Dusky Moonlight

21(2)

Sliding the screen aside of her palanquin which is being carried by the horse, Kayanangai watched the greying sky at that late afternoon. The sun left early this day making the environment gloomy. A cool breeze hit her soft ivory skin, her almond eyes watered the instance when the breeze passed. Her plump pink lips were parted slightly to gasp this new air. Her cheeks and her sharp-edged nose blushed by the coldness.

If the word beauty can be a person then Kayanangai must be the perfect meaning for it. She has a glorious heart and gentle soul.

Fear, shyness, innocence dangled across her eyes and she is concerned greatly about the chastity; She had all of those facets of a perfect woman along with the splendor elegance. When she smiles, she will be brighter than the sun in the day or moon in the night and the small mole above the end of her upper lip is the most attractive part of her face.

But now her smile is nowhere on her face and sadness replenished in her eyes.

The tall giant trees stood on either side of the way to the palace and high barricades behind that perturbed Kayanangai. When the morning they arrived at the border of Royal territory, the guard informed about the massacre of those thieves to her father. Since hearing that, she couldn't calm her fear of this wedding.

Marrying into a royal or Nobel family is a wish for every woman. But Kayanangai wanted a peaceful life, in her small town alongside a man who looks after her as her father. She hated this proposal ever since she came to know about it. She has heard many things about Raja's family. Though she has no hard feelings over anyone she heard that their first son is a cold-blooded man. He kills everyone with no mercy, and some said he's going to be the future King. Nevertheless, she didn't hear anything good about him or the second son, which is quite upsetting.

She's going to marry either one of the brothers. Marrying a person who's in the highest power isn't going to be easy yet she can't stop it. She feels like there's no way she's going to be happy in this grand palace. So at least, she prayed she shouldn't marry the first son yet there's a fair chance she will end up marrying him and that's what giving shivers down her spines.

Her sister Mathinila who's just a year elder than her is confident about this marriage. She couldn't get that courage; in royal families, they kill their own kin to get the power which Kayanangai can't assent at all. They have to follow strict principles and can't do anything on their own.

"We are going to meet our in-laws and you have to smile a little," My sister, Mathinila said sitting next to me.

I gave a small smile, "I will do that," I replied.

"I don't want to marry the first son, I talked with the guard walking by our side and he said that he's indeed a ruthless man," Mathinila worried.

"We can't make any decisions, it's all our father's choice," I told, longingly looking outside.

"Yes, you're right," Mathinila turned to the other side like her sister. Though they don't have the same mother, they were close. Kayanangai who just turned sixteen has that calm, affectionate, and kind heart just like her mother. After the death of his first wife, her father who's a wealthy merchant married her mom and had Kayanangai and a son named Kumaran. They were a wonderful family and never had any conflicts. This is all because of their father and mother who taught no evil to them.

A year ago Kayanangai's mom died in illness and she was devastated by the loss. She doesn't want to marry at all but when the most valuable person in her life asks her to take the plunge Kayanangai couldn't oppose it at all. Her father doesn't want to lose this proposal, who wouldn't be so honored to be the future King's father-in-law.