My head held up in pride, not because I was going to become your queen, but because I was going to be your
PROTECTOR.

5 | The King and His Guard |

~*~*~*~

Splash!
A face came out of water, the skin conch white, rivulets of water streaming down its soft curves of cheeks, wet luscious pink lips parted to take in gasps of air, dark brown hair almost black in the darkness, sticking to the upper part of the face, letting only the peak of her nose to peek out.

Two slim sets of fingers which caught the wooden tub of freezing cold water in a death grip, flew to her chest, warming her against the freezing cold cell of the underground secret dungeon. Her teeth clattered as she rubbed her palms up and down her arms, trying to create heat through friction.

Her long locks stuck to her soft butter like skin as she stood up and stepped out of the tub, droplets of water ran down her body in tingling spirals to wet the harsh stone floor and she shivered when her soft foot touched the floor and a jolt of painful chill shot up through her legs. Wrapping herself in a drying cloth, she took a big bowl and mixed some powders that the physician gave to her. The physician was an old man and he always kept himself busy in different types of crystals and powders, of different shapes, different colours, different smells and he gave the guards these powders. They ignited fire when mixed in a certain metal bowl and the smoke helped her to dry herself up, along with her clothes but it hadn't any smell to mark them with, unlike the smoke emitting from wood fire.

After drying herself up, she went out in the clearing at the back of the dungeon. After the clearing, there was a forest full of ages old oaks, pines, deodar and rhododendrons. Breathing deeply she looked up at the sky. The sky was still bluish pink, the sun wasn't out yet. The birds also weren't awake. She narrowed her lips in pout and let out the chirp of a hill mynah.

Soon after two chirps of hill mynahs came to her ears, and she knew that her soul brothers were wide awake by now. And soon the chorus chirping of the mynahs filled the terrain.

Two men dressed in all black with only their eyes peeking through the veils they wore just like her came from her right and left side, jumping down from a tree.

'Time to use our language, I saw the palace guards waking up', Dandi said.

Gauri lifted her right index finger and after drawing a circle clockwise in air, she flowed out the finger like a wave. It meant, get in to our usual watchpoints. They had developed this language by themselves to share commands and communicate without talking. That would prevent them from getting caught by their voices.

The other two nodded and rushed to the palace to start their usual secret patrolling.

Gauri was restless today. After exactly five years and two months, she was going to meet her prince.. No no, her King. That day of her final test, she couldn't see him. By the time she had completely cleaned up, he had left with the king already for the capital of Isilwane in Southern Province. He was to come around noon if everything went well.

The three entered the palace to witness immense hustle bustle. The servants and maids were on their toes  to make the palace tidy and beautiful. Numerous bouquets of flowers were adorning the metal pots of intricate patterns, kept in every corner of palace. The air was thick due to the different incense lamps and candles burning in rows around the passages and chambers. The lamp-men were busy in preparing torches for the welcome ceremony that was to be held in evening.

Wandering around, they finally reached the huge gate of Northern Province. The black gate still as black and shiny as it was fifteen years ago. The market was awfully buzzing in dreadful comments of the residents on their sad fate. Gauri smirked behind her veil upon seeing their fear, you bandits deserve a leash like him.

Her forest green eyes grew darkar by each passing moment as the noon slowly faded in an orange-red dusk. Her heart started thumping in unexplainable fear. General Shakti was gone to escort the king in here and it was the three of them who were controlling the palace from behind the curtain.

Camouflaging herself in her black attire against the monstrous black gate, Gauri impatiently waited for the ivory trumpet to be blown from the other side of the gate.

Finally, when she started to plan a escape to find her king out, a shrill sound of ivory trumpet shook her eardrums. The guards posted at the gate opened them in a hurry and the first horse was a beautiful walnut horse, upon it, was Shakti, his face and armour was splashed with fresh blood. Then the half of the soldiers circling the king entered upon their  allotted horses. Finally, a black stallion appeared with its all glory, its black fur glistening as strands of gold in the light of setting sun, and upon it, was The King of Northern Province of Isilwane, his stern face hidden in shadow, blood dripping from his armour as if he bathed in blood. One of his hands carried a war axe, and the other hand held the leash of the stallion. Followed him the other half of the soldiers, the dust their hoofs threw in air was creating a fog of golden rosy hue.

As soon as king entered the clearance of the now closed market, he pulled the rein of his stallion, it threw up its front legs high up in air with a loud neigh before stopping dead on ground.

Now Gauri had much time to observe her king as he started to address the gathering crowd in his hypnotic deep voice.
Your voice haven't changed a bit since you left, she smiled.
But, his looks had changed drastically. His soft boyish face and messy spikes on his forehead was gone, and was replaced with dark stubble and long shoulder length mane, now blood dripped from his wetted mane. His eyes were always very observant and curious, but now they had become cold and distant. A king should be eligible of hiding his emotions, she remembered her lesson.

Though she wasn't allowed to feel inappropriate things towards any men, but his cold, hard gaze made her stomach take flips, not the bad ones, but the butterfly ones. She badly wanted to touch the scratches on his face and wipe the blood lovingly.. Wait! The secret Royal Guards were trained emotionless assassins, there was no place for love, compassion, care in their heart, actually, they didn't own any heart.

So, how are you all? I guess doing fine. Here go the introduction of the King and His (secret) Maiden in Shining Armour.

Happy reading!
With love,
Sarani.