Here with you

A tale most forbidden

The percussion instruments rang out into the air, filling the atmosphere with their sweet music. Nimble fingers ran over delicate strings and coaxed out unbelievably refined tunes.

Princess Miraan lightly tapped her thigh in rhythm with the music and nodded along to the chants of the singers. The breeze lightly blew her curly hair around her sparkling eyes as she delightedly watched the performance playing out in front of her.

The troop of temple dancers was moving their bodies in rhythm to the music and creating beautiful art. The golden jewelry adorning their form tinkled with the instruments and added a sense of etherealness to their art.

However, as she watched the dancers, a particular artist caught her eye. She wasn't the lead dancer, but in Miraan's eyes, she far outshone anybody on that stage.

Her beauty, the depth in her emotions, her expressive eyes, they all seemed to beckon to Miraan in a way nobody had ever done before. Miraan was left dazzled by this dancer and her tasteful dance and was left staring at her throughout the performance.

After the dance, she ran backstage and waded into the performers, trying to find her elusive beauty. She suffered considerable embarrassment from the other dancers for actively searching for a girl the way a woman would search for a man, but she was past that point. Miraan had known for a long time that she was attracted to females rather than males, and she had made her peace with it.

She inappropriately blushed when she remembered the times she'd forced the female servants to kiss her just to understand what it felt like to be held romantically by a woman.

Miraan had roamed the entire temple by then and she as about to head home in defeat when she heard the sound of anklets tapping together. She ran towards the sound immediately, continuously praying for the mysterious dancer to be the apsara (heavenly dancers in the King of gods' court) she was so smitten with.

She ventured into the forest area surrounding the temple and carefully hunted around until she chanced upon a lake hidden in the recesses of the forest.

The lake was a beautiful symbol of nature, but Miraan only had eyes for the dancing figure of the beautiful girl. Her back was turned towards Miraan and she was seemingly moving to the tune of the chirping birds. This time there was no refined music to accompany her, and Miraan got to admire the raw emotions she brought to her art.

Miraan settled down and quietly watched her dance until a specific step caused the girl to turn around and spot her. Her eyes widened and she paused mid-dance, her hands artistically wound in the air.

Standing up from her spot at once, Miraan held her arms up in mock surrender and ran toward the girl, apologizing profusely.

"I'm sorry, I'm so very sorry for spying on you like this. It was extremely wrong of me to do that, Shrimati..."

"Urvashi," the flustered girl answered at once. Miraan paused in her sentences and could only gape at her. Urvashi... what a fitting name for this celestial beauty... (a/n: Urvashi is an apsara who's considered one of Indra's best dancers)

"And you don't have to apologize for intruding. You're the Princess after all. You have the right to roam wherever you want and visit whomever you wish."

"No, no. That is not a privilege anyone should have, let alone blindly wield. I insist, let me make it up to you by inviting you to the palace. Come with me, Urvashi. I'll wine and dine you with a meal fit for an apsara."

Miraan mentally cursed herself as soon as she said that. Inviting a stranger to the palace? Calling her an apsara? Oh gods, she'll probably run away screaming in the other direction.

Urvashi considered her request silently, staring at Miraan's face. She looked around her, stroked her full lips, and gazed at Miraan with her intense kohl-lined eyes until Miraan couldn't take the suspense anymore. She was about to blurt out apologies, again, when Urvashi smiled softly.

"I accept," she said. "I don't understand why Your Highness wants to compensate for such a small mistake, but the earnestness in your voice makes me agree in spite of all the factors stacked against me."

Miraan frowned slightly at how lowly Urvashi thought of herself, but it was quickly quelled by the excitement of having Urvashi agree. Now Miraan would show her fun, caring, loving side and impress Urvashi. Hopefully, she would reciprocate the riot of affection swirling in Miraan.

"Alright, I'll, uh, see you tonight?" she asked, swallowing. Somehow this still didn't feel real. "And take this ring with you. Just show it to one of the guards, and you'll be escorted to my chambers without question."

Urvashi accepted the ring and slipped it onto her own finger, causing thrills of delight to spark through Miraan. It felt incredible to see something of her own on Urvashi's slender fingers.

They both then bid their goodbyes and returned to their respective homes with nervous, giddy, and slightly confused smiles.

Miraan immediately began preparations for their dinner together. She arranged for the most beauteous spot in the gardens to be cleaned up thoroughly and fitted with the necessary tables, chairs, and cutlery. She then marched to the kitchens and oversaw the preparations herself, testing every dish to make sure it was nothing but the best. She then spread out torches around their table to create a soft environment around them.

She was just putting the final touches into place, fussing over the kheer prepared by the cooks when a servant arrived and announced the presence of her long-awaited guest.

Miraan sprang up like a coil and rushed to the edge of the gardens, where Urvashi was waiting. "Hey, Urvashi! I..." she called and paused in her tracks. Time came to a stop, and her eyes could only feast at the sight before her.

Her divine apsara had clearly dressed her best. Her face was a picture of perfection, with her kohl-lined eyes, pretty button nose, and lips colored with a pink tint. Her hair was tied neatly in an elaborate braid and a string of jasmine flowers wound around her hair, giving a sweet perfume.

She wore a beautiful lehenga embroidered fancifully with swirling patterns and flowers edged with gold thread. The hems of her ankle-length skirt were light and moved gently with the wind.

"Greetings Princess Miraan," Urvashi said with a soft smile when Miraan's tongue refused to work any further. Miraan could only nod with a gracious smile before escorting her guest to their dinner.

Urvashi's hand flew to her mouth and her eyes widened when she saw the feast before her. Miraan glanced at her and, seeing tears glistening in her eyes, panicked immediately.

"Oh no! I knew it was lacking something. I should have prepared it somewhere more pretty. Maybe indoors was a good option after all. Or did you not like the food? Oh, how silly of me, I should have asked you for..."

Urvashi placed her hand on Miraan's arm to stem the flow of words. "I love it, Princess. I never expected such a treat from someone like you. It's... it has really humbled me."

Miraan sighed in relief and gestured for Urvashi to take a seat. Once they were seated, Miraan ordered the servants to serve the dishes for them. Urvashi got the choicest portions of all the meals, and they talked for hours on end.

"This was one of the best nights of my life," Urvashi said after placing her cutlery down. "I haven't enjoyed someone else's company like this in a really long time,"

Miraan's heart glowed at those words. "Me too. Your company has been exceedingly pleasant. May I have the honor of meeting you again? I would love to get to know you better, Urvashi."

Was it her imagination, or did Urvashi blush when Miraan said her name?

"I... I would love to, Princess."

"Don't call me Princess, that's too formal," Miraan said admonishingly. "Since you're a friend now, you can call me Miraan."

Urvashi smiled shyly and repeated her sentence. "I would love to, Miraan."