Warrior Princess

Ayra

    Out of all the things he think could think about me, he thought I was infatuated with him. I was right when I had thought that he does not believe in love at first sight. Of course, I did not fall in love with him the very first time I looked at him. I'm still confused if I love him or I'm on the path to loving him. Of course, I had calculated the odds that he will be a good king to my people, and saw first-hand proof that he was more of a gentleman than any other prince I had encountered. He is the epitome of morality, and he lured me to like him without even acknowledging it.

     Even his accusation that I was infatuated with him spoke at length of his goodness at heart and mind. He did not want me, but he did want to protect me. He did not see me as his possible mate, but he did not friend-zone me nor has he thought about me platonically. He does not love me, but he did think I was beautiful.

     Overall, I was in a good place, and still had the chance to capture his heart.

     When I eventually revealed my true identity as a princess, proposed my decision to make him rule alongside me — as well as my liking towards him — and exposed his fiancé's betrayal of him, he will eventually take a liking to me and we can work from there.

     "Well, Ayra, what is going on in that head of yours? You seem to be quite engaged in  conversation," Kalandi asks sarcastically. Currently, we were on a two-wheeled rusty-old tanga, drawn by a pair of mules. The curricle offered us the cheapest option out of all the others in the market, so Dheeran was ecstatic and has not stopped talking since the beginning of the ride.

      Meanwhile, I was thinking up a skit to tell Dheeran my feelings for him and propose a marriage. Of course, I could not tell his mother of really went on in my head, so I made things up. "Just how nice the scenery looks," I stated, looking out the back of the tanga.

     Dheeran smiled slyly, knowing that the scenery I referred to was the holiness sitting across me. He was in his usual attire, a plain beige dhoti, strung over and under his legs, and tied at the top.

His body looked like it was sculpted by a potter. Perfection was the only word to describe his abs. His work in the field must have been tiring, but he did gain a toned body out of it. "I am excited to return to the palace," I exclaim. "There are so many things to do there, you'll never be tired of the place. I suggest you tour the palace with me."

"Unfortunately, we must decline Ayra. Dheeran and I going to find work, and that will be all we will be doing," Kalandi said, glaring at Dheeran as she said the last part, as if she knew his ways of seducing innocent young women such as I. Although, I'm no innocent by comparison to women of his village.

Dheeran grinned back sheepishly. I unconsciously sighed at his grin and Kalandi noticed alright. When she looked between Dheeran and I with confusion and mirth dancing in her eyes, I immediately went back to looking outside, pursing my lips tight.

We fell into comfortable silence once the sun fell. Kalandi fell asleep on Dheeran's shoulder, while he was still awake and trying very hard not to stare at me. "When do you think we will get there?" He asked me all of a sudden.

"If we do not take any more pit stops, within a day, perhaps."

I was right.

We did get there within a day. The palace did not know its princess was in a mule-led curricle, so as we strolled through the market, no one seemed to care.

     "What happened here? Is someone dead?" Dheeran asks, seeing the deserted market and the black clothing everyone wore.

     My heart started to beat arrhythmically. Perhaps I was too late to save my father. He is dead, and I was not even there to hold his hand before he took his last breath. A tear unconsciously left my eyes, but I did not wipe it.