YEARN

CHAPTER 10

L A S Y A

Lasya had always been the kind of person to go along with whatever was convenient for the people around her. She wasn't too picky about things, so it had mostly worked in her favour. She didn't like causing problems, and her older sister knew it. As a result, Lasya's childhood had gone by with Samanvitha urging her to stand up for herself. 

Confrontation had never been her cup of tea. It always felt like she was trying to blow up something small and trivial. However, she couldn't help but give it thought as she walked to her second practice session with the General. It wasn't that General Devraj was bad. That was the farthest thing from the truth. He was incredibly dedicated and respectful. He was the ideal Army General, but Lasya just didn't feel comfortable training with him. It was an issue on her part, not his. 

When Rudransh had brought up the topic during one of their early morning conversations, she had gotten excited beyond belief. She had wanted to learn how to fight for the longest time, but it wasn't something that was considered appropriate for girls to do in Vibhava. So, when he initiated the topic, she was over the moon. Who would have thought? Wishes did come true. 

Lasya was all for it, at least until her first few training sessions. She had spent her entire life in Vibhava, but she had never familiarized herself with the army or the General. He was a complete stranger to her! Her training consisted of sparring and learning combat. It wasn't testing her debating skills, but her physical ability. She simply didn't feel comfortable doing it with a stranger. On top of that, the General held back because she was the Queen. He didn't tell it outright, but she could see him restraining himself. It didn't work in either of their favour. 

She closed her eyes as she traced the surface of the bath water with her finger. The heat was overbearing as it was in Vibhava. Adding sparring to it wasn't the smartest decision, but she had to put in effort before she could begin expecting results. Letting out an exhausted sigh, she leaned back, grateful for having Maithili. The woman had drawn up the perfect bath for her within minutes. Lasya had no idea how she did it.

A while later, she forced herself to leave the comfort of the water. Changing into a fresh pair of clothes, she stepped out of the bathroom, stunned to see Rudransh standing there instead of Maithili. She looked around for the handmaiden. Where did she go?

"She told me to tell you that she had to leave to help the cook with lunch." Rudransh spoke, breaking the silence that had settled between the pair. Her eyebrows furrowed. Lunch? Maithili didn't have any work assigned to her in the kitchen. She was a lady's maid. What work did she have in preparing meals? Nonetheless, she nodded to acknowledge his words. "I came here to ask you how your training sessions were going."

Lasya observed him. Something was off. He looked like he always did, incredibly irresistible and put together, but her instincts were telling a completely different story. She kept an attentive eye on him as she spoke. "They're going well. The General is very patient with me."

He nodded, eyes momentarily darting away from hers as he shifted on his feet. "That's good. Really good actually."

She didn't know how to respond to that, so she stayed in place. Her feet felt like they were glued to the floor, so she couldn't have moved even if she wanted to. That seemed to be becoming a common occurrence whenever he was around. "Are you okay?"

His eyes snapped up to hers. "Yes. Why wouldn't I be?"

She shook her head lightly. "No reason."

It was her turn to be scrutinized as his gaze scanned her from head to toe. Goosebumps followed the path he traced, leaving behind a physical reminder of just how much he affected her. Heat diffused her cheeks when she saw that one side of his lip had quirked up lightly. He had noticed too. His eyes climbed their way back up to meet hers. "Facing any problems?"