I wrote this chapter with a single functioning brain cell while all others are asleep.

---***---

Samarjit struggled to not yell at Venu, while trying to comprehend the consequences of what his adviser had done without consulting him. He barely paid attention to what Dushyanta and Agastya spoke.

He glared at Venu with utmost hostility, before demanding an explanation. "Is it true? Did you know about this?"

"Yes, Yuvaraja." Venu replied.

"You concealed the information from me. And stopped my cousins from telling the Queen. You restricted them to their chambers, thus not allowing them to meet anyone. Do you deny it?"

"No. But I--"

Samarjit silenced him with a sharp look. "Who gave you the authority?"

"That's what I told him." Dushyanta began complaining. "But he was in no mood to listen. He--"

"Brother, let the accused speak." Samarjit interrupted him.

"Yuvaraja, it is clear that someone planned this attack with the intention of stopping the wedding. We all know how important this alliance is to us. I couldn't let anyone ruin it."

"It was never your decision to make!"

"But Senapati garu agreed with me. He left for the rescue mission by himself."

"Senapati garu has the authority to go on a mission without informing us, if his duty dictates him. Your case is different. Your duty dictates you to inform me. You failed me. You shall be punished." Samarjit never thought there would come a day when he had to punish his closest friend. "You shall no longer be my adviser."

"Samarjit, perhaps you are being too hard on your adviser." Vaishali tried to intervene.

"He knew what he was doing. He has to bear the consequences." Samarjit was in no mood to listen. "He needs to be banished as per the law."

"I support Samarjit" said Dushyanta. "Venu put the life of our subjects in danger."

"Which is why he shall be thrown into the dungeons until we return. His punishment will be decided after we return. He will get a proper trial." Mayanshi spoke up.

"Trial, Yuvarani?" Samarjit. "But the law--"

"We are wasting time. We should ride. We have to join Senapati garu and his men before they reach the village." Mayanshi tried her best to avoid brutal punishment for Venu.

"Very well." Vaishali ordered for Venu to be arrested.

The guards took him away. He didn't protest.

"We have to start now" said Mayanshi.

"You can't go, Maya" said Bhargavi.

"Why?"

"You got married this morning. The bride can't go and fight battles." Bhargavi argued.

Mayanshi sighed. She knew Bhargavi was trying to protect her. And it annoyed her. 'Does she really think I will sit here and wait while my people have been taken hostage?' She summoned all her patience to not yell at her mother in public.

"Listen to your mother, child. It's not safe. I know you are worried. But at least respect the tradition. You are the bride." Vaishali tried to stop her.

Mayanshi didn't have another moment to waste. Samarjit already left the chamber. He would start riding to Gopalapuram any moment. "You both knew my mother, Queen Kaushiki, better than me. What would she have done in this situation? Let someone else fight for her people or join the fight?"

Bhargavi and Vaishali glanced at each other. The mention of Kaushiki softened their expressions.

Bhargavi nodded. "Be careful, Maya." She said, trying not to burst into tears. Raghuveera blessed his daughter.

Mayanshi turned to face Vaishali, who finally gave in. "Fine. You may go. But remember. You are the last living relative of the King. He would have wanted you to be safe." She blessed Mayanshi, who touched her feet. "Vijayi Bhava."

Mayanshi walked away to join Samarjit. Abhimanyu followed her. "You don't have to come with me, Abhimanyu."

"I know. But I will." Abhimanyu refused to stay back. They left together.

"Don't worry about them, Maharani. Samarjit will look after them." Vaishali assured Bhargavi.

"You are being nice to us?" Bhargavi frowned.

"We may have numerous differences. But we have one thing in common. Our love for our children. My son is all I have. I can understand how anxious you are."

"And yet you made my daughter hate me by listing my past mistakes."

"I regret doing that. You have to understand. I don't have any hatred for anyone, except those who try to harm my Samarjit. Everything I do, is for him." Vaishali joined her palms in a formal Namaste and walked away.

---***---

"Yuvaraja, why are we heading towards the forest?" asked Mayanshi.

"We can cut half a day's ride if we travel through the woods. Senapati garu took the longer route. This way we can join them by midnight." Samarjit replied.

The idea of traveling through the dense forest intimidated Mayanshi. "Is it safe?"

"You can turn back." He offered.

"You think I can't do this?"

"That's not what I meant. One of us should be alive. For Virata."

"But I am planning to keep all of us alive." She said. "If everything goes well, we might succeed."

"Right. We will succeed." Samarjit agreed.

"You mean if we don't get eaten alive by wild animals?" asked Abhimanyu.

"As far as I know animals love Prince Abhimanyu. He can control them just by whistling thrice" said Samarjit, referring to the letters though pigeon incident.

Mayanshi shook her head. She was annoyed by them taunting each other. She deliberately lowered her pace for some peace of mind.

"By the way, who do you think is behind the attack?" Abhimanyu continued the conversation.

"Whoever it is, their ultimate goal was to stop the wedding. Of that, I am certain" said Samarjit.

"I overheard your men speaking. They think it's me" said Abhimanyu, making his brother-in-law feel uncomfortable.

"I... Well..."

"I do seem the type. Don't I? Back when my sister was attacked, I was suspected because someone concluded I wanted to get rid of her. And now when a village is attacked, I'm being suspected again because someone concluded I hate you. Whatever the issue is, I am the culprit." Abhimanyu smiled humourlessly.

Samarjit didn't know what to say. He just gave an apologetic look.

Mayanshi observed that Govardhana was lost in thought. "Manikantha?" She called him. He didn't respond. "Sriman Manikantha?" She raised her voice.

"Yes... Yuvarani...um.. my apologies." He said hastily.

"You look worried."

"I'm trying to..."

"To figure out who did this?" She asked.

"Who do you think it is?"

"I have my suspicions. Who would go to any extent to stop the wedding?" It was clear that she was speaking about Vaishali.

"Her?" Manikantha lowered his voice. "Would she hurt innocent people to achieve what she wants?"

"I'm unsure."

"I don't think so. How could anyone be so cruel? They definitely must have thought about innocent people's suffering." He said more to himself than to her.

"What are you mumbling?"

"I mean, anyone who claims to love their subjects wouldn't do this. It is unforgivable."

"Don't worry. We will save the villagers." Mayanshi assured him.

Samarjit ordered to halt for sometime. "The horses need rest." He explained to his wife. She agreed.

She sat down, desperately hoping they would reach by midnight. The thought of children being held captive by assassins made her feel uneasy. She prayed to Lord Hanuman to keep them safe. 

"Everything will be fine, Yuvarani" said Samyukta. 

"I can't believe Mantri Kashyapa allowed you to come with us." Mayanshi felt it was unfair to make healers ride along with them to such a dangerous place.

Samyukta stole a quick glance at Abhimanyu before answering. "I can't neglect my duty. Besides, father has been assured that I will be safe."

Mayanshi didn't press the matter. Soon she was joined by her husband. "I'm sorry."

"Why?"

"It's your wedding day. You should be in the palace observing post-wedding rituals like all brides. And yet you're here." 

"Duty comes first." She shrugged. They stayed silent for a few moments. "What will happen to Venu?"

Samarjit's face fell. "He will either be banished or imprisoned."

"Do you have to do that? He did it for you. He made sure that this alliance isn't broken. I know he shouldn't have done that without consulting you. But don't just look at the crime. Consider the circumstances too." She advised him.

"I have to follow the law. I don't have a choice."

She gave him a disappointed look. "That's not right. You always have a choice. It is easier to justify what you are doing by saying you don't have a choice, rather than admitting that you did it on your own will."

"Trust me I gain no pleasure by punishing him."

"So rigid." She sighed, while casually flicking a scorpion resting on his shoulder, which he failed to notice.

Samarjit was alarmed. "It was... I... thank you, Yuvarani." He expressed his gratitude. "You are fearless."

"I'm not."

"You are being modest."

"No. I'm not. I'm just brave." She replied.

"Aren't they synonymous?"

"They are entirely different. Being fearless is complete absence of fear. Bravery, on the other hand, originates from fear." She explained.

"I don't understand. Fear made you brave?"

"Yes. I'm brave because I fear losing."

He sighed exasperatedly. "I should have known. You love winning. Don't you?"

She didn't answer. For some reason she felt it was not necessary to correct him.

---***---

Senapati Jayendra was surprised to see the newly wedded couple joining him instead of staying at the palace and completing the remaining rituals. He suggested they should head back. But they refused.

They reached the village a prahar before sunrise and met the village head, who explained the situation. "There are about seventy villagers who are held captive in an old building situated at the eastern end."

"What did the soldiers posted here do to rescue them?" asked Samarjit.

"They can't do anything, Yuvaraja. There are more than twenty armed assassins. They will start killing our people the moment we attack from outside."

"We need a plan." Mayanshi told Samarjit. "We can't attack from outside. We must disguise ourselves as villagers, find a way to get inside, and then attack from both ends."

"It is not easy. There are two of them standing guard at the entrance. If they see us entering, they will alert their friends" said Samarjit.

"We must distract them." She said thoughtfully.

"How do we do that?"

"Leave that to me." She assured him.

He refused to put her life in danger. She told him that she would do nothing more than distracting them. She promised to return once she bought them enough time to get inside by keeping the guards busy. They worked on the remaining part of the plan. Once they manage to get inside she would stay back and signal the soldiers.

She could see the villagers throwing disgusting looks in her direction, while muttering. Some of them didn't even bother to keep their voice down. It was evident that they blamed her for the attack, as it happened on the day of her wedding. They believed their princess to be inauspicious for their kingdom.

She chose to ignore them, though it hurt her very badly.

---***---

The assassins guarding the main entrance of the building splashed water on their faces to avoid falling asleep. "Another prahar and we can get some sleep" said one to the other.

"How long can we manage like this? The wedding must have been postponed by now. Let's escape before we are attacked."

"You're such a fool. We can make a deal. Money and jewels in exchange for their lives" said the first one. " We can kill a few to show them we are serious."

"This better work... who are you, girl?" The assassin spotted a village girl.

"I'm a dancer, sire. I have been invited to dance and entertain your master." Mayanshi replied, batting her lashes.

"Our master? We don't have a master." The term offended them.

"Well, in that case, you would you like me to perform and entertain you here or shall we get inside?"

"What is she doing?" Samarjit whispered to Abhimanyu. "Inappropriate!"

"Distracting them, of course." Abhimanyu expertly climbed the wall. "Come on! Get inside before they spot us."

Samarjit climbed the wall quickly and jumped inside, landing on his toes without making noise. "Will she be safe? I'm worried."

"Keep your voice down. They will hear you. I think it's this way." They turned around only to come face to face with three more assassins.

"Trying to escape?" They smirked, mistaking the princes for villagers.

"Forgive us, sire." Abhimanyu knelt. "We were just trying to find some food for our family. Don't kill us. We will do anything."

"You will taken to the leader. He will decide whether we should chop your heads or burn you alive." They dragged them inside. 

At the entrance, Mayanshi was still trying to charm them.

"You are sent by the village head. Aren't you? Let's see how well you perform barefoot on pieces of broken glass. Let this be a lesson to anyone who tries to outsmart us."

They tried to grab her hand, when Govardhana appeared out of nowhere and threw a dagger at her. She caught it. Together, they sliced the assassins' throats. "I'd love to try dancing on glass pieces. But I am on a tight schedule." She said, while they bled to death.

"Alright. I'll get inside. Lord Dushyanta will come with me. Sriman Manikantha will take care of the bodies and join us." Jayendra suggested. "Princess Mayanshi will climb the tree and signal our soldiers with with a lit arrow."

Right when everything was going according to their plan, they saw the first floor being lit by torches. "What is that?"

"It could only mean one thing. Our revered warrior princes are caught" said Mayanshi.

"They're in danger. What do we do now?" asked Jayendra.

"Change of plans. I'm coming with you." She abandoned her mission of signaling the soldiers and went inside to protect her family.

---***---

The leader of the assassins looked like a nightmare and smelt like a dead boar. He laughed evilly, revealing his crooked brown teeth. Samarjit found the image revolting.

"Skin these two alive." The assassin ordered.

"Sire!! Have mercy on us." This time it was Samarjit, who knelt. "We will do whatever you say. Don't kill us."

"What could you do for us?"

Samarjit racked his brain for an answer. "We will entertain you, sire" was all he could say, while thinking how to butcher them and keep the villagers safe at the same time.

"You are no damsels whose dance we would enjoy. You will fight and entertain us." He decreed.

"Have mercy on us. We never held a sword in our life." Abhimanyu stressed on the word 'sword'.

They started laughing. "In that case, give them the sharpest swords. One of them lives, while the other dies by the end of the fight. I will decorate my wall with the dead one's skin."

He threw two swords at them. They picked them up, thanking their stars, for they only had daggers with them.

Thus, armed with swords, they pretended to fight, until they found a perfect moment to strike.

Abhimanyu crushed Samarjit's foot with his leg. He yelped in pain and looked at his brother-in-law questioningly. "It has to look real."

"As you wish." Samarjit kicked him. He landed on the other side.

They stood on the diagonally opposite ends of the arena. Samarjit nodded. Abhimanyu immediately turned around and beheaded the nearest assassin. He managed to injure four more with lightning speed and turned around to see that Samarjit had done the same before they could fathom what was happening.

The remaining men managed to gather their arms and surrounded them. "What do we do now? Amma will kill me if I die" said Abhimanyu.

"Quick! Stand right behind me facing the other side." Samarjit ordered.

One of them faced north while the other faced south. They were outnumbered five to one. They managed to injure two more,  searching for a weak spot in the circle formed by assassins, to escape.

Their only consolation was that, the assassins' complete focus was on them. They liked to keep it that way until help arrived. The villages cowered in a corner.

Abhimanyu felt a blow on his arm. His sword flew out of his hand. He was almost stabbed when Samarjit abandoned his position and rushed to his brother-in-law's aid. He managed to save the prince of Srimukha, when someone kicked him from behind. He fell down.

He tried to get up. But it was too late. The man standing in front of him, raised his sword to strike. Precisely at that moment, Mayanshi entered the room, armed with bow and arrows. She shot the man in the throat. He fell down, dead.

She turned around and shot two more arrows which hit their targets perfectly. Jayendra and Govardhana managed to disarm the others.

Samarjit stood up, unable to believe that they won. "Thank you for saving my life, Yuvarani." He panted for breath. "But why did you get inside? You were not supposed to come here. It's too dangerous."

"Didn't I tell you, I fear losing." She replied. "I fear losing the ones I love and I can do anything to protect them."

Samarjit's lips curved into a smile. He was about to hold her hand, when she walked past him and embraced her brother.

"I would have died if anything happened to you, Abhimanyu. Thank God you are safe." She blinked away tears.

Samarjit smiled at his wife sadly. 'I should have known. It will never be me.'

---***---

Please don't forget to COMMENT and VOTE. I would love to read what you think about this part.

Score is 2-0 for Mayanshi and Samarjit respectively, if we consider the scorpion incident.

I calculated the number of chapters again. It might go upto 60. Mission Condense Story.