by Andrea Ring
I am not without a dance partner for hours. The women line up along the wall, waiting for their turn.
I could use a drink, but who am I to disappoint all these lovely creatures?
The Lady Esme steps forward with a bow. She’s a bold one. I’ve not had even a minute with the woman in my arms, and I want to protest on her behalf — equal time, everyone! — but she shuffles off under Esme’s strong gaze, and there’s nothing to be done.
“Ah, Faaris,” Esme says. “It’s been too long.”
“Indeed,” I say, spinning her about. “How is your husband?”
“On another trade expedition,” she says. “I’m rather lonely.”
I smile. “We cannot have that, now, can we? How are the boys?”
“Fostering with my lord brother in Asmar,” she says. “Shall I expect you this evening?”
I think of the short bow I found discarded under my bed. Caked with dust it was, but the tension held. I was hoping to show it to Anjali tonight.
“What about next week? I fear I am booked with wedding festivities.”
“You must sleep sometime,” she says, giving me a wink. “I will ensure—”
“May I have this dance?”
And there is Anjali, bowing low. I chuckle under my breath.
“We are not finished,” Esme says tartly.
I disentangle myself from her grasp. “My lady, thank you for the dance.”
And I move to Anjali.
She lifts her head, and I gasp.
Her light brown eyes are rimmed in kohl and the lids dusted with pink. She has fastened a silver chain in her nose that runs to the top of her left ear. Her hair…braided with pink and gold ribbon, shining, flowing to her shoulders.
She smiles.
“You’re…you look very pretty, my lady,” I stammer.
“You look like you’ve seen a ghost,” she says. “I already asked for this dance. Are you going to make me jump on you again?”
I laugh and take her in my arms. “You startled me, that’s all. I’ve only seen you in riding trousers.”
“I’d certainly be more comfortable in them,” she says, “but I thought this sari was better for the occasion.”
I don’t understand it. Anjali is not displeasing to look at, even covered in dirt, but she’s not…there are many women more physically beautiful. Her nose is a bit prominent, her eyes a bit too big, her physique more muscular than soft. Except for her breasts. Anjali is gifted in that area.
But I’ve never been one to focus on those. Small and pert, round and bulbous, nipples like grapes or nipples pointed like a spear…all of them appeal. I smile thinking about them.
Anjali smiles up at me in response. She has lips that beg to be suckled, plump and wide and plush. And teeth that are straight and white. Her smile is enchanting.
“What are you grinning about?” she asks.
“Oh, nothing.”
“Are you thirsty? You’ve been dancing for quite a while. I had the servants bring a couple flagons of coconut feni to our table.”
I stop. “How did you know?”
Anjali ducks her head. “I asked Manoj what you prefer to drink. He told me.”
I notice one of the women step out of line and begin her approach. I pull Anjali in the other direction.
“Let’s have a drink.”
***
I was just thinking that I needed a drink.
I was thinking about the short bow under my bed.
Suddenly Anjali appears, offering me feni and a chance to avoid any more awkwardness with Lady Esme.
And she has that nose ring. I hadn’t noticed her nose was even pierced. Body ornamentation…a shudder runs through me as we head to the table. A little pain to look pleasing, it turns me on as nothing else.
The table is empty except for the remains of a night of heavy drinking. Anjali sniffs a few flagons until she finds the feni. Then she dips her fingers in and sprinkles some of the drink on the floor.
“For the gods and the spirits,” she whispers. Then she puts her fingers in her mouth and sucks on them.
I stifle a moan.
Anjali is clueless. She has no idea what she’s doing to me.
She pours us each a cup and holds hers out in a toast.
“To new friends,” she says. “To both of us protecting our hearts. To Kai and Nili.”
I touch my cup to hers and throw it back in one swallow.
She laughs and pours me another.
“Ah, this is a gift from the gods,” I say. “Do you like it?”
“Too well,” she says. “The first time I got drunk was on feni. Tanaya found me passed out in the stables, cuddled up to a horse.”
“Who were you with? They just left you?”
“No one,” she says. “I found a bottle of the stuff on Father’s desk. I didn’t even think it through, just grabbed it and ran. I wanted to know what all the fuss was about.”
I chuckle. “Were you sick?”
“Not a bit. I think that’s magic, too, though I haven’t really tested it.”
“An iron stomach,” I say. “That would be useful magic to have.”
Chief Barun and his wife step up to the table and take their seats.
“Faaris,” he says with a nod. “Anjali, run along and find your friends. Don’t bother Faaris.”
I put a hand on top of Anjali’s as she begins to rise. “She’s not a bother at all. She actually rescued me from a never-ending dance.”
“You need that dance,” he says. “It’s long past time you found a wife and settled down.”
Anjali rolls her eyes at me while I smile. “I’m waiting for divine inspiration,” I say. “I can’t seem to find the right woman on my own.”
“Stop looking with your eyes, man,” he says. “Find a good pair of hips and a motherly spirit and be done with it.”
“Father!” Anjali says. “Really! You’re saying that half of your daughters are not qualified for marriage!”
“Are you married?” he says. “No. Proves my point. When you get your priorities straight, the men will come to you.”
“Maybe I don’t want to be married. Maybe Faaris does not want to be married.”
Chief Barun waves a hand in the air, dismissing her.
“Look at Mother,” Anjali plows on. “She has so many gifts, such an adventurous spirit, and all marriage has done is stifle her.”
“Anjali!” Mona scolds.
“It’s the truth and you know it. If that is what marriage will bring, then I will never be married. At least not to a man such as you.” And she pushes up from the table and runs off.
Chief Barun sighs. “Daughters.”
***
I wander through the room, searching for Anjali. Both men and women accost me, and I can barely take two paces before having to stop and chat.
I finally reach Kai and Nili, who are sitting on the edge of the dancers, clapping to the music.
“Have you seen Anjali?” I ask.
Nili closes her eyes, listening. She points to her left.
There she is, the girl with the kohl-rimmed eyes and the silver chain, leaning too close to Manoj’s cousin, an apprentice to our guard.
They are talking. Anjali seems to hang on his every word. She puts a hand on his arm and nods her head to the closest door.
The boy grins.
I stride across the dance floor, heedless of the dancers, and stand in front of them.
“Anjali, may I have a word?”
“I’m busy, Faaris.”
“This cannot wait.”
“It’ll have to.”
“Over my dead body.”
Anjali’s eyes widen and then narrow. “Don’t go anywhere,” she says to the boy.
I mouth, “Go,” over her head.
I take her hand and lead her through the door she was intent on earlier.
I cross my arms over my chest. “Why did you run away?”
She refuses to look at me. “Why should I
stay and listen to my father talk nonsense? You wouldn’t put up with being insulted like that.”
“He’s old and he’s your father,” I say. “Of course he wants you married and settled down. He wants you taken care of.”
“That’s not the part that upsets me,” she says. “And you know it.”
I shrug. “So he’s traditional. At least he hasn’t arranged a marriage for you.”
Anjali sighs and leans back on the wall. “Maybe it would be better if he did. Then at least the torture would be over.”
“No,” I say. “The torture would just be beginning.”
“He’s right,” she whispers. “Men want curves and gentle sighs and someone content to stay in their rooms and host parties. I’m not beautiful, Faaris, and I’m not particularly nurturing. I’d rather be in the woods than at home. No man wants to be tied to that.”
I’ve had this conversation so many times that my answer is automatic: You don’t think you’re beautiful?
It’s a way to make a woman feel beautiful without telling them how I really feel.
But I sense that Anjali would see right through me. She’d call me on my bullshit.
“How many women do you think I danced with tonight?” I ask her.
She shrugs. “Does it matter?”
“Take a guess.”
“A hundred.”
I nod. “Let’s say a hundred. I’m good with women. I notice the details. It pleases me to make them feel special. Now guess how many I remember dancing with?”
“All of them,” she mumbles.
“One.” I catch her eye, and she looks away. “I only remember one, a girl with warm brown eyes, and hair braided with gold, and a smile that warmed my heart. She captivated me. From the moment she asked me to dance, she was all I could see.”
I cage her between my arms, bracing them on either side of her head against the wall. “I want to kiss you. You’ve been driving me crazy since you beat me at cards. But I will not. Even though you don’t think you are a lady worthy of a man, I will prove otherwise. I am going to turn around and go back to your father. I am going to ask him to court you. And I will be your escort to the wedding tomorrow.”
Anjali finally raises her eyes to mine. “You haven’t even asked me if that’s what I want.”
“Lady Anjali, will you allow me court you?”
“Why?” she whispers.
“I could say you are beautiful, and you are, but that’s not it. I was thirsty, and you appeared with feni. You are fearless with a bow and with your own magic. I think…we understand each other.”
Anjali pushes on my chest, and I stand back.
“I will not play games and tell you I have no feelings for you. I do. But it’s not that simple.”
“What’s not simple?”
She looks me in the eye. “I need fidelity,” she says. “Even during our courtship. And I…I forbid a mistress. I want faith with my husband.”
I nod. “I can be faithful, as long as my needs are met.”
“Tell me your needs.”
I rub the back of my neck. “Do you have any experience with men?”
She nods. “And what I haven’t experienced firsthand, I’ve probably heard about from my sisters.”
“I…” I laugh. “I’m not comfortable talking to you about this. Not because it’s you, but because I have asked to court you and I’m trying to be good.”
“Fuck tradition,” Anjali says. “This is you and me. We should both be free to be who we are. If you say or do something disrespectful, I will correct you.”
I laugh again. “Okay. Sex. Ideally twice a day, but I can live with once.”
Anjali smiles. “I won’t have time for anything else. You might as well strap me to the bed.”
I smile back. “But during our courtship, I will not ask for anything, and I will remain…celibate.”
“What if I want to make love?” she asks. “During our courtship?”
My eyes widen.
“I’m not promising anything either way,” she says. “But I want to be free to follow my heart, and I don’t want to feel guilty for doing so.”
“I can live with that,” I say.
“And, if we don’t work out, I still want a chance to train the archers. Whatever happens, we will remain cordial.”
“That’s a tough thing to promise, staying cordial, I mean, but I will try my best.”
Anjali looks away.
“What else?” I ask.
“You probably have certain expectations. In the bedroom, I mean. If I don’t please you, I want you to tell me. Everything. Whatever you need. I can learn, Faaris. I want honesty between us.”
I take her hand. “You’re worried because I have more experience. But every woman is unique. I have exactly the same experience as you, because we have never been together.”
She nods. “Alright. You can court me.”
“Then I’m off to talk to your father. Will you allow me to escort you home later on?”
She grins. “Yes.”
I turn to go, but she pulls on my arm. I raise an eyebrow at her.
“You said you wouldn’t kiss me,” she says. “But I want to kiss you.”
Without warning, she presses those full pink lips to mine.
My heart skips.
***
Mona and Chief Barun are still sitting where I left them, but their other daughters, minus Tanaya, have joined them.
No matter.
I step up to the table and sit across from Pragun.
“Did you find a woman?” he asks. “I’m betting you did. You just needed me to prod you.”
I smile. “Yes, sir. I have found a woman. A woman so lovely, so passionate and full of heart that she has stolen mine.”
That catches the girls’ attention. They all lean in a bit closer to us.
Pragun chuckles. “Excellent! And I can say I there when! Who is this girl?”
“Sir, and Lady Mona, I respectfully ask to court your beautiful daughter, Anjali.”
Mona smiles, and Pragun’s mouth drops open.
“Faaris,” she says, taking my hand. “We would be honored.”
“Honored?” Pragun sputters. “No! Never! You may not court her!”
“Pragun,” Mona says, but he shrugs her off.
“Faaris, I have nothing but respect for you as Captain of the Guard, but as a father, I cannot conceive of a worse match for Anjali.”
I’m stunned. “May I ask why you feel this way?”
“How many bastards do you have running around?”
“None,” I whisper.
“That you know of. I have raised my girls to be independent and to demand equal treatment. I cannot condone this.”
“You just insulted your daughter not an hour ago, telling her that men want birthing hips and a gentle nature. You practically accused her of being a woman no man would want. Men’s nature, sir, is to love women, and I admit, I haven’t fought against that nature very hard. But I have sworn to Anjali and I swear to you that I will be true. I have not courted a woman in my entire life. I have never made that commitment. Believe me, it is not something I take lightly.”
Mona stands and looks down at her husband. “Faaris is going to court her, Pragun, whether you like it or not. I give my permission, and that is all that is needed, for when a decision needs to be made, no one goes to the stables and asks the ass for his opinion. Go, Faaris. Go to her. Whatever is between you is Anjali’s choice. You don’t have to make promises to anyone but her.”
I bow. “Thank you, my lady.”
And I take my leave.
LXXIV. PRINCE KAI
The gong sounds for midnight.
“You ready?” I ask Nili.
She nods. “I could stay all night, but I’m tired, too.”
“We get to do this all over again tomorrow,” I say. “As husband and wife.”
Nili squeezes my hand as we walk back to her rooms.
“It’s odd,” she says
. “I feel like we’re already married.”
“Charu cornered me tonight to give me some advice,” I say, shaking my head. “He insists we will feel different tomorrow, even more connected. There’s something about the solemnity of the ceremony and the vows that truly binds two people.”
Nili smiles. “I guess we’ll find out.”
I linger at her door, and Himmat wanders away to give us privacy.
“You don’t want me to stay, do you?”
“No,” she says. “I mean, I do, but no. I want tomorrow to be special.”
“Are you nervous?” I ask, taking her hand.
“Not for myself. I’m not embarrassed, or worried about my body, or any of those things. But I do want to please you.”
I smile. “You have nothing to worry about on that count. But I feel the same way. I want it to be special for you.”
Nili hugs me. “I’m not going to be able to sleep,” she whispers.
“My lady,” I say. “Are you telling me you’re actually looking forward to that which you’ve been dreading?”
“Your father…I was petrified, at first. But removing the veil was the best thing I could have done.”
I give her a soft kiss. “I can come in, if you’d like. Help you get to sleep?”
She laughs and pushes on my chest. “Go. I love you.”
“I love you, too.”
LXXV. NILARUNA
I thought I’d be nervous and shaking.
But as I stand in the tunnel that leads out to the center of the stadium, I’m perfectly calm.
Jagir takes my arm in his and squeezes my hand. “Ready?”
I nod.
We walk down the tunnel and into the sunlight. The crowd cheers, and I gasp. So many people. I knew the size of the stadium, but I couldn’t imagine how many it held. I take a deep breath and keep my eyes forward to avoid panic setting in.
Even though I hate crowds, and I hate attention, the panic doesn’t come. I’m calm.
Kai finally comes into focus. He’s wearing the same green I am, and the color suits him. I grin. Since I wear no veil, he grins back.
Jagir positions me in front of High Priest Sanji. He kisses both my cheeks and steals a hug. “I love you, daughter,” he whispers.
“And I you,” I whisper back.
He then places Kai’s hand in mine, and stands to the side.
The ceremony is long, so long that my feet ache in my tiny pointed golden slippers. But I don’t notice the discomfort in the moment. I focus on Kai, and dream about our night together.