Chapter 58

Mordis Northern Border

When Bhavya entered the large tent that belonged to the General she felt a wave of relief come over her. Those lustful pair of eyes earlier left her feeling scared and violated. The sun was setting and she could feel the winter air seeping through every small openings of the tent but fortunately there were plenty of fire stoves inside. Even the animal fur beneath her feet felt soft and warm. As she quietly moved closer to one of the fire stoves to warm her chilled hands Bhavya snuck a peak at Rudra who was quietly removing his armor. She didn't know if she should just come over and help him because his expression was very dark. However when she saw him struggle to get is arm out of his clothing Bhavya quickly came to his aid.

"Let me help you."

He kept silent while letting her pry his large arms out of the sleeves. She dared not to make eye contact because she could already feel his piercing gaze watching her every move. To distract herself from thinking too much Bhavya started to visually examine his wounds. She didn't like what she saw at all. Old wounds had re-open and new wounds were in need of medical care.

Rudra could feel her tiny fingers as she pressed down on his injuries but the pain was not comparable to what he was feeling inside. Seeing his uncle would always bring out the bad memories. Bhavya saw his fists were clenched as she was still examining him and she couldn't help but look up. His eyes harbored nothing but hatred as she stared at him. Suddenly she felt something drop by her feet. As she bent down to pick it up she felt his hand grab a hold of her wrist that held a small black medallion.

"I...I'm sorry...I was just picking it up..." Bhavya was afraid that he thought she had the intention of stealing such a thing. She could tell that it was made out of a very precious stone and the value was most likely far beyond what she could imagine. Her hand was trembling slightly because he kept silent. He did not try to take the medallion back but instead just stared at it. Bhavya didn't know if she should just let go of it or wait for him to make the next move. However out of nowhere he pulled out another medallion exactly like it.

"You have two?" Bhavya asked.

Finally he took the black medallion in a shape of two spears crossing over each other.

"These belong my father....and his brother....a symbol of our family's legacy of being Mordis's great army."

She then saw him pull out a third one. "This is mine."

"How could you tell? They all look the same."

"Look closer."

She could see it now. At the tip of the spear there were different letters.

"Mine has the letter "R" for Rudra. My father's has the letter "D" for Druv....and the last one "A...."

His eyes darkened just saying the letter "A" but he did not utter the name for her to hear. As he stared at the medallion with the letter "A" on the spearheads Rudra could feel the anger inside of him burning once again. "Did you know that for us...this medallion can not leave our sight...it is always suppose to be kept securely by our side."

Flashback 10 years ago

"Rudra you must stay back here and guard the border."

"But father! I can help!"

"No! I will go and reach the King along with your uncle! Do not worry son...I will be back. As my only son you are to take my place when I am gone."

Rudra had been training all his life by his father's side and was one of the strongest soldier there. No one would dare say he climbed the ranks due to his father being the Great General. He could see how proud his father was and was determine to prove he was capable of holding the fort.

"Yes father!"

His father Druv had always kept an eye out on the late King of Mordis even when he was far away guarding the Northern Borders. So when he got word that there was a planned assassination in the works he immediately grabbed his strongest men to follow him back to the inner city.

However his father never returned. He and his men didn't even make it to the city. Rudra remembered seeing his father's horse gallop back to the barracks just one hour after they left and his heart sank. There was no way this was a good sign. Taking the reigns of his father's horse Rudra jumped on and immediately whipped the stallion's hind legs. His heart was pounding and his mind was thinking of the worse as he dashed through the treacherous trail towards the city. The scent of blood in the air made him pray that soon he would see his father standing there....alive. Bodies of his brothers in arms were drenched in blood but his eyes frantically searched for just one person.

"Father!!"

As he jumped down from his father's horse Rudra's knees buckle as he came closer to his father's bloodied body.

"Father!!" he yelled out as he scooped his father into his arms.

When he saw his father opened his eyes a bit he felt hopeful.

"Father?! You will be alright! I...I will bring you back...."

But as soon as he tried to lift up his heavily injured father he felt his father grab onto his shoulder.

"Son...it's pointless...."

His eyes were watery but he refused to cry because that only meant that he believed in his father's words.

"No..Father...trust me...we can make it!"

"Rudra! Listen....I don't...I...."

As his father spit out a mouthful of blood Rudra felt his entire body go numb. He didn't know what to do. He was losing him. Losing him quick. His father was dying to tell him something but the blood was choking him. Then he saw it....the medallion in his father's hand...the medallion that was to not leave their side....the medallion that did not belong to him.

Rudra's eyes widen and started to look at his surrounding.

"Where is uncle?! Where?!"

His father used his last bit of strength to grab onto Rudra's face. His father's eyes was clear as day as he squeezed the medallion in his hand; almost crushing it.

"Was it uncle?!"

His father's eyes said it all. Betrayed by his own brother and yet there was not a single witness. He knew the next in line to become the Great General of Mordis was the very person who killed his father.

At first Rudra did not want to believe it until he hauled his father's body back to the Northern Border only to see his uncle standing there waiting.

"Rudra! Where have you been? We have been attacked! Your father....."

Seeing his uncle without a single injury only confirmed his suspicions and soon everything would become clear as day. When the news of the King and Queen of Mordis fell to their deaths and Lord Tej's men were now infiltrating the army; he knew. This was a rebellion. His father was loyal to the late King but his uncle wanted the title of the Great General and in order to get that his father paid the price. It was only on the day of his father's funeral did he get a chance to speak with Omkara; who was also grieving.

"Your Majesty..."

He remembered that day his friend had changed. His eyes were heavy and cold and when he spoke you could feel the darkness surrounding him.

"I'm sorry for your loss. Your pain is just as great as mine and we must not let them get away with it."

"What your Majesty is saying...."

"I will be your support and you will be mine. With me behind you the troops will soon be yours. It is up to you to defeat your uncle. Let your men see his true self. Only then will they side with you and not him. I need you to take over the Northern Army. Can you do it?"

For years he has recruited and trained his own men but only now did his uncle see him as a threat. To go out of his way to try and assassinate him while coming back from Ashen was a bold move. Soon his uncle will not be able to hide and will strike again and when that time comes everyone will know what happened 10 years ago! Rumors were already implanted and everyone in the northern army still felt the anguishing loss of his father and worships him till this very day. When the truth comes out it will be dealt according to the laws of the army and Rudra could not wait to carry it out.

Bhavya could see little bits and pieces being broken apart by his strong grasp that she didn't know what to do.

"Uh..General...you are breaking it."

Her meek voice pulled him away from his painful memories and he quickly tucked the medallion back into his waistband.

She didn't want him to stress about things she did not want to know. All she wanted to do now was wash up so that she could tend to his wounds.

"General...where do I go to wash up? I need to make sure that I myself am clean in order to treat you."

Seeing him point to a large screen just to the right of the bed her eyes darted back to him in shock.

"What? Back there?"

"This is not the Palace. I will tell someone to fill the basin with water."

It didn't take long for a young soldier to fill up the basin with warm water but how could she just undress and bathe in an open area like this. Rudra could sense her hesitation but there was just no other place. It was either inside his tent or out in the shower rooms where the other soldiers would wash up.

"I will stay out here to stand guard. You need not worry."

"You...you will stay here?"

Her pink cheeks and fidgeting fingers that were twisting the sides of her skirt was proof that she was questioning his character. After all he was still a man and she was a woman about to bathe in his tent.

"I will not peek. It's not like I haven't seen everything." Rudra teased.

Bhavya was too embarrassed to say anything and so she quickly went behind the big screen to undress. The water against her skin felt amazing but this was no time to relax. She took the soap and quickly scrubbed herself down while pouring cups full of water over her head. Meanwhile Rudra was trying his best to force himself to think of other things but the sounds of water splashing made it quite difficult. Every time an impure thought came across his mind he would take a deep breath while swallowing a mouthful of air. It was only when he heard her squeal that he turned around.

"What happened?"

"Oh nothing...it almost tripped trying to climb out of the basin. I'm almost done. Just have to get dressed."

The moment he had turned around his eyes were already glued to the her silhouette that the fire stoves had casted on the screen. Her every movement made it hard for him to breathe and so when she finally stepped out in freshly cleaned clothes his entire body was ready for a cold shower.

"General..it is your turn to wash up so that I can apply the medicine."

Calling the young soldier back to change out the water Rudra tried to not look at Bhavya who was preparing the ointment for his wounds. However after bathing he couldn't help but watch her as she tended to him.

"Why does she smell better then me? Didn't we both use the same soap?"

When she was finally done he was wondering why she was still so nervous.

"What is wrong?"

"Where...am...I suppose to...sleep?...There's only...one bed."

"You sleep on the bed. I will sleep on the floor."

Before she could tell him that he should be the one sleeping on the bed he had already planted himself on the large piece of animal fur that was spread out by the bed.

"Sleep."

********************************************

Morning in Ashen

Svetlana was beginning to really worry. She had sent many men to send messages to Tej but she still has not received a single response. With Ishana's pregnancy and Riddhima's goal of being the Queen of Mordis Svetlana had a lot on her hands.

"Why is he not sending any word?"

If only she was back in Mordis would she have access to all of her things. When she left for Ashen she had to part with many of her precious items that could truly help her now. Even Tej himself did not know that her lair was located deep inside his manor.

"I have no choice."

She knew Kali would be in his study this morning so she made an effort to stop by.

"You seem too busy for me lately?" pouted Svetlana as she wraps her arms around Kali who seem to be reading a letter that he quickly tucked away upon her arrival.

Digging his head into the crook of her neck while his hands wildly roam her body. "Is that why you have come so early in the morning? I should have not neglected by duties as your husband."

With the erotic sounds coming from the study not a single servant dared to look at one another. Everyone's eyes were casted down until the panting stopped.

Kali was not alien to Svetlana's antics. Letting her caress his chest as he did hers "So tell me..what does the Queen want."

Her lips curves up in delight. "You know me so well."

"I want you to send word that I will be visiting Mordis along with Riddhima one week earlier."

Kali's brows narrowed "Why do you want to go there one week early?"

Her light laughter while rubbing her body against his made him aroused again.

"I need to lay down ground work for Riddhima. It's just one week. Soon you will join me along with Ishana and the Princes of Uthon."

"What about the Prince of Gopar? Is he not suppose to escort Riddhima to Mordis?"

"Well....I'm sure if you send word for him to just meet us in Mordis he would not refuse. Besides Gopar is closer to Mordis then it is to Ashen."

"So you came here for me to send a letter to the King of Mordis to welcome you a week earlier?"

"Well he did say before that we could visit anytime."

"That was before he almost died in our forest."

Svetlana's smile was becoming too cunning. "A King can not go back on his words. Especially one spoken in front of so many royals."

"Well if the Queen wishes I will send a letter. You sure you will succeed in getting into his good graces? Seems a bit difficult with Riddhima's current facial scar. Even before then he did not seem too interested."

"Do not worry about that. My plan will be flawless."

Kali once again turned his queen on her back to satiate his sexual desires.

When Svetlana finally managed to leave the study her entire body was already worn out but everything to her was worth it.

"Hmph! It will surely work! I know who he likes already...so this should be easy."

Mordis

It will take only one day for a messenger to deliver that  letter to Omkara who was now sitting in his dungeon staring at Vikram.

"Tell me who else beside people from Ashen would want to look for Lady Gauri."

Vikram knew better then to tell anyone about Fray. This was the one place that his King wanted hidden from everyone else. Fray's secrets was so well hidden that Kali only knew bits and pieces of them. But one thing was clear. Fray had a power that could rule the entire world and his King wanted it. So there was no way in hell he would ever tell the King of Mordis about Fray.

"You might as well end my life. You are just wasting your time!"

Ever since he opened his eyes this morning Omkara had been trying to recall what exactly happened last night. Why was his memories so distorted. The things he remembers just doesn't feel real. How could he agree to let her leave? Where did she go? If he tried to find her she would not return? Everything was so confusing that it drove him crazy; especially when he could remember hearing breaking voice as she looked at him before leaving his side "I love you Omkara..King of Mordis." He didn't care what he remembered and sent out many men to find her but even till now that the sun had set again; no word.

Omkara grabs Vikram by the throat and brought him up to his toes.

"I don't believe that I am not able to break you!"

Ranveer stood by as the screams echoed throughout the night and yet his King did not get an answer before the fool lost consciousness. When Omkara angrily left the dungeon Ranveer could only shake his head as he stares at his King's lonely back.

"If Lady Gauri is not found soon...I don't know our King will do..."

Omkara felt so hopeless as he found himself wandering off into the very forest that Gauri loved so much. As he sat against a large tree trunk thoughts of Gauri's face filled his mind. His heart ached remembering her falling off the balcony...leaving him alone...waiting for her promise to return to him.

*Hope you guys enjoyed this update. Do not forget to vote. I know Fray was not in this chapter but I don't feel right rushing things. Setting up what I have in store for you guys is taking longer than I thought. But I hope it will all tie up nicely in the end.*