Warrior Hearts

Something New

"You're going to have to be more specific than that, Malhotra." I say, letting out a bark of nervous laughter. "In my opinion, you tend to mess up more than ten times in a day." Grinning, I lightly nudge my shoulder against Malhotra's, hoping to ease the crackling tension around us. However, my efforts are in vain, for my friend refuses to shake off the somber look from his face.

"Princess, please take me seriously." Malhotra says, standing up and heading towards the ledge. Frowning, I stare at his back. Lord, what has Malhotra done? As I conjure the worst case scenarios in my mind, I find my stomach plummeting towards the very soles of my feet.

"I wish to apologise to you for the way I've been behaving for the past two days." Malhotra says, leaning against the railing, as he casts his gaze across the gardens. "More importantly, the way I've been treating you." The breath that was caught in my throat turns into a sigh of relief. Oh for crying out loud, all this suspense had my mind on another spectrum altogether.

"Malhotra, your apologies aren't needed," I say. "I understand that this union brings forth great change with it, and it's perfectly alright to get carried away in the waves of it." Smiling, I shake my head at the way Malhotra has created a storm in a teacup. "Although I must say, I told you so," I add teasingly.

"You're still treating this whole situation in jest, Princess." Malhotra says, glancing at me over his shoulder. "I genuinely feel guilty for the way I cast you aside, and gave more importance to learning up on my new kingdom, and doing my homework for future use. That might categorise me as a capable leader, but a horrible husband-to-be. Princess, I don't wish for that to happen. It's unfair towards you." Frustrated, Malhotra turns to face me. "I don't want to be unjust towards you anymore than I have to," he adds in a whisper. Hastily, I place my goblet on the table and head towards Malhotra.

"You're not being unfair towards me in any way, Malhotra." I tell him honestly, as I reach his side. Smiling, I cup his cheeks in between my palms. "Perhaps you could've given the both of us more time, but other than that, you're not wrong in whatever you've done. Yes, I'll admit that I found your behaviour quite odd for the duration of these two days. However, Rohit explained your side of the story as well, and now that you have, I am fully confident that no one's to blame here." Smiling, Malhotra tilts his head towards my palm, his lips making contact with my skin.

"Thank you for being such an understanding partner, Princess." He says, turning to face the gardens once again. "Who's going to take care of your roses once you're gone?" He asks, nodding towards the expanse of greenery in front of us.

"Noel," I reply. "At least, I hope so. For years now, though, she's been observing the way I tend to them, and I have full faith in my sister's responsible, compassionate nature." For some reason, I find myself leaning into Malhotra's side, as I lower my head onto his shoulder. I'm with my two favourite companions - nature and Malhotra. Truth be told, this is the definition of tranquility. At least for me it is.

"Shall we head back to our respective chambers now, Princess?" Malhotra asks, stepping away from me and turning away, without so much as giving me a chance to reply. "It is getting late, and tomorrow's a big day for the both of us. Let's go get some rest."

"You're right," I say, sighing. As I turn around, I find Malhotra grabbing the bottle of wine, and bringing it up to his lips. Frowning, I watch as he downs almost half of the contents of the bottle in one gulp. I guess I'm not the only one with cold feet, after all.

*****

"Celeste, pull out a decent evening outfit for tonight." I say, as I seat myself in front of the mirror. Truth be told, I did not see the need to get a new outfit stitched just for tonight's affair. After all, all that I have to do is sign a piece of paper, which officiates the union between Malhotra, and myself. To top it off, the only people who will be present in the room at the time are: Malhotra, Father, Noel and maybe Rohit, considering he's a close friend of Malhotra's. Also, our wealth belongs to the people, and I simply don't see the point in uselessly spending it on luxuries that are unneeded.

"Your Grace, your dress for the evening has been ironed and laid out on the bed." Celeste says from behind me, as I comb my fingers through my wet tresses. Frowning, I turn in my seat to face her.

"My dress for the evening?" I repeat, pointing a surprised index finger at my chest. "You must be mistaken, Celeste. That's probably Noel's outfit. You know how excited she is." Shaking my head at the way my sister was prancing around the hallways just this morning, I turn back in my seat to face the mirror.

"Do pardon me, Your Grace, but the dress is for you. His Highness of Naiq sent it over this afternoon," Celeste says, fidgeting with her fingers nervously.

"Malhotra sent it?" I echo, rising from my seat and heading towards my bed. Sure enough, draped across the sheets is a pure white, satin, floor-length dress. In fact, at this very moment the edges of it are brushing against the floor as well. I trail my gaze from the collar of it, all the way to the very bottom. Unblinking, I reach forwards and lightly skim my fingers across the full-length lace sleeves. Truth be told, I fear that if I so much as press down on this material with a bit of unneeded force, it will fall apart underneath my very touch. Just by viewing it from afar, I can already imagine the way the cinched waist will hug my curves.

"This is beautiful," I whisper, allowing a small smile to tug at the corners of my lips. In truth, I don't think that I've ever seen a more delicate, prettier dress in my life. Not that I have much experience, of course.

"Your Grace, would you like to wear this tonight, or shall I pull out something else from the wardrobe?" Celeste asks from behind me, as I continue to admire the pure white beauty in awe. How in the world did Malhotra manage to chance upon this? Shaking my head ever so slightly to myself, I dismiss this thought. Truth be told, I should only be thinking about words of gratitude for Malhotra. After all, this was most definitely unneeded. However, the fact is that he took out the time to keep me in his thoughts, and gift me such a unique masterpiece.

"I'll be wearing this tonight." I state, smiling down proudly at the dress. For the first time since Mother passed away, I will be adorning a gown. The mere thought has bubbles of excitement erupting in the pit of my stomach. "Also, Celeste, you will now accompany me down to the gardens. I have to handpick a rose for Malhotra."