Warrior Hearts

Disastrous Blessing

"W-What're you doing?" Nandini asks me, her gaze following every minor tick in my moving muscles.

"With an injured shoulder, Princess, I can't very well force you to journey through the tunnel with me," I explain. "And so you've left me with no choice, but to join you out here." Seizing my forearms in an iron grip, Nandini pushes against me. The force on my broken shoulder makes me wince.

"Manik, you're doing no such thing!" Nandini cries out, disbelief echoing through her words. "Get back in that tunnel!" My wife's fingers dig further into my skin as she struggles to shove me in the opposite direction; away from her.

"Always overestimating your strength." I murmur, the tightest of smiles tugging at my lips at Nandini's futile physical efforts to make me abide by her stubborn wishes.

"Manik, you can go and get more help for me!" Nandini yells in a desperate attempt to convince me against my plan of action. "But if you come out here, we'll both be doomed." Knowing fully well that the frenzied panic in Nandini's wide eyes is for me, fills my eyes with a fresh onslaught of tears. We could've been so much more - made so many more memories, and spent our time loving each other instead of despising one another - had it not been for me. Pursing my lips into a thin line, I glance at the mouth of the tunnel behind me; an idea taking shape in my head.

"Princess," I say, my voice suddenly filled with excitement at the thought of the plan that could quite possibly save Nandini's life. "I want you to seat yourself at the entrance of the tunnel." Before the words have managed to wholly leave my mouth, Nandini is already opening hers to protest. "Yes, you're claustrophobic," I interject hastily, raising my palm to silence her. "But you can perch yourself right at the mouth of the tunnel, right?" Raising my eyebrows in askance, I search Nandini's face for an answer; my heart silently sending out a prayer that my stubborn wife will break her pattern for a change and concede to my words without further arguments.

"What good will that do?" Nandini asks, her gaze pinned to the mouth of the tunnel as if it will swallow her whole if she moves any closer to it.

"Once you're seated there, I will block the entrance of the tunnel - and you - by covering it with my body," I explain. So that the fire can reach me first, and eat me up, I add silently. And then, maybe, seeing death up close you'll find the strength to run inside the tunnel out of fear, if not anything else. "I'll be your shield," I add out loud. I'm certain that once Nandini is inside the tunnel, she may get lost, but eventually she will make the right turn and wind up at one of its exits. Even if she doesn't navigate her way through it, upon discovering the lack of a body within these chambers, I'm sure the guards will get a hint and source her out soon enough.

"Quickly now, Princess," I urge, my gaze flitting towards the flames that are dancing in our direction.

"I-I'll go," Nandini stutters, her voice hesitant as if she's asking a question.

"Good," I nod my head in approval at her wise decision. "And don't worry, Princess, I won't jump out of the way in fear." I make an attempt at teasing her, but judging from the unfaltering fear-stricken expression on Nandini's face I can tell that my efforts are in vain.

"No," Nandini says, shaking her head, her gaze pinned at a spot over my shoulder. "I mean, I'll go into the tunnel with you." Relief, so strong that it's almost painful, blooms inside my chest at Nandini's words. I wish to reach out and yank my wife into my arms to show her just how grateful I am for the bone of self-preservation that has suddenly grown inside her. But instead of doing so, I kick myself into action before Nandini has the chance to change her mind.

"Princess, you have nothing to fear," I assure her, laying my palm against the side of her face. "I won't let anything happen to you in there. I promise," I whisper once again. Alas, my words don't soothe a single frown line on Nandini's forehead. Moistening my lips, I propose a plan of action which pains me to so much as consider.