(This is a double update. Make sure to read chapter 36 before this one.)

I halted abruptly in my tracks, pondering upon bad thoughts after bad thoughts, one after another. My overthinking had me frozen.

Brinda who was running behind, came to stop right next to me.

"You should go see Your Majesty before he leaves. He won't get time to come to you." She pulled me out of the downward spiral.

I opened the door of his bedroom, not bothering to knock the door or ask him, or announce my arrival before I enter.

He turned to look at me. his eyes immediately softened as he saw me.

He slowly walked towards me, as I ran to stand directly in front of him. He was putting on his armor, his metallic vest which was meant to protect him.

I had seen this heavy attire only in museums. If I remember it correctly it weighs somewhere around 20-30 kg.

I don't know how comfortable was wearing a 30 kg metal on your body while you ride a horse, run, kill the enemies and protect yourself and your army.

He sighed in front of me, cupping my face of one hand of his, while he moved his thumb over my cheek.

I let go of the tears, I had been holding onto. Seeing him like this, I knew it was no joke. No matter how much I wanted it to be, this was our reality.

That the last few days of our togetherness, that we should have cherished, taken back to our own worlds, those last days, we might not even get to see each other.

I was not ready to accept, that the previous evening, was our last evening together. That there shall be no more 'syrup' moments. That there shall be no more selfies.

He was all covered up, inch by inch on the skin. I cannot accept, I won't be able to contact back to his skin anytime after this.

This is not what I wanted.

I had accepted the fate of our incomplete love story, but isn't destiny being very cruel now.

I tried my best to stop sobbing. The last I wanted to be, was his weakness.

I sniffed, pulling myself away from him as I looked at him.

"Take care." I said.

"Hmm" he was still looking at me intently, knowing that I wasn't doing okay.

"Come back soon." I spoke weakly.

He smiled weakly as he nodded.

"You do have time, don't you?" his fear was audible in the question that he had put forth.

I nodded in a yes, trying to be as assuring as possible.

"I'll finish this up, and be here soon."

"How long will this take?" I asked him desperately.

"I don't know." he spoke truthfully. "They have not invaded our nation yet, they are still at the borders. Our armies are doing well to tackle most of it without arms and swords. But I need to go to the border. It might take me a day or two to reach there. I just hope everything is under control till then. Once I reach there we'll figure out what needs to be done based on the actual scenario. Although I have sent my fastest and bravest warriors last night, so hopefully they'll reach by tonight and be of help if needed."

"Where is Yug?" I asked. I was afraid he must have left without meeting me for the last time.

"Must be downstairs, checking all the weapons and getting things ready."

I gave a sigh of relief.

"I should go down too. It's time I should leave." Neel finally got back to his king mode. He patted my cheek and started walking towards the exit of the room behind me.

"Neel" I called out as I turned back to him.

He turned around to look at me, expecting me to continue.

But I had nothing to say. I went closer to him, leaning ahead on my toes to reach up to his face. I put my hands around his neck as I closed the space between us, offering him, what I had been dying to do. Savoring the taste of his lips as I took them in between mine. Kissing him like my life depended on it, taking advantage of his vulnerability as he was caught off guard, despite all the protective gears.

I did not care about how my breath smelled, I did not care about how wrong it must be in 1442. I did not care about anything, except for doing my best to remember his taste for the rest of my life and leaving a print of mine on his mind, body and heart.

Don't forget me Neel, even when I go back, even if my existence vanishes out of this world forever, don't forget me Neel. Our meeting is not just a result of a stupid failed experiment.

It's fate

A cruel one at that.

This is the first and the last time I get to hold him this close, with our mouths colliding, crashing, like our universes did.

"What was that?" he was lost for words but somehow managed to speak .

"uhh" I was panting for oxygen that I had deprived myself and Neel of by virtue of our goodbye kiss.

Good bye kiss. This is what it was Neel.

I couldn't say anything.

"You're teaching me this once I return." He smirked and then swiftly turned away, heading to where he was meant to.

A king and his battle field.

I went down to find for Yug. He was all ready in his metallic outfit determined and serious as was expected out of him. He was commanding the warriors under him, fueling them with energy and motivation and confidence leaving a little space for fear.

"Yug" I called out to him

"Jiera" he called out as he turned to look at me.

"What is all this Yug?" I talked in respect to the situation as whole.

"I am glad this war is happening. These Norths need to learn a lesson. We were trying to be quiet since so long, not to attack or make matters worse, but these people won't just give up. They are determined to die, so I shall go and fulfill their wishes today." Yug was fueled with anger and determination.

"Please be safe." I begged.

"No." he stated.

I narrowed my eyes at him. "What do you mean?"

"If I focus on being safe, I won't be able to fight. I know I need to protect myself but not at the cost of my nation." Yug explained.

There was nothing I could say.

"take care of my lady Jiera." His voice finally softened. "take care of Aarini."

"She'll be fine, as long as you are doing okay." I mentioned my point I was trying to say.

"You have people waiting back for you, be safe." I said once again.

Yug could only nod in response. "Now it's better if you go in. I'll interact with my soldiers and we shall then leave. Your Majesty needs to be there, as soon as possible."

----

I was in a pathetic condition. But things were equally worse for Aarini, if not any more. Yet she was trying her best to be in the best of her spirits. Taking care of the whole palace ever since Queen Mother had left and also taking care of her father.

I hated the mode of communication here, especially for a time like this. I wouldn't know what was up with the royal men and his army up until 3 days later. The poor messenger had to travel up and down, delivering messages from here till there.

A full fledged war hadn't yet blown up. There were still attacks here and there, that Norths would do, owing to how coward those people were. But this also meant that Neel would have to stay for as long as the situation demands.

Even after the war, according to what Aarini and Brinda had said, Neel would stay for some days, performing rituals over the warriors who lost their lives in the war and compensating heavily to their families.

I didn't know what to expect seriously.

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If you were genuinely rooting for Neel and Jiera