More Tales of the Southern Kingdoms (One Volume Edition)
Page 19
"I can't take Kartik's place!" Arjun's eyes widened in panic.
"I'm willing to give you a chance," Harish replied. "As long as you call me Harish."
"Harish?" Arjun was puzzled. "Why?"
Harish shrugged. "Let's call it a pet name." He stepped forward and put his arms around Arjun's neck. "Will you stay?"
Arjun opened and closed his mouth. Harish pressed his body against him and felt Arjun's hands on his waist. Arjun couldn't look away, and had trouble breathing.
Harish kissed him. It wasn't Kartik's mouth, but it wasn't a lustful rich man either. Maybe he should marry out of duty like Rohit, Ajay and Arjun himself. And maybe Arjun would come to his bed every now and then. And they could be more than friends and share secrets...
Arjun tasted good. Harish pulled back and smiled at his shocked face.
"Isn't that what you had in mind?" he asked.
Arjun blushed. "Yes, sort of... I wasn't hoping..."
Harish let him go. "We'll have to explore this thing. Do you think I should marry?"
"Not if you don't want to."
"But you did. I can do it too. I know how to sleep with women. As long as I have a handsome man to go back to every now and then..."
Arjun stepped forward and took him in his arms. "You're very tempting, Your Majesty."
"Please, call me Harish..."
***
Rohit slept surprisingly well for the first time in over a month, in spite of having removed three councilors and arrested one of them. Rahul must feel better after the previous day. Things were going to be all right.
Rahul called him to say Arjun was awake and ready to give the names of his father's accomplices, so after hearing the thankfully short list, Rohit went to look for Ajay. They had more arrests to make, and a few trials.
Five lords were involved in the conspiracy to get rid of the twin kings. It took all morning to convict them, and Rahul and Arjun didn't show up. Arjun was wounded and wasn't supposed to attend, but Rahul was surprisingly missing again.
As meal time approached, Rohit excused himself from Ajay and went to check on his brother. He found Rahul asleep in Arjun's arms. Both were naked, except for the bandage on Arjun's shoulder. Rohit smiled. Rahul was definitely recovering from the loss of Kartik.
He sat on the edge of the bed and shook his twin awake.
"Rahul, will you come down to eat?"
"Ah, yes, give me a moment," Rahul answered sleepily, not moving from the warm embrace. Arjun awoke too, but didn't move. "I've been thinking you should find me a wife."
"What? Why?" Rohit asked, puzzled.
"Because it's best for the kingdom. I don't want another conspiracy to get rid of us because I sleep with a man. So if you can find me a suitable wife, I'll dutifully do like you or Arjun."
"I see. And what about Arjun?"
Rahul turned to glance at his lover. "I'm not sure we can keep meeting..."
"Rahul, this palace is big, and so is his. I'm sure you can find places to do what you need to do," Rohit said, trying not to burst out laughing. He looked at Arjun. "You never showed any inclination for me, Arjun."
"You might look the same, but you're not the same," Arjun replied with a half-smile. "He taught me there are other ways besides just doing what your father tells you to do."
"Yes, my twin is a little unruly." Rohit stared fondly at Rahul. "Fine, I will find you a bride. What do you think of Chitrangda? Lord Hitendra's daughter?"
Rahul stared puzzled at Arjun. Of course he had no idea who he was talking about. Arjun nodded.
"She's lovely and she'll look good by your side," he said.
"Fine, if she agrees, I'll have her," Rahul said with a little shrug. "Can you ask her father?"
Rohit smiled. "I will. See you downstairs."
He rose and left. In the antechamber he heard Arjun ask, "Why does he call you Rahul?"
"Hush," Rahul replied. "I told you, that's a pet name for special ones."
Rohit smiled. Kartik, and now Arjun. Rahul still wanted to be called Harish. Rohit wondered if Rahul would ask his wife to call him Harish as well, but he doubted it. Must be some kind of love name for him.
Before heading for the private dining room, he went back to the great hall where people still lingered after the morning trial. Lord Hitendra was still there and had been joined by his wife and daughter, Chitrangda.
Chitrangda had been a good friend of his sister Kareena and had welcomed Laxmi of Lakeshi at the Amrendran court when Rohit had married her. She got along fine also with Nisha of Rajendra, Ajay's wife. She'd be perfect for Rahul.
"A word with you?" Rohit said, stopping by Lord Hitendra. "My brother seems keen on taking a wife after this mess of a conspiracy. I was wondering if Chitrangda would like to marry Rahul." He looked at her lovely face and saw her gasp in surprise.
"Your Majesty... King Rohit has changed his mind?" Lord Hitendra asked, puzzled.
"Obviously the loss of Kartik and the danger he put us all in made him see clearer," Rohit replied. "Chitrangda will have to put up with Arjun, like Laxmi and Nisha put up with the fact that I'm inseparable from my cousin Ajay..."
Of course he didn't sleep with Ajay, but he knew Chitrangda was smart enough to understand what had actually happened.
She smiled. "I will be honored to marry your twin, your majesty," she said with a curtsy.
"Good, this is settled, then! The announcement will be made after the meal."
Rohit headed for the family table feeling elated. Everything was finally all right.
***
"Thank you for agreeing to marry me," Harish said after the betrothal banquet, holding Chitrangda's hands. He had trusted Rohit and Arjun and they had chosen a lovely woman for him. But he felt the need to be completely honest with her, since she was a stranger. "I look forward to getting to know you better. I thought I'd introduce myself to you first..."
"You don't need to say anything," she replied. They sat in a gazebo in the palace gardens and the sun shone on Delen again after the previous days thunderstorms. The garden was still quite wet and the flowers all in bloom after the showers. "I know quite a lot about you."
"From who?" he asked, skeptical.
"Rohit, Ajay, Nisha, Laxmi..." She had a beautiful, impish smile. "And even something from Arjun. We grew up together – not with the foreign princesses, but with Rohit, Ajay and Arjun."
"And what did they tell you about me?" Harish felt amused now. Had Arjun already given away their secret?
"That you truly loved Kartik and were heartbroken when he died. I'm glad you decided to move on. I know you will always miss him and you'll need two people instead of one to fill the void."
"My, aren't we smart, my lady Chitrangda?" He grinned. "Why didn't Rohit or Arjun tell me how smart you are?"
"Because you didn't ask?" she replied with her dazzling smile.
"True." He nodded.
He hadn't asked anything about her, because he trusted his twin. He hadn't asked Arjun, because he didn't think he could learn anything about his prospective bride, and still wanted to keep the two things separate.
Arjun for Harish and Chitrangda for Rahul. Eventually he'd manage to patch up the two, but now it was too early still. He felt empty when he thought about Kartik. His betrothed was right, he'd need two people instead of one from now on, to fill the void Kartik had left behind.
"Do you know why your brother chose me?" she asked. He shook his head. "Because I'm not a princess."
"Right. If we have children, even twins, they won't threaten Ajay and Nisha's position!"
"Exactly. The edict of King Daruka Dahana about this succession still stands."
"Good." He felt relieved. He hadn't thought that his move would hurt Ajay. Obviously Rohit was aware of the problem and had solved it. "You grew up with my twin and my cousin – were you ever interested in either of them?"
"No, but Prince Ajay seduced my elder sister Chandra when Prince Rohit went looking for a bride," she answered, a
mused. "She had to be content with marrying Lord Balavan's son. You know, Nalini's father?"
Harish only knew he was one of the arrested lords, who had suggested he marry his daughter at Kartik's funeral.
"Is there anything else that you'd like to know about me?" he asked. Rohit or Ajay couldn't have told her everything!
"Actually, yes." She squeezed his fingers. She had never looked repulsed by his malformed hand and was holding it exactly like the other one. "I was wondering if you knew your way around women."
"Ah... yes, I do." He squeezed back. "Didn't Rohit tell you I was a jester?"
"Yes."
"And a prostitute?"
"No, he didn't tell me that part."
"Well, then, Master Zahin started selling my body when I was in my teens. That's what ticked off Kartik and the reason he took me away from the itinerant circus. He had enough of watching me be pimped out to lustful rich men and women."
Her brown eyes had widened in shock at the story, but then she relaxed and smiled again.
"Good. We're all set to live happily ever after, then," she said. "I'll make sure Arjun's wife doesn't bother you with useless jealousy... Although she's wary of other women, she probably wouldn't consider a man her rival..."
"My lady!" He feigned incredulity at her statement, then both burst out laughing.
Harish liked her. He knew how Rohit felt about Laxmi now. Not the passion, but something more permanent.
He took Chitrangda in his arms and kissed her. They'd be all right – all of them.
The Bodyguard
Rajesh thought he was going to miss waking up in his own bed, with Shanti's warm body and faint scent by his side. Three to four months away from the small apartment in the servants' quarters of the royal palace of Jevina felt like an eternity, mostly because he had never been away from Shanti for so long since they got married ten years earlier.
He shaved and dressed listening to Shanti and the boys in the next room, already up and chattering and having breakfast while he lingered in the bedroom. Sometimes he wished he wasn't a royal bodyguard, but then, he'd known this day would come.
Prince Tarun was twenty and headed for his tour of the southern courts in search of a bride. With his faithful bodyguard in tow, of course.
Rajesh had known the prince heir since childhood, although he'd been appointed his bodyguard only a couple of years earlier. Rajesh didn't have a very high opinion of Prince Tarun and didn't look forward to spending months on the road with him.
With a final sigh, he grabbed his scimitar and left the bedroom.
"At last Dad is up!" Shanti said cheerfully.
"Maybe Dad doesn't want to leave you," he replied, sitting next to her and kissing her cheek.
The boys cheered. Hemal was nine, Hitesh was seven, and they adored him as much as he adored them.
"It is your duty, Raju," Shanti replied. "Try to take notes and come back with great stories of the other southern kingdoms I will certainly never see."
"Will we see them?" Hitesh asked.
"Eventually. If you become royal bodyguards," Rajesh answered. "Or if you marry a merchant's daughter and your father-in-law takes you in his trade."
"Yikes!" Hemal said. "Royal bodyguard sounds much better!"
"Why?" Shanti asked. She was a merchant's daughter, but she had left her father's trade when she'd married Rajesh. "Don't you like your grandfather?"
"He can't use a sword!" Hemal answered while his brother nodded.
"I see, I will have to train you when I come back," Rajesh said with a smile.
"Maybe you'll wait a few years." Shanti playfully slapped his muscled arm. "I don't want the boys to start playing with blades too early!"
"Yes, my lady." He stared fondly at her beautiful, heart-shaped face. He was definitely going to miss her. They'd been together for so long, it would feel strange to sleep alone again. "Boys, you will take care of Mommy, won't you?"
"Of course, Dad!" they chorused.
"You better get going," Shanti said. "I'm sure the royal wagon is already in the courtyard and Prince Tarun eagerly awaits you."
"I'll miss you." He kissed her. "You two give me a hug," he added to the children who immediately complied.
He reluctantly left his apartment and his beloved family accompanied him. The children rushed to play with their peers, but Shanti squeezed his hand before they stepped out into the main courtyard where the prince's escort and train was already gathering.
Rajesh quickly looked around to make sure nobody was watching and hugged his wife, giving her a long kiss.
"I'll miss you," he repeated with a sigh.
"Will miss you too," she answered, caressing his cheek. "Don't let yourself be tempted by foreign beauties."
"Never," he assured her, squeezing her shapely body. He inhaled the scent of her long black hair one last time, then finally let her go. "You take care of yourself and the boys. I'll be back as soon as I can."
"I know you don't like your charge much, but stick to your duty." She smiled fondly at him. "I'm proud of you."
He briefly kissed her again and let her go, going into the main courtyard where King Vivek was giving his son his latest recommendations in front of the royal wagon. Prince Tarun brightened at the sight of him and stopped listening to his father.
"Let's go, Rajesh! I look forward to this adventure!"
Rajesh bowed, but he didn't like the smirk on the king's face. When he was younger, he had to submit to the then prince heir's lust, and he often thought the now king had chosen him for his son in memory of those stolen moments.
Except he wasn't going to let Prince Tarun, who was fifteen years younger than him, order him around and demand to share his bed. He entered the royal wagon with his charge, determined to stand his ground. He was a bodyguard, not a slave.
The wagon was equipped with carpets and plush cushions and low tables like a small moving room, but they'd have to sleep in a tent on the way to the Amrendran capital, Delen. Oxen pulled it towards the north, followed by two more wagons, one of servants and one of equipment and food. A dozen mounted guards escorted the wagons, so every night they'd have to set up a small camp until they reached their destination.
Prince Tarun was excited to be on his own. It was as if the palace felt oppressive to him and the wagon gave him sudden freedom.
"Won't you miss your friends and siblings?" Rajesh asked him.
"I don't think so." Tarun grinned. "I'm really glad we're here and I hope I'll get to know you better during this trip."
Rajesh raised his eyebrows. "Meaning?"
"Well, we don't have time to talk much at the palace, so I hope you'll tell me something about yourself while we travel. I know you have a wife, but not much else. How did you get those muscles? Where did you train to fight? How did you become my bodyguard? I mean, I know my father chose you, but..."
"I'm not answering that question, your highness," he warned.
"Why? Because he used you in the past and thought of doing you a favor by giving you the responsibility of my life?"
My, the prince is smart! Or he knows his father well. Rajesh smiled despite himself.
"He never told me why he chose me to protect you. And I do not wish to know the reason behind his choice."
"Maybe he was trying your dedication to the royal family," Tarun said. "Is it true that the prince heir's bodyguard receives sex offers to allow women near his charge?"
"Where did you hear this?" Rajesh asked, amused.
"I think it's the reason why Vikram was dismissed," Tarun replied. "Did you ever have any such offer?"
Rajesh hesitated. "Yes," he said at last. "But I love Shanti and I wouldn't accept any other woman. Or man."
Tarun chuckled. "I know, I'm not trying to get into your pants."
Definitely smart. Smarter than his father. But also obsessed with me. Where will this take us?
"I want to be like you when I'm king," Tarun said, serious.
"Excuse me?" Rajesh s
tared incredulous at the prince. "I'm not king! Why would you want to be like me and not like your father?"
"I don't like my father. I want to be a man like you, not like him."
"Oh." Definitely a few interesting months ahead. "I don't know what you see in me, but then, I'm the worse judge of myself, like my wife likes to remind me."
"Maybe I should talk to her as well when we come back." Tarun grinned again and settled on the cushions as the wagon gently rolled forward.
Talking about his family wasn't too bad, since the journey was just at the beginning. Rajesh decided he might as well get that out of the way and satisfy the prince's curiosity before he actually started missing Shanti and the boys.
When they stopped for the night, while the servants set up the camp, Tarun asked him to show him some moves with the scimitar, which felt wonderful after spending a whole day inside a wagon without being able to exercise and practice. Rajesh was afraid he'd put on weight during the journey since he wouldn't be able to keep himself fit as much as at the palace where he had a different routine.
The prince was swift and well-trained but he started mimicking his every move almost immediately. He tried to walk like him, move like him, even speak like him, which was jarring. He wasn't a nobleman or even less royal blood. Why Tarun wanted to be like him was still a mystery. It seemed a good way to lower the royal family of Lakeshi to a commoner's level.
Rajesh slept lightly during the night and often dozed off in the lulling wagon during the day, along with the prince. And after a week, crossing the border river with a ferry, they reached Delen, capital of Amrendra.
Summer had exploded on the coastal town of the most northern of the southern kingdoms. From the royal palace terrace there was a breathtaking view of the sea and its smell sometimes reached the building decorated with vines.
Amrendra had twin royalty, and prince heirs Rajiv and Sanjiv were one year older than Tarun. They were identical twins with gray eyes and brown hair who welcomed the Lakeshian prince with very similar gestures. They were cousins, since their mother was Laxmi, former princess of Lakeshi and now queen of Amrendra, and they had already met Prince Tarun during their own tour of the kingdoms.