Shadow and Light

20

-Author-

Both of their swords collided with a clank. Each one of them trying to weigh the other down. She tilted the hilt of her sword and gave a heavy push, he hadn't anticipated the move, making him go backwards.

She pushed her sword towards him, her intentions to kill, but he dodged her, cocking his eyebrows out of frustration, "No killing" he said, "I wasn't going to kill you" she responded.

His legs moved swiftly, clanking the swords as many times as he could.

With a swift move, he entangled his sword in her earring and took it out as it was loosely held, she stopped for a second, her eyes widening and the grip on her sword tightening.

She slashed through one of his sleeves exposing his well-built biceps. He took a tiny step back, taking a side look at what she had done, flexing his jaw, he attacked, she dodged.

They kept on testing each other's patience, until Ada had enough, she sighed a huge puff of air and clenched her teeth, she took the pummel of her sword and hit him in the chest, lightly, but strong enough to bruise.

He looked at her, astonished, angry as this fight was getting humiliating on his part.

He was the best, he reminded himself.

But he didn't take in fact that she wasn't a novice to all this. She had killed more than most of his soldiers in his army had. 

He swung his sword at her again, because of anger this time, he wasn't having it, her being this good. It was hurting his ego. She put one hand behind her back and started defending, going backward in the process.

At the end of the hall, he pressed the sword on hers, making an X. He could see her reddened face, her being out of breath, her back to the wall.

He was the first man to ever give her equal competition. She smiled, at least he is good at something she thought.

"I am good at a lot of things, Shadow, you just don't know them" he replied, making her blink as she didn't know she spoke her thoughts aloud.

She flushed, she didn't let anyone hear her thoughts, she didn't want to start with him.

She stared in his eyes, and after a second of eye contact, she winked at him. He was taken aback, loosening his control over the sword, seeing a chance, she pushed him. She put the end of her sword in the handle of his and took it from his hands as he was still processing what was happening.

She turned his sword on hers in a circle and then threw it.

With no sword in his hands Ranvijay stood their aghast, realisation dawning on him, as she stood in front of him with her sword pointed at his throat.

"You lost" she declared, "You cheated" he said, "How?" she asked, a grin forming on her face, she knew exactly what she did.

"You...You—" he started, "Maharani Ji has won this sword battle" the announcer yelled. A cheer was heard from the people, she looked at them surprised.

"They are...cheering for me?" she looked around, not understanding the reason for their happiness, "They are happy that their new queen is as brave and as strong as their last" with that he left.

As their last? She thought.

The general took away her sword from her, no, snatched it away when everyone left.

"I don't know what trick you used, Shadow, to defeat the King. But I know he is better than you" with that he left. She tilted her head, why do all men think that they are better than the women? She thought.