ENCHANTED- BY LOVE (completed)

3

*** Adinath ***

Two things I hate the most - loud noises and being suddenly woken up and today, on the first day after my marriage both of them happened when the loud noise of falling metals abruptly woke me up. Annoyed I looked around for the source and when I found her somehow all of my anger evaporated into thin air.

As my eyes tried to adjust to the brightness, on the other side of the transparent curtain, I saw her picking up the jwellery one by one. It was blur at first but soon my eyes were adjusted and my jaw dropped at how beautiful this women looked. She has no jwellery, no make up, not even her hair was braided, yet I became physically incapable of taking my eyes off of her. Her long hair falling on her face as she looked down, her purple lehenga almost making her look like a flower, and above all her eyes! 

They are very intense and expressive, as if they hold the secrets to all of the world's beauty. My mind immediately wondered how they would look like in happiness, anger, curiosity, sorrow and a thousand other emotions a human is capable of. 

She lifted her eyes midway, perhaps noticing my presence on the other side. 

"Apologies your highness," she said trying her best to pick the jwellery as fast as she can. I nodded or perhaps I didn't. I don't even remember. I was too mesmerized.

She quickly put all the jwellery back on the dressing table and brought her attention back to me.

"I'll let you sleep in peace," she said as she tried to make her way out.

"Wait," I insitinctively said. She stopped and looked at me. I walked closer to have a better look.

 I wish I could find some flaw upclose, any flaw that could convince me that she is indeed a human and not some angel, but no, she was just perfect.

She stared at me waiting for me to speak.

"Sindhoor," I reminded.

She looked at the mirror to confirm. "Oh," she said and started to search on the dressing table. I know it wouldn't be there. The pandit gave it to me yesterday. So I took it out from my table and approached her.

I cleared my throat to get her attention and looked down at the sindhoor box to signal that it is with me. 

"Thank you," she said and tried to reach out for it but I moved back my hand.

"The pandit said it is a tradition for the husband to apply sindhoor for the first three days of marriage," I explained.

She nodded and looked into my eyes waiting. 

Can I just not apply the sindhoor and admire her beauty. 

No, that's not polite!

I took the sindhoor and applied it at the beginning of her parting line and god bless, her beauty was enhanced ten fold.

She looked at me for a brief second before turning her attention to the door. She wants to leave but is too polite to say. I took a step sideway and she walked past me but stopped when the end of her dress got entangled to a nail at the bottom of the dressing table.

She turned to free her saree but I stepped infront. I kneeled down and freed the cloth while she looked at me maintaining eye contact. For someone with such expressive eyes, I really couldn't tell what she is feeling deep down. 

I took the end of the pallu and gave it to her. 

"Thank you," she barely whispered.

"Name?" I asked her.

"Vaishnavi," she replied and as soon as she replied I heard a knock on the door. 

"You may enter," I said. It was a messenger.

"Your highness," he respectfully bowed, "General Nanda said he has something important to discuss."

"Arrange for me to refresh," I said, "Tell the general, I'll meet him in an hour."

"Yes your highness," said the messenger and I looked at Vaishnavi for one last time before making my way out.

******************************

"Yes, general what is it?" I asked as I stepped into the corridors of the army chambers.

"Your highness, I have some concerns regarding the queen's choice of confidant," said Nanda as he walked to meet me halfway.

"Risky move to question the queen's choices. You better have a valid explanation," I said as we walked together.

"Her confidant, Meihu, has a reputation for being manipulative and power hungry," the general answered, "I spoke to everyone who ever knew her and no one has anything good to say except for cautionary warnings." "The queen on the other hand is someone a lot of people described as innocent and naive," he added, "Their friendship would be disastrous for the nine kingdoms."

"That's an exaggeration general," I said although I am internally equally concerned, "the queen's personal friendships will not have an affect on the empire's future."

"I would like to respectfully disagree, your highness," said Nanda, "The queen is one of the very few people with the power and means to influence you. That witch, Meihu, can use the queen as a spell to destroy our world and we wouldn't even know until it's too late."

There is nothing I could say to counter that argument. The queen is not one of the very few, but one of the only two people with the power and means to influence me. The other being the general himself. Despite his reputation to over complicate things, the general usually puts forward some very valid concerns and this seems to be one of them. As much as I wouldn't want to question Vaishnavi's choices on the first day of our marriage, this is an concern regarding the empire's future and I need to be vigilant.

"Arrange for a meeting with the queen," I ordered one of my soldiers.

Hey guys, any thoughts on our new characters?

General Nanda? Meihu?