Zoya sensed a warm presence behind her, although it didn't seem logical. She used her peripheral vision to observe what it was and froze when she noticed a stern, tall, well-built man in a tuxedo to her left, and another one to her right.

Her breath caught in her throat, and she instantly realised she had been caught!

Deciding to turn around and retreat down the hallway, she dreaded facing her father's anger upon discovering that she had been caught while sneaking into the ballroom through the servant's hallway.

As she turned, a jolt surged through her when she realised the man standing behind her was no ordinary palace security guard!

"Oh crap!" she exclaimed, then quickly realised her slip of words.

"I didn't just say that!" she exclaimed to the man, covering her mouth with her hand while gazing up into his dark eyes, amused by her outburst.

"You didn't hear that, did you?" she inquired, but the increasing laughter in his black eyes confirmed that he had indeed heard her.

She peered around the man's imposing figure, glancing down the hallway. "Are you following me?" she accused, her voice filled with suspicion.

Eknath couldn't contain his laughter as she glared up at him...

"Of course I followed you. I thought you were an assassin attempting to sneak into the ballroom." Eknath said.

She quickly recovered, disliking the feeling of being wrong, and straightened her shoulders. Being on the offensive suited her better anyway.

"Why aren't you in the ballroom? You should be there, meeting and greeting," she groaned, stomping her foot out of increasing frustration and an unfamiliar, almost queasy sensation in her stomach that she couldn't quite define.

"You're not where you're supposed to be!" she accused.

Eknath chuckled, pushing away from the wall...

"I apologise for being out of place," he said, taking her hands in his.

"What do you want? You're making me very nervous," she said, and he simply chuckled, pulling her along towards the ballroom.

"I believe my plan completely backfired," she muttered under her breath...

"And what plan was that?" he inquired.

"To avoid you... why couldn't you be where you were supposed to be?" she demanded.

"I don't want to dance with you," she snapped when he pulled her onto the dance floor...

"That is truly unfortunate," he said in an amused tone, and she huffed.

"Why did you want to avoid me?" he asked, surprised that a woman would want to evade him... that was a new experience.

"There are rumours that you're searching for a wife," she replied as if it were reason enough for her to avoid him.

"So? Everyone here has come to capture my attention, hoping to become the next princess... why don't you want that?" Eknath asked curiously.

"I am not cut out to be a princess," she stated.

"Why do you think so?" he asked, as he could easily envision her as the future princess of Jaipur... his princess.

"I don't want to be a princess," she gruffly replied.

"Why not?"

"This isn't who I am," she said, pointing at herself, and he raised an eyebrow.

"I don't enjoy wearing these gowns... I despise jewellery... and sometimes I am too lazy even to bathe," she remarked, pointing out her flaws that would make her an unsuitable candidate for princesshood.

"So why are you here then?" he asked.

"I didn't want to come... but my mother knows how to persuade me," she said, glaring at her mom, who appeared overly excited that her daughter had captured the Prince's attention.

"What did she say to bring you here, then?"

"She said there's plenty of free food here," Zoya said, making Eknath chuckle.

"And not to mention... I eat like a pig... definitely not princess material," she added.

"And I don't take well to commands," she added.

Eknath looked down into his spitfire's eyes and wanted to laugh with delight.

"I believe there might be a few commands you won't mind following once I put you in the right frame of mind." Eknath said in a suggestive tone.

She immediately shook her head.

"I've never done well with someone telling me what to do. Don't bother. It usually backfires with my father."

One dark eyebrow quirked in curiosity.

"I imagine the things I would order you to do would be significantly different from your father's commands," he chuckled, observing her blush deepen and her trembling intensify.

"But I also suspect that you won't mind my commands... eventually."

Eknath had encountered his fair share of women in his life. Yet, as he held this beauty in his arms, he realised he desired much more in a woman than mere compliance with his commands. He yearned for someone with a mind of her own, someone who would challenge him.

Looking into her dark and furious eyes, Eknath instinctively knew she was The One...

She took a deep breath, attempting to regain control.

"Why are you dancing with me? Why don't you dance with someone who is interested?"

He smiled at her direct challenge.

"Are you trying to convince me that you don't feel the attraction between us? Or are you trying to convince yourself?"

She was so taken aback by his comment that she didn't know how to respond. "You don't beat around the bush, do you?" she groaned.

"When it is something I want? No."

"You don't truly want me," she countered, growing increasingly anxious as she scanned the room.

"There are so many women here. Why don't you grace someone who would appreciate your illustrious presence?" She spotted a woman on the sidelines glaring at them.

"For instance, Ishana Patel over there in the pink dress. She's beautiful and composed. She's also very intelligent; she's currently working at an accounting firm." She glanced down slightly, furrowing her brow in confusion.

"Or at least, I think she's still working." Zoya bit her lip, trying to recall other recent details about Ishana.

"And what about you?" he inquired. "What is your background?"

Zoya shook her head. "Oh, I am completely inappropriate," she declared firmly.

Eknath laughed and raised his eyebrows. "In what way?"

Zoya cringed internally. This wasn't going well, she thought.

"I just finished law school in Mumbai," she stated, attempting to demonstrate that she wasn't willing to be a boring wife who would trail after her husband.

"I am currently studying to pass the legal hurdles here in Jaipur so I can start practising law."

Eknath envisioned himself ruling the state while she took care of law and order...

It's perfect, he decided.

"Are the rumours true?" she asked, biting her lip.

A/n

One more shot to go.

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