Alia dunked her head beneath the creek's surface, relishing the cold. They had been in the mountains for an hour when they found the winding body of water, and Alia, missing the harbor, had stripped down within seconds to take a much-needed swim.
Vikram, embarrassed, had mumbled something about scouting the path ahead and disappeared into the foliage. After some prodding and finagling by Alia, Nandini had joined her. Her clothes lay folded nicely on a rock. Alia's were scattered carelessly on the earth. Her knife lay beside them.
Vibrant fish swam around her, the brave ones so close that they pet her limbs. The freezing water was punishing, but Alia considered it a gift from the Gods, sent to alight her nerves. She grinned, diving back underneath the current and swimming closer to Nandini, who stood primly in the water, carefully ridding herself of dirt and grime.
She felt at home beneath the water, the wildlife swarming around her, the mossy rocks tickling her bare feet. Near the coast of Toshalwar lay jagged cliffs. Much to the dismay of the Kshat guard and local fishermen, she, and a few of the other slum rats, would spend deliriously hot days jumping into the sea. Dangerous, no doubt, but she always loved that thrill — of not knowing if you would plummet into the rocks or sink into the water's icy depths.
Alia broke through the surface, sending waves over the scholar. Nandini gasped, water dripping down her face as she sputtered from the freezing cold. "You... you... you!" She pointed a shivering finger at her, murder in her eyes, but Alia only giggled. "You child!"
Nandini's eyes sparkled with mirth as she shoved her hands forward, sending a cascading wave in Alia's path.
"Oh, it's on," Alia replied, gasping for air.
Laughing, they played like young children in the water, sending waves and splashes in the other's direction. Alia had never had so much fun. So much so that, for a moment, she forgot they were in deadly mountains, on the cusp of a dangerous trek into a labyrinth.
"Truce! Truce!" she yelled, shielding her face from Nandini's relentless attacks.
Nandini smirked. "Now why would I agree to a truce when I've got you pinned against the bank?"
"Fine!" she huffed, wrapping arm around the rocks as she steadied her breathing. "You win, hap—"
A sword's edge fell at the side of her neck, cutting into her skin with no regard. She hissed with pain, the metal hot against her skin. In front of her, Nandini stared in horror, her eyes wide with fright. The timid girl from the carriage was making a most unwelcome return.
For her part, Alia felt like a fool. She had gotten too distracted with their... frolicking. Alia knew better than to let her guard down. Now, she was clad in just her undergarments in a creek, with a sword at her neck and her back to her attacker.
"Which one of you is the princess?" She recognized that voice, the deep timbre that haunted her dreams last night.
It couldn't be.
Squeezing her eyes shut, she wanted to scream at the Gods for this cruel prank. Her karmic balance could not be this off, but she could see the truth in Nandini's eyes.
"Swim to the other side," she mouthed, but Nandini was frozen in place. Alia swore under her breath, head spinning with escape routes and plans. Vikram should be on his way soon. You just have to stall.
"I'm only going to ask one more time." Alia flinched at the harsh edge to his tone. "Which one of you is the princess?"
She didn't have time to figure out how he knew about the Lost Princess. If she could just get the upper hand somehow, she could perhaps coerce it out of him.
"Such a shame that men have no honor these days," she taunted, wincing as the blade cut deeper into her neck. "Only a scoundrel would draw a sword on a bathing woman."
"And only a fool would fall prey to your manipulations twice. Answer the question, Alia." Malice dripped from his every word, but in that venom was an opportunity. He was embarrassed because he had fallen prey to her charms. That attraction could not have disappeared in mere hours.
Slowly, she turned around, her arms raised in surrender. "Don't move!" he yelled, but she ignored him, trusting that he wouldn't slay her. Her gamble paid off. Though the water came to her shoulders, she knew her body was on display. The creek was as clear as a cloudless sky, and her white undergarments, while modest, were closer to transparent than opaque beneath the water.
Alia had known it was Arjun, but seeing his face set her nerves on edge.
Even now, sword at her throat, she could not deny how beautiful he was, with his tanned face, strong nose, and dark curls. And her eyes were caught not on the blade piercing her skin, but his slender fingers wrapped around its handle.
Gods, you're pathetic.
Alia was surprised to see he had not averted his gaze. She had expected the flustered man from Purti to have some sense of shame or modesty. But Arjun had neither. Interesting. Well, two can play at that game.
She stared back at him, refusing to back down or hide away. With her shoulders rolled back, and her chin lifted high, she hoped she did not look intimidated. Though, she had to admit, the odds were not in her favor.
Finally, he sighed and, though his sword remained at her neck, he reached with his foot and grabbed hold of her salwar and blouse. Both stained with wet grass and dirt.
"Put this on," he said gruffly, tossing the clothes in her direction. She caught them in the air, careful not to get them wet.
"Can I get out of the water and put them on?" she snapped. Alia instantly regretted her outburst when he twisted the knife and cut deeper into her neck. She ground her teeth. "Please."
He hesitated before nodding tightly. "You too," he pointed to Nandini, who stood trembling in the creek.
Each step filled with trepidation and fear, Nandini approached the bank. Alia hoisted herself onto the earth, water dripping down her fingertips. She was certain she looked like a drowned rat, with her hair all tangled as it fell in a matted clump on her back.
As slowly as she could without raising suspicion, she pulled the clothes over her. Arjun had lowered his blade as she clothed herself, but his eyes followed her movements. She hoped he would attribute her growing flush to blood loss from her wound. And she hated herself for blushing over a man who wanted to kill her. But there was something in that gaze. Something primal and maybe even honest.
Pure loathing is what that is, Alia.
She pulled her blouse over her head, unable to bite back the groan that fled from her lips. That injury was going to be a problem if they ever made it out of this mess.
She went to help Nandini out of the creek. The girl was shaking — and not because of the cold. The noblewoman was so out of sorts that Alia had to help her get dressed, pulling her tunic over her head.
Arjun looked at them, trying to decipher who was the princess. His hand was steady as he levelled the sword at Alia's neck once again. He didn't even flinch at the blood dripping down her shoulder and staining her blouse.
"Who is the princess?" he repeated, cocking an eyebrow in frustration. "I suppose I could just kill the both of you, but I'd really rather not."
"I don't know what con artist has filled your little head with stories, but there is no princess here," Alia lied. "She's a myth."
He snorted, his eyes dark with hatred and vitriol. "How many lies will you spew, Alia? If that even is your name."
"I am telling you, you've got the wrong people. My friend and I just came up here for a swim." Her tone was insistent, and she could see Arjun questioning his resolve. His grip on the sword loosened.
There!
Alia seized her moment, grabbing his wrist and pulled it past her as she twisted her own body into his torso. With her back to his chest, she slammed her foot into his instep and reared her elbow into his nose.
But though he roared in pain, he did not lose his grip on his weapon. Within seconds, he had recollected himself and wrapped his arm around her waist, pinning her arms to her side. He held the blade to her throat.
The metal kissed her skin, and, instinctively, she pressed herself deeper into the plane of his chest, desperate to put as much distance between her neck and the blade as possible.
"By the Gods, how our fortunes have reversed," he boasted. All traces of the charming man from the previous night had vanished. "Tell you what. If you return my coin, I'll let you go."
She dug her heels into the earth, trying to find some balance as the blade approached ever closer. Death had never felt so near. Like if she extended an arm out, she would touch it.
"Sorry to say I spent it all on ale last night," she ground out, trying to wriggle her arms out from beneath his grasp. "We toasted to you, though."
It was foolish to needle a man who held a sword to your throat. But If Alia was going to die, she would die with a scathing retort on her lips, not a mewling plea for life.
She could feel his hot breath fanning her ear, her hair clung to his bare torso. With her eyes, she begged Nandini to make a run for it, but the stupid girl could not move — as if she were stuck in time.
"If your friend so much as twitches, I swear to the Gods I'll slit your throat," he hissed into her ear. "I know one of you is the princess. I pray for Maurya's sake it's not the pickpocket."
Alia furrowed her brow, wondering if she had heard him correctly or just imagined the stumble. He hesitated when he said Maurya. She was sure of it.
"You're not from here," she breathed, the realization hitting her. Alia knew he wasn't a city boy, and the idea that this man, with his fancy blade, was from the villages was laughable — and a mercenary would not have fallen for her simple con.
Nandini's eyes widened in recognition, and for the first time since Arjun had arrived at the creek, she looked like a capable scholar. "You're the Crown Prince of Yadav. I recognize your portrait from the colleg—"
Nandini realized her mistake too late. Arjun's grip around Alia tightened, pulling her flush against him. He smelled vaguely of sweet grain, as if he had grown up on the wheat fields. He basically has, she realized with a dark chuckle.
I can't believe I robbed the Yadav Crown Prince.
"So Maurya's future Queen is a petty thief. How unfortunate."
"And Yadav's King-to-be is an easily swindled fool. I'll be sure to keep that in mind during my reign," she snapped back, struggling against his tight hold. He pressed his weapon closer, breaking through her skin.
She gasped, hot tears of pain pricking the backs of her eyes. Alia refused to die like this, not when her quest had barely even begun. Not at the hands of a dirty Yadavan.
A loud thwack interrupted her frightened imaginings, and she choked back a sob when the sword finally disappeared from her throat. Arjun lay unconscious on the earth. Vikram stood behind him with the pommel of his sword in hand.
She had never been so thankful to see a Kshat guard. Nandini appeared at her side in moments, already pulling bandages out of her satchel to wrap her wound. "We need to dress this immediately," Nandini said, cleaning the open cut with water.
"It can wait," Alia said, gently pushing the scholar aside. "We need to get out of here first. What are we doing with him?"
Vikram sighed, running a hand through his hair. "If he's the Crown Prince, he's not here alone. We should kill him."
"We're not killing an unconscious man, Vikram," Nandini said firmly. "We're better than that."
"This is Maurya's greatest enemy. The same rules don't apply." He grasped his sword, pointing its edge to Arjun's throat. It was wrong, pointing a weapon at a helpless man like that.
And Vikram knew it too.
With a heavy sigh and a grumble, he sheathed his weapon. "Okay, fine. What do we do instead? We can't exactly bring him along for the trip."
Vikram was right. They didn't have the rations, and Alia did not want to lead Enemy Number One to the Gods' oasis. Besides, navigating the labyrinth would be tricky enough with just the three of them. A prisoner would only slow them down.
"Maybe we should just kill him," Alia mumbled, shoving him with her toe. He looked so disarming laying there, head tilted back, lips parted, the sun bathing his features in gold.
Nandini glared at her. "We are not killing him."
"Well his friends are going to be searching for him soon!" Alia snapped, a little miffed that the scholar had been so utterly useless in the confrontation with Arjun. She knew she could not expect much from the noblewoman, but, by the Gods, surely she could have dressed herself.
Nandini frowned. "We'll tie him up, take his sword, and hide him behind some leaves. That should give us enough time to make it to the caves. And they won't find us in there."
The plan was a welcome reminder of the benefits of keeping Nandini around. She was pathetic in a fight, but they needed her brain.
"Fine," Alia said. "But I get his sword!"