Sikva, capital city of Kavish

Sleep welcomed her like a flower does to a bee. A peaceful sleep she had had in days if she could remember. Her brothers stayed by her side all the while, made sure she had her bath, dinner and medicines before she hit the bed. They left her chambers only when they were sure she was sound asleep but that did not sustain for long.

In the middle of the cold night, warmness engulfed her as she perspired profusely. Nakshathra fluttered her eyes open only to be surrounded with fire. Startled, she tried to get out of her bed, somehow, she couldn't. Trapped from all four sides, she screamed, tears blinding her vision. The scorching heat eating her away as she tried to shield herself using her blanket. Fire consumed everything around her.

She screamed for help, louder and like the hero in all her Achi's story, a hand grabbed her and pulled her out. They together, ablaze, jumped off her balcony to a never coming ground. The continuous fall into a dark pit frighten her even more than the fire. There were no one with her, not even the hero who pulled her out. The endless fall rise panic in her. She would scream for one last time again, if there were no one to catch her, I will surrender to this sufferance.

Nakshathra did with all her leftover strength.

A loud bang followed by another echoed in the room. She jolted up wide awake. Dim orange ambient filled half of the chamber. A pair of cold arms embraced her, pulling her close to their chest murmuring incoherent words.

"Shh... it's alright. It's alright." The owner of the gentle voice swayed her back and forth, calming her down.

Arunya. She recognised soon after her perturbed mind calmed, followed by every incident that took place in the last few days.

"How is the princess? Should I get the princes?" A guard called out from the door.

"She is fine, just a nightmare. Let's not trouble the princes," Arunya responded to the guard and went to fetch a cup of water.

When she turned around, the girl who had been frantically crying seemed to have recovered from the nightmare in an instant. Nakshathra frenziedly checked for her arms and legs a few times before she turned to question Arunya, quizzically.

"I was caught in fire." Nakshathra paused, as if recalling something. "How is that I have no significant marks on my body? I mean if I remember, I should be in a much worst condition, you know. Charred, bloody, blackened skin. What happened?" Nakshathra tried to assimilate her supposed to condition while staring at her own hands.

"We don't know." Arunya started staring at the floor. "The first three days you have been in your worst—screaming, mumbling, jolting up and falling unconscious back again. We don't know what happened, morning of the fourth day you laid there calm, not a wince. Your wounds were said to be healing in a lightning speed and then within three miraculous days every wound on you completely vanished," said Arunya, her eyes widened recalling the incident.

"That's strange...." Nakshathra let her eyes close, she felt an imaginary hand held her. She snapped her eyes open. "And what of Dhruva? How is he?" She asked of the man who had been in her mind all along hidden behind a foggy screen. She recalled the last time she had seen him at the bottom of the temple stairs.

"He left Kavish."

"What?! Why? But... but he must have had his share of injuries too. How could he leave so soon?" Nakshathra threw the duvet off her and headed to the door. "He left too soon without a goodbye?" She breathed, shakily.

Her throat went dry, her eyes pooled with tears. His sudden departure disturbed her, slowly breaking her heart. Why?

"Nakshathra, where are you going?" Arunya caught her just before she could exit her chamber.

"I don't know. Find Dhruva." Nakshathra drew a sharp breath. Why? She asked herself. I want to see him once. I didn't get to spend enough time with him.

"He is not in Kavish. He left four days ago." Arunya's voice cut off her mind voice.

"Did he come to see me?" Maybe a yes for her question would ease her throbbing heart.

Arunya did not answer to which answered her question nonetheless. Should she be heartbroken for he left without a goodbye, without a single visit? Oh, yes. More so when she knew she had developed something really deep for him. She was even more heartsick when she knew he wouldn't come back. A man who would return would announce of his departure but this was a discreet one.

The sky had taken a dull blue shade and the sun set to be up anytime soon, Nakshathra stayed on her bed dwelling in the thoughts of Dhruva. She did not fancy of it, she hated to be in such a state yet couldn't help but be disappointed and angry at herself for allowing such depressing thoughts. She sluggishly rolled over and laid on her back staring at the patterned ceiling. "Perhaps till here was our destiny," Nakshathra convince herself off to continue her routine yet again and this time with a heavier heart and masquerade cheery facade.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Somewhere between Sikva and border gate of Kavish

Dhruva and Viswanathan were two days away from their destination and once they get there, they would wait for the prince's arrival to handover the thirteen citizens of Kavish safely. Achi's healing had not only healed and vanished his scars, it also left him physically energetic. Yet somehow, Achi Mangalam's ability couldn't fix his inner turmoil.

Two more days.

Dhruva counted heavy-heartedly, each time turning to the city's direction. Something he had left back in Sikva often pulled his thoughts back. Persuade him to return to the city. It is, of course been a short stay like most of his trips to other places but this. This was a dear and more personal to him.

"Forgot something?" Viswanathan annoyingly snorted as Dhruva turned his attention back to the path ahead.

"I don't remember mentioning that 'I forgot something'." Dhruva answered irritably. He was in no mood to be mocked, the growing distance, ached. More so when his annoying friend wants to talk about it.

"Ha, so your neck aches looking to the front that you keep turning back?"

Dhruva who had been doing so, trotted silently—embarrassed. He did not want to talk about her, which would eventually change his mind and maybe he would rush to Sikva. He couldn't afford something that would kindle trouble.

Somewhere behind them, they heard gallops of horses. There in a middle of a countryside, the prince of Kavish joined them. Dressed as a common man, Parthiban was flanked by two of his guards dressed similar to him. Together they moved as a group of travellers heading to the border gate.

Parthiban was in his usual calm demeanour, he still had the stern, daunting facade when Dhruva had met him for the first time. The two princes engaged themselves in conversation that covered general matters and some of their personals too. Dhruva shared of his precious relationship with his uncle Megavannan and what he assumed to be good at while Parthiban shared of their strict laws and how he maintained the city's security and so on.

The journey marked a start in bridging for a peaceful future between the two kingdoms.

As the sun about to set, Parthiban suggested they put a night up at a reputable guesthouse of whose he knew personally. A man who had once been a member of Kavish royal household, sacked for poor performance.

It was a quiet and cosy rest house, big and moderately luxurious, built for above average earning families. The owner of the rest house gave them a quick tour before Dhruva came back to the front. The extreme work on the outside of the guesthouse captivated him. There he met the person behind the meticulously carved with intricate geometry designs on the wall. A lady in her forties, seen working skilfully on the stone wall with chisel and a hammer.

"What a skill you have got there?"

The lady jumped at the sudden intervention. "My sorry. What did you say?" She asked, wondering if she had seen him before.

Dhruva approached her to appreciate her sculpting skill, while his eyes roamed line by line reading the small details carved on the stone wall. "I was saying that you have an amazing skill. Do you give lessons on how to sculpt?" Out of the blue, Dhruva desired to learn the art from her.

"Oh, thank you. You are the first to say this." She wore a smile to the compliment with slightly glazed eyes. "I don't offer classes though. This is just a work of interlude. My husband owns the rest house and since I have leisure time after lunch, I get on to this," she laughed, humbly thanked him with her palms joined together.

Too bad for Dhruva, he won't be able to learn from a skilful artisan. Dhruva left her to continue shortly after their small exchange of words and headed back to his room to rest for a bit. He was expected to meet the prince for dinner.

In contrast to the quiet surrounding of the rest-house, the room provided to him was rather noisy. Given a shared room for the prince due to shortage of rooms, he was pushed to share with Viswa. Now Dhruva glared at snoring Viswa slumped unceremoniously on one of the beds, uncaring of anyone else in the room.

"How am I supposed to catch some sleep?" With a loud groan, he jumped on an empty bed. The snore only grew louder as time went time; Dhruva had to throw pillows at his companion to shut him up.

"Don't disturb me." Viswa caught one of the pillows and snuggled into it. "Go think of Nakshathra and you too will sleep," mumbled sleepy Viswa.

"Nakshathra." She reminded him of that faithful day—the fire and her shriek. He couldn't imagine her in such state and the thought of her urged Dhruva to go visit her, to know how well was she recovering.

Did Achi heal her too? Should I ask Parthiban? No, bad idea.

He attempted to divert his attention to something else, perhaps Durja. Durja reminded him of the things that were waiting for him. He still had to talk off the taxes with the king, the daily wedges for the military division and the rate for sea fares.

**---***---***---***

When Dhruva arrived at the dining hall, empty seats greeted him. The fairly small dining hall had a long wooden table, a perfect fit along with plates and cups spread on the table ready for the guests.

While he waited for the rest to join, Dhruva took the time to study the intricate carvings on the wall. ' This must have been the work of the owner's wife.' One of the sections on the wall had the story of Lord Krishnan and his fondness for butter while on the other side had Lord Ganesha and his modak. The carvings in the dining hall were mostly food related.

"Only when someone is devoted to their passion can deliver such perfection," Dhruva marvelled.

His admiration moment came short when he heard whispers coming from the side of the window. Outside vaguely visible through the bushes stood a man and a woman in an embrace. He should have averted his gaze and moved away but when he got a glimpse of the man, Dhruva wanted to leap out of the window and grab the man by his collar.

The presence of prince of Kavish in the guesthouse compelled him to stay put. He would see to it the next morning before they leave to the border gate.

The dinner went well diplomatically, Dhruva conversed enough to answer questions when asked and remained as a good listener the entire time. Parthiban was rather jovial and easy than his usual demeanour which was often quiet and frightening. Too bad for Dhruva, he couldn't build his relationship with Parthiban well with his mind preoccupied with what he saw before dinner.

The next morning Dhruva woke up earlier than supposed and headed to find for the man he saw the night before. The owner of the guest house. Married to a lady who have been a devoted wife, how could he cheat on her? Dhruva had the question disturb him again and again the entire night.

Now the man stood with his head bowed down in embarrassment. He couldn't say a word to defend himself rather blamed his wife to be too naive and plain. The man further added that his wife only concentrates on chisel and hammer but not on him.

"Did you take care of her the way you want to be taken care of?" Dhruva shot the question, furrily.

There was no answer from the man. He simply shook his head. "Why should I? It's she who should look after me. She should please me. That's her duty," he answered.

"You need a nanny in the name of wife to take care of you? No wonder you were thrown out of the royal household. A man who can't look after his wife cannot do well professionally too." Dhruva spat in disgust.

He could only imagine the pain the man's wife might feel when he doesn't appreciate her. Dhruva had nothing left to say when the man refused to accept and amend his relationship with his wife. He was no great man to fix a problem but as a human being he did his part to say what is wrong.

As he took a corner to get back into the rest-house, Dhruva bumped onto Parthiban. "You're awake so early?" The prince of Kavish asked.

"Yes, I had something to do. I'll back here shortly." Dhruva dashed in and out of Parthiban's sight.

"You have again pushed me to change my judgement over you, Prince Dhruva Vinayakam." Parthiban murmured in amazement while admiring a fully bloomed marigold.