He’d known for a while that Abhi knew more than he let on. He just hadn’t expected him to come straight out and say it.
“I won’t ask who you are,” Abhi continued, “but please tell me, will Raegaryn be safe? Will my family and the village be safe? Will anyone else be hurt like Priya was? Please, I… I just need to know…” He clutched the bag of coins and looked nervously at his feet. Ravi stepped forward and placed a hand on his shoulder.
“I don’t know how destiny will play out,” he said, perfectly honestly, “but I know a way to prevent this war. I will do whatever I can to stop it. I won’t let anything happen to your village, or anyone else’s.”
The fear on Abhi’s face turned to relief as he placed his own hand on top of Ravi’s.
“Then I believe you. Whatever you did learn from Ishwar, I know it will save Raegaryn.”
Ravi nodded, his own gaze turning to the ground.
“Will you… check in on him once in a while? I know he has to work alone, but I don’t want him to be completely alone…” he muttered.
“I will. Whenever I have the time. And I’ll let him know that you got here safely. And that you’re thinking of him,” Abhi said. The man really did know much more than he let on. Such a kind and selfless man, thinking only of his family and neighbours. He even thought of Ravi, a man who gained so easily what he had to work hard and struggle for every day of his life. He wished he could give him more than a single bag of coins and a few encouraging words.
As Ravi said his farewells and headed down the road, he thought that he had to stop the war for men like Abhi and people like his family. They struggled enough even when Raegaryn wasn’t at war, so they at least deserved to live in peace.
He thought over and over again of the poisoned tea the Jade Empire was to offer his father, and how he would knock it out of his hand and proclaim it a trap. Just that one little move and the Kingdom would be safe. Destiny would be changed.
He hoped so, at least.
By nightfall when he stopped to rest, he found himself so covered by mosquito bites that they’d almost turned his entire body bright red. The itching was driving him mad. He’d spent so long within Ishwar’s barrier that he’d almost forgotten that they even existed.
But that was how it would be now, he thought with a heavy heart as he reached into his bag for some of the naan Ishwar had packed for him. He was no longer in that safe barrier cut off from the rest of the world. He had to return to the real world now. A world of mosquitos and war and duty. He had to be Ravi the Prince of Raegaryn again. Not Ishwar’s lover. That had only been temporary.
Searching deeper in his bag for the naan, his fingers touched something smooth and cool. Strange, he didn’t remember packing that. Drawing it out, his eyes welled with tears. It was ointment for mosquito bites. Ishwar’s ointment. He’d put it in just for him.
“Why… why do you have to be so kind? Why do you have to do all these things for me when I don’t deserve them?” Ravi sobbed, the tears which had been building up for days falling freely now, the ointment shaking in his hands. It only reminded him more that Ishwar was the most wonderful person he’d ever met, and now he would never see him again. This little bottle of ointment was the last trace of him he had left.
Just for tonight, he decided, he would cry and scream against the stars for giving him this destiny. Just for tonight, he would be selfish. And when morning came, he would continue his journey to the palace and perform all the duties he was supposed to. He would build a harem and bear children and put all other needs aside for the sake of Raegaryn. Even if it made him miserable for the rest of his life.
Ishwar had been stirring the same pot for at least half an hour, but had long since forgotten what it was even supposed to be for. It could have been a live saving medicine or his lunch. His thoughts were far away, on a distant road which lead to a distant city he’d never seen. In a world he’d never hope to reach.
He pondered how far along the road Ravi was. Whether he was close to the city yet. Was he eating enough? Had he found the ointment he’d slipped into his bag? Had he found enough water? What if he’d been robbed on the road? A million concerns swarmed through his head.
Yet despite his worry, he still believed in Ravi. He was brave and had the purest and strongest heart Ishwar had ever known. He would do whatever it took to save Raegaryn. Somehow, Ishwar wished he could be there by his side as he did so. Even though he knew that could never be his destiny. They were two men from two very different worlds, which had just happened to overlap temporarily.
He couldn’t help but glance back at his bed. He hadn’t been able to sleep in it since Ravi had left, for he knew his lingering scent would drive him to despair. He couldn’t help but remember the way their limbs had become entangled as they’d slept side by side, the heat of his body as they’d made love, the peaceful look on his face as he’d slept, and his gentle smile as he awoke.
He knew he shouldn’t dwell on those memories. He had to push them aside and focus on his work. People were counting on him. And eventually, somebody else would come to his door seeking their destiny. He couldn’t be thinking of Ravi when he shared his body with another.
“Ishwar?” Abhi’s voice came from outside. “Are you there?”
“Come in, Abhi,” Ishwar called back to him, brought out of his memories just in time to prevent the pot from boiling over.
“I’ve come for my father’s medicine,” Abhi explained as he crossed the threshold into the hut.
“Yes, it’s there on the table,” Ishwar indicated to the vial behind him. It was a miracle at all that he still remembered to make his potions on time. He really had to get these distracting thoughts out of his head.
“I also wanted to tell you… that I made sure Ravi made it safely out the jungle,” Abhi said as he picked up the vial, twisting it awkwardly in his hands.
“Really? That’s… that’s good,” Ishwar said, trying to focus on the pot before him.
“He should be at least half way back to the palace by now. Perhaps the King sent out an escort to collect him,” Abhi continued. That really did surprise Ishwar for a moment, and he looked away from the brewing potion.
“You knew?” he asked.
“Not at first. I still don’t know exactly who he is, and you don’t have to tell me. But I do know that Ravi’s actions will affect us all,” Abhi said.
“That’s true,” Ishwar nodded.
“And you must know better than I do that Ravi can prevent this war,” Abhi said, stepping forward and placing a hand on Ishwar’s shoulder.
“Of course I know.”
“Then we have nothing to fear. Ravi is a good man. He’ll make sure we’re all safe. He told me so himself. I know he’ll make any sacrifice for the good of Raegaryn.”
“Sacrifice…” Ishwar mumbled, suddenly feeling himself becoming cold, despite the jungle’s heat.
“Ishwar, are you alright? You’ve broken out in goosebumps,” Abhi said, but Ishwar barely heard him.
Sacrifice…
He’d seen clearly Ravi’s father, the King, drinking the poisoned tea. He’d seen him clutching his throat and turning purple as Ravi took a hold of him, desperately crying and begging and trying to save him as he watched the life draining from his father’s face. The sight of the man he loved in such grief hurt him, even now. He’d seen the Jade Empire’s fractured army moving in to the weakened kingdom as Ravi struggled to hold it together. He’d seen it all so clearly, but he knew that Ravi could prevent it. He’d said himself that he would knock the tea out of his father’s hands before he could drink it.
But… what would happen after that? What would prevent the Jade Empire from accusing him of declaring war after what was supposed to be an offering of peace? Wouldn’t that simply make everything worse?
The only way to prevent that would be…
“Ravi!” he called out, pulling himself from his shocked state to grab his bag, stuffing food and potions into it almost
without thinking.
“Ishwar, what is wrong with you?” Abhi asked, looking on with confusion and a hint of fear in his eyes.
“Abhi, do you remember all I told you about making your father’s medicine? And the goldenglow antidote?” he asked, turning to grasp Abhi’s arms, almost tightly enough to leave marks.
“Yes, yes. I remember all that you’ve taught me. But why? Is something wrong with Ravi?”
“Yes,” Ishwar choked, afraid to admit it even to himself. “Ravi is in grave danger.”
Chapter Nine
Each step along the hot and dusty road made Ravi’s heart heavier and harder to carry. He tried not to think about how far away he was from Ishwar. He tried not to contemplate a long and lonely life without him.
He tried telling himself over and over again that this was simply what he had to do. It was a prince’s destiny to sacrifice his own happiness for the sake of his kingdom. He couldn’t have been the first monarch to fall in love with somebody they couldn’t marry. Perhaps even his father had once. He’d seen his own sisters cry at their own wedding feasts. But each of them had still married who they were supposed to and done their duty. And they had held Raegaryn together until now. He had to do the same.
But even with all of these dark thoughts, something else plagued him. He tried to distract himself by imagining the peace talks. He’d gone over it a thousand times in his head, always seeing himself knocking the tea out of his father’s hands just in time.
Yet something still troubled him, but he couldn’t figure out what. He couldn’t help but worry that it wasn’t the right thing to do. He had no doubt that Ishwar’s vision of his destiny was right. He knew he had to stop his father from drinking the tea and that would be the end of it.
Or would it?
The thoughts still troubled him as the road widened and grew more crowded. They stirred inside him once the city finally came into view. Ravi should have been happy to see his home again, but all it did was leave a tight knot inside him. The sight of the towering red-gold marble pillars, shining gloriously in the sun even from this distance, seemed so different from Ishwar’s modest hut. They were different even than the shambled huts he passed on the road. How strange it was to see such poverty in the shadow of such riches.
The sickly feeling grew as he made his way through the city, passing by beggars, skinny children, and groups whispering to themselves about the war. It was a good thing that Ravi still wore his peasant clothes and none of them recognised him as their prince. Otherwise, they would either rip him apart looking for gold or crowd him demanding answers about the war. Answers he still didn’t have.
He approached the palace, trying not to think how a single leaf of its gold plating would feed Abhi’s entire village for a year. He went in through a back entrance made for servants, as he and his father had agreed upon, and gave the guards inside the secret words to reveal his identity. They led him straight to his father.
Ravi had grown up in the palace. It had been his playground as a child, his classroom as an adolescent, and his pride as an adult. Always it had been his home, and the twisting hallways and vast rooms were all intimately familiar to him. He always suspected he knew more of the palace than even the guards did. Perhaps even more than his father did.
But now, marching through the rooms which were so familiar to him felt like he was in another world that wasn’t his own. Like he wasn’t really there, or was seeing it all through a fog. The wide rooms felt almost threatening. They only reminded him all the more how he wished to be in Ishwar’s cosy hut.
He pushed those thoughts aside, as he’d done many times before during his journey, as he was brought to his father. Now, finally, he did feel a sense of relief and a wash of love.
King Ranjit glanced up from the scrolls scattered around the council table. A similar look of relief crossed his own face as he saw Ravi. Even in his peasant clothes, he recognised him. He waved the council and guards away and rose to approach him.
“My son, you’ve returned!” he said as he embraced Ravi. “I missed you.”
“I missed you too, Father,” Ravi said, and it was true. As much as he’d loved being with Ishwar, he had longed to see his father again. His towering frame and sharp eyes had never brought fear to Ravi as they did to so many others. He always saw them as a source of strength and protection. He’d always known that as serious as his father was in front of others, it was all to hide how kind he truly was.
“What happened? Did you find the shaman?” he asked, leading Ravi to a side table to pour him some sherbet, which he took gratefully. “Of course you did. That’s why you were gone for so long.”
“I found him. He showed me… many things,” Ravi said, gulping down the sherbet. He was grateful to be drinking something other than dirtied water, yet the relief to his parched throat was nothing compared to the sharp stabs to his heart. He knew that no amount of sherbet would cool it.
“I’m glad your quest was a success. But it may have been for nothing after all,” Ranjit said.
“I know. A peace envoy from the Jade Empire is arriving soon,” he said.
“You know already? Oh, of course you do. The shaman told you. So he must have also told you that if it all goes right, there will be peace between our kingdoms after all. There won’t be any need for a war.”
“He told me,” Ravi said, hoping that his flush would appear to be from the heat. There was no way he could tell his father exactly how Ishwar had come to know his destiny. That was a secret only for the two of them.
“Did he by chance tell you exactly how these peace talks would go?” Ranjit asked him, a mix of fear and hope in his dark eyes.
“He told me that too,” Ravi answered. “So long as we do things correctly, the Jade Empire won’t declare a war.”
Relief washed over Ranjit’s face as he clapped his son on the shoulder.
“Those are comforting words. Still, I’m sorry you had to waste so much time for nothing.”
“No, it wasn’t a waste. I met many people who… who have taught me many things.” He tried not to let his voice crack or the tears spill from his eyes. He couldn’t let his father see the pain which suffused through him. Yet he did see a knowing look in his father’s eye as he smiled.
“That’s good. These experiences will make you a better King someday,” he said.
“I know,” Ravi whispered. His father had always understood him better than anybody else, except perhaps for Ishwar. He could tell when he was troubled. Perhaps he knew even now, even if he didn’t know the full details. And he also knew better than anybody else that Ravi would have to put aside his feelings for the sake of the Kingdom. He’d always been kind to Ravi’s mother, and all the women in his harem, yet it was clear that he bore no real love for any of them.
He returned to his room, already feeling it strange. He almost felt like a guest in his own home. Food and fresh clothes had already been laid out for him. A warm bath waited to scrub away the sweat and dirt of his journey.
Ravi didn’t want any of them, as selfish as he knew that was. He could only slump onto his bed and reach into his bag for the now-empty vial Ishwar had gifted him. The last connection he had to the lover he could never return to. He would have to hide it somewhere so the servants wouldn’t take it away. To them it would seem just a regular vial, but to him it was the most precious thing in the world. He wanted to keep this last memory of Ishwar. The memory of his kindness. How he would make up a potion for anybody for any reason. How he sacrificed a part of himself to help others.
Sacrifice…
His fingers unwound from the vial, letting the golden light from the sunset slant through it.
All of a sudden, his grief over leaving Ishwar and the niggling in his mind over his destiny fit together. He knew what he had to do. And it broke his heart even worse than leaving Ishwar had done. This wouldn’t only hurt the two of them. It would be painful for his entire family.
But even as a million doubts and f
ears swam through him, he knew he had to do this. He knew he would. To watch his siblings and all of his friends slaughtered at the hands of the Jade Empire would be so much worse. He would be brave and selfless, like Ishwar, he decided as he gripped the vial.
The peace envoy from the Jade Empire arrived a few days later. Ravi saw them from his balcony even before they entered the city. Their litter was followed by a crowd so thick that their guards had a difficult time parting them.
A servant came to inform him to get ready, only to find him already dressed in his finest drapes. He’d been ready since sunrise, unable to sleep.
He went to the harem to wait until they arrived and he would be summoned. He’d spent as much time as he could over the past few days with his siblings; playing with them, telling them stories, and laughing with them. Even now his youngest siblings trembled a little, knowing the Jade Empire was so close, approaching their own home. He patted their heads and told them that there was nothing to be afraid of and that he and their father would take care of everything. He hoped that would be enough. He hoped that when they were old enough to understand his actions, they would forgive him.
The time came and he stood before his father at the palace’s grand entrance, especially for esteemed guests. Ravi looked to the sky, to the moon rising in the golden glow of the sunset. A waning crescent, just as Ishwar had said. His prediction had come true. That meant the next part would too, he thought with a tightening throat.
“Don’t be nervous,” his father whispered to him. “Show no fear.”
“I won’t,” Ravi reassured him, tracing his fingers over the vial he had concealed in his drapes. He’d put it there in hopes that it would offer him some comfort and courage. So far, it was working. But only a little.
The envoy approached – a man and a woman dressed in colourful silk robes which fell all the way to the floor. Ravi thought they must have boiled in the Raegaryn sun, but it was their way and not his to question.
The Prince's Destiny Page 6