More Tales of the Southern Kingdoms (One Volume Edition)

by Barbara G. Tarn

  Anjali clenched her teeth and her fists, and marched to the bedroom.

  Like Vidya suspected, Suresh was in bed with his bodyguard. Both were naked and Rishi had his arms wrapped around the king, embracing him from behind.

  Anjali stopped by the bed and stared at them. She wanted to scream. And then one of her fists opened and she slapped her husband, startling him awake.

  "Anjali!" he protested, massaging his stinging cheek as Rishi retreated to the other side of the bed.

  "I should have known!" she exploded, hitting him with both hands in succession. "You're a bastard, just like my brother!"

  "Anjali, stop!" He managed to grab her wrists and hold her. He pulled her down, seated on the bed, and tried to hug her, but she slapped him again. Tears filled her eyes as he managed to keep her still.

  "Will you calm down?" he ordered. "Do you want Rishi to restrain you?"

  She glared at the bodyguard who now stood by the other side of the bed, staring back at her with an impenetrable expression. He wasn't even ashamed of his nakedness.

  "Get your goddamn bodyguard out of here," she replied, furious. "This is between me and you!"

  "If you stop hitting me," Suresh answered with a frown.

  She nodded, trying to relax. He let her go and signaled Rishi to wait in the anteroom. Her shoulders sagged while the bodyguard picked up his clothes and his sword. She snarled as the man passed near her, headed for the door.

  Suresh grabbed her chin and forced her to look at him. "Now we can talk," he said.

  Anjali raised her hand to slap him again, but he raised a warning finger. She snorted, and her hand fell back in her lap.

  "I want a divorce," she said. "I want you deposed. I want to marry your brother and give him an heir to the Arquon throne."

  "What?" he protested. "My brother is a priest! He's spiritual! He made a chastity vow! He hasn't been trained to be king!"

  "Well, neither have you, obviously!" she screamed. "At least my father managed to have four surviving children! My brother will have his heir! But you... you... Gods!" She looked at the ceiling, exasperated. "I've had enough with my father and Vivek, did my husband have to be like them as well?"

  "Actually, it was your brother who showed me the way," Suresh said somberly. "He made me feel things I had never felt before..."

  "Please, spare me!" She closed her eyes, irritated. "I know what a charmer Vivek can be! You're not the first to fall for him! And won't be the last either!"

  "And I'm obviously not the only king who likes men," Suresh retorted. "Rahul of Amrendra didn't even bother to get married. Vivek thinks that Roshan of Rajendra also has a male lover, like his father before him..."

  "Shut up!" she screamed. "I don't care what they do in Rajendra, Amrendra or Akkora! I've grown up with men loving men! I've had enough! Either you renounce your lover and start visiting me or Vidya every single night, or I want a divorce! And I'll make sure your council knows why you're unfit to be king! You can't produce an heir! They'll be delighted to offer the throne – and me – to your brother! And you can go crying on Vivek's shoulder for all I care!"

  "Anjali!" he protested, shocked.

  She calmed down. "You heard me. Give me your answer tonight."

  She stormed out of his rooms, still furious with both him and herself. She'd been blind. But things were going to change.

  ***

  Suresh slumped backward on the bed with a moan. What now? Lose his throne and finally live a normal life or give up his only guilty pleasure? And if he lost his throne, would Vivek or even Rishi still want him?

  "Are you all right?" Rishi towered over him, now fully dressed. "Shall I let in the servants?"

  "Yes." Suresh sat, then grabbed Rishi's wrist before he left. "Rishi, did you hear..."

  "Yes."

  "What am I supposed to do?" He moaned, letting go of Rishi and hiding his face in his hands.

  "Talk to your brother," Rishi said. "And then follow your heart."

  Startled, Suresh looked up, but Rishi was gone. Suresh sighed and rose, heading for the bath chamber to meet his servants.

  "Do I have time to visit my brother?" he asked his secretary while they dressed him.

  The skinny man checked the roll of the day's events, then nodded. "You could go to the temple at noon. Should I send out a notice for Lord Kushan to expect you at that time?"

  "Yes."

  Suresh wore his bejeweled turban and headed for the Council Room. News from the other kingdoms confirmed that King Roshan was back in Argantael after crushing the rebellion, but was still recovering from his wounds.

  Suresh wondered if Vivek was right about Roshan having a male lover. When they'd met in Lakeshi, Vivek had told him that he'd seen another court like his father's – except King Rakesh was much more discreet; or maybe simply faithful to his general, Kabir. The same Kabir who had started a revolt against the son when the father was killed in a hunting accident.

  "How many other princes have you seduced?" he'd asked Vivek back then.

  "Just you," Vivek had answered tenderly.

  Suresh blushed at the memory and tried to concentrate on the meeting.

  Then he donned his silken cover and took a horse and an escort to go to the temple. He wasn't even allowed to walk the streets of his hometown. Being king and god was very impractical, but since he wasn't going to the temple for a ceremony, he could travel lighter and avoid the closed carriage.

  His younger brother Kushan welcomed him with a serene smile. "How are things at the palace, Brother?"

  "Messy," Suresh admitted, eyes low. "I made a mistake. It will probably cost me my throne, but I don't think I'm going to miss it."

  "What?" Kushan's eyes widened in wonder.

  Suresh told him about Anjali finding Rishi in his bed and her threat of scandal and divorce.

  "It's true we failed to produce an heir in over a year of marriage, but I don't know why she thinks she can have you in my place," Suresh concluded, worried. "You took a chastity vow – and I think you enjoy life at the temple, don't you?"

  Kushan pondered, then sighed. "I have found peace here," he said, staring at the stone floor of his spartan room. No carpets and no cushions for the Arquon prince, just a cot, a table, and a stool – and a single narrow window. "And now you bring back turmoil."

  He looked at his brother with a sad expression.

  "You know why our father sent me here? He saw I had a crush on your wife, and he punished my lust. I have learned to control my emotions, but now you tell me..." Kushan hesitated. "You say she suggested I marry her?"

  "Yes," Suresh answered puzzled. He hadn't been aware of the reasons behind his brother's decision to enter the temple. He had no idea Kushan had been forced into the priesthood by his father.

  Kushan sighed, staring in the distance.

  "At your wedding, I couldn't keep my eyes off of her," he said. "And she noticed. And so did Father, even though he was already very sick."

  "So now she has decided she married the wrong brother," Suresh grumbled. "I can't blame her, but..." He stared at Kushan. "Do you want the throne as well?"

  Kushan shrugged. "If I can have her..."

  Suresh inhaled deeply. "Then you shall have her."

  ***

  "Stop biting your nails, you're ruining your hands," Vidya snapped, fanning Anjali who sat on her bed with a frown.

  "Do you think he's going to stop seeing Rishi?" she asked, still nibbling at her finger.

  Vidya put down the fan and snatched her wrist, keeping her hand away from her mouth. Startled, Anjali looked at her, but Vidya's glare was enough to stop her protest.

  "How will you tear his eyes out if you have no nails, my lady?" Vidya scolded.

  Anjali sighed and hugged her knees, putting her chin on them.

  "Was I too harsh?" she wondered. "What if Kushan doesn't want to marry me?"

  "Oh, I'm sure he does." Vidya scoffed, resuming the fanning. "The way he looked at you at the wedding..."


  "Do you think he'll be a better lover than Suresh?"

  "Definitely, my lady."

  Anjali sighed. "I hope Suresh makes the right decision..."

  She didn't have to wait until that night. Suresh summoned her to the Council Chamber in the afternoon, and she went with her ladies-in-waiting. The advisers were all there, as was Prince Kushan in his priestly clothes.

  Suresh waited until everybody was settled, then turned his head to the left to glance at his brother – seated on his heels by Suresh's side – and then to the right to look at her.

  Suresh lowered his eyes and took a deep breath before raising his head and staring at the council.

  "My brilliant wife has brought to my attention how mismatched we are, and how unfit I am to rule. Therefore I wish to bestow the throne and the power of the king-god of Arquon on my brother, Kushan. My marriage to Princess Anjali will be dissolved, and she will be free to remarry whomever she pleases."

  "On what grounds will you dissolve the marriage?" an elder adviser asked. "Infidelity on the part of the king isn't considered a valid reason in any of the southern kingdoms."

  Suresh smiled briefly.

  "Unconsummated marriage," he said.

  Anjali's heart missed a beat.

  "I have never truthfully made love to my wife," he continued. "I might have hurt her with my lack of tact. And I believe she deserves happiness that I cannot give her."

  Anjali looked at him, feeling a lump in her throat. He wasn't giving up his male lover – he was giving up his throne, his life, and her. And she couldn't figure out if it hurt or if she felt relieved.

  He met her stare and smiled.

  "I think Kushan will make you very happy," he told her gently.

  She gasped and focused on the young man beyond her husband. Kushan was staring straight ahead, but his Adam's apple went up and down, and she saw tears in his eyes.

  "Tomorrow I will crown my brother king-god of Arquon," Suresh continued, addressing the whole council. "And I will dissolve my marriage. Then I will leave the palace grounds forever."

  "You don't have to!" Kushan blurted out. "You're my brother, you can stay here if you wish!"

  "Or you can come back if you don't feel welcome at the Lakeshian court," Anjali whispered so that only Suresh could hear her.

  He looked at her and nodded gravely.

  "That's all for today," he said, staring at the council members. "Disperse."

  He rose and left the Council Chamber in a rising murmur of comments. Anjali retired to her rooms, conflicted. Kushan would be king, but he hadn't said anything about choosing a queen...

  ***

  Suresh felt as if a burden had been taken off his chest. His marriage was dissolved, Kushan was crowned king and had married Anjali – and he was suddenly free. Free to get out of the palace without escort and without covering his face; free to feel the breeze on his cheeks and breathe in the smell of jasmine without the silken filter of his head-cover.

  "Will you stay in my brother's service?" he asked Rishi, gathering a few clothes before leaving his royal prison for good.

  "No, I think you need me more than him," Rishi answered. "You know nothing about the big bad world out there."

  Suresh chuckled. "I've been out there..."

  "Once, years ago and with a princely escort," Rishi reminded him. "I don't think you can find the way to Jevina on your own."

  Suresh hadn't told Rishi where he intended to go, and was surprised that the bodyguard had guessed his destination. "How do you...?"

  "Suresh." Rishi took Suresh's face in his hands. "Do you really think I'm not aware I'm just a substitute for King Vivek? I know he's the one who truly seduced you."

  Suresh couldn't sustain Rishi's stare and pulled away, embarrassed.

  "You've been so faithful," he whispered, touched. "And I thought you did it only because I was the king..."

  "I have always seen you as a man – and a very lonely one at that," Rishi replied. "You were always so isolated and desperately in need of love... I wasn't surprised you fell for Vivek when the prince first came here."

  Puzzled, Suresh stared at him. "You... saw us?"

  "I was already your bodyguard." Rishi nodded. "Present, but invisible. So I know why you sighed so much when he was gone, and that's why I offered to give you what you wanted."

  Suresh's lips trembled into a smile. "Thank you, Rishi." He hugged the bodyguard, who squeezed him tight. "So you know the way to Lakeshi?" he asked then, hopeful.

  Rishi grinned. "Of course I do."

  ***

  "Suresh, I can't believe you gave up your throne and even passed Anjali to your brother," Vivek said as they sat on the cushions of the king's apartment. "What are you going to do now?"

  "I don't know." Suresh shrugged, staring at the carpet design. "Maybe I'll go back and be like Rahul of Amrendra for Kushan."

  "The shadow twin." Vivek chuckled. "When I think how my father was obsessed with that... jester!"

  "Now the jester is a king. I can be like him – my brother's shadow. Or an adviser. I don't know. I wanted to travel first."

  "Mm. I think Roshan of Rajendra also has a man sleeping with him right now." Vivek smiled. "What a bunch of perverted kings! Haughty Prem will never want to deal with any of us! If only he knew how surrounded he is..."

  "As long as you provide an heir..." Suresh stared at Vivek. "How do you manage with your wife?"

  "Jaya is a wild cat." Vivek winked. "Would you like to come into our bed tonight?"

  Startled, Suresh stared at him. Vivek couldn't be serious...

  He was. Suresh spent the wildest night of his life in the bedroom of the rulers of Lakeshi – but woke up alone. Naked and slightly bruised by the crazy sex marathon. He gathered his clothes and went looking for Rishi, who had waited for him in the servants' quarters.

  "You look like a wreck," Rishi told him with a teasing smile.

  "I am a wreck," Suresh admitted. "I don't think I'm made for this." He looked Rishi in the eyes. "Will you stay with me for the rest of your life?" he asked, hopeful.

  "Maybe," Rishi answered. "I have one condition."

  "And what is it?" Suresh frowned in worry.

  Rishi pulled him closer. "I will spend my life with you only if you really love me."

  Suresh's heart started beating faster as their bodies adhered. He'd been dazzled by Vivek, but Rishi was definitely a safer bet. The bodyguard was strong but gentle, and obviously cared a lot about him.

  "Yes..." He nodded slowly, feeling a lump in his throat. He'd been blind. "Yes, Rishi, I really love you."

  "Good." Rishi grinned. "I've been silently in love with you for years now, and I'm glad it's not just sex anymore."

  "But there will be sex, won't there?" Suresh asked.

  "Of course, my beloved." Rishi wrapped his arms around him and squeezed. "I will screw your royal ass until you beg me to stop," he whispered in his hear.

  Suresh chuckled, relieved. "And if I don't tell you to stop?"

  "My, aren't we greedy, your majesty?" Rishi teased.

  Suresh put his arms around Rishi's neck, serious.

  "I'm not a king. I'm not a god. I'm Suresh, and I love you," he declared. And then he kissed Rishi with all his passion. Now he could be really happy – where he'd live didn't really matter.

  The Young King

  Roshan groaned in pain when General Kabir threw him off his horse. He lost his helmet, and his armor wouldn't really protect him as the bulky man pinned him to the ground.

  General Kabir had been his father's most trusted strategist, but he was obviously convinced that Roshan was too young to be king. And when Roshan had proved he had a mind of his own, the general had led a revolt with half of Roshan's army since the troops loved him. A short civil war culminating with a battle on a plain not far from the capital, Argantael.

  General Kabir led the troops himself and Roshan could do no less. He had to prove to his council, his subjects and the rebellious general that he was
fit to be king. He had confronted his father's general, hoping to put an end to the revolt, and ended up in this vicious duel while the army kept fighting around them.

  The royal guard didn't notice – nobody noticed the king was down – and the general pulled him to his feet, twisting his arm behind his back and dragging him to his tent. Roshan struggled to free himself, but the bulky man shoved him inside and threw him to the ground.

  "Quiet now," the general said, sitting on him to hold him down.

  "Kabir, get off me!" Roshan protested.

  "Let's start the negotiation," the other retorted, gagging him with a dirty rag so he wouldn't be able to scream for help.

  What is he doing? Roshan started to panic as the general's hand held his neck still. He thought Kabir wanted him dead, why gag him?

  "I will not kill you, Roshan." Kabir leaned to whisper in his ear. "I will teach you a lesson. You will obey me from now on and be my puppet king, or I'll do this again and again until you surrender, understand?"

  Roshan could only nod and moan, eyes wide in fear of the unknown. Royal blood was sacred, so what did Kabir have in mind? He wouldn't kill him, but would humiliate him – how?

  He felt the general fumble with his breeches, taking them down, and it dawned on him what unmarried Kabir might actually do to him. He struggled, but the general was bigger and stronger, and held him still. The gag couldn't muffle Roshan's scream when Kabir entered him. The general chuckled, pushing again.

  "You're tight, Roshan, but I'll make you my bitch," he said.

  Roshan screamed again, but couldn't stop him. Kabir impaled him, then held him still against him as he sat up. The movement meant Roshan managed to spit out the dirty rag.

  "No!" he shouted. "Kabir, stop!"

  Pain shot through him as the general put him on his hands and knees and pumped inside him. Tears started flowing, and Roshan was too breathless and hurt to keep screaming. Besides, he didn't want anyone to see him in that submissive position.

  Then Kabir's cackle was cut short and both collapsed. Roshan smelled blood as he lay under the bulky body of the general, then lost consciousness.

  ***