Myshka

Chapter 4: Myshka

She did not notice the soldier coming from the back. Fighting for hours at a stretch was taking a toll on her body and her reflexes were visibly slower.
No sooner had the soldier hit her with a sword hilt at the back of her head than she crumpled on the ground in an unconscious heap. Real classy way of ending the battle.

The enemy soldier who had given the said blow couldn't believe that she was defeated and looked left and right at his comrades. Everyone was a little baffled by the proceedings. It took a few minutes before the fact that the woman who had killed so many of their people was lying on the ground knocked out cold, had sunk in. When it did they started laughing and howling in celebration which was abruptly cut off when they found the Prince in their midst glaring at each and everyone of them.

Having the chit unconscious was most inconvenient indeed. It did not fit well into his plan. Not at all.
"What have you'll done?" He thundered.
The soldiers around him flinched. One was brave enough to venture close to him and give forth their reasons which sounded something like. ...."But sh..she was ki...killing us. Sh..she wanted to..kill...you." He gulped.

The Prince controlled his temper. Maybe having her under control was a good thing because he knew how dangerous she was. Definitely one of her greatest attractions. He ordered the girl to be tied up and then awoken by sprinkling water on her face. Some of the soldiers were as afraid of her while she was unconscious as they were when she was slashing their necks.

One of them sprinkled water from a metre away. The Prince rolled his eyes, snatched the water container from his hand and sprinkled water on her blood splattered face. When she didn't so much as stir he emptied the entire container on her face which made her wake with a start and frantically shake her head.

The Prince smiled when he remembered that five years earlier they were in the same exact position except that he was the one kneeling and she was the one looming over him. He didn't think she remembered.

She looked up at the Prince and immediately spat on his face staring at him with hate filled eyes. No, she definitely didn't remember him. Last they met she had treated him with compassion. Compassion that had made him cross over seas and mountains and forests to be where he was now. Of course, she had no idea who he was.

The Prince wiped his face not the least bit offended and asked the first question that came to his mind.
"Who are you?"
He wasn't surprised. This question had plaqued him for years, had haunted him on nights when he couldn't sleep, had followed him even as he tried to forget this little chit, this slip of a girl. Atleast that is what she had been last they'd met. Now though she had blossomed into a woman. A very beautiful woman he might add. Oh yes, very beautiful indeed.

The girl looked straight at him with eyes blazing and answered.
"I'm your death."

He had to laugh. He couldn't help himself. Even if she had grown almost unrecognisable with her long hair and heavy breasts, her spirit was exactly how he remembered. His little spitfire. The soldiers around him taking that as their cue laughed with him. He immediately stopped. He wanted to talk to her alone but he couldn't dismiss his soldiers. No, for what he had planned he needed an audience.

"You're on your knees, bound and taken yet, you still won't give up. Tell me, what do you'll eat here? Or should I say smoke?" He talked in a purposely infuriating way.

The soldiers now howled with laughter. Some of them dropped their swords on the ground so they could laugh more freely. The girl seemed unfazed. Infact, if he wasn't mistaken her eyes blazed even more with anger and hatred. He let her burn because he knew it would be her downfall.

"You know you would say that considering you probably would have given up by now if you had to fight fairly." She said quietly, yet every soldier surrounding them heard. The whole camp had come to watch the spectacle.

"Whatever do you mean?" The Prince looked confused with a silly expression on his face.

"I mean that if you are as brave and skilled as they say you should fight me fairly. Maybe then you'll understand how I never give up because then you'll be dead." The warrior smiled at him sweetly. It went straight to his groin and he almost groaned out loud. It looked like what she had said was true. She was going to be his death!

"Why should I fight you? You are already subdued and I may do with you as I like." He said out loud and smiled at her lasciviously leaving no doubts as to his thoughts.

The warrior flinched this time. She was so disgusted she felt sick. She couldn't allow herself that privilege though. Her goal was to taunt the Prince into accepting her challenge.

"Subdued by your soldiers? Well, you're less of a man than I thought you to be." She taunted.

Prince Emtilov saw an opportunity. The perfect opportunity to put his plan into action.

"Well, if you insist then issue me a proper challenge and I shall accept. "He said nonchalantly.

She struggled to free her hands and the soldiers let her go on Emtilov's signal. Then she picked up the nearest sword in triumph. Finally she would get her pound of flesh, her vengeance.

"I, Myshka Khasha, Chief of the Khashas, challenge you Prince Emtilov of Great Kingdom, Dramero to a fight till death." She spoke clear and loud enough for everyone to hear, all the while looking dead in the Prince' eyes.

Prince Emtilov was stunned however. He had expected her to be a high ranking soldier going by her fighting skills, not the damn chief. Look at the girl, he thought. She couldn't be a day over twenty and she was a girl! A lady never led anything as far as he knew. He thought of when they'd met last. Surely, she couldn't have been chief then too, could she?
Just his luck, the girl he had travelled miles and miles for and conquered an entire Kingdom for turns out to be the leader of the organisation he was trying to capture.

He was lost in his thoughts when Myshka looked at him questioningly. The soldiers had grown quiet. They were all waiting for his next action, or a command to kill the girl.

The Prince took a deep breath. Maybe, he could salvage the situation after all.

"I, Prince Emtilov, First Born of Great Kingdom Dramero, Ascendant to the throne accept your challenge, Myshka Khasha, Chief of the Khashas."

There was cheering and whooping from the crowd as the went berserk showering praise on their Prince. It abruptly stopped when the Prince put up his hand.

"However, I have a condition. If you win it will be my head on a platter. However, if I do then it will be yout hand in marriage I'll take and nothing less. From henceforth, you will warm my bed every night, Myshka." The Prince stated feeling pleased with the way her name rolled off his tongue.

Every where there was dead silence especially from Myshka who looked shell shocked. Nobody could understand why the Prince would want to take a stray such as her as wife. He might use her and throw her out but to take her as First Wife seemed a bit too extreme.

Prince Emtilov realised the thoughts running through everyone's mind. No one knew their history, not even her so the statement was very strange indeed. Quickly he had to recover or else he might find himself defending his decision at every turn. Not a very good way to keep his army's trust.

"Did I mention that being married to me will be a fate worse than death and that will be your punishment, Oh Chief?" He said in the most insolent tone possible.

The soldiers looked convinced. The girl however.....
Well she promptly raised her sword and came to attack him before he even had a chance to withdraw his sword.

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Heya guys :)
Hope you had a great weekend! Here's the new chapter. ...hope you like it...do vote and comment if you do.....next chapter will focus on their past and the fight. Are you'll eager to know??