✓ Fearless - Book 1 of The Rajkumari Trilogy

Chapter 12

Chapter 12
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Oh goodness! I had so much to do today that I nearly neglected finding more about it! The daughters of courtiers have me glued to their hip these days that I can hardly breathe.

She huffed, crossing her arms and shaking her head at the dressing table. Learn sewing, learn cooking, learn about who the maids have been scurrying off with, learn what is the latest fashion... is that all that a princess must do? 

I have not been to the map room in years! She paused, sighing. Well, not years but even days feel like it. At least Dipankar is filling my place to aid Father. 

She straightened her legs as she rose from the chair, stretching her arms above her head as a yawn escaped her lips.

* * *

Several weeks passed by. 

Revati pursued her training and Roopvalli had either stopped her secret activity altogether or had grown more discreet. Of which the former seemed more plausible.

Dipankar was more closed off from Revati than ever but tried to take up tasks to increase their father's trust in him. Their mother remained constant as the unmoving boulders of mountains. She was as cold and silent as she used to be. The king's ailment did not get better, rather it got worse every day. But not noticeably so.

Clang!

The silence of the BramhaMuhurta was shattered by the clash of blades. Two blades cross each other as the fighters spun, ducked, and thrust. A cream cloth-covered one of the fighter's faces and a more yellowish-hued cloth to the face of the fighter who was slightly shorter.

The golden ball of light hid behind the rows of hills, masked by the veils of morning mist. They placed their feet atop the grass-covered palms of the training grounds.

The cream one ducked as Yellow's sword slashed empty air. Cream stood up and went for the offense strike. Yellow barely managed to deflect the powerful blow and roll to the side. Yellow jabbed at Cream's only to have Cream jump in the air and dust rising with her.

Before Yellow could get up, Cream knocked the sword out of her hand and pressed the cool blade to her neck. She tore off the cloth to reveal a smiling, but sweating and raggedly breathing, Suruchi. Cream released her hold and removed her own cloth covering her face.

"You did well, princess." Suruchi was the first to speak as they walked back to the temple.

"Well?" Revati scoffed. "I beat you," she said, eyebrows shooting up.

"That you did, Revati, that you did," Suruchi admitted downing a glass of cool water.

Revati mimicked her actions and wiped the sweat off her brow. "That was a good one. It was fun, we should do it more often."

"More often? We train every day! And you've gotten really good, even better than me." Suruchi said, turning her forefingers to herself.

"I meant the sword-fighting," she corrected. "Thanks," she added with a curve of her lips.

"Yes well, not only sword fighting serves you. At desperate times, you need to have the knowledge of fighting with the weapons you can find. And that includes archery, sword fighting, spears, and your favorite, daggers which can come in handy since you're a princess. Even if you weren't, it would."

"Yes," Revati agreed. "Especially for women, we can't carry visibly large weapons. But we can strap numerous tiny daggers and hide them in the folds of our saris."