"Yuvraj, are you sure about this?" Dhristyadyumna's chief commander whispered.

"Why are you being so apprehensive about this?" Dhristyadyumna questioned back, "It is our duty to help our citizens when they are in distress. Are our soldiers stationed at the right points?"

"Yes Yuvraj, we have our plan implemented to the tiniest detail"

"Good"

With that the crown prince of Panchal went back to his aimless observation of the fire lit in front of him. The village elders had been telling him all about their grievances and he had been listening with utmost patience. 

The simple country people had wanted to host a feast in his honour but he had declined knowing it would do nothing to serve his purpose. He wanted to be as inconspicuous as possible lest it would alert the miscreants and foil his plan to catch them red handed.

"Yuvraj" a soft voice called.

"Yes?" he said looking up to see who had startled him out of his reverie.

"Yuvraj, I was asked to give you these fruits"

He nodded wordlessly taking the little basket from the owner of the melodic voice. She spoke fluently but her accent was a little different, but what startled him most was that she was dressed in a single white robe with cream embroidery. The robe was draped in the fashion of a simple long clothe, while her long black hair with a tint of brown fell in loose locks to the length of her waist.

"Devi, what is your name?" he asked impulsively.

"Ragni" came the prompt reply, "Ragni Samaras."

"Your family name indicates you are not a native to Panchal" he thought aloud, "It is a name of the Yavanas(a generic term for Greeks)..."

"Yes, I am a Yavana, Yuvraj" she answered, carelessly tucking some stray hair behind her ear.

"Is that why you are dressed in white?" Dhristyadyumna asked with a heightened level of impulsiveness, "You can't be married and widowed yet, so..."

"Ragni" a high pitched voice called, "There you are!"

A petite came running in their direction. Dhristyadyumna could see she was a Panchalan, adorned in bright sarees like the other village girls, her hair braided neatly.

"Young girls in my land wear such light coloured clothes" Ragni answered politely, "It is a mark of purity and youth."

"I have told you so many times to try out our clothes" the newcomer said merrily before bowing to him.

"I just like my clothes Geeta" she said to her friend, but in her yes Dhristyadyumna saw a distant longing, almost a desperation to cling to something much cherished.

"It is different here, only widows or ascetics wear such light shades" he said watching her fair face in the golden light of the fire without a blink, "What are you doing here? You speak our language fluently—"

"I am staying with my friend, Geeta" she replied, taking a few uncomfortable steps back, "Do you need anything else, Yuvraj?"

"No, no" Dhristyadyumna reassured quickly, embarrassed at his slip in propriety by holding up the girl for such casual talks, "I require nothing more."

"Then you can now focus on catching the robbers without any logistical hurdle" Ragni said softly but Dhristyadyumna didn't miss the mirth behind the tiny smile her pink lips curled into, nor did her eyes though looking down hide sly knowing glint.

And before she completely disappeared with her friend from his line of vision, an ever so peaceful smile adorned the handsome royal's face, blissfully ignorant of what the night would bring with itself in its thick darkness.

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Hello everyone

So here we are introduced to our female protagonist! What do you think of her? Does she pique interest?

Hope you enjoyed the chapter! Please do vote and comment generously:)❤❤