"They were the best couple I'd seen," I said. "And I wish I could be like them. I want to make you happy, too."
Amarisa blushed deeply as a shy smiled lingered on her luscious lips.
"Having begun to love you ever since I first laid my eyes upon you, every day is purely magical," she replied softly. "My love for you shall be forever through all changes and in all disgraces. For just the thought of being with you, as my lover, my very own Nikita, it makes my heart swell with uncontrollable joy. I want nothing more."
"What if I have done something so terribly wrong, will you forgive me, too?" I said, trying not to grimace at the taste of guilt on my tongue as I said it.
I could feel Amarisa's body tensed above mine. Her beautiful brows furrowed in question.
"Why did you ask me that?"
"I have to know if that happened, you would still love me," I said.
Amarisa was silent for a while before she spoke again.
"Queen Mothers have always advised me that forgiveness is a virtue," she said. "It's not you who should be worried since it's a matter of me obtaining this virtue. If you have wronged me and I cannot forgive you, it means we both are not virtuous enough to stay together."
A bitter pang of sadness rose from the pit of my stomach. I felt as if I was winded just from the thought alone.
Trying to compose myself, I wrapped my arms around Amarisa and pulled her into me possessively. It was as though I feared she would be taken away. It was unbearably frightening to imagine.
"Are you alright, Nikita?" Amarisa asked in concern and her hands were placed on both sides of my troubled face. Her eyes bored into mine in confusion.
"I am fine," I whispered back and tried to smile. She looked at me before leaning in to kiss me on the lips. When her soft lips departed, it left a soothing calmness in my heart.
"Maybe we should dismiss this bothersome talk at once and forever," she said. "I believe my beloved Nikita won't do anything that would break my heart. Now, let us take a pleasant walk and talk of something much brighter."
I nodded wordlessly then we rose again and walked hand in hand towards the sound of the laughing stream.
~*~
We strolled along the flowing stream that came from the waterfall. Our windswept hair caught the moisture in the air. We looked up at the willows and the cotton-silk trees. They spread their leafy branches and sent their roots over moist-covered stones. I inhaled the fresh earthy scent. It blended with pollen of flowers. Even Amarisa, who preferred gardens over wilderness, couldn't contain her excitement.
With the strange and asymmetrical beauty around us, the rosy-cheeked, bright-eyed princess seemed even more disarmingly charming. She observed every eccentric plant and odd-looking trees as we passed.
I looked across the stream to the other side. There was a flat rock set under a big willow tree — a place we could rest and frolic in pure glee.
I took my leather boots off and wedged into the icy water.
"Where are we going?" Amarisa said.
"Just follow me."
It seemed adventurous and exciting — something my lovely princess had probably never done. She hesitated for a moment before she took her golden shoes off and gingerly followed my lead.
Amarisa let out a yelp of surprise at the chill. Her youthful face lit up animatedly as I held her hand, coaxing her along. With rising color on her face, the princess rolled up her long silk skirt and began the short journey with me across the stream.
The sight of her creamy white legs sent a hot throb down my belly.
"Oh, dear gods..." I swallowed.
"What is it?" Amarisa turned to look at me.
"Nothing!"
I tried to avert my eyes away and concentrate on keeping our balance.
We moved ever so slowly. I wrapped my arms around her body, and she put hers around my waist, almost as protectively like she was also fearing for my safety. The cold current swirled around our bare feet pleasantly. The rushing sensation tickled our toes, causing us to giggle.
Even after we reached the dry bank, we still clung to each other's side. Then I released Amarisa and took out a fleece towel from my satchel and went to spread it over the big flat rock. Amarisa looked at the flower trees. Some little furry and feathered heads of birds popped out through the branches. After seeing the disturbing presence had not moved on, they returned to what they were doing and disappeared out of sight.
"Come to me, Amarisa," I said, and she joined me with a smile.
I held out my hand and guided her to sit down on the makeshift seat.
Placing my satchel aside, I undid two buttons on my shirt to let some cool air in. From the corner of my eyes, Amarisa lowered her gaze. A hint of a red tint crept to her lovely cheeks again.
The lower parts of her silk clothes were as damp as my own. I took out a handkerchief to dry the droplets from her legs. She squirmed a little at my care.
"Nikita, it is alright..."
"Let me dry you, lest you might fall ill with a cold," I said as I was wiping away the dampness off her flawless skin. Amarisa was silent. Her eyes fixed on my wandering hands, but her breathing seemed to quicken.
"You've got a pair of beautiful legs, Amarisa."
Without realizing it, I dropped the cloth from my hand. My fingers brushed over her calves and up stealthily to her knee. Amarisa's breathing came to a halt.
I lifted my eyes to her reddened face. The misty vapors clung to her delicate skin, forming a stunning glow that aroused something in me.
"Amarisa..." I whispered in a longing tone.
As if she understood the craving in my eyes, the princess reached her hands out to hold my face and brought my lips to hers.
I lowered us onto the mat and soon we were caught in each other's passion. Our tongues slithered between our lips. Amarisa placed one hand against my chest, her fingers slipped through my open collar.
I moved mine inside her skirt, massaging that soft smooth area of her cold thigh. The higher I got, the harder my heart pounded against my ribs. Amarisa's uncontrollable moans elicited my own.
I felt her squirm slightly as my hand got closer.
"I love you so much," I said, my words broken by the leaps of my feverish heart. "I'm so glad you chose me even I’m not impressive like all the boys and girls out there."
"I won't let you speak so modestly of yourself," Amarisa said with a chastise shake of her head. "You're you and you mean more so to me like a beautiful spring is to a bird."
The emotion almost filled my eyes with tears. I could no longer form a word. Then we began to kiss again softly and tenderly this time. My entire body ached for more, but I made myself withdraw, otherwise, I was certain I could never leave this place.
The wind blew, ruffling the leaves on the trees. The golden sun glared through the branches, dazzling our eyes.
Suddenly, we heard the sound of flapping wings and cries. Amarisa and I looked up to find jasmine and pink lotus petals raining over us.
"What the..." I said.
A burst of roaring laughter echoed from the sky. Then I saw Tusita and Atith emptying a bag of flowers from their winged-horses.
"Go to your chamber already!" Tusita yelled to us, causing Atith to laugh. They circled over the waterfall. Then another flock of Ashvas appeared, carrying Tepi and Vorac.
"I told you to wait for me!" Vorac cried. Even Tepi was also giggling along. Once they reached us, Vorac tossed two flower crowns made of pink orchid blossoms at us. They landed on our laps.
Amarisa and I stared at each other —too embarrassed to say a word. More flowers rained, swirling beautifully in the air.
"Enough of the childish play. Just leave them alone!" Tepi said at last, but she was giggling at our blushed faces. With a motion of her hands, the ground around us sprouted out lively roots and vines. They knitted together to form an arch roof over our heads. Then the vines bloomed with leaves and bright flowers.
I felt like we sitting inside a giant bird ne
st. My mouth fell open. All my friends tugged on their horses' reins and galloped away with laughter echoing in the sky.
I turned to Amarisa, who just smiled back.
"I thought people in my time were dramatic," I said.
Amarisa let out a melodious laugh. Then she picked up her floral crown and placed it on my head.
"Shall we just play along and pretend this is our love nest?" she said with a teasing smile. I picked the other wreath and placed it on her head, too.
"Of course, as long as your heart is pleased," I leaned in to claim her lips again with another loving kiss.
There, recoiling inside our beautiful nest, we stayed and caressed each other till the hour of noon drew near.
~*~
After we spent the whole afternoon at the waterfall, we decided to get back to the meadow. We found Pisey, still sticking her head inside a flower bush, munching. I managed to drag her back and then we flew out of the mountain.
I let my princess hold the reins of our Ashva, and we soared through the woodland together.
"Are you hungry?" I asked Amarisa, who shook her head in response. It wasn't wise for either of us to go without eating. My eyes looked for a place we could land and rest.
"If you are hungry, we can stop at one of the temples for a meal," Amarisa suggested.
"We can do that?" I said.
"Yes, indeed." Amarisa nodded. "The servants and the temple guardians are duty-bound to keep the offerings anew. There is no sin in helping oneself with the leftover from the gods."
I instinctively rubbed my tummy as a sign of hunger.
"Well, even your lips are the only thing I crave, I still have to live on food, too."
Amarisa laughed and turned to pinch my cheek.
"I wonder if I could ever find anything as adorable as you," she said. I enveloped her in my hands and buried my nose in the curve of her delicate neck. Amarisa jumped from the sheer tickling feeling. Her sudden movement startled the horse.
"Whoa!" I cried and reached for the reins to steady the animal. I made Pisey take a quick descend. Once her strong hooves touched the ground, the divine horse snorted in annoyance. She shook her mane and tossed her tail. Amarisa stroked Pisey's neck apologetically.
"I think I should take the reins back," I said and pulled it from Amarisa's grip, but she pushed my hands away.
"No, what you should do is stop your flirtation and let me steer the horse!" she protested.
"We don't want to land with our faces on the ground, Amarisa," I said and made another attempt to retrieve the reins from her, but she pulled it back again.
"Amarisa, let go!"
"Nikita, don't be mean!"
Before we knew it, we were tugging the reins back and forth until Pisey let out a piercing wail. I didn't doubt that the Ashva would toss us off her back in no time if we kept on fighting.
"Alright," I said. "You steer the horse then, but we don't fly, okay?"
"Oh-kaay," Amarisa imitated my modern word, which made me laugh.
Pisey began galloping through the woods further to the northern part about a mile of the Walled City.
After a while, I saw a glimpse of an unusual monument in the distance. It stood in the middle of a cruciform arrangement of four square lotus ponds. At its center stood a sanctuary tower made of gold with several dozen stone rooms. The whole complex was built on a circular island surrounded by a large water Baray.
"What is that temple for?" I asked Amarisa.
"It's called Rajyasri, 'the Fortune of the Kingdom'," she told me. "The temple represented the Great Lake Anavatapta, which is believed to be the center of the world. Inside, you will see four fountainheads of a golden lion, bronze elephant, bronze bull, and bronze horse. They face all the four directions. The water is drawn from the great rivers, which issues through their mouths."
"And what does it do?"
"Rajyasri Temple is a place of miraculous healing," Amarisa said. "Though King Father has built over two hundreds of Arogayasalas, 'the chapels of hospitals', this one is especially blessed with magical cures from the divine Nagas themselves. It merits the four elements of the Earth, Fire, Water and Air."
I looked at the island temple. Its base was encircled by two Naga serpents. Their open heads faced the north side while their tails entwined, pointing to the west.
"I've heard legends of your kingdom as old as time," I said, remembering the tales my friends had told me. "It's said that your people descended from the Naga race. The avatars told me that you yourself are rumored to be the incarnation of a Naga princess."
"There is some truth to that rumor," she said. "When I was little, I often dreamed of a strange jade-green palace. My mother once told me of her own dream when she carried me in her womb."
"That a serpent gave her a Jorani stone?" I said.
Amarisa nodded.
"In her dream, the serpent god recited this riddle to her: 'Behold a gift beyond your sight. Brilliant and beautiful like a jewel to a bird's nest. When the blazing sun shines upon, there shall be nothing left'."
Amarisa turned to me again with a solemn look.
"What does it even mean?"
"The Hora predicted that my birth would turn the wheel of destiny."
"Turn the wheel of destiny?" I said. "How?"
"I do not know," she said. "But Mother Jayara told me that destiny would still find you even if you didn't go seeking it."
CHAPTER 35
We went in a westerly direction and came closer to the Terrace of Elephant. Following the path to another splendid temple, we could see the Victory Gate from a distance.
"We should not go near the encampment," I said.
"No, we're not," Amarisa said. "Let me show you the place we might rest."
Then she steered the horse off the path. It took a while until we saw another tower crowned with gold pinnacle. The complex was the shape of a three-tier pyramid. It had a lotus pond decorated with serpent-princesses. I could see stone sculptures of both male and female winged Kennars at the entrance. Other mythical winged creatures attached to the gallery walls.
"Oh wow, what is that temple for?" I said.
"Phimean Akas, 'the Astral Palace'," Amarisa answered. "It's where a serpent-spirit with nine heads lives. In the old day, the king spent the first watch of every night with a Naga woman in the tower. Not even the queen was permitted to intrude. Only after the second watch that the king could return to his palace. If the king did not present himself, his day would be numbered. If the Naga did not show herself, calamity would strike his land."
"So your father has to go there, too?" I said and looked at the temple.
"Legends can be half true and half false, Nikita," Amarisa said. "My father has never spent any night there at all."
"Why?" I said. "Is it because your mother wouldn't allow it?"
This time Amarisa was silent for a moment.
"No," she said. "It's because the Naga Spirit doesn't show up anymore."
I knew right away what that signified, and decided not to ask any further.
We found ourselves at the border of a small older city called, Isvarapura.
We decided to go on foot instead and let our Ashva rest inside the wooden rest house preserved for travelers.
A beautiful little town with dirt road stretched through to a gathering place. I realized it was a market.
I saw mostly women. They were weighing goods. Others walked with straw baskets on their heads. There were merchants and vendors, selling their wares on large straw mats on the ground.
The town abodes were set off the ground on round wooden pillars with porches. I watched in fascination as some of the people cooked their meals in earthen pots. The delicious scent brushed my nose as they stirred their soup with coconut shell ladles. Rice and soup were then served in a tiny bowl made from woven leaves, which were apparently leak-proof.
Amarisa drew her scarf over her head to ward off attentions. Her royally fair complexion was still hard to miss. The l
ocal people also found me out of place. With all my strange clothing and foreign looks, I confused the young children the most. They began to follow us. Some trotted along on their makeshift horses made of banana leaves. The curious ones got as far as to touch my hand as if to see I was real. When I smiled at them, they giggled and shied away.
Going further inside, the city surprised us with a lovely temple of great beauty. It bathed in radiant sunlight. The miniature scale and deep flawless carvings were a true masterpiece of mason art.
"We will rest in that temple, Nikita," Amarisa said.
I nodded with a smile. We walked hand in hand towards the entrance.
Built almost entirely from pink sandstones and red bricks, the temple seemed more suited for small children than adults to enter. There were temple guards at the Gopura entrances.
When we passed the twin ponds, the guards came to stop us from entering the temple.
"Wait right there!" they cried. "The time for praying and offering is over. Come again tomorrow."
Amarisa drew back her scarf to reveal herself. When the guards realized who she was, they frantically kneeled to the ground.
"Your Highness! Forgive us for our blindness," they said. "We did not know you were coming all the way here and by yourself!"
"We just come to take a short break from an outing," she said to the men. "We shall be leaving after the meal. Inform the other servants to leave the temple and only attend to us when I ask for help."
The guards bowed away and left at her request. Then Amarisa took my hand and we entered the richly carved temple together.
Every corner of the walls bore raised floral patterns in the most refined details and clarity. At the top of the doorway, I saw a carved image of a man sitting on a three-headed elephant.
"Who is that?" I asked Amarisa. She looked up and smiled.
"Lord Indra, the King of Heaven," she said.
"How can you tell which god is which?" I frowned with curiosity.
"Each god has a symbolic object with him or her," she said. "There in Indra's hand is the fearsome Viraj, his master bolt. The three-headed elephant is Airavata, his divine mount."
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