Warrior Princess; Her Quest to the throne

Mriga's face had pride and wonder at the same time. Suddenly, a thought struck her!     

"Wait a minute! Are you saying that if she takes up their offer, she will have to stay there for some time? In Himprayag?" she asked Raghu.     

He nodded but said in a consoling her, "Even if she did, it will not be for more than a month or so at a stretch. We will know the details once she is back. For now, she has left strict instructions for you to ensure that you pack your bags carefully and make sure that you do well in the upcoming term."     

"Dad, actually, even I have something to share with you and Maa," she started in a hesitant voice.     

"What? No! Aren't you too young for it?" Raghu burst out, looking at her guilty body language.     

Mriga looked at him in confusion and then replied as the realisation hit her, "Ah! They changed the rules recently to include my age-group as well. But, how did you know that I was going to say this? I hadn't mentioned it to anyone yet, rather I hadn't made up my mind about it till recently."     

Raghu held his head between his hands and muttered, "What is wrong with both the girls in my life? Why are they hell bent on reducing my life span by giving me such palpitations?"     

Even though she had expected some sort of reaction from her father, Mriga wasn't ready for such a strong one. He had always been extremely supportive in whatever endeavor she undertook. Did he believe otherwise this time?     

In a small voice, she asked him, "Do you think that I don't have the qualification to participate in the competition?"     

Raghu raised his worried eyes and looked at her, "I am not doubting your ability but the danger... wait, what did you say? Competition?"     

She nodded and said, "Yes, the contest for the new Queen contenders kicks off next week. What are you talking about?"     

Raghu chided himself silently but severely for jumping the gun. The absence of his wife and his worry for her well-being had made him go completely cuckoo it seemed.     

Seeing his daughter's downcast face, he bent down to reach her eye level and said, "I am sorry. My mind was elsewhere and I made a wrong assumption about what you were going to tell me. Now, as far as the Queen's contest is concerned, I am really glad that you have decided to participate in it. I know that your mother was keen on you participating in it. So, I am sure that she approves. And me, I think I will sleep soundly tonight thinking that now the country has at least one candidate who is worthy of the throne."     

Mriga burst out laughing at her father's overreaching faith in her abilities. She should have known that there was a misunderstanding. In her father's eyes, she had been nothing less than a princess, ever. Saptsindhu     

Shaurya had been spending quality time with the elders of the tribe while his wounds healed. Even though there was zero verbal communication between them, he had started to pick up few of their basic phrases and sounds. He paid special attention to their hands and eyes which were proving to be a good way to communicate, as well.     

He had come to realise that these people seemed to know a lot more about the Saptsindhu and its surroundings than his source had. There were crude drawings on various walls depicting places within the region which the courtesan who was also staying here, had never seen in her thirty years of life, living in Saptsindhu.     

Shaurya made earnest efforts to try and learn as much as he could from them. The days passed by quickly for him but nights always brought those bright pair of eyes and the smiling, impish mouth, tormenting him in the dreams. He was grateful for that feverish, impulsive kiss which he had stolen from Mrignayani at that hill top under the stars weeks ago.     

If he shut his eyes, he could still recall the taste of her mouth, vividly. He had taken a liking to wild berries ever since then. It was an absolute delicious torture every time he put one of those in his mouth. It was something akin to pulling her plump lower lip into his own and sucking the nectar out of it. But he did it time and again just to make sure that he won't forget it till the time he actually went back and dug his lips into the real deal.     

His stiff male organ reminded him that he needed to calm down before he died out of frustrating chastity. A cold bath was not viable for him under the present circumstances due to his injuries. So, he needed to stop thinking of that heated, fleeting moment.     

"You better brace yourself, Mrignayani. If I make it back alive, I won't let you escape my embrace in this lifetime," he growled under his breath.     

Gurukul, Chandragarh     

"My god! Look at those curves. You went home as a girl and have returned as a woman!!!" Ishani's loud voice echoed in the spacious bath area, making Mriga cringe and other girls to stare at them.     

Pulling her into one of the cubicles, Mriga clamped her hand over her friend's mouth in a vice like grip.     

"What issssss wrong with you? How can you say something like this and that too at the top of your voice?" Mriga hissed.     

But Ishani couldn't care less about her friend's prudish reaction. She reached out to touch Mriga's breasts which were protruding nicely from under her translucent muslin slip which was normally worn under the uniform. Then she looked at her own flat plains and shook her head!