Author's POV

"Where are the lovebirds?" Devansh asked his sister.

"I don't know. They would be huddled in some corner for sure. It's so hard to see them these days." She replied.

It was early morning and the twins were on a mission. They were roaming the palace corridors in search of the couple.

"Wasn't sister acting kind of weird during yesterday's dinner?" He asked.

"You don't say."

Devansh stopped in front of a soldier and inquired, "Excuse me, have you seen commander Veer? Or our sister?"

The soldier replied, "Both of them are having a sparring session in the training arena."

Devansh's brow quirked quizzically, "Are you for real? They're having a sparring session instead of being lovey-dovey?"

Laxita's POV

I woke up early this morning, mostly because I didn't sleep at all last night. The events of yesterday were playing in my head on repeat. No matter how much I tried, I couldn't get rid of those thoughts.

So, I got ready and headed towards the twins' room. As I was walking, I heard some hustling and bustling from the training arena. I got curious and decided to check it out.

When I reached there, I saw that the soldiers were training. It was as if I could sense his presence, my eyes immediately landed on Veer. He was at the corner of the arena. Even from this distance, I could spot him clearly. He had that aura about him.

All the soldiers were sparring but he was practicing on his own. His movements swift, precious and fast. My eyes almost couldn't catch his movements half the time. He hadn't seen me, not yet. He was too engrossed in his practice. And my oh my, that was so attractive.

He had ditched his upper garment yet again. All those muscles were glistening with sweat in the sunlight, concording with each swipe of his sword. He's way too charismatic, it's bad for my heart.

When I appeared in the arena, the eyes of the soldiers lit up in recognition. I went up ahead and stood behind him. He still hadn't seen me. The way his back muscles were flexing, they were making me weak in the knees. This much attractiveness should be illegal.

When he turned around, he had a fierce expression on his face but as soon as he saw me, his gaze softened.

"Are you missing me already? We just met last night." He smirked.

The events of last night flashed before my eyes, making me all dizzy. But I refused to show that on my face. "I saw that everyone was practicing in pairs but you were all alone. So, I came to give you company. Just thought that you would be miserable, you know, being lonely and all." He chuckled and shook his head which made me smile.

"You're here to give me company, right? So, why don't we have a duel?" That came out of nowhere. I didn't expect him to ask me for a duel.

I didn't reply immediately, I just folded my hands and raised a brow. "A duel?"

"Are you scared that I will defeat you, my lady?"

"Scared?" I scoffed. "In your dreams, general." I wasn't scared. It was just that I haven't held a sword in my hands for years. I wondered if I was still good at it or not. "Besides, someone needs to show that you can be defeated. You're getting very cocky."

"Oh yeah?" A sly grin spread across his face. He picked a sword and handed it to me. "It's settled then. May the best man or woman win."

I accepted the sword and his duelling challenge with a confident smile of my own. Although, I was not too sure that I would be able to defeat him.

We headed towards the duelling area. It was a small yet secluded part of the training arena, surrounded by pillars of the palace. And right now, it was unoccupied. It was just the two of us but the air was charged with different kind of energy.

My opponent was stronger, bigger and much more skilled than me. That's why, I had to use my brain to win this match. "Let me give you a head start. Come at me, Laxita."

I wanted to wipe that smirk off his face. I charged towards him with full force and our swords clanged. I continued attacking him for a while, looking for any weak spots or openings. But there were none. He was too damn good at this. "Not bad. Not bad at all Laxita." He blocked all my attacks with ease while I was struggling and grunting. The area echoed with the sound of our clashing swords.

Attacking by brutal force was not one of my brightest ideas but I couldn't think of anything else. It was a powerful strategy but it was tiring me out quickly. He wasn't giving me any chance to attack his vital points. He hadn't attacked me, not even once. He was just defending against me but it felt like he was winning.

At one point, our swords clashed with a screeching sound and we were face to face. He was still smiling. I, on the other hand was panting and breathing heavily. This made me mad, like it sort of bruised my ego. I wasn't the best out there but I had won my fair share of duels. And even the ones I had lost had left my opponents all weary and tired. So, why was he not even a little bit fazed?

"Are you angry, Laxita?" He was enjoying this way too much. This made me madder and I moved a few steps back and attacked again, this time with even more force.

One of my blows landed near his ear. He blocked it in time but started laughing. "That was way too close. Are you planning to kill me before marriage?"

"Stop laughing." I gritted through my teeth.

This ignited something in him. This time, he attacked. It was so powerful that I staggered back. He was quick on his feet, his movements impossible to see. I tried to block as many moves as I could - I ducked and moved out of the way for the rest. I was getting tired real quick. This match had to end.

He moved again and circled his sword around my neck. I blocked it but my back slammed against his chest. I could feel his breath on the shell of my ear.

"Have I told you that look even more beautiful when you're angry?"

"This is...no time...for flattery..." I was still breathing heavily.

"Hmmm. Then how about this?" He placed his free hand on waist and squeezed. My breath hitched. "My fierce warrior," he whispered in my ear. I could barely hear him above my racing heart.

I set myself free from his grip and took a few steps back. There was no way I was letting him seduce me.

I charged at him again, my moves precise and closer to his vital points. He stopped blocking attacks and took the offensive, alternating between attacking and defending.

I struck his sword with mine and cornered him on one of the pillars. My sword was near his neck and he had successfully blocked the attack.

He smiled and said, "You're really going... offensive today." Since, our duel had prolonged, he was out of breath now.

"Of course...I have to...defeat you." I replied.

Suddenly, an idea struck my mind and I moved closer to him. His eyes dilated when I closed the distance. I took this moment to caress his face with my finger. It's unfair how gorgeous he is even after a grueling sparring session.

"What are you doing?" I didn't say a word and just kept moving closer to him until our bodies were touching.

I noticed from the corner of my eye that his grip on his sword had loosened. I took advantage of that situation. It happened quickly - I took two steps back and yanked the sword out of his hands with my sword. His expression morphed from surprise to disbelief.

"This is not fair. You manipulated me with your big brown eyes."

"Rule number 1 one of a duel - never get distracted in the middle of a fight." I smirked.

"Oh yeah?" He came closer to me and grabbed me by my waist. I kept my arms on his shoulders for balance. The sword slipped from my hands and landed on the ground with a thud, all forgotten. "You seduced me."

"No, I didn't. It's your fault for getting distracted. And like I said, I needed to defeat you. The means doesn't matter." The smile was not leaving my face because of his bewildered reactions.

Our exchange was interrupted by a whistle. "And we thought that you were sparring. You know, that escalated pretty quickly." It was Devansh. The twins were standing there gawking at us.

"Really. It was more of a seduction session than a sparring session." Devika added.

"For how long have you been standing there?" I asked, fully aware that I was still in Veer's arms, not even remotely embarrassed that they saw us.

"We arrived sometime ago, when you were almost trying to kill brother Veer." Devansh said.

Huh. They were standing there for a long time then. Devika shook her head in agreement. "You two were so engrossed in each other that you failed to notice us."

"May I ask, why have you interrupted my personal time with Laxita?"

"Personal time huh?" Devika looked at me and smirked. "The king's asked you both to meet him today before lunch. He has something important to discuss."

"We'll be there." Veer said.

"Alright, enjoy your time together." Devansh cooed. The twins exchanged a look and left.

"Back to where we were. You won by cheating."

"It was not cheating. You did the same to me. You tried to distract me with your touches and handsome face."

He raised his brows in question. "Handsome face?" Has he looked at himself in the mirror? Anyone with eyes and a brain can see that he's insanely good-looking.

"Don't be mad because I won. Accept your defeat."

"You did not defeat me."

"Oh, I think I did." I stood on my toes and placed the gentlest of kisses on his jaw. "Don't be mad, general."

He was shocked by my sudden gesture. I took the chance to break free from his embrace and walked away from there, feeling all giddy and proud.

As we had been told, both Veer and I headed towards the king's room before lunch time. The king ordered us to come in and we went inside the room. We greeted him and he told us to be at ease.

"Ah, you both came. You must be wondering why I called you." We nodded in response.

"Veer, when are you planning to introduce her to your mother?" I had completely forgotten about that. "The queen and I talked about this. There are many auspicious days in the upcoming month. Why don't you meet Surekha and seek her blessings? Then, we can proceed with your wedding." Well, wow. I hadn't thought of that at all.

"Soon, we will go to seek my mother's blessings." Veer replied.

"Discuss about it and let me know."

"Yes, your majesty." With that, we left the room.

We silently walked for a while until Veer spoke. "So...when are we going to meet my mother?"

I don't know. I wasn't ready. It's too sudden. I need help. My mind was buzzing with thousands of thoughts but I replied, "Whenever you want to." I hoped I sounded confident.

"Excellent. I will inform the king and Soma Sangha. We will travel through the portals." We reached my room and he walked away with a small smile on his face. I could tell that he was very happy about this. I just hoped that his mother would like me.

Since, it was already decided, we headed to the portal entrance the very next day after breakfast. Everyone wanted to get us married as early as possible so the process was rushed. The twins decided to accompany us again. Our luggage was dispatched earlier to our destination. Don't ask me how I packed everything back in a single day.

The walk through the portal was still as magical as the first time. Within a flash, we reached the association.

"Welcome back, Laxu!" My aunt hugged me. Uncle and aunt were present in the room of portals to meet us. "I know that you're headed towards Vedashikha Gurukul to meet Surekha to seek her blessings so I won't take too much of your time but I want all the details once you're back here. Hmm?"

"Yes, aunt."

Without wasting any time, we headed towards a different portal to reach Vedashikha. Magic was so fascinating. We went to two different places, all in a single morning.

Last night, I called Devika to my room to know about Veer's mother. According to her, Veer's mother was a woman of few words but she was very affectionate towards her people. Interesting fact - she was the personal guard of Somapura's queen for quite some time. Apparently, she and the queen were long time friends. So, she accompanied the queen after marriage. That's where she met Veer's father and got married. They had Veer and everyone was overjoyed. It was a happy family until Veer's father died in a battle.

We went through the portal and crossed it one by one. This time, we entered a forest - a very dense one at that. The gate of the portal was hidden behind a bunch of trees, almost invisible if you're passing by.

"Don't worry. This forest might seem dense but there are no dangerous wild animals over here." Devansh informed me.

For the rest of the distance, we walked. I admired this foresty trail. It was cool, serene and relaxing. The swaying trees dotted our path and I relished it. There's something about forest breeze, it always calms you down.

Before I knew it, we arrived at the gurukul's entrance. I could spot a lot of girls and women who were going about their day. I was informed that this gurukul was made especially for girls. The mere thought warmed my heart. Men were not allowed inside without proper permissions.

As soon as we entered through the entrance, a flock of young girls surrounded us. "Brother Veer! You're here!" A little girl exclaimed with joy.

"Yes, I am." Veer smiled and sat on a knee to be on the same height as her. "Can you tell me where my mother is?"

"She's in her cottage." The girl replied with a huge grin on her face.

"Thank you." He patted her head and stood up, the smile never leaving his face. Is that how he will be with his future daughter?

Wait, what am I thinking? Focus Laxita.

"Let's go." He said and led us to what I was supposedly his mother's cottage.

I was dreading each step, my nerves a mess and my brain all jumbled. I was all jittery.

We stopped in front of a small cottage. The door was open and we could see a woman inside. She had her back towards us so I couldn't see her face.

"You're here?"

"Yes, maa." That was his mother?

She turned around to look at us. As soon as she saw Veer, her face lit up with a beautiful smile. Her eyes, they were the same as Veer's. She stretched her arms wide and Veer jogged over there to hug her. We followed behind him.

"How's my little Veer?"

"How many times have I told you that I am not little anymore." He pulled back to look at her.

"Yes, I guess you aren't. Since, you brought a girl who's to be your would be wife." Her eyes snapped upto me. I swear, I felt a shiver down my spine. She wasn't a soldier anymore but her gaze was still piercing.

"Yes, Surekha ji." Devika wrapped an arm around me. "She's our cousin, Laxita."

"Hmm. Subhadra's daughter? I heard about that."

I stood there like a statue, not uttering a single word.

"All the three of you should leave. I want to have a little chat with my daughter-in-law." Uh-oh, this can't be good.

"Why is everyone obsessed with talking to her alone?" Veer asked.

"Because we know that we can't talk to her freely if you're just buzzing here like a bee."

"Maa..."

("Mother...")

"What?"

"Nothing." He grumbled under his breath.

"Devansh, close the door when you leave. And no peeking, no eavesdropping and no wandering near my cottage. And yes Veer, most of those instructions are for you." I looked at him, he was about to say something but the words died on his tongue. It was hilarious.

"Yes, mother." He reluctantly left the room followed by Devansh. Devika leaned closer to me and whispered, "She might seem intimidating but trust me she's an amazing woman." And with that, everyone left, leaving us all alone there.

Yeah, what's the worst that could happen...

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