Bonded

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter 14

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India

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The song of my suitors is over much too soon... The way our voices had blended together so beautifully having moved my soul so completely that I had been brought to tears and Jian had taken it upon himself to hold me so that I might not tip myself out of our window in order to get to my Loves all the faster...

The ending of the song had been the beginning of my wonderful morning though... Kavya having yelled up to me to wait for them to meet me at my bedchamber's door... A request I had happily obliged after Jian and our other peers assisted me with dressing myself properly so that I could be presented in an organized manner... More of the ties on my robe being mistimed than I had originally thought... The flush that had filled my cheeks still so very present and topped off now even though we've already strolled through the halls with me sandwiched in between the two men who have done nothing but keep their word to me and woo me thus far...

I never truly thought I would find myself so very enamored with anything other than my studies... And yet here I am being fawned over as I try and pick through my porridge to find all of the lovely pieces of roasted fish that Ronin somehow managed to mix into my bowl without me noticing... Both of them are more preoccupied with starting at me and telling me how lovely I am instead of eating their own servings...

So many different sets of eyes are on us at the moment... And part of me hopes that it is only due to the fuss I had managed to cause last night during dinner in my failed attempt to dash away from the two soldiers that I had thought were upset with me... And now here I am with Kavya trying to steal away my spook in order to feed me instead of allowing me to do it for myself.

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Kavya

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"Do you know how lovely you are, India?" I simply cannot keep the flattery from leaving my mouth any more than Ronin can... The two of us taking turns to complement the scholar that we find so very stunning... His voice is bound to haunt our dreams for the rest of time...

"No, but if you insist on telling me so often I daresay I might catch on and learn of said loveliness..." The longer we spend in his company the more comfortable our sweet India becomes, his cheekiness slowly coming out to play with us as we bat our eyelashes at him and urge him to continue adorably trying to focus on his meal while my future husband and I coo over every single habit we notice, Ronin's hand so very fixated on stroking its way through our India's hair with such lovely and endearing affection that I almost find myself slightly jealous and wanting affection of my own from both of them...

"Is that so? If that is the case then I suppose it is in our best interest to continue, isn't it, Love?" Ronin keeps his voice steady and soft... And he speaks to our mutual beloved just as he does to me... With the same tone, he uses when my head is resting on his chest while we drift off to sleep together...

It warms my heart so very much that it's almost impossible not to lose myself in the sight of them... The specialness of this shared morning and meal not lost on any of us...

...

Ronin

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"It certainly is..." Kavya replies to me with a gentle smile that makes me want to reach for his hand... The smile we manage to bring to India's face in our joint effort to woo him one so genuine I do not think either of us will ever be able to walk away from him intending to actually rest when we lay down after sharing our meal... Though I do believe the two of us will be full of plenty of dreams...

Dreams of India's smile and the sound of his voice weaving its way in and out and around ours... Dreams of the three of us becoming the family that I had not been able to keep myself from dreaming of last night while on patrol...

Dreams of having both a husband and a wife... And having both of them by my side always...

Dreams that both terrify me and thrill me... The softness of the raven strands between my fingers the only thing keeping me tethered to this reality, Kavya is already so very enamored with India that I do fear the rest of the world has faded away from his mind leaving just the three of us sitting here together... Kavya and myself resting while India breaks his fast with red cheeks and a healthy appetite for returning our flirtations...

A more perfect morning for the three of us just now getting to know each other one that I cannot imagine...

"So what will you both do once our meal is over? You promised me you would rest..." India's question melts my heart so very much that I almost feel as though I need a bowl to collect it in so that I do not lose any of it... His worry over our wellbeing is so very wonderful that I wish I could pull both him and Kavya into my arms so that I might hold them both...

"That is true... We did promise..." My words are slow to leave me as I find myself lost in the deep vastness that backs his eyes...

Kavya forever by my side to fill in the blanks for me, "Of course we shall rest... You need not worry yourself over us keeping our word to you, my Love... You'll have no resistance from us... Only adoration..."

My lover's words bring forth a smile so brilliant I nearly have to clutch my chest... And when Kavya lifts his eyes to mine I know he feels the same.