She had to fight even for the breaths she took, fight was the only solution to win the battle of survival.

4.3 | The (secret) Royal Guard |

~*~*~*~

It have been five years since you left for Southern Province, prince. Hope you have learnt well your kingly duties from your father in these years-

'Gauri, its time. The king and the princes have arrived', Shakti stood by her cell's door and lifted the torch of fire in in hand.

She feebly looked up from the ground she was sprawled on. Her whole body was bruised and her eyes were blinking rapidly to adjust the sudden glow of fire. She was locked in this dark cell for God knew how long, and lights were completely forbidden along with that. She wasn't fed and was whipped sixty times a day to make her weaker.

'Favourite knight, why did you arrange these?', she whimpered.

'I'm sorry child, but the king has come here for your final test, and choose the best ones for his sons', Shakti opened the gate of the cell and gestured her to follow him.

'Sons?', Gauri asked him confused, limping behind.

'Yes. His majesty has decided to pass the three provinces to his three sons, as he informed me the last time we met. This decision is still confidential, His Majesty has kept it secret till the coronation ceremony of the princes. Even the princes don't know which land would they receive', Shakti stood behind a dilapidated door of rotten wood, holding Gauri's hand in a death grip. In these fifteen years since she had arrived in the Northern Province, she had become the soul daughter of Shakti and he didn't hesitate to share the confidential information about the court and the states. Sometimes, her remarks were pretty helpful to make decisions.

Gauri could hear the faint whistles and cries coming from the crowd. With her exploration experience, she knew she was in the theatre of battles.

'All the best Gauri', Shakti handed her a rusted knife and kissed her bloodied forehead, 'Kill!'

Two royal guards came to hold her by her forearms. 'Time to get punished, you filthy traitor', they spat at her.

Well, Shakti had fed the royal guards this fake information about Gauri, so that she could be taken to the theatre of battles to show her skills.

Shakti ran up to King Tej in a lightening speed and leaned at his ear whispering, 'The traitor coming to entertain you, is the next trainee as a secret guard', with that said, he casted a sideway glance at the princes, who had two girls by each of their sides and the girls were busy in pleasuring them. They were laughing heartily and occasionally sipping the intoxicating beverages the girls served them.

Gauri was thrown in the grand clearing. It was covered in thick layer of snow and the sunlight reflected on it, almost blinded her eyes which were unaccustomed to the light for a long time. Blood dripping from her cuts seeped in the gravels of snow and reddened them, earning pitiful gasps from the crowd at her condition.

A herald blew an ivory trumpet and barked, 'This woman, Maliha, is our captive since she was caught while exchanging vital information of our kingdom with the enemy kingdom.. Since His Highness King Tej is here, Our Governor, Army General Shakti have decided to punish her in a fight. If she wins the fight, she will be gifted her life, or else, she would die.'

The crowd roared in cheer. Shivaay sipped his goblet of beverage, smirking, 'Wins or dies, I just want a long show.'

'Yes! Long live you traitor!', Rudra laughed out loudly.

Omkara just shook his head at their merriment, smiling.

Gauri was staring at the maddened crowd around her, cheering and drooling like hungry wolves to witness some bloodshed. She gripped the knife tightly and contracted her muscles, her senses alert, ready to lunge upon the death from anywhere it would approach.

The crowd fell silent all of a sudden as a sound of metal clashing against metal echoed in the enormous theatre. The next moment a clanking sound of metal chains being dragged over stone was heard and she turned at the direction of the sound to find a large grey wolf howling while it struggled to free itself from the chains. Four guards were restraining the animal from running off and the wind carrying the smell of blood dripping from Gauri's body, made it go insane.

'She will fight this wolf which has been starving since last day', the herald announced.

Gauri looked at the crowd again. Though the seats of the royals were hidden behind a curtain to filter the blinding reflections of the sun rays, she felt her willpower coming back, just by imagining that her prince would be sitting there, waiting to see how capable she was. She contracted her weary muscles again and held the knife in a death grip, facing the wolf, which was now howling madly, saliva dripping down its barred teeth.

'Fight!', the herald barked.

The crowd went berserk. 'Fight! Fight! Fight!', the three princes raised a toast in excitement, almost knocking the girls off the handrest of their seats.

The moment the guards let the chains loose, the wolf jumped at Gauri and pinned her on the ground with its paws at her shoulders. Gauri groaned as she hit the solid ice, its broken pieces pricking her skin like splinters. The wolf was hovering over her on its all fours. The animal growled lowly at her and was about to sink its teeth at her throat, she took the advantage of the situation and hit the side of the wolf's neck with all the force she could muster. It staggered back a bit at the sudden hit, didn't expect a counter attack from its prey. Shaking its head, it lunged at her again, its saw teeth set in its jaw aimed at her throat. But she crouched on her knees to dodge the attack and sprang back in the air, her knee hit the wolf at its belly, sending it flying back at the ground.

'Yaa... h!', she held the knife over her head when she too was falling back on the ground. With years of practice, she shoved the knife right between the eyes of the wolf and her knees landed on its stomach.

Gauri closed her eyes as soon as she hit the wolf to stop the jets of blood from entering her eyes. With a last painful howl, the wolf's struggling paws, statued in the air, so did the crowd as they stared at the skinny woman in tattered clothes, panting while putting her right knee on the bloodied white fur of the wolf's chest.

'Maliha is granted her life back! Guards!', two guards came to grip Gauri's upper arms and dragged her back in the dungeon.

I really hope I get to serve you prince, whatever the province is, Gauri thought with a smile, though pain blazed from her tip to toe.

*****

'Gauri', Shakti came to take her out of the dungeon. In this meantime, Gauri had went back to her older cell and cleaned herself up. Donning the attire for trainees, she followed Shakti. After  calling two other boys on the way, they entered a small room, which was lighted by a fire torch only. Yes, there was no girl left in the trainee group other than Gauri.

But Gauri's jaws slacked as the man-in-waiting came in their view.

'His Majesty King Tej!! Greetings!', the two boys and Gauri kneeled on the ground, crossing their right hand over their chest, head bowed in submission.

'You may rise', king answered.

They stood up and Shakti came forward to remove the veils from their faces.

'Dandi!'

'Ranveer!'

'Gauri!'

They exclaimed in unison.

'You three are going to serve the king if Northern Province', Shakti announced.

'And who is that going to be?', Gauri asked hoping it was her prince.

'Such a curious little lady you are', Tej held Gauri's chin up, 'You'll get to know when he will arrive here after the coronation ceremony.'

'Pardon my curiosity and impoliteness your majesty', Gauri hung her head low.

Chuckling, Tej took out a ring from his finger, putting the ring at Gauri's right index, he caressed her hair, 'Such a beautiful lady you have become, Shakti, I guess she is the one you were talking about. Keep this my child as a gift from your former king', Tej left the room, Shakti tailed behind him.

The three newly appointed royal guards hugged each other in excitement.

First of all, I don't support killing of animals for sport or any means. But I had to write the incident on demand of the story and the time period.. Hope the supporters and members of PETA will forgive me. 😅

From next chapter, we will go back to the end of the coronation ceremony.

Happy reading!
With love,
Sarani.