Author's pov-

Loud voices of trumpets roared in the Kantaknagar field place, the tunes announcing the starting of a Royal Game played by the royal children of different royalties from all over the world including the mighty lands of Bharatvarsha, Greece and Persia. The beating of drums is followed when empires, kings and ministers of different kingdoms arrived.

The first race was an elephant race where loads of heavy bundles of goods were placed in the backs of elephants of the royal kingdoms and the first one to complete it at first would win the first round of The Royal Game.

After the elephant race, the game of Chaturanga (chess) was to be held. A princess who came along with her family slipped carefully from her family's eyes and went to the announcer to include her name in the list of players. As her name was announced, her father who was the king, was both shocked and surprised elsewhere the girl just winked at her father. The king smiled and shaked his head and calmed down the lady sitting beside him.

After a series of games played by the participants, four players namely- Orestes, a prince of a kingdom of Greece; Rudra Veer Singh, the Rajkumar and middle son of Suryagarh; Javad, a prince of a Persian kingdom and the most unique and first-ever-in-history Rajkumari Revati, the youngest and the only daughter of the family of Vahnigarh's king's family; were the qualifiers till the last round.

The last game was Ashwadhavan (namely the horse race). The four players were to carry out their last race with their own horses. The game was to find clues (objects) hidden in different places. A clue was to be given at each stage of the game, and that clue led to the next stage of the game. And who will complete the four stages at first will be the winner of The Royal Game of that year.

Revati was patting her mare's head lovingly and was talking to her sweet nothings when she noticed her father stopping her mother from coming to the ground. She smiled at her father and her father nodded signalling he will manage her mother.

"Arya... What did you do?! Have you ever seen a girl participating in this race?! In this way only you have spoiled our daughter! She does all the things that is normally done by males. Because of you she learnt martial arts, sword fights, kushti and many more, just because she wanted and you, her father gave her permission to do all that things. You literally are making her dance on your head by doing this." Revati's mother scolded her husband.

"Calm down Surbhi, she is only a girl with high dreams and eyes full of determination. I can't watch my daughter lose her spark just by saying no to her wishes. And moreover don't forget girls are lakshmis and their wishes shall not remain unfulfilled."

Hearing his words, Surbhi decided to give up and wait for their daughter to complete this race as soon as possible but now she looked the game and at Revati with acceptance glistening in her eyes.

The drums were being beaten as the game started and the horses of each player swiftly ran to the first stage that's the garden of Kantaknagar, where the first clue for the second stage was. Four players reached almost at the same time. Revati and other three players were given sheets for the clue of second stage-

" राजकोष का वैभव मुझसे निखरे,

मुकुट की शोभा मुझसे सँवरे।

अग्नि मेरा साथी, धातु मेरा आधार,

रत्नों को देकर सिंहासन का श्रृंगार।

न मैं राजा, न मंत्री, न सेनापति अपार,

फिर भी राजमहल में मेरा बड़ा सत्कार।

बताओ, मैं कौन?"

(The splendor of the royal treasury shines through me,

The glory of the crown is refined by my craft.

Fire is my companion, metal my foundation,

With gems I adorn the throne's grandeur.

I am neither king, nor minister, nor mighty general,

Yet I am held in high esteem within the palace.

Who am I?)

All were puzzled for two minutes straight when Revati, Rudra and Javad eyes flickered with the answer.

"The answer is Swarnakar(goldsmith)." She muttered to herself and quickly rode on her mare for the royal jewelry making goldsmith's shop. Rudra and Javad quickly followed by and matched their paces with her.

Javad reached first to the shop and the goldsmith handed him another sheet. Just after Javad taking the sheet, Revati and Rudra arrived and quickly took their sheets by the goldsmith. The next riddle to the third stage on the sheet was-

"मैं राज्य बनाता हूँ, पर उस पर शासन नहीं करता।

दीवारों को आकाश छूने से पहले रेखाओं में गढ़ता हूँ।

राजा का सिंहासन वहीं टिकता है, जहाँ मैं स्थान चुनता हूँ।

पर स्वयं किसी सिंहासन पर नहीं बैठता।

पीढ़ियाँ बीत जाती हैं, किन्तु मेरे विचार पत्थरों में जीवित रहते हैं।

बताओ, मैं कौन हूँ?"

(I build a kingdom without ruling it,

Draw walls before they touch the sky.

The king's throne rests where I decide,

Yet I sit upon no throne myself.

Generations pass, but my thoughts remain in stone.

Who am I?)

All four were deeply pondering when Revati got the answer.

"That's Sthapati (master builder and architect of royal palaces and courts)" She thought in mind and quickly went to her mare when she saw Rudra already riding his horse. Her competitive mind started and she quickly got on the horse while murmured,

"Chal Ambe aaj dikha de teri aukad"

(Let's go Ambe,show your worth today.)

Rudra got a few seconds earlier than Revati and was now reading the next sheet for the final fourth stage. Revati quickly got down from her mare and took the sheet from the royal architect. The text read-

"मेरा जन्म बिना पालने के होता है,

फिर भी मैं ऊँचाइयों से उतरती हूँ।

मैं किसी भी यात्री से अधिक दूर तक जाती हूँ,

जबकि मेरे पास न घोड़ा है, न पैर।

मेरे अनुग्रह से राज्य फलते-फूलते हैं,

और साम्राज्य मेरे गीत के किनारे मिट जाते हैं।

मैं पर्वतों को कण-कण करके साथ ले चलती हूँ,

पर अपने लिए कोई खज़ाना नहीं रखती।

जितना अधिक देती हूँ, उतना ही कम अपने पास रखती हूँ।

और यद्यपि मैं एक शब्द भी नहीं बोलती,

मेरी वाणी दिन-रात सुनाई देती है।

बताओ, मैं कौन हूँ?"

(I am born without a cradle,

Yet descend from lofty heights.

I wander farther than any traveler,

Though I possess neither horse nor feet.

Kingdoms rise upon my favor,

And empires fade beside my song.

I carry mountains grain by grain,

Yet hold no treasure for myself.

The more I give, the less I keep,

And though I never speak a word,

My voice is heard both day and night.

Tell me, what am I?)

They took a minute to read the riddle. The other two players were very much left behind. Rudra was pacing back forth trying to think of the answer, meanwhile Revati was repeating the lines to understand the context.

"Descend from lofty heights...wander farther than any traveller...more treasure for myself...though I never speak-" Her eyes widened and she looked at Rudra who at the same time glanced at her with wide eyes.

Both ran to their horses and started riding to that place.

"Rajkumari ji aap har maan lijie, aap humse nhi jeet payenge."

Rudra while smirking said that to Revati. Her nose fared at the words, she will now never lose against him when he has so openly challenged her.

(Princess, accept your loss, you can never win against me.)

"Aapne aap par itna ahankar nhi karna chahie Rajkumar, kahi aapke ahankar hi aapke harne ki wajah na baan jaye."

(You should not have so much ego Prince, be careful ego can make you lose too.)

Both their horses kept running swiftly through the roads.

"Rajkumari, mujhe ek shak hai kya aap asli mein paheli suljha payi hai?"

Rudra said making her angry more.

(Princess, I have a doubt, have you actually solved the riddle?!)

"Meri chinta aap naa kare Rajkumar, ya kahi aapko dar hai ki ek aurat aapse jeet jaye?!"

She equally debated while maintaining her speed and balance.

(You need not worry about me, or are you afraid that you might lose to a girl?!)

"Aurat toh chodie rajkumari hum kisi se bhi nhi hare hai aaj tak!"

He smirked and replied with a cocky grin.

(Leave woman, I have never lost to anyone till now.)

Revati realised that this debate will last long and so she changed her way and decided to go towards the place by another way which was as same as the distance of that road but not before glaring at him and muttered loud enough for him to hear,

"Mandbuddhi kahika"

(Idiot)

Rudra meanwhile smirked and went by that road to the last stage place. And once reached he breathed out,

"...Main ek shabd bhi nhi bolti par meri bani din raat sunai deti hai...Nadi(river)"

He bowed to the river in respect and tried to find clues when he saw Revati was already there finding clues.

"Woah! You have come earlier than me." Rudra chuckled and called out.

Revati rolled her eyes and focused on finding clues, when they both saw a flag that had The Royal Game symbol, at the riverside just a little distance away from them. Rudra was going to grasp the flag when suddenly Revati pushed him to the water, he fell with a loud splash. And then she quickly tried to reach for that flag when Rudra pulled her legs from beneath her light-weight lehenga and as a result she also fell into the water with a great splash.

Rudra caught her in his arms and was smirking devilishly while Revati was giving dead glares to him.

Rudra could notice her hairs stuck to her face, her eyelashes now wet with the river water, and also how he felt her hands against his chest. Meanwhile, Revati was so angry to notice their closeness. Then with a swift motion and after making sure Revati was in shallow water, Rudra quickly hopped off the water and took the flag while looking into her eyes saying,

"Oops, someone thought that they can win by pushing me into the water."

Revati was looking at him with deadly eyes blazed with anger and jealousy.

After flaunting himself infront of her he with the flag rode off to the game field.

As he reached, the common man cheered for him and he with the attitude of a prince went to the centre of the field and showed the flag to others.

He expected cheers and compliments from the common people and the kings but instead he got a pin drop silence. He was confused and looked at the host asking him what was happening then the host said,

"This is not the final clue Rajkumar" He bowed while saying it.

And then.... Rudra heard a horse galloping and turned to face the entrance and saw Revati entering while smirking at him.

The crowds all hooted and cheered for her when he noticed a ring in her hand. She stopped Amba infront of him and dropped from her and proudly showed him the ring that had a symbol of the game.

"What happened Rajkumar?! Did you not win?! Tsk tsk how could you when you were blinded by your ego?"

She stepped closer to him, looking dangerous and intimidating to anyone watching her but for Rudra he felt a strange tug at his chest by looking at her but soon he directed his focus to her words.

"I was right to call you a mandbuddhi...tsk tsk you were so proud at that moment that you failed to notice that a sheet of paper was exactly below the flag. And you know what was written there?! - 'You are at the last stage and congrats you aren't fooled by the flag above, what matters in both life and competition is that you should be attentive at all times. Now dig up the mud below taking Goddess Durga name and take your reward.' I noticed that sheet of paper when you were so proudly flaunting your win and so I remained quiet and let you go. Now who is that person who said he never loses from anyone?!"

Revati smiled and folded her hands wriggling her eyebrows at him.

Rudra clenched his teeth but gave her a tight smile and said,

"Congratulations Rajkumari on this win, but I am sure the next time we will compete, I will be the winner and I would make sure of it."

" For that we need to compete again Rajkumar, don't get your hopes high, and I am sure we won't ever meet again."

"You know Rajkumari?! Fate supports me kind of always so I will let this be handled by fate itself." He had a cocky smirk despite he lost the game.

"Ok then Rajkumar, if fate wishes. But for now let me enjoy my win." Revati smirked and went from there to collect her prize.

Rudra glanced at her back and thought... "How beautiful she looks from the back!" But quickly snapped himself out of her daze and went to change his clothes.

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So that was the chapter...

And how was the twist?!👀

Girls be at peace because I would never let my girlies lose to a man🤭 not even their own man too. 💅

So today two leads are introduced in this chapter, at first I thought of introducing everyone but then again I thought why not make this chapter a little fun?! But don't worry! My other babies will be introduced soon in the next chapters.....

And guyss pls pls pls 😭 give me a review of the chapter pretty please.🥺

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Byeee...

Signing off-

MANVIKA🩵