Chapter 55

She had felt his soft warm lips pressed against hers thinking that she was sound asleep. Calling out his name was a way to tell him that she held him dear in her heart. As she slowly opened her eyes Gauri could only hope that she did somehow convey her feelings because it was too hard to outwardly show him. She just wasn't ready. Even now she knew he was on his way to question Ranveer because he did not believe her words before but it didn' t matter because she knew what he would say. Gauri slowly looks over at her little table stand at the corner where she placed her purple flowers.

~ Flashback to when they were in the forest ~

After instructing Arjun to hide on the other side of the forest until later on tomorrow night Gauri walks up slowly to Ranveer who was sprawled out on a bed of snow. She propped him up a bit and squeezed one of her purple flowers letting a bit of it's nectar drop into his mouth. When she was sure that he had swallowed it Gauri then whispered in his ear.

"When you wake you will remember my words. You fell unconscious when you decided to smell the purple flowers. There was no one in the forest except you and Lady Gauri. You heard nothing and saw nothing."

After she was done she had Nala scoop him up onto it's back and started to head back where she ran into Omkara.

The purple flowers that were so hard to find anywhere was now in her hands. The only disappointing part is that once plucked she only had three days to use them. She had already used it on Ranveer and soon she must use it on him. If only he was more willing to let her leave she wouldn't have to take this step. To let her stumble on these flowers that had powers to alter one's mind was a sign that the heavens were telling her she must go. As she laid in bed Gauri had come to terms that she will make tomorrow a memorable one.

Meanwhile when Omkara entered the guest room where Ranveer was waiting he was expecting another explanation but it was exactly what Gauri had said "it was an accident."

"Are you sure there was no one?" Omkara asked again.

Ranveer tried his best to recall what had happened and he was sure there was no one. He remembered climbing up the mountain cliff and grabbing the flowers that Lady Gauri wanted and once he returned back down he remembers a unique scent coming from the flowers. And that was the last thing he remembered.

Omkara still had this feeling that something was not right. Even though their stories match Omkara's gut was telling him she was hiding something.

"Let's go back to the forest." Omkara commanded.

"This late at night Your Majesty?"

"I will not be able to rest until I know for a fact that there is no one lurking in that forest where she likes to go."

Ranveer immediately grabbed his gear and followed his King who seem to have a thirst for hunting in the dead of night. Seeing his Majesty grab his black feathered tipped arrows as he mounts his black stallion made Ranveer doubt his own story. "Did I really see nothing?"

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Vikram had finally made it to Mordis but since it was dark he decided to hide in the Mordis Forest where he could rest till morning. When scouring the area he noticed footprints in the snow and knew that people were here not too long ago.

"Is it the first night from Fray? It must be because those boot tracks look too familiar."

For years Vikram has been spying on Fray where the snow was all year around. So he was sure that these footprints belonged to Arjun. Grinning at his luck Vikram decides to hide right there. "If Arjun is here then Lady Gauri has to be in Mordis!" Once I can see her with my own eyes I will send word to His Highness and then find a way to bring her back to Ashen. This time he was sure that Kali would reward him generously. As he looks around to find a good spot to rest Vikram was thankful towards Fray as he sees snow all around. "Fray is much colder compared to Mordis. One night here should not be so bad." However the minute he found a nice spot under a large tree he could hear a disturbance in the air.

**SWISH**

If not for the moonlight hitting the tip of the arrow Vikram would have not been able to dodge it so quickly but it still manage to scrape the side of his face.

"Who is it!" Vikram yelled out.

"That was just a warning shot."

The voice was eerie and threatening giving one a feeling that a demon was lurking in this cold night.

"Come out if you da-"

*Swsh swsh*

Omkara shot two arrows forcing Vikram to stay in that very same spot. Ranveer could see his King's evil smile every time the arrow was released and with his marksmanship there was no way His Majesty could ever miss. Tonight was him playing to his dark heart's content.

After the two arrows pierced both sides of his sleeve, Vikram was sure it had to be someone with great skill.

"Only a coward would hide in the DARK!" Vikram taunted.

"Hide?"

Vikram's eyes focused in front where the voice was coming from and soon he saw a man in all black appear from the dark night. The closer the man got the scarier the image appeared. His black eyes could only be seen when the moonlight would flicker within them, accompanied by a beastly smile.

"Why would I hide in my own Kingdom?" Omkara laughed.

Vikram involuntarily took a few steps back knowing that the man in front of him was The King of Mordis but he quickly grabbed the hilt of his sword.

Omkara's smile became even more sinister as he sees the man points his pointy sword at him.

Ranveer: Let me take care of him Your Majesty!

Ranveer takes out his sword ready to attack when Omkara raises his hand to stop him.

"No. I need to relieve my stress tonight."

Taking out his sword slowly Omkara taunts Vikram by gesturing him to strike first.

"Since I am such a benevolent King I will give you 5 moves."

Vikram sneered at the insult and darted towards Omkara but his sword only hit the cold air.

"That's one."

Vikram gritted his teeth and swung at Omkara again aiming for his neck only to hear a **Swoosh** sound.

"That's two."

"ARGH!" Vikram grunted in anger as he tried to strike Omkara thrice.

"That's three...four.....and...FIVE!"

Vikram saw an evil smile on Omkara's face as he used his sword to strike him.

*CRShH!*

The Mordis King's might was too much for his sword and with just one hit Vikram saw shattered pieces of Ashen metal fall beneath his feet as he fell back.

Omkara still did not let up and came at Vikram with great speed plunging his sword into the man's shoulder.

"ARGH!!"

Vikram held onto Omkara's sword trying to stop it from going in any deeper but the demon did not allow it. Only when he was satisfied did he pull his sword out but it was to find another limb of his to stab.

"GRAHHHH!!! Just kill me!" Vikram yelled out as his legs were now useless.

"Kill you? But I'm not done."

"What do you want?!"

"Who are you and why are you here? Are you here for her?"

Vikram gave Omkara a cynical smile as his blood stained the white snow.

"You might as well kill me because I will tell you NOTHING!"

Omkara's eyes darken as he points his sword between Vikram's eyes.

"You think I do not know the answer? You reek of Ashen."

Vikram remained silent awaiting only death to fall upon him.

"Take him back Ranveer. This will be a little parting gift for when the King of Ashen comes."

Vikram tried to protest but was knocked out by Ranveer who easily threw him on the back of his horse.

Omkara took one last look around the forest and felt that his suspicion was right and only now will he be able to sleep and wait for his time tomorrow with his Queen.

Meanwhile from the other side of the forest Arjun was able to hear a man's excruciating cry and knew his Princess was right to have him hide here. When the sounds of the forest finally settle down Arjun closed his eyes to ensure he would have enough energy to escort his Princess tomorrow night. "Hopefully everything will go as planned."

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Back at Priyanka's chambers where she had just washed up and applied the ointment given by Gauri her eyes kept staring at the secret passageway.

Maid: Is something wrong Princess?

"Nothing is wrong."

This maid has been serving Priyanka for many years and could tell that something was wrong when her Princess showed no more anger towards Lady Gauri. She was sure that her Princess held great hatred and it didn't make sense that she was treating her differently all of a sudden.

"Are you sure Princess? Have you changed your mind about Lady Gauri?"

Priyanka glared at her maid and sent her out.

"It is late. You leave so I can rest."

"Yes Princess."

Priyanka walks over to her fireplace and pulls out a letter from under a flower vase. Her eyes looked burdensome as she reads the contents again. Never in her life did she think he would dare leave her letters like before and when she saw a gold coin by the flower vase last night her heart stopped. This was a signal that he used to let her know he had hidden a love letter but this time there was not such thing. Instead it was more of instructions that she could not refute.

~ If you do not want Omkara to know what you have done then do as I say. Befriend Lady Gauri. Gain her trust. Soon there will be more for you to do.~

Love Daksh

Priyanka crumples up the letter and threw it into the fire in anger.

"Damn you! Why couldn't my brother just kill you already!"

All these years Priyanka has been praying that her brother would kill Daksh and his father so that her secret could be kept buried. She should have known better that the sole reason they never implicated her was because they still needed her.

"To think I thought you still had a place for me in your heart! How could I have been so foolish! And now I have finally realize the reason!"

Priyanka hated the fact that she was now their puppet. How far do they think she would go to hide this secret?! But the more she read the letter the more she realize as long as they do not ask her to harm her brother then she can do it. Besides like her maid stated earlier. She didn't like Gauri or anyone from Ashen so she had no obligations to show them mercy. However, when she looked over at the jar of ointment she felt a bit guilty but quickly pushed that feeling aside.

"I am sorry Gauri but I have no choice. There will always be casualties during war."

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Morning in Ashen

Svetlana once again woke up to another one of her shadow guard lying in a pool of blood but this time she no longer showed any anger. She just instructed her other guards to clean up the mess and proceeded with her day as usual. She even made an effort to visit the Crown Prince this morning who was practicing his sword skills with Khanna.

Servant: Your Highness the Queen his here to visit you.

The sword in his hand fell down to the ground where he then took a towel to wipe the sweat from his face.

"I will be right out."

With a sly grin on his face Sahil took his time to take a shower and when he finally felt enough time had passed he got dressed. However, when he entered the main room of his courtyard Svetlana was calmly drinking tea with two maids by her side.

"Greetings Your Highness. Sorry you had to wait so long. I did not want you to be driven away due to the smell of sweat."

Svetlana glanced at the boy who had in a short period of time grown so much. His eyes and words were sharp.

"How thoughtful of you."

"So what brings the Queen to my courtyard?"

"I am worried about your sister of course. We have been looking for her everywhere and still no news. I was wondering if you have heard anything."

"Unfortunately I have not."

Svetlana slowly stands up and walks up towards Sahil who was standing only up to her chest and as she looks down at him " You seem to not worry...and why is that so..."

She was expecting him to be flustered but instead the boy only smiled back at her.

"I am worried but I know my sister. She will be back."

Shaking her head slowly back and forth as she clicks her tongue is a sarcastic manner.

" Tsk Tsk....did you not know that your father had punished her that night. He whipped her so many times that I lost count..."

Svetlana could see Sahil gritting his teeth and clenching his fists as he listens to her every word.

"and when the whip tore into her skin your father still was not satisfied.....Do you want to know what she had endured for your sake...if only you did not take your father's White Tiger then....."

Sahil tried to remain calm but he couldn't hide the anger in his eyes.

"He had me put salt into her wounds....every crack....I smeared it on..."

Svetlana raised her smooth white hands for Sahil to see and when she purposely touched her long sharp fingernails Sahil almost lost it.

"Don't blame me Crown Prince...it was your father he asked me to do so...."

Svetlana was delighted to see Sahil burn with anger for the past two week he had become to cocky. Daring to kill almost all of her shadow guards and she still hasn't heard from Tej yet. So today seeing this little boy like this made her mood better and as she slowly bent down towards the side of his face.

"It doesn't matter how many guards you leave at my doorstep it will never feel as satisfying as when my nails dug into your sister's back. The salt made her scream so loud that I almost stopped...but...I didn't."

Sahil's body was trembling and his knuckles were turning white from his determination to not show signs of weakness. But the thought of Gauri screaming was crushing him.

Svetlana finally withdrew herself away from Sahil and was about to continue to torture the boy when a frantic maid came running.

"Your Highness! Your Highness!!" cried the maid.

"Wait is it!"

Svetlana was having too much fun for this maid to interrupt her but she realize this was Ishana's personal maid.

"Your Highess! Something is wrong with Princess Ishana! Please come quick!"

Svetlana's eyes narrowed as she looks over towards Sahil. "I guess we can continue this another day."

When Svetlana finally left Sahil broke almost everything in the main room.

"I...will....kill...you!"

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When Svetlana opened the door to her daughter's room she could hear Ishana grunting over a bin.

"What is happening!"

Maid: She has been throwing up all morning your Majesty!

Svetlana's eyes grew big and understood why this maid had come looking for her instead of summoning a physician.

"No..This can't be!"

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