Love is blind, but it takes our everything to fall in love.

~ Falling For YOU
All Over AGAIN

7.1 | The Invitation from Southern Province |

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Gauri was standing on the highest railing around the pyramidal roof of King's tower. Morning was setting in and the king was still asleep with Ishaana wrapped in his arms.

The bed is surely of very good quality of woods, I must say.. With your repeated exhibition of vigour last night, I thought it would break itself free of the torture, she chuckled at her thoughts whisperingly.

Kh - Kheee..! Hearing the sound, she looked up at the rising sun from behind the misty blue hills. A black shadow of a bird caught her eyes against the soft hibiscus-red sun. She forwarded her forearm higher in the air, to let the falcon land on her thickly clothed arm. It settled its heavy body and rubbed its head on her wrist, wanting to be petted. She ran her soft fingertips over its feathery head. Letting it ride on her shoulder, she took the letter tied at its legs. This falcon was the dak-bearer of the king, especially trained by Gauri. It carried the secret letters of the king to other kingdoms and returned with one if sent.

Opening the letter, she dropped a blue liquid at its corner. Even if a drop of poison was here anywhere in the letter, the blue liquid would change into the colour green. When it didn't change the colour, Gauri started reading the components of letter, she had to make sure it was of prior importance before delivering it to the king.

Dear Royal Brother Omkara,
Hope you are doing well with your subjects for the first day. How was the welcome ceremony? Did you enjoy it? Are the people there still the same old stubborn savages? I wish you all the best refinery of a King so that you can tame them.
I know, it would be very inappropriate to call you back to Southern Province, but I cannot wait to have you and my other brother by my side on my big day. As Royal Father had arranged a year ago, I am going to get married to the Crown Princess of Pearl Island, Tia, at the second moon from the day you receive this letter. I wanted to make a formal invitation, but judging your subjects, I think it should be better if this news remains hidden till the day of your departure from Northern Province.
And, as for Tia, I am still nervous. Bedding concubines whose face you forget after the night is way easier than getting married. I will have another land to protect as per the alley, and I don't know if I will a good husband for her. I know it will be tough for you, but I want to have you here during my wedding.

Take care.
With regards,
Your Eldest Royal Brother Shivaay.

Gauri rolled the tulat back its former shape and dropped it in the bedside tripod of Omkara's room. Before hurrying out, she saw Omkara rubbing his eyes as the soothingly warm rays of sun disturbed his sleep and the cocooned up woman at his naked chest groaned.

'Um, good morning your majesty', Ishaana rasped out, trying to stiffle a yawn.

'You are dismissed. Maid!', Omkara tied his black robe around his stark naked body and looked up at the maid trembling at the door of his bedchamber, 'Show her way out.'

'Wish you call me up again soon', Ishaana tried to give him a kiss, but he brushed her off. Turning at his bedside tripod, he found a folded tulat neatly kept. Picking it up, he started going through it and his eyes shone brighter by each passing word.
'I will definitely go Shivaay, just let me arrange the whole system during my absence.'

Keeping the letter in his hidden drawer, he entered his bath to freshen up for the day. His bath was not a room. It was a open air hanging balcony just beside his room. There was an enormous tub, which looked exactly like a little pond, surrounded by beauty herbs and bowls filled with lotions. Numerous pebbles were scattered at the bottom of the tub which absorbed the unwanted salts of water. The maids got on their toes from whatever they were preparing in the bowls,

'Good morning you highness!', they folded their hands and bowed.

'Is my hot bath ready?'

'Yes, your highness, please let yourself in!'

Omkara descended in the pond, swirls of mist blending in the air from the hot water and soon his weary muscles from last night soothed. He moaned inaudibly at the warm comfort, closing his eyes. Gauri was now sitting hidden in the bush of the herbs and was secretly testing each bowl of lotions the maids prepared to make sure there was no trace of poison in them. As she was almost finished, the three maids lighted incense candles around the pond, poured petals of different flowers and one of them started massaging a lotion on his shoulders.

A smile graced his lips as he indulged himself more to the comfort. Soon another maid joined to tend his hairs. He lifted his hands for a clap to seek his privacy. The maids hurriedly left.

He walked out of the pond in his naked glory. Picking up the towels soaked in essences he started wiping himself. Though Gauri knew it was wrong to watch him like this hiding, or as much as her cheeks burned to the deep reds of apples of Northern Province, she couldn't avert her gaze when he rubbed the towel down his biceps, triceps, well defined shoulders, sturdy abs and she gaped as the towel went lower.
Now I know why the girls get so loud at night, it seems quite painful, she gulped and slapped herself mentally so that she could look away for lurking threats in the open air bath.

As he dressed up in his essential dresses to cover himself up, he couldn't help but looked around in the bushes lazily for sometime. He wasn't sure, but he felt like someone was keeping an eye on him. That was not a very innocent gazing or a creepy one, it was like a cold fire starting from his spine that spread throughout his nerves, tingling his skin and raising goosebumps on them on their own accord.

Finally when Gauri, Ranveer and Dandi gathered in the throne room, Ranveer smirked,'I guess you are quite enjoying your time during his majesty's bath, huh?'

'Shut up and focus on your works', Gauri blushed furiously and looked everywhere except them.

'I guess, someone's cheeks would burst out blood', Dandi chuckled.

'N-no one is b-b-bursting anything! T-there is n-n-nothing to get shy of! Go to your usual spots!', Gauri stuttered.

'We will shut up now, but you need luck to control your jealousy when tons of girls would throw themselves on him', Ranveer winked and climbed his allotted pillar, so did Gauri and Dandi.

Okay, 1.4k reads till 10th chapter.. I'm literally dancing like anything now.. Thank, thank you everyone for this much love.. ❤🌷💐🌻❤
In this story, there will be bits and pieces of ShivIka and RuVya too, only when they would patch up round RiKara.. Let's see how this mishmash comes off.. 😂

Happy reading!
With love,
Sarani.