"Ram bhaiyya?" Ram looked up from his bow and arrow curiously at the hopeful sound, and found his second brother staring back at him. Lakshman took a deep breath, and began.

"Today, Bharat said I would never get married, because of my temper. I do not want to get married, bhaiyya, but you have to, right?" He didn't allow Ram a chance to say anything before continuing. "What do you want in a wife, Ram bhaiyya?"

Ram set down his weapon sadly. Bharat really ought not to have said that to poor Laksh, and Ram had full faith that he would eventually find a wife. But if he didn't want to...well nobody could really force him!

"Well, I want someone who is kind." Ram let his thoughts drift away for a second, before coming right back. "someone that pays attention to the wishes of the kingdom, she will be the Maharani, you see?" He swallowed hard, and continued speaking.

"Someone that is strong, from the inside, and is loyal to me. Someone that understands the bond between us. Someone who appreciates her surroundings, loves my family as her own." Slowly, Ram began to develop a picture. Weird, that she looked just like Sita from the hermitage, just all grown up. Lakshman waved a hand in front of his brother's face, and upon finding no response, allowed him to daydream for a while...

When Ram came back to life, he found it most courteous to ask his brother the same thing. Lakshman had an entirely different answer. "Someone who can deal with my tempers well, someone who is loyal to my brothers equal to me, someone who does not expect much of me as I am not that great of a husband-material, someone who has the emotional strength to accept that if I go into the battlefield, I may not return, and someone that supports your wife, my bhabhi, to the complete extent."

Ram grimaced. Not husband material? Bharat had really gotten to him, hadn't he? But he wasn't quite done yet. "Someone that appreciates me for who I am, as I will do that to them, someone who can laugh with me, for I will laugh with them, someone who is happy for my accomplishments, as I will be happy for them, someone whom I can express my feelings with, in hope that they will do the same, and..." Ram raised an eyebrow.

"And...?" he prompted. "And someone who appreciates my amazing carvings!" Lakshman finished happily. "There is no one in the world who has all of those characteristics, bhaiyya, and so I will never marry, and will remain devoted to you forever, til death do us part!" Lakshman gave him a quick hug before drawing his sword and heading towards the practice area, leaving a distraught Ram. Bharat really did not know how much his words affected Lakshman, did he?

Ram knew that Lakshman just wanted a friendly companion, someone that would trust him, and he them. Someone that was loyal to him, for Ram had full faith that his brother would be loyal to his wife. Preferably someone who would not fight with him, someone that knew how he acted, and someone who was genuinely kind. Unless she was all of those things, Ram thought, then the woman did not deserve his amazing brother.

Sudden Setting Change

"Sita!" squealed Urmila, patting the bed near her. Her sister came running in dutifully, plopping down beside her enthusiastically.

"You are nearing the time when you will get married!" she teased, and Sita turned red, squirming around a little bit. She had always wanted to marry the man in her dreams, but as he did not exist, that was a stupid wish not even her doting father could grant. Her childish days were drifting away, slowly. Urmila spotted her sister's worry, and decided to try and cure it with some talking.

"What do you want in a husband, Sita?" she asked, leaning in, hands under her chin and jaw. Sita glanced over. Now, this was a question she could easily answer.

"Someone who is a great leader. Compassionate, kind. Good to his people if he is the king, and decently handsome as well." she blushed as Urmila giggled, urging her on. "Someone who has a bond between his brothers like I do with you all. Someone who is surrounded by loving people, and is encouraging and non-restricting. And also, someone with plenty of nature in his kingdom." Sita finished grandly, as Urmila clapped.

She had described all the characteristics of her dream man, except his appearance. Urmila would tease her for days if she started talking about how he should look, if anyone overheard, they may think that she was unrealistic or had an affair with some one, and either way. She had described him as decently handsome even though he was on a much higher scale in her mind.

As her sister continued daydreaming, Urmila talked and talked about how it would be like in married life, not knowing that her sister was not listening. She talked about cooking (unhappily), she talked about folding her husband's clothes (angrily), she talked about patriarchies (sadly), she talked about the unfairness of it all, having to be married. Eventually, Sita talked.

"What do you want in a dream man, Urmila?" Sita inquired curiously. Urmila stopped her long series of complaints, and turned towards her, ready to talk about anything related to boys. Giggling, she began.

"Someone that's tall, because being short is really bad." she stuck her tongue out, being the shortest of all the sisters. "Someone that has a sense of humor, plenty of it. Someone who is loyal to me, and is loyal in general." She thought about it for a second, and then continued. "Someone who doesn't completely suck at warfare. Doesn't want me to fold his clothing. A man who is very handsome, mind you, this decent pheecent will not work for me!" Sita shook her head good-naturedly.

"Someone with at least one physical trait that stands out, whether it be his eyes, or hair, or whatever. Someone who is protective, but not overtly so, and preferably, a good craftsman, with wood, and you know?" Urmila tried to be vague, but Sita immediately understood, and laughed.

"Someone who is not infuriatingly calm, and can get things done, no problem." Urmila chewed on her lip. "And someone who listens to me speaking without cutting in." Here, she wrinkled her nose. "Like Mandavi." Sita nodded understandingly.

Urmila, to herself, knew that she had described all the characteristics of her dream man. Unlike Sita, she thought that there most certainly was someone out there who was like this person, and hopefully, she would meet and marry him some day. And if he was good at making carvings, that was just a bonus!

Sudden Setting Change

"Oi, Bharat, where are you going?" asked Kaikeyi. "Sit down and eat like your brothers are about to do!" Bharat walked into the dining room, wincing, and with a quick glare towards Shatrughan, who was laughing, sat down in his chair.

"There, each of you have to have at least 3 rotis and two spoonfuls of rice." Maa Kaushalya announced cheerfully. Bharat gaped as Ram shook his head, and the twins looked at each other fearfully. Dasharath noticed all of this, but decided not to interfere. Best let his queens dote on them rather than inspiring their wrath.

Once the meal was done, a meal that only good, appreciative Ram could finish without complaining, Dasharath began to speak, glancing at his wives for support.

"You are nearing the age when I will start looking for wives for you all!" he cried cheerfully. Ram grinned weakly, running a hand through his hair. Bharat fainted. And in a weird act of unison, both twins facepalmed at the same time.

A/N-I am baaaaaack. There were some technical difficulties, but I am back. My postings might happen every 3 days or 2 days now, but I will be posting!!

No, this is NOT the final chapter in this era, this is just a cute wish fulfillment chapter that n-i-t-h-y-a requested for, and the idea was so cute that here it is! An entire chapter dedicated to Lakshmila and Sira. Did you notice the little details that Lakshman and Urmila had of each other, tall (Lakshman is 6 feet something, so VERY tall), loyal (Urmila waited fourteen years for her husband!), listening (Lakshman is mainly quiet in my story), appreciates my carvings (Urmila is practically going to commission them day and night!)

I plan on maybe 1 or 2 more chapters in the Post-Gurukul Palace Era and then we will move on. THIS STORY IS GOING TOO FAST! After this one is done, I've already started planning out another story, so do not worry about 50 days later, when I will say "the end" for realsies. There will most likely be another long Ramayan-dedicated story on my account.

IMPORTANT QUESTION- What do you want in one of the next few chapters: Violence and warfare, fluff (feel-good), or character-centric? Character-centric is if you want me to write about a certain character. Also, fair warning, sometime in the not-so-near future, Phool Jani will be making a comeback!