheeks are colored pink, either due to exertion or the tableau in front of her.

But neither the horse nor the owner seemed to be fascinated by the sight before them.

Muscled with little hair scattered all over the body, the man did not seem to have an ounce of fat on his body.

Well-formed shins up to firm knees, tight thighs tied up to, uh. organs that are currently withered, she's really a decent specimen to draw naked.

His chest had a few faded scabs on it, proving that he did not lead an idle life. But his face. ah, it was a face that did not let him take his eyes off of her.

Chiseled cheeks, a pointed nose, and glaring eyes that showed a aloof expression, he resembled a haughty wild horse.

Shaurya was completely confused as the moment unfolded, but he did not want to show his nervousness by taking sudden action.

Was the woman in shock? Has he never seen a man before?

He leaned over slowly, almost indifferently and took his pajamas off the ground. He looked up asking the woman and asked with curved brows,

"Now that you see me naked, do you want to see me dressed?"

Surprised, he frowned at her. How dare he talk to her like that? Does he not recognize her?

Nonetheless, he was the one who disturbed his space so he did not say anything and spurred his horse into action.

Shaurya quietly lifted up his pajamas to cover his bottom while talking to him. Now that the horse was galloping, he quickly put on his clothes, not bothering to wait for his body to completely dry.

"What a strange woman!" Shaurya shook his head and rubbed his hands together to keep him warm.

"Yes God! What a shameful moment!" it is the first thought of Ahilya.

Ahilya clung her hands to her hot cheeks as she stopped her horse as soon as they passed through that remote spot. It has been one of his favorite places for a long time. He found it when he had just learned to ride a horse alone. Unaccompanied for the first time, he got lost and reached this place.

With meadows looming on one side and trees covering from the other three sides, the riverfront was the quietest spot for the fifteen-year-old and skinny Ahilya.

That moment and so on, this became the place he came to when he wanted to think or grieve or just relax. Even Gayatri had not accompanied him to this place, until now.

It should be his and his only!

So, who was the rude man who barged in, and that too without any stitches on his body?

Ahilya regretted running away from there. He should have stood on the ground and asked her to move.

“I didn't know that Himprayag hid such a figure. But he doesn't look like a native,” ponder him inwardly.

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

Himprayag

Due to the cold weather that exists throughout the year, most Himprayag people tend to have very white skin, golden yellow hair and light eyes or at least one of these traits. But the naked man didn't seem to have those traits.

"I have to ask someone to check it out. What if he's an intruder?" Ahilya gave an excuse to herself, shying away from the mocking voice in her head that questioned the authenticity of her justification.

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

That afternoon

Gayatri came in as the waiters took out the dishes from the informal dining room. Ahilya who wakes up early, prefers to eat after sunset.

"Greetings, Princess. Do you want to do a surprise check at the barracks tonight?" Gayatri asked in a formal voice.

This is an indication that Gayatri is seeking his appointment for something else. Since they expected the Mithilesh spies to be part of Ahilya's personal staff, they were always very careful in communicating even in Ahilya's private rooms.

The reason for doing a sudden check on the ground and barracks was their long-standing escape route to do something under the radar.

After all, it was a known fact that Princess Ahilya was a committed commander who took seriously everything related to her troops.

Ahilya nodded her head and said, "Meet me at the training ground in half an hour. We'll start there."

Gayatri nodded her head respectfully and retreated from the place.

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

Vayuprastas

Kritika waited while the officers announced her presence in front of King Shaligram. He had deliberately not asked for an appointment beforehand with her. The idea is to let him off guard.

He had his poker face in place but his stomach was tied up in tension. He knew this was a great opportunity for him to record his interests in the eyes of the king. But for that, he had to trust her and more importantly, he prayed for her information to be correct.

Officers came and told him he was free to enter. Raising his head, he put a confident smile on his face and stepped inside.

The king frowned as he read one of the letters in his hand.

Throwing it on the ground, he said resentfully, "What's the point of running a business when profits don't go up? Did you tell me that you have no idea on how to improve the profitability of this sector in the future? the year? Then, let me cut everyone's pay to maintain the bottom line. How's that?"

The man, who looked like one of his henchmen, stuttered to answer but was forbidden to speak when the king raised his hand to ask for silence.

The man leaned over and walked down the aisle, passing Kritika on his way out.

The king did not bother to hide his expression from her and asked, "Is there anything urgent that you need, Princess? I'm sure Vayuprastha has given us all the help we can in setting up your business."

Kritika kept a friendly smile and replied, "King Shaligram, I have urgent information to give to you but it is sensitive in nature. I'm here to find a private audience with you. I'll promise you that you won't regret it. Can you be kind enough to agree?"

The king looked at him speculatively. He became himself but there was something different about him now. After a moment of silence, the king gestured for the room to be emptied by everyone. Except for the king, and Kritika, his loyal bodyguards also remained in the room.

Before King Shaligram could ask about the reason for his presence, he gestured to the young man and he started walking towards a set of instruments stored in a corner of the room for entertainment.

He went and sat on the cushioned floor and carried the sitar* on his lap. She looked at Kritika who raised her finger and gestured for her to start playing. Within moments, the room was filled with the beautiful vibe of musical instruments.

Kritika quickly closed the distance between herself and the king while looking at him in confusion.

Reaching him, he leaned closer and whispered, "Do you know that it's harder to eavesdrop in a room where some kind of vibration is made? I don't know the science behind it but I'm pretty sure about the truth. Thank you for agreeing to this meeting. I'm sorry to have disturbed your personal space, but as you may have known, I'm a little paranoid about important things. Maybe it came from having to escape the shadows for more than 365 days or maybe I was born with it. By the way, let's get closer to the window where I can speak a little louder without risking being heard."

The king is fed up.

"I understand that you're paranoid, but are you accusing my palace of not being safe enough to have a conversation?" he asked aggressively.

"Since I have no proof, I dare not say yes but please pamper me a little longer. As I promised, you won't regret it," he brought his palm to his forearm and led it gently towards the wide, arched window facing the sea.

The king looked at him carefully. Prince Kritika showed unusual behavior, very different from his previous face. Nonetheless, he is willing to play the game for now, given his previous track record.

After all, the gems he traded with were the best in the world. As a result, he was able to pamper her a little, for now!

Kritika's eyes were fixed on the incoming waves. Without looking at the king, he began to speak. Although the next set of sentences were spoken softly, it was nothing more than an explosion.

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

*Sitar - Long-necked large Indian lute with movable fret, played with wire pick.