Half A Moonstone

Chapter 6

Rajveer gripped the handle tightly, seeking some reassurance from the familiarity. He knew very well that this duel would be a tough nut to crack. The Princess would be a stiff competitor, and wouldn't give in so easily.

      From his peripheral vision,he could see the arena filling up with noblemen, soldiers and servants alike. He knew that the Princess had ulterior motives for winning this duel. Her father had no male heir. After her father, there would be a question of who would ascend the throne. She would have to step in at some point, to prevent the Kingdom from falling into utter chaos. It would be hard for a woman to gain acceptance from the largely male-dominated sphere of politics. Winning against the best swordsman in the Kingdom would mean winning the common folks' trust and acceptance.

He too,was determined not to loose. The honour of the Royal Forces and credibility of the King's words were at stake. He had observed her every move and stance during the previous duel. She was good, and he knew it. But was she good enough to win over him?

Damayanthi and Rajveer stood face to face. Though there was a charming smile in her face and a polite one on his, their eyes shone with utter concentration as they took up their stance.
"The duel begins!" , announced the Royal Guard, and both immediately bowed to each other,as was custom. They stood face to face,sizing each other up.

Almost automatically, Damayanthi heard a voice drone in her head, telling her what to do. It was a voice that had taught her all she knew. A voice that had been the voice of reason through all the tumultuous periods in her life.

When you find yourself against an intimidating opponent, always play defense, Damayanthi. Play defense...

Play defence,Rajveer. Whenever you are up against an overbearing enemy, defend yourself first. Defend, and never get backedinto a corner. Defend...

Rajveer heard the voice command inside his head. The voice that had guided him through thick and thin. The voice that had saved his neck countless times.

Seconds passed, but neither moved, anticipating the other's attcak. The competitors realized that both had chosen defense as their strategy.

          Restless with the stillness, and deciding to attack first, Rajveer raised his sword, only to find Damayanthi mirroring his motion. The crowd erupted into gasps and cheers as their swords met mid-air. Rajveer wasn't surprised with her expertise, only impressed. The sound of metal against metal, the scraping of feet clinking of armour filled the air as both the competitors displayed their skills.

As seconds stretched into minutes, the crowd went wild. Three minutes passed. This was the longest a single opponent had held up against Rajveer, yet Damayanthi hadn't even broken a sweat.

As they thrust, parried and evaded each other, their bodies worked mechanically through sheer muscle memory. Their minds,on the other hand, were busy assessing each other's ways,trying to formulate a winning strategy. Nothing seemed to work: they found their opponent too good.
Even the King had to agree: Rajveer had found his equal in Damayanthi.

Rajveer grew increasingly suspicious. How did she manage to correctly identify his every move? How were their styles both distinct, yet so similar? The same question bugged Damayanthi as she dueled hard. How did he know what she was thinking?
Unless....No. it couldn't be, she thought. Once again, Rajveer evaded her move perfectly.

Rajveer ducked, escaping her attack by a hair's width. This specific move surprised him greatly. There was a finesse in her training that looked like it had been moulded for warfare, too complicated for a princess who would ,most likely, never set foot on the battlefield. Her moves were unique, traced to a style very fee could master.
Could it be?... No. There was no chance, he thought, forcing more vigour in his moves.

   It seemed like they were evenly placed skill-wise. It seemed as if one could outdo the other only through longevity of endurance. But here too, they seemed to have an equal share of strengths and weaknesses. Where Rajveer lacked in flexibility, he made up through a practice- acquired agility, and Damayanthi's lithe frame very well compensated for her lack of muscle strength.

    As they fought tooth and nail, both felt their energy drain out. It all boiled down to a question of who would last longer, with both Damayanthi amd Rajveer unwilling to relent. The spectators were on the edge of their seats to see who would emerge victor....