Chapter 38: Holy Asayan Lotus- Part 1 [Na'arvi]
Princess Na'arvi leafed through the treatise one more time. She was convinced that the lotus flower floating in her garden pond was not Holy Asayan lotus, just as she was convinced that the man she had wed and made sacred vows to was a sweet, honorable man, a prince who will soon be a King, one who will not do wrong by his people. Two weeks ago, she had overheard parts of a conversation. At that time, she thought she knew what she had heard and that frightened her. But now, she was more and more convinced it was nothing but the trickery of her own sleep-addled mind. That, and the god-forsaken black beauty rose, whose fragrance must have cast a spell on her, making her hear voices.
Na'arvi had pretended that night. When she saw Prince Indra outside the tunnel, she fell into his arms, like a helpless maiden fainting with exhaustion. The prince picked her up in his strong muscular arms and carried her to her chamber as she lay against his broad, powerful chest. She did not open her eyes until next morning, although she could not sleep a wink that night. A million questions swarmed in her mind. But she could not muster the courage to walk up to Prince Indra and ask him plain. As days went by, she saw how absurd the notion was that her husband and his family were plotting against the great king of Rakhtaprastha. Na'arvi scoffed at herself for her silliness. And what if it was so? What if he did conspire? Would that make her forget the seven circles she walked around the holy fire with her husband or relieve her of her wifely duties?
Na'arvi looked up from her book, when she heard footsteps approaching. It was Prince Indra without his usual train of knights and bodyguards. The husband and wife had decided to rendezvous that afternoon in the royal garden, by the crescent pond, with no men or women chaperoning them. Prince Indra smiled brightly when he saw Na'arvi, the thin line of mustache curling up with his lips. Seeing that no one was around, Na'arvi stood up and breezed into his arms. He held her tight in his embrace as if she would disappear if he let go. Several moments passed before Na'arvi unlocked herself from Indra and looked at him. His feverish eyes were open and honest, almost begging. Her cheeks warmed from the gaze, and she quickly looked away.
"I thought of you all morning, my flower." Indra placed a tender hand on Na'arvi's left cheek. He always told her how pretty she looked when she blushed. "Did you think of me, dearest?"
"I have, my prince." Every moment. So very much.
Na'arvi could barely raise her eyes to look at him now. The prince cradled her cheek and turned up her face. That way, she could not look away from him. Indra lightly stroked her lips with the pad of his thumb, slowly leaning closer.
"Princess Na'arvi!" The lovers stopped abruptly in the middle of their act when a young female voice floated in. It was Jui, as keen and spirited as she was oblivious.
Princess Na'arvi quickly untangled herself from Prince Indra and stood as if she wasn't dying of shame while the company approached them. Turning the corner behind Jui was her sister Sya.
"Princess Na'arvi, I am so glad we found you. Regards, Prince Indra." In the course of a month, the girls had grown attached to their new princess. Each morning, they would find her either in the Palace halls, or in the garden, or outside the royal court. They would weave garlands made from the freshly plucked flowers of the garden, rose and marigold and jasmine and such, and present it to Princess Na'arvi. Na'arvi would gladly accept them. She even began to look forward to those garlands presented to her every day by her little followers.
Despite being in the prince's presence, Jui continued to chirp, "I told Sya that our princess must be here, near her favorite object." The prince and the princess exchanged a stunned glance. "The Holy Asayan Lotus."
The princess smiled quickly. "You are so clever, Jui. Do you have a garland for me today?"
"Yes, Princess." Sya, Jui's sister, replied and then presented the elaborately weaved thick garland of flowers to Na'arvi. "This is for you, my princess, a garland made of hundred Arabian jasmines. Now, our Prince can find you anywhere in the palace."
Na'arvi accepted the garland but gave Sya a sharp look for her boldness that was met with a playful one in return. She began to pin the garland to her bun.
"My princess," Sya interrupted. "Our prince must help you put the garland on." The two sisters exchanged a mischievous look as Na'arvi began to blush.
Indra huffed aloud and pulled the garland from Na'arvi's grasp. He walked behind Na'arvi, so he could pin the flowery thread onto her hair. Her eyes met his, and she quickly dropped her gaze. He lazily began the arduous task of fixing the thread around her hair pins while the girls giggled around them. Na'arvi could swat both sisters right now for making her blush so much.
"Ah!" She let out a small yelp as Indra's fingers slipped and tugged on a few hair strands.
The prince apologized, and the girl giggled some more. "Just one more pin, my princess."
Once done, Indra stared at the final result of his efforts with admiration. Na'arvi could tell that her bun was all skewed, some of the hair strands already escaping, but she did not complain. She would be sure to admonish those two at a later time.
"I have done as you all wished. Now, can I be alone with my wife?" Prince Indra said with mock displeasure. "High Priest would not be too happy if I tell him you are pestering the princess." Na'arvi knew Indra only made empty threats but the girls' faces fell all of a sudden, and she felt guilty.
"It is all right, my prince. But now, you two must leave, or else they will send men looking for you." Na'arvi made a futile attempt at scaring the girls away.
Suddenly, there was a buzzing in their midst. It came from a bumblebee which flew in and sat on Princess Na'arvi's garland, surprising all. Prince Indra's hand flew out to swat the bee away. But an ill-timed movement by Princess Na'arvi caused the hand to hit her square on the face. She stumbled back and fell to the ground. Sya and Jui immediately rushed to her side, and so did the prince.
"Dearest," Indra called out as he crouched on her side. "Dearest, I apologize. Forgive me. You are hurt! Let me." The prince softly brushed the thin line of bright red liquid, slowly trickling down Na'arvi's chin from the corner of her lip. "I am so sorry, my love."
"Princess, should we call the healer?" Sya sounded deeply concerned.
"No, it is quite all right." Na'arvi found her words at last. "I am all right."
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone