✔️Rise to Eminence (Ugly Duckling Princess III) (completed )

Chapter 44:- Dew

Adiya (Diya's) POV

I looked at the sky. The sun hadn't set yet, but it would set after an hour or so. With the ample of light, it would be easy to commence and cease the sword fight. I closed my eyes and remembered my parents and grandparents. My Guruji and Sahil. I mentally seeked all of their blessings.

As I opened my eyes, I found that King Druv was doing the same thing. I smiled. We were so perfect for each other! Because technically more than half of my childhood passed growing up with him! I wish I didn't have to kill him.

We both commenced the sword fight! With him started attacking me with the sword while I tried to defend myself. I must have to admit his moves had gone swift. I subconsciously noted his bulging muscles and realised that I was competing against someone who was way too strong than me. Physically. But I had brains. I had to think of something. His calmness had always assisted him to focus without getting anxious. I had to distract him.

"Sahil, you know what? " I said while defending a powerful attack made him.

"What?" He frowned as if I was interrupting his deep meditation.

"If you end up being a martyr, I swear I would never every marry anyone." I Said. That seemed to have moved him a little.

"If you won't marry anyone Diya, how will you have kids to produce the further generation heir for throne?" He asked mockingly. But I could feel the decrease in the intensity of his attacks.

"I will figure it out!" I defended myself.

"I wish you could have figured out the way to get out of the situation! If you had already discovered my identity, you could have not challenged me for the duel'"  he accused me. This time I was attacking him. He was in the defence mode.

"Agreed that  I could have let the matter gone but there was a tremendous pressure upon me to win the war! Leaving you alone would prove that I was a coward!" I stated the reason! This time we both were panting. We both were tired. But this conversation had to go on.

"I had planned marrying you once the war would get over! It was a nightmare when I realised that you were none but Princess Adiya!" He was now anxious, filled with emotions . Too distracted to notice my next move. I striked his shield and it fell down from his hands!

He looked at me knowingly. As if understanding my trick. The next moments were the toughest moments of my life. I realised now why he was Guruji's favourite student.

He advanced towards me with his sword, his pace increasing every minute. He was so fast that I could barely defend myself let alone attack him.

I realised that the weight of the shield was distracting me. It was no longer needed. I just had to focus on my attacking skills. I threw away my shield. Sahil looked at me with disbelief.

"I never taught you to throw away your shield in the battlefield!" He said half scolding me.

"Yes But I am not comfortable holding both!" I opposed like a child who was asked to give away her favourite toy!

"Then don't complain if I defeat you later!" He said while he attacked me.

"And don't be humiliated  if you are defeated single handedly by a lady!" I Shouted as I dodged his attack and his sword missed me and cut the nearby tender plant into half.

Suddenly for a moment, I saw a flicker in the eyes of Sahil. Was he planning something?

"I don't know who is going to stay alive tonight so a few confessions from my side!" He smiled naughtily. How the hell can you fight a tough duel and not get distracted by the dimples and a black dot on the right side of the chin!

"Remember Sundari?" He asked while we both stopped. We had been fighting like maniacs since a few moments and now we were tired. He stopped so I felt that it was a good opportunity to take a break without looking tired.

"Yes Guruji's calf?" I asked while panting.

"She was your favourite remember?" He asked.

"Yes, she has always been. Bathing her was the favourite part of my routine." I told him.

"I used to purposefully cut woods during that time so that I can see you." He smiled his eyes dreamy.
This time he was standing upright instead of kneeling and panting like he had been doing since last few moments.

"Do you remember you came to me one day because you had lost your scabbard?" I asked him.

"Umm yeah we searched for it for hours. However I found it on my bed next day. It was strange." He looked puzzled.

"Well I..."  I almost blushed.

"Don't tell me you hid it!" He was shocked.

"Well.... I... I.." I turned my gaze away from his intense stare.

"Yes..?" He was such a cheat! He knew yet he wanted it to hear from my own lips!

"I wanted to spend some time with you so I hid it!" I spoke looking at him.

"Some time? You call it some time? Well it took us the whole noon and half of the dusk till we gave up!" He was exasperated.

"Don't try to put up an act. I knew you enjoyed it!" I poured.

"Well talking about an act, do you remember how I fell ill one night?" He asked me.

"Yeah! I had to sneak inside your hut and wake up for the whole night to apply the cloth soaked with salt water on your forehead. And your brother, Vansh slept the whole night snoring, without even being affected by the fact that his brother is ill!" I remembered how I stood awake for the whole night, trying to extract the fever out of his head by using soaked cloth (soaked with salt water)" .

"Well, I never had a fever." He told me. As if sharing a guilty secret.

"You had! I had checked your temple by myself! It was hot!" I tried to remind him.

"Well, actually before sending you the message about my illness, I sat close to fire and tried to make my body warm. You touched my hands and neck and thought it was a fever." I told her.

"Thank your stars that I didn't call Guruji." I wondered how he narrowly escaped a serious punishment if I would have called Guruji.

"I knew you wouldn't call Guruji. It was past the sleep time and it was too late so I knew you would not disturb him." He Laughed showing me his naughty grin.

"How would you know that I wouldn't call him?" I asked him. He was unbelievable!

"I know because I know" he shrugged simply but deep in my heart, I regretted my decision to fight against him! But that was a need for the hour!

"Now if you are well rested, should we resume our fight?" I asked him with a hand on my hips!

He gave me a knowing look. We both knew that either of us would end up murdering each other the next moment. Better cheat a little and take some rest. After all we both were alone. After I kill him, he would be silenced forever and I wouldn't tell anything about it to anyone.