Daughter of the Naga

by Svetlana Ivanova

  Silence almost deafened my ears as my feet stepped into the field. Ravi's piercing eyes looked straight in my direction.

  "I wish you no harm in this fight," she said more out of pity rather than making a sarcastic remark. The girl already knew I wasn't her equal. "But as a warrior, one must fulfill one's own duty. If you're wise, you must yield and I shall set you free."

  She had shown her mercy to me. It would be easy. I would leave in one piece if I submitted.

  "No, I won't surrender without a fight," I said and unsheathed my sword. For a moment, I could see a flash of respect in my opponent's eyes.

  The Wind God's daughter nodded back. She took a step forward. The air around us started to twirl and whizz, picking up speed. The wind whirled and raged, making my heart drum inside my chest. Having witnessed her power before, I had no doubt that this girl could kill me with just her breathing alone. The trees swayed, causing the leaves to scuffle. Yet Vorac did not open her attack. I couldn't stand the tension anymore. I lifted my sword and lashed out at her. Ravi flicked her wrist, and a gust of wind knocked the breath out of my lungs. I landed on my back, skidding across the ground.

  "Nikita, stay calm!" Tepi yelled out her warning. "You must fight with your wits instead."

  I got up and sprinted towards the girl again. Ravi opened her palms. A pair of ghostly miniature whirlwinds magically formed over her hands. She held the end of the whirlwind like a tail of a serpent and hurled it at me.

  I rolled out of the way, dodging it. Another blast of wind slammed into me. I fell to the ground with a thud that almost shattered my bones. Ravi kicked the air, sending an air blast into my stomach. I was sent flying into a displaying rack of shields and spears. A constellation of dancing stars burst into my vision. My sword got tossed into the air and impaled the earth as it landed a few feet away from me. The girl spun herself around. A wrath of wind rushed at me. My eyes widened. The raging storm spun like blades. I dove out of its path just in time. The force of the gale smashed the wooden carriages into tiny fragments.

  Ravi watched me struggle to my feet again. Her expressionless face remained unchanged.

  "You should yield before it's too late," she said.

  "No!" I said, gritting my teeth.

  Ravi spread her arms out to summon the wind again. Furious storms streamed into the arena and wagged with uncontrollable force. The air-pressure pressed into my chest. I had trouble breathing. My ears were ringing. Then I gasped at a sudden pain on my body.

  It felt as if I was being pulled apart by invisible hands.

  I screamed.

  Painstakingly, my hands grabbed hold of a bronze shield and threw it at Ravi with all my might. Yet instead of ramming into her, the shield spun away from her and rotated back at me. The hard shield knocked my body to the ground. This time, I had a feeling that I wouldn't be able to get up again.

  "No! Please, ask them to stop the fight!" a familiar voice came from the Pavilion. It was too faint to my ringing ears, I didn't know who was speaking.

  Ravi sent another force of air element. It uprooted the grass and soils. The airstream scooped my body off the ground. Then the winds felt like blades, piercing my skin with a flare of sharp pain. The mad current became as thin as splinters of metal slits. Tears sprung from my eyes as I screamed. Blood started oozing out from my cheeks, my arms and legs.

  "It's wise to yield now!" Ravi cried against the winds. "You're hurting yourself with your stubbornness!"

  “No!”

  Gritting my teeth, I managed to tear my way out of her stormy grip. Then I fell to the ground again, yet I remained standing. Ravi stepped back with a shocked look on her face. She kept staring at me.

  "Are you truly the Destined One?"

  "I am whatever the gods made me," I croaked back.

  Then everything came to a halt. The winds died away. The trees stood still. I could see the blades of the grass floating in front of me as if time had frozen. It lasted for a brief moment before it fell to the ground.

  "Stop!" the Guru's voice boomed from the pavilion. "The duel is over!"

  My legs gave way from under me, and I collapsed to the ground in a heap. My mind was flitting in and out of consciousness, but I could hear a soft voice calling my name over and over. A pair of gentle hands pulled me up. Although I was sure my eyes were wide open, it seemed as if a black veil had covered my face.

  "Amarisa?" I whispered.

  "My lady, it's me," Kesar's voice became clearer. When my vision returned, Kesar's tearful eyes stared down at me. She rested my head on her lap and tried to wipe away the blood and dirt off my face.

  "Kesar," I gasped. "Did I lose the fight? Did I?"

  "Oh, my lady," she said and started sobbing.

  I could hear more people rushing towards us, but the darkness overcame me at last.

  CHAPTER 28

  I opened my eyes to the tranquil and serene ambiance of my chamber. My throbbing head rested on a soft feathered pillow as pieces of memories came back slowly to me.

  I propped myself up from the bed and waited until my blurry surroundings stopped spinning in my vision. The waking pain then raged through my body. I bit my lips from crying out and managed to get to a sitting position. I realized it was still nighttime.

  My arms and legs were covered with bandages. Taking a deep breath, I swung my wobbly legs over the side of the bed. But then I cried out from a stinging pain, which shot through my body. I remembered I had been hit by a hard object during the fight.

  "My lady!" Kesar's voice came to me.

  I looked up to see her worried face as she rushed forward. Kesar wrapped her gentle hands around my body and carefully righted me back to the bed again.

  "You're still recovering. The wounds might reopen if you move too soon," she said, staring at me with anxious eyes.

  "How..." I croaked. "How long have I been sleeping?"

  "You slept through two days and a night," Kesar answered. "Lord Romanir said you need more rest. If the wounds have no infections, you shall be all right with just a few drinks of the holy Soma."

  After I regained some leverage with my mind and my body, Kesar went over to a wooden tea table by the bedside. She poured a cup of herbal remedy. She then brought the cup to my dry lips and nursed me with it.

  The juice tasted divine and was thirst-quenching. After I finished it, Kesar wiped my damp lips with her soft handkerchief. Her eyes never left me.

  "What about the others?" I asked. "Are they alright?"

  "Everyone is truly worried about you," Kesar said. "Even the Queen was here."

  "The Queen visited me? Which one?" I said in surprise.

  "It was Queen Jayarajadevi who came by," she said. "She seemed the most worried. When you were first brought to the Aswins House, she constantly ordered the palace maids to tend to you."

  I felt blessed with the Queen's concern, but at the same time, ashamed of myself for failing her hope.

  I sat back with a sigh. Now everyone knew me for who I really was. Then I wondered how this made Amarisa feel, seeing me weak and defeated. I was no longer worthy of her attention.

  "Kesar, how...how about Amarisa?" I asked. "Did she come to see me, too?"

  I was hoping to hear Kesar say 'yes'. I wanted to know that the princess cared about me and that she still loved me. But Kesar dropped her gaze from mine and stared at her own hands instead. I just knew the answer right away.

  "She didn't come to see me, did she?" I said. Kesar stayed quiet as I took a deep ragged breath. I could hear my own heart shatter one piece at a time. My princess must have been embarrassed. She realized that I wasn't as great as she thought. Amarisa had seen the real me and how weak and unworthy I was.

  All my friends might as well think I had tricked them all into believing that I was the Destined One. I disappointed their King and Queens. Issarak would be so pleased that the duel had shown my true form. A weakling mortal girl that they mistook as a savior. His theme had gone as planned. With all the hopes I h
ad crashed, I did not even deserve to be here, much less deserve Amarisa's love.

  I wished I could do the impossible, the unimaginable and beyond just for her.

  A wave of soul-crushing pain raged through my chest. My face contorted with grief as I clutched my heart from the deep anguish.

  "Are you alright, my lady?" Kesar wrapped her arms around me. Her stirring emotional eyes stared at my pained expression in alarm.

  "I have failed everyone, Kesar," I said in a trembling, teary voice. "I let Amarisa down. I let the King and Queens down. I have no talents, no special powers, and no wits. What made them think I could save their empire? You are wrong about me! I'm not as holy as you think, Kesar. I'm useless. I'm nothing! Now that the princess has ceased to long for me, I no longer wish to live. Why didn't you let me die?"

  Hopeless tears streamed down my cheeks. It was the first time Kesar saw me cry. I cried from all the sadness and pain. I cried from a broken heart and the lost love that never came into its full bloom. Amidst it all, I also cried because I was angry at myself.

  What did the gods want from me?

  The wrecking sob shook my entire being. Kesar pulled me to her chest and held me there. She rubbed my back and whispered soothing words into my ear, but she let me cry.

  I didn't know how much time had passed. After I shed all the tears left in me, I was drained. Kesar coaxed me back to bed again. She pulled the blanket over my shaking form. The maiden wiped my tear-stained cheeks and brushed away the hair from my face.

  "Don't leave me too, Kesar," I whispered, still panting from the outburst. A sad smile appeared on her sympathetic face. She leaned forward and kissed my forehead softly. Sleep loomed nearer as my heavy eyelids began to close. Before I lost myself to the comfort of sleep, I felt Kesar's gentle lips on mine.

  "How I wish you could see yourself through my eyes."

  ~*~

  The avatars came to visit me at my chamber, but I refused to meet them. I could hear Kesar's voice through my bedroom doors talking when they arrived.

  "My lady doesn't wish to have an audience with anyone at the moment," she said.

  "How is she now? Is she still in pain?" Tusita's voice spoke.

  "Her injuries are gone, but I'm afraid something else has broken," Kesar said. "Her pain seems sharper and deeper than any eyes could see."

  "I understand," Tepi said with a sigh. "You must tend to all her needs and let us know when she is well at heart and body."

  "Yes, I will, my lady."

  When they left, Kesar came back into the room.

  "Are they gone?" I asked her.

  "Yes, my lady."

  I waited for her to say something more, but Kesar remained silent.

  "Did you hear any word from Amarisa?" I decided to ask. "Has the princess told you she will visit me anytime soon?"

  Did she care I was dead or alive? I wanted to ask. Did she stop feeling the sweet twinge of our love?

  But Kesar lowered her gaze and shook her head. Hot tears threatened to burn from my eyes again. Amarisa didn't wish to see me anymore. She had disregarded our love. I was foolish to think she would bestow me her heart and passion.

  I lay back on the bed and turned away from Kesar. I didn't want to let her see my face crumbled as I sobbed quietly to myself.

  "My lady?" she said softly, but I didn't answer. Kesar sighed.

  "I shall go and prepare your bath with special herbs," she said. "I hope it will refresh your mind and revive your strength."

  When she left, I remained in bed. Tears had soaked my pillows as my thoughts wandered to Amarisa and her heartlessness.

  ~*~

  It had been many days without a word from the princess. I decided to stop hoping. Kesar filled the wooden bathtub with fragrant warm water. Petals of red roses and white jasmine floated over the rippling surface.

  Since I had let no other handmaidens bathe me, Kesar was the only one who was there to assist me.

  She was now crouching behind my back and gently scrubbing my shoulders with a soaked cloth.

  I closed my eyes, concentrating on the circular motions of Kesar's hand on my skin. She did not say a word as she worked.

  Then Kesar came around the tub and lifted my right arm from the water. I opened my eyes again and watched her brush the cloth ever so gently as if she was trying not to disturb my mind. My body was already flushed from the warmth of the bath.

  I stared at Kesar's tiny slim fingers and the gush of water that flowed through them. Her dark brown eyes always seemed to avoid my gaze. I looked at her face, her rosy lips and sad twinkling eyes. She was the only one who stayed by my sides when I needed her.

  "Kesar," I found myself speaking again. The maiden turned her face to me at last.

  "Yes, my lady?"

  "Please, take off your clothes."

  The words just came out of nowhere, but I didn't bother to take them back for I had meant it. Kesar had a shocked expression on her face. Her mouth was slightly ajar as she stared back at me.

  "I...I beg your pardon?" Her hands stopped moving.

  "Get into the bath with me," I said again. "Now, please."

  Kesar looked at me like I was a different person. I wondered whether she was right. But all the same, she didn't seem to decline entirely.

  "Kesar," I said, eyes still kept staring at the maiden until she finally nodded with a red blush.

  She stood up and started to turn around, but I reached out from the water and grabbed her wrist.

  "No, you undress here," I told her slowly. Kesar blushed harder than any time I had ever seen her, but I still strongly demanded with my eyes.

  The maiden bit her bottom lip and began to undress herself once I released her hand. I watched her shedding off all her layers of fine silk garment and undid her long flowing hair from the bun. It flowed like water down her back.

  Once her glorious body was bare, her hands went to cover her beautifully formed breasts and private in shyness. I watched her stood there with steady eyes. Kesar was a different kind of beauty.

  "Come in here," I said to her, holding my hand out, which she gingerly took.

  Kesar looked anywhere but my face. She raised her shapely leg over the edge of the tub and stepped into the gentleness of the lukewarm water with me.

  The waves rippled, brimming to the edges. The flowers quickly surrounded her submerged nakedness.

  I grabbed the cloth that floated by us and went to her. Kesar lifted her eyes to meet mine, and her cheeks reddened even more.

  My hands went out and wordlessly turned Kesar around. I started scrubbing lightly over her smooth small back. Her skin was soft as it brushed against the tips of my fingers.

  Kesar stayed quiet and still as I bathed her, yet I could hear her breathing.

  As we sat in the bathtub, I pulled Kesar against my bare chest. Her breath hitched. I stroked along her arm with my other hand and went over to her side and then down her flat belly. I could feel her heart pound through the water. Her shortened breath became loud when my fingers moved lower inch by inch.

  "My lady..." she whispered.

  I let go of the cloth and wrapped my other arm around her yielding breasts. The softness of her skin felt so delightful against mine.

  "I need this comfort," I whispered back. "I am cold and lonely."

  Kesar's eyelashes fluttered as she sighed at the gentle movements of my wandering hands over her naked form.

  My fingers grazed over her thighs then back to her supple breasts again. Her nipples hardened under my palms. I tailed butterfly kisses along her left shoulder and over her delicate neck.

  The Kennari parted her lips in a silent gasp. She leaned her head back and rested it on my shoulder then sighed some more.

  At last, I snaked my other hand down between her spread legs and cupped her wet little flower in my hand. It was slippery and blooming with readiness. I heard a sharp gasp from her. Her eyes flared open wide.

  "Tell me, Kesar, tell me to stop, and I will oblige,"
I whispered softly into her silky hair. My hot lips brushed over the skin of her slender neck. "Just say 'no' and I promise I will never touch you ever again."

  She tilted her head to look at me. Our eyes met in the midst of the heated moment. Then she leaned in to kiss my lips. When she pulled away, a flash of understanding ignited in her eyes.

  "Do you want me to, Kesar?" I asked and slowly, Kesar nodded.

  "If it pleases your heart, I am happy to give you whatever you need," she said.

  "Your name Kesar means 'pollen', right?" I asked. The maiden had to swallow before she spoke.

  "Yes, my lady."

  "It's a beautiful name," I breathed, liking the maiden's cheek against mine and the heat of our entwined bodies in the warm fragrant water. "But will you, Kesar? Will you hate me if I deflower you just to get your pollen?"

  Kesar took a deep shaky breath.

  "My duty is to serve you," she said. "If it is my body that pleases you, I am willing to give it as you desire."

  "But this intimacy shall hurt you greatly, Kesar, can't you see its consequence? I will hurt if you allow me," I whispered into her ear. "You know how a honeybee never stays faithful to a flower."

  "But the flower won't blossom forever," Kesar said, tilting her head to look at me. "At least now, my pollen means something to the bee."

  Without breaking our stare, my hand slowly and sensually parted the petals of her innocent flower. My fingers slithered in through her secret passage with ease.

  Kesar gasped aloud. The mixture of heat and wetness was plentiful inside her soft mound. I felt her legs jerk in the water as my fingers went deeper to the base. Her breathing was getting loud and heavy as she felt me inside her warmth. I kept my hand still for a moment to ease her sensitivity and crashed my lips into hers.

  My other hand squeezed around her soft body. I leaned us back against the edge of the tub. With Kesar lying atop me, I caressed her breast with my mouth. The Kennari moaned in my mouth. Her breath halted.

  I kept exploring her sweet cavern, slowly reaching her weakest regions. I kissed her swollen lips harder. One of my legs moved under Kesar's knee and pinned it to the side, spreading the maiden wider.