The Maharaja And I : Inspired by Bridgerton

Bewitched Together

Suryadev strode through the palace halls, his footsteps echoing on the marble floors. Courtiers and servants bowed as he passed, but he hardly noticed, preoccupied with the council meeting earlier that morning.

"You must choose a bride, Maharaja," the elder councilors had insisted. "It is your duty to produce an heir for the kingdom."

He understood their reasoning, but the idea of marriage still left him uneasy. Since losing his parents at a young age, he had grown wary of emotional attachments. And yet...

Unbidden, the image of Devika's playful smile appeared in his mind. He thought of her quick wit, her beauty, the growing fondness between them. She was unlike any other woman at court. When he was with her, his loneliness and isolation seemed to fade.

But was she merely a passing fascination? Suryadev was unused to the tempest of emotions she stirred in him. He valued his independence, his self-sufficiency. And yet this spirited, maddening woman had slipped past his defenses.

The gossip surrounding them was growing louder by the day. Servants whispered in corners, courtiers watched them with hungry eyes, spreading rumors and making wagers on their relationship. A pretense of courtship had shifted into something far more complicated, and he wasn't sure how to proceed.

With a sigh, Suryadev turned down a quiet corridor leading to the gardens. He needed time alone to think, to unravel the tangled knot of duty and desire that Devika had awakened within him.

Suryadev wandered aimlessly through the palace gardens, the scent of jasmine and frangipani enveloping him. Usually he found solace here, but today his mind was troubled. Thoughts of Devika consumed him.

He remembered their first meeting months ago - the verbal sparring, her boldness and spirit. She had treated him as an equal, not bowed by his title. Over time, stolen glances had turned into moonlit conversations on the palace balcony. Laughter and banter had shifted into something deeper.

Now his heart quickened whenever she was near. Her absence left an ache inside him. He yearned to pull her close, to taste the sweetness of her lips. But propriety demanded restraint. She was a lady of noble birth, and he the future king. Any relationship between them would have consequences neither could foresee.

And yet...his soul cried out for her. She had awakened longings and passions within him that could no longer be denied.

The sound of soft footsteps interrupted his reverie. He turned to find Devika standing before him, surprise flickering in her dark eyes.

"Your Highness," she murmured, lowering her gaze demurely. Only the hint of a smile at the corner of her mouth betrayed her true feelings.

"My lady," Suryadev replied. He stepped closer, his heart pounding. "I did not expect to find you here."

"Nor I you, sire," Devika whispered. Her breath quickened as he gently tilted her chin up, his thumb caressing her lower lip. Desire darkened her eyes, mirroring his own.

No more words were needed. Suryadev pulled her into his embrace, claiming her mouth hungrily. She responded with equal passion, twining her arms around his neck. Time seemed to stop as they lost themselves in each other.

Finally Suryadev drew back, his breathing ragged. "You have bewitched me, body and soul," he confessed.

Devika smiled, tracing the line of his jaw with her fingertips. "Then let us be bewitched together," she replied softly.

He answered by crushing her against him once more, no longer able to resist the growing love between them. Propriety and duty faded away. In this moment, only she existed.