Chapter 180 - Should I call my men to undress my wife?

Marcus agrees with Matt "Yes! We can easily take many men with Her Highness' skill!".

Kalki "..." Why is everyone eager to take her in now? She is inexperienced -

Marcus speaks carefully as he can predict Kalki's thoughts "We should be escorting her back anyway. We will send her back if she couldn't take those guards! We will try. If we win, we can proceed with our next plan by sending Her Highness back to the Palace. She would be safe as this place will fall under our control after that".

Maya smirks at him tilting her head. She likes this huge man huh..Marcus.What a nice name! Of course it's a nice name because he is helping her!

But she really doesn't believe that she can leave Kalki alone even after capturing the fort. She should have controlled her mind before wishing! 

Kalki already understood the situation. He knows how much his soldiers worshipped Xavier's Archery techniques. Especially Marcus. He also knows not to object their team now and disappoint them before stepping into a war.

"Fine".

Everyone gets surprised hearing him. Now they will do everything to make Kalki proud! He heard their suggestions even though it would risk his wife's safety!

Before Maya could even believe that he agreed, she sees him walking into the camp.

"The armours are inside the camp, You Highness".

Maya looks at Marcus who gestures her with his hand to get inside the camp. She raises her eyebrows "Oh?".

She runs into the camp. She walks towards the spare armours left on the tables and speaks "Bhommi help me wear the armour-". 

"I don't know"

Maya "..."

She blames "You! You always spout bad about Sarah and you can't even help me wear this!".

Bhommi huffs in displease at the mention of Sarah and turns her head away.

Maya finds no one in the camp and thinks Kalki already left the camp.

She takes out a huge armour which is more smaller than the other ones. Still it was too big for her.

She knows its heavier than her own armour -

"Wait!"

As if she remebered something, she asks "Bhommi, can you bring mine from the Countryside Pavilion? I don't have the Royal Bow but the armour must be in the Pavilion -".

Bhommi frowns "Now?" and looks behind the curtain in the camp as if waiting for someone before leaving.

Maya shakes her head "Forget it. This might suit me". She didn't know that Bhommi already disappeared. 

She struggles to wear the armour as she couldn't stretch her arms back to tie it.

Kalki walks out of a partition in the camp pushing the curtains aside and finds her struggling with her armour.

Maya freezes and gulps 'Is he still here?! Is there a partition behind the curtains?!'.

"You wore the armour on you robes".

He decalres staring at her as if she was the lamest person alive in the whole universe.

She stutters embarrassed "It's t-too cold...".

She huffs defeated as she failed to reach her hands behind to wear to the armour.

Kalki speaks still staring at her "You can't walk out like that. You look exactly like a clown!".

'Who wears armour on those thick robes?'.

Maya huffs again trying to pull the ropes "Doesn't matter. I am not attending a wedding!".

'Nothing matters now. She doesn't have to look gorgeous when walking into a war!"'.

Kalki walks towards her.

Maya steps back instinctively. She asks carefully "What?".

'What is he going to do now?!'

He speaks calmly looking in to her eyes "Now you are a fellow soldier. Turn around".

"No.."

That came out as a faint whisper from her lips.

He asks coldly "Should I call my men to undress my wife?".

"..."

She gasps at his word and finds herself shiver.

"No..".

Kalki smirks "Fair enough. Now turn".

Without waiting for her, he turns her around grabbing her shoulders. He ignores the feeling of anxiety that he felt when he touched her. He removes the armour and then her outer robes carelessly leaving only a layer of cloth on her. He starts putting the armour on her and ties them firmly. 

Maya avoids looking at him completely and takes deep breaths to divert her anxiety. She realiizes how much maintaining his image matters to him.

He never compromises his image in front of the people. He even took a servant's job to prove that! 

She never once imagined that the Country 's Crown Prince would be helping her with the warrior dress.

Forget it! She never imagined that she would participate in a war in her life! A cold voice broke her trance.

"Do you want me to help with your boots?".

She looks up to meet his eyes subconsciously "Hmm? No.." and that came as a mumble.

He sighs "Great. At least you can do something helpful".

She rebukes him "I am already helping you!".

He instantly snaps "I didn't ask you to" and walks away from her nonchalantly. 

She stood there speechless 'This man...can never be grateful, can he?'.

She mutters "Fine!" And turns to tie the laces. She pats her hands after successfully tying them and stands ready to walk out. She stopped in her tracks seeing him stood in front of her in a dangerously closed distance.

He forwards a Royal bow without breaking their eye contact. He wasn't the one who broke it. It was Maya looked away from his eyes and frowns seeing his hand.

"This-"

'It looks like Royal bow! But more artistic than mine. He went to bring this for me? Does he care for his image-'

And there he goes..

"It won't be presentable for a Royal member to fight with a soldier's bow. It's Xavier's".

Maya's eyes brightened instantly and smiles hearing his name. Which made Kalki to frown. He was seeing her bright smile for the first time ever. He never knew her smile could be that bright.

Maya forgot to notice all reaction on his cold face as she is too busy marvelling the bow and whispers in excitement "It looks heavy" and grins absentminded while liftling it above her head.

"Can you use it without falling down?"

Maya "..."