Hi! :)
Thank you so much for the reviews, follows and favorites! I'll be replying to reviews shortly…I keep forgetting to do that! :D
Anyway, enjoy the chapter! One sword fight between Rose and Dimitri coming right up :p
DISCLAIMER: This scene is borrowed from the bollywood movie Jodha-Abkar. It features a fantastic sword fight that is worth a watch :) Oh, Rose and Dimitri don't belong to me :p
Rose...
"You're on," I told Dimitri, concealing my surprise.
What was he doing here?
How did he even find the sword fighting section?
And where on earth were Eddie and Neal? It had to be one of them that had brought him here.
"Looks like we're meeting earlier than planned," Dimitri said casually as he twirled the sword around with ease.
"Whose fault is that?" I asked, removing my face mask and tossing it aside.
Dimitri smiled that sexy half smile of his. At that moment, everything about him screamed sexy. His crisp white shirt and black slacks gave him a dangerous edge. With sleeves rolled up to his elbows and hair tied back in a low ponytail, he looked…mouth-watering? Whaat?
"Ready?" he asked softly.
Taking a deep breath, I moved back in measured paces as he moved forward, his grip on the sword indicating his experience.
Both of us stepped forward, towards each other at the same time, our swords clashing in a move that felt almost choreographed.
After a few strikes, both of us retreated several steps, gauging each other.
Dimitri smiled slightly as he took in my stance, "Not bad."
My anger spiked, detecting a slight in his words. Men. "Not bad for a princess, you mean?"
He opened his mouth to reply but I didn't give him a chance.
Concentrating all my energy on a single blow, I forced him to take two steps back.
Without pause, I struck again.
This time he ducked under my sword and gracefully moved to my other side. I turned quickly, only to be met with a skilled blow which forced me to take a step back.
Again, both of us paused and eyed each other warily.
Looking away from those magnetic eyes, I made the first move.
A corner of his lips turned up as he deflected my blows easily, taking one step back for each of my strike, forcing me to follow him.
Irritated, I swung my sword to his side, only to be met by a pillar. He was easily slipping between the pillars on the side of the courtyard, alternating between a duck and a strike.
Angered by his slipperiness, I put even more power into my strikes, with him matching my power with his own.
We seemed to be evenly matched, with both of us slipping between defensive and offensive.
One of his strikes overpowered me for a moment and he took the opportunity, pushing me against a pillar. I only had time to hold my sword in front of me before he pushed his sword against mine, both of us now against the pillar, breathing heavily from exertion and separated only by our crossed swords.
Again, there was a pause.
A heavy pause.
My skin crackled with electricity at his closeness. I could feel his breath on my face, his eyes hypnotizing me. It would have been embarrassing if he hadn't paused as well, as if under the influence of a similar spell.
This close, I could make out the fine features of his face, the ridges and -
What was I doing?
What the hell was I doing?
He might be my betrothed but he was still a stranger. Someone I didn't, couldn't really trust.
His attractiveness was messing with my mind.
With that thought, I abruptly pushed him away and swung my sword at him. Even though I'd clearly stunned him, he regained himself in a jiffy and like that, we were back to our fight.
Our battle now took a furious edge, both of us trying to overpower the other. In terms of strength, he was better but I was quicker than him. But weirdly enough, I was the one relying on strength and him on speed.
We were using each other's best trait.
We were pushing each other to our limits.
I loved every moment of it, simply because I hadn't battled anyone so skilled before.
One of Dimitri's strikes had me ducking close to the ground, almost losing my footing. With effort, I managed to keep my balance but the move cost me.
My hair was free of its tie. A major disadvantage. But I had to overcome it if I wanted to win.
"Solitude!" I commanded. Two of my guards who usually oversaw my practice sessions and a few other servants standing in the open corridor adjacent to the courtyard dispersed.
Dimitri had an unreadable look on his face. He seemed almost...captivated?
I shook my head, both to get rid of crazy thoughts and to get my hair out of my face. Then, I swung my sword at Dimitri.
This time, we weren't moving around. It was strength versus strength, which was a disadvantage to me.
Clearly aware of it, Dimitri fought such that I had no room to move around. Our sword met and locked against each other, both of us pushing against our swords. His strength overcame mine but I didn't pull my sword away.
This forced me to bend a little. But I didn't give up.
Gritting my teeth, I pushed again, this time breaking away from the logjam. My escape brought us to the corridor bordering the courtyard.
In a move so quick that I couldn't comprehend it, he slashed at the curtain hanging from the window nearby and threw it at me. Momentarily blinded, I fought my way out of the curtain maze only to see that Dimitri had vanished.
He was nowhere in the courtyard or the corridor. But the corridor lead to another smaller courtyard which was bound by pillars and curtains hanging from the ceiling. It had comfortable chairs and divans and was meant for resting after practice sessions. Dimitri must be there, hiding, hoping to catch me unawares when I came investigating.
Cautiously I entered the courtyard, keeping an eye out for any sudden movements between the curtains.
Suddenly, he was there, attacking me from my left.
I blocked his strike and retaliated quickly, our swords clashing together again.
But when he took a step back, Dimitri's leg caught the edge of a divan nearby and he fell back on the massive divan.
Of course, it was a stroke of bad luck for him and good luck for me. Smirking, I stepped closer and raised my sword to dislodge his sword from his hand.
"Rose!"
I turned around, startled by the sound of someone-Lissa- calling my name. A split second later, I realized how stupid that move was.
Capitalizing on my distraction, Dimitri, still lying on the divan, swung his sword and dislodged mine from my hand.
I turned to him, outraged. He'd just cheated!"That's not fair! If Lissa hadn't called me-"
"A small moment of hesitation can get you killed in battle," Dimitri said sagely, looking innocent.
That look wasn't something I was familiar with. This man with his god damned masks could actually look innocent?
As if.
I spared him a glare before turning to Lissa who'd approached us. "Couldn't you have waited just a minute longer?"
"I'm sorry," Lissa apologized, clearly humoring me. I could tell she was trying her best to not laugh.
I narrowed my eyes at her but my attention was diverted to Dimitri who'd stood up now. "Forgive her, Rose. I was lucky to win. You fight good. Really good."
I scoffed but decided to talk to him later. I had to deal with Lissa first.
"What did you call me for?" I asked her, still miffed to have lost because of her.
"Nothing of consequence," Lissa said with a sly smile, her eyes darting once between me and Dimitri.
"Well then," I faked a smile, knowing what she wnated. "Let me introduce you."
Turning to Dimitri, I gestured to Lissa, "This is Lissa Dragomir-"
"-I've heard many great things about you, Lady Dragomir." Dimitri said with a small smile.
Lissa blushed.
What was going on?
Narrowing my eyes at her, I continued, "She wasn't in the city yesterday when you arrived."
"I'm sorry I missed your arrival, Your Majesty." Lissa said with a small curtsy.
Damn it! Why was I getting so irritated?
Dimitri's smile widened, because of her reply or her curtsy, I didn't know. "It's not a problem, my lady. You weren't the only one who missed it."
Both of them turned to look at me.
For a moment, I was struck by the thought that Dimitri and Lissa would make a perfect couple. They were similar in so many aspects. She was all manners and grace and simpering, the very things Dimitri seemed to want in a wife. That's what he'd told me the day he'd arrived in Loha. It was all about appearances with him, a perfect face to present to the public. Lissa would be good for that-
"Rose?" Lissa's voice entered my increasingly unpleasant thought process. Startled, I looked between her and Dimitri.
Both of them looked at me expectantly.
"What?" I asked, feeling out of it.
Lissa shot a look at Dimitri and told me, "I'll see you later."
I nodded absentmindedly.
Dimitri started to roll down his sleeves, sparing me a small glance. "Are you okay?"
"Why don't you marry Lissa?" I blurted out.
Dimitri's eyes widened in shock, his hands stilling on his sleeve.
"It's the perfect match," I carried on, my thoughts making more sense to me as I vocalized them. "She's everything you seem to want. A perfect queen."
"Where's this coming from?" Dimitri asked, his damned neutral mask sliding over his face.
I shrugged, trying to appear blasé. "Think about it. Didn't you say 'respect makes a man' and all that rubbish about maintaining a good reputation? Lissa feels the same."
"So I should marry her?" Dimitri asked slowly, his stance rigid.
"Why not?" I asked, unable to stop talking. "You don't have to deal with me and my delinquent ways anymore."
Dimitri's jaw clenched. "You need to stop this."
"Stop what?" I asked, confused.
He covered the distance between us in two strides, his eyes burning though his voice was cool. Cold, even. "You need to stop presuming so much, Rose. You think you know me? You know what I want and need?"
"I didn't say-"
Dimitri cut me off. "Don't. If you don't want this marriage, tell me directly."
"This isn't about us," I told him, strangely calm.
Dimitri raised an eyebrow. "Isn't it? You're trying to set me up with your best friend so that you don't have to marry me anymore."
"That's not true," I insisted. "I'm just suggesting a better match."
Dimitri shook his head, his voice exasperated now. "I couldn't care less if it's a better match or not. You can't convince me to marry someone just because you think it's for the best. Either you're in this betrothal or you're not."
It was then that I realized the absurdity of the situation. What was I trying to do?
I had no right to assume that Dimitri would want to marry Lissa just because the both of them shared some values.
Why, oh, why do I not think before I speak?
Shaking my head, I looked up at him apologetically. "I shouldn't have done that."
"You shouldn't have," he agreed, his tone still off.
"I'm sorry," I persisted, wanting to see him crack. "It's just that-"
"It's just what, Rose?" he asked with a sigh. "You've been presuming too many things since I've arrived. I admit, I have presumed things about you too but we cannot continue like this."
I nodded, realizing the truth of the statement. "You're right. But Dimitri, this…this is hard for me."
He raised an eyebrow.
"Not presuming things about you," I clarified. "I've seen the power the royal men hold in the world. With the exception of my own brother, no one, not even my father approves of my...way of life, so to speak."
Dimitri had been listening patiently. When I paused, he asked, "By 'way of life' you mean this? Warfare?"
I smiled slightly. "Warfare. Among other things."
"Rose," his tone softened drastically as he took a step towards me. "I know you have your suspicions about me. I'm glad you're actually telling me about them, as opposed to letting it fester. In regard to this particular question of yours, I want you to know that I'm not like the others kings, Rose. I don't want to marry someone who only cares about appearances and riches. If I've to marry, then I want to marry someone who's able to walk by my side, not behind me. Someone capable of defending herself and others if need be. Someone who stands up for what she believes in."
Wow!
I hadn't expected that. But I couldn't doubt it, not when his eyes reflected his sincerity.
He did mean what he'd said.
He really wasn't like anyone I'd met before. Then again, even at nine years of age, he'd been so very different.
His confession chipped away the greatest fear I'd been harboring since I'd learned of the betrothal. He didn't want a trophy wife. He actually wanted someone who could match him every step of the way.
Was there hope for this betrothal after all?
Not wanting to delve on it, I relaxed my face into a smile and joked, "You're quite lucky, you know?"
If Dimitri was disconcerted at the way I'd switched from being serious one moment to joking in the next, he didn't show.
He just went along with it, with earned him some pretty cool points in my book.
"How so?" he asked me lightly.
"You've gotten so many apologies from Rose Mazur herself." I pointed out. "Not many people can boast of that."
Dimitri chuckled.
Like that, the ice between us was cracked, if not fully broken.
"Do you remember the Ozeras party fourteen years ago?" Dimitri asked as we set out to find Neal and Eddie.
"When we first met?" I clarified.
Dimitri nodded.
"Yes," I replied as we walked down the corridor. "What of it?"
"I remember Christian being fixated on a blond girl," he said. "Was that Lissa?"
"Yup."
"Aren't they together now?" he asked curiously. "I met Christian about two years ago and all he talked about was Lissa."
I sighed, slightly sad at the recollection of what Lissa and Christian had been. But I was also grateful for the topic. It gave me a chance to talk casually with Dimitri. Ever since his arrival, all our talks had been heavy with accusations, suspicions and fear of a future together. Talking about something other than our future would, hopefully, lighten the atmosphere between us, giving me a glimpse of the real Dimitri.
"They're not together now," I told him. "They dated for a few years, then broke up because of Christian's insecurity and Lissa's paranoia. But they still love each other, as far as I can tell."
"Insecurity and paranoia?" Dimitri asked, puzzled.
I nodded, turning the corridor to the fencing arena Neal loved. "Christian thinks he doesn't deserve her. Lissa thinks Christian is not interested in her and likes other girls. I've tried my best to patch them up but they're more stubborn than I am, at least in this."
Dimitri smiled that sexy half smile of his. "Is that even possible?"
"What dirty secrets are you whispering to each other?" Neal's voice sounded from behind us.
My ever-so-charming brother stood leaning against a pillar behind us with his trademark grin. Eddie stood beside him, his eyes amused.
I scoffed at Neal's comment. "Wouldn't you like to know?"
"Actually, no." Neal replied thoughtfully. "Who knows what-"
"Neal!" I groaned, cutting him off.
Eddie laughed as they walked towards us. Neal said, addressing Dimitri, "I take my eyes off you for a minute and you run off to find my sister?"
Dimitri rolled his eyes, an easy smile on his lips. "I didn't run off. I got lost in this maze that you call a training center."
Neal and I shared a grin.
"You got lost, comrade?" I teased. "In this tiny little building?"
"It's confusing," Dimitri insisted, his hands in his pockets.
"Get a map next time," Neal joked. "My sister may not be around to save the day."
"Save the day?" I scoffed. "Hardly. In fact, I rather you not get lost again, comrade. You interrupted my practice."
"I did beat you," Dimitri pointed out.
I paused a second, reveling in the fact that we were having such a light, carefree conversation. I would never have guessed that Dimitri was capable of being as relaxed and laid-back as he looked at the moment.
"You both had a match?" Eddie asked before I could reply.
"Sword fight," I answered, scowling at Dimitri. He beat me, did he?
"Whoa!" Eddie whistled. "I'd have paid to see that."
"I'm not sure I would've," Neal said lightly. "Who knows what they-"
I clamped my hand over his mouth, wary of his words. "I'd rather not hear the rest of that sentence, Neal."
"You really won against Rose?" Eddie asked Dimitri.
"Only because Lissa distracted me," I said indignantly, huffing when all three men laughed.
"You won't quite so lucky next time," I warned Dimitri.
"We'll see, Rose. We'll see." He said with a rare, happy smile.
In spite of everything that had happened between us, all the misconceptions, anger, frustration and everything else, I found myself looking forward to more days with him.
AN: I'm not very happy with this chapter but it was needed. Sorry if it was boring! :p
What did you think about Rose and Dimitri's fight? Technically Dimitri won but we saw how! :D But hey, all was well at the end, right? Will it stay that way though? ;) Leave me a review and let me know what you thought of this chapter :)
P.S: Advance Diwali wishes to all those who celebrate it! May happiness and joy fill your lives! Enjoy the festival of lights :)
