[This story is a spin-off of A Emperor's Journey, from Varsha's POV...CAN BE READ AS STAND ALONE]
Varsha is a young and simple girl (or so she thought). Her parents died when she was young and she tends for herself. Her life is a routine. But sudden...
As I continue to walk against the cold of the night, my mind starts drifting back to Princess Kanaka.. She was a beauty of a kind.. Her skin literally glowed.. The way she answered Mata Tejasvi, the head of the Kanya Nivas, was beyond fantastic. She was fearless and confident inspite of her innocent and Goddess like looks. I sigh, I could never compare with her. A gasp escaped my lips, how did even the thought of comparing, me, a normal girl with one of the best and capable princesses around came into my mind. I increased my speed in order to get rid of any thoughts.
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But as I was walking I could hear faint footsteps, but when I turned back, no one was there. I ignored it, thinking it to be a product of my imagination and kept walking further, but heard those voices again, I turned and I couldn't see anything again but I could see a foot of a man behind a tree... When I looked up at the tree there were two more men over there staring right back at me, I froze in my place.... Bandits... These are the bandits that have killed thousands of people without any mercy.
I quickly started running but when I turned back, I noticed that they realised that I have just left them behind and started running, there were more of them.. I lost count but kept running.. Fear was consuming me... If I ran a few more minutes I will be exhausted and they would catch me.. I can't fight them.. Only if Princess Kanaka were here, she could have fought with them.. But I can't.. I kept running when I saw a tent in the middle of the empty desert.
When a man was just about to catch me, my speed increased magically Maybe the power of Hope, I can be saved. God, please let someone be there in the tent and as I neared I could see through my veil a tall man, almost looking like a prince standing there with a sword. He looked ready to fight and save me, even without any explanation. As I neared him, I just folded my hands and he nodded. The next few minutes, I couldn't believe the expertise and hold he had in this art. Without a single cut in his body, he had killed all of the bandits. It was like he was cutting bitter gourd, he did it with an excellence that shocked me.
He examined, if all of them were dead. He was really very tall and no doubt one of the best warriors. Earlier I was guessing, but now I was certain he was a prince, only Royals had such training to fight so many demon like humans together. I wanted to Thank him and leave the place because, he may punish me for troubling him, so late at night or worst he may assume that I am one of those woman who stray out at night. But as I was about to speak, I heard his commanding voice, "Devi, what are you doing here at night?" I gulped, so he is enquiring me.... Lord keep me out of anymore trouble.
Little did she know, this little trouble she anticipated was going to change into something that would leave even Princess Kanaka, whom she adored so dearly, in shock and tears...
