The Mughal Princess (Completed)

45.

Aditya returned from Ota, an hour after midnight. His body was exhausted and so was his mind, solving a communal issue was never easy and to top it with the travel had his bones breaking.

Aditya dismounted his horse and headed straight for his chambers, he craved his bed and Maheen right now.

Making his way to the top he stood outside his door when the guards stopped him.

"Ram Ram Maharaj."

"Ram Ram." He greeted back with a small smile.

"Rani sa has asked us to inform you that she is by the pond and has asked you to meet her there."

"At this hour ?" Aditya asked surprised. "Please tell me there are guards with her !"

"She refused to let us give her any company." The man said looking down at his feet.

"Okay, no problem I'll go and get her." He said walked back the same path down and then toward the pond.

He was extremely tired and wanted to complain about Maheen's adventure at this ungodly hour but he didn't want to  say anything bitter or rude after seeing her after almost two days.

Aditya made his way quickly towards the pond. Pushing past the vegetation he saw Maheen sitting by the pond, her back resting on a tree trunk, her eyes closed. She was enjoying the serenity and tranquility of the place.

The peace and calmness however didn't last long. From his peripheral vision he saw movement in the darkness, but before he could figure it out, the shadow had moved very close to Maheen.

"Maheen move." Aditya screamed as the dark silhouette raised his hand in the air, a dagger in his grip.

Maheen startled by the noise turned around to see the man with the dagger raised in her direction.

Maheen pushed her body sideways in the nick of time and saved herself from the blade tearing through her flesh.

Aditya ran towards Maheen and pulled her up, the assaulter had raised the dagger again to strike once more, Aditya flipped them, throwing Maheen away from reach and himself took the blow.

The sharp blade cut through the muscles of his arm.

"Aditya." Maheen screamed.

Aditya turned around, his shoulder bleeding, he uses his left side of the body and rammed himself into the man. The man crashed into the tree, the dagger slipping from his hold.

"Who are you ?" Aditya asked seething.

Maheen quickly made her way towards Aditya.

"Who sent you here ? Tell me who .. who .. sent .. y..yo-." Aditya couldn't complete his sentence as he collapsed right on the floor.

Maheen screamed his name, panicked. The blade wasn't tall enough to cut deep, the bleeding wasn't profuse, what had happened to Aditya. Maheen called his name trying to wake him up but he lay cold on the floor.

Maheen looked up to see the man trying to escape.

"Stop! I said stop." She yelled but the man tried to climb the wall.

Maheen picked the dagger and threw it towards the man, the dagger burying itself completely in the assassin's back.

The man screamed and fell down. Maheen walked towards him and picked him by the scruff of his robe, she lifted the veil of his cloak to see that he was a man in his early twenties, maybe a few years older than she was.

"Tell me what did you do to him." She screamed. "Tell me ! Now !"

"Dagger .. laced with.. poi..poison .. I.. I am .. so..sorry." He said before he foamed at his mouth and convulsed, going limp the next second and dropping dead.