Warrior Hearts

Parallel

How dare Singhania scold me?

"I'm not a child," I spit through gritted teeth. Regardless, however, I allow my wrist to rest in Singhania's grip. Truth be told, he's maintaining a gingerly hold on me, almost as if he fears that my very bones will crumble within the confines of his fingers.

"Your actions sure as hell are singing a different tune, Princess." Singhania murmurs, as he solely concentrates on the thorns that are wedged into my skin. "You should thank your lucky stars that I was wise enough to store a medical box in here." Scoffing, I stare at him in disbelief. Lord, this man's inflated ego refuses to fade away into the background, even at a time like this. 

"Thank you for letting me know," I say, drily, as I give my wrist a gentle tug. "I'll take the reins from here on out." However, my own two ears can hear the lack of conviction in my tone. 

"As long as I'm here you won't have to handle anything on your own, Princess," Singhania argues absentmindedly. Truth be told, the frown lines of concentration on his forehead are enough to fool me into believing that Singhania is genuinely solely focused on my wound; almost as if the rest of the world has faded away into the background. 

A gust of wind whistles past my ear, drawing my attention over Singhania's shoulder and towards the rustling leaves behind him. Furrowing my brows, I tilt my head as I watch two branches bend towards each other, and just like that I'm drawn back to the night I lost the duel to Singhania. As clear as day, I can visualise the couple that I was spying on from behind a curtain of greenery. 

"Princess, I'm now going to guide you towards the bench." Singhania instructs, as he cradles the back of my injured hand in the palms of his. Returning back to the present, I glance down at our hands, only to realise that Singhania has straightened mine. How in the world did he manage to perform this feat in such a manner that I didn't even feel an ounce of pain? "Easy does it," Singhania murmurs, as he guides the both of us towards the bench. Without complaint, I take my feet in the direction that Singhania desires. 

For some reason, I'm in a hypnotic state, with Singhania guiding me like a puppet master. Truth be told, I'm unsure as to why - with such ease - I'm allowing him to do whatever he pleases with me. However, in order to protest, I must first draw myself out from the memories of that night - from the moment I saw that couple - and back into the present. Alas, I'm unable to do so. 

"I'll sit you down right here," Singhania murmurs. Still cradling the back of my left hand in one of his, he places the other on my shoulder, pushing me ever so gently down onto the bench. Transfixed, I continue to stare right into his brown orbs, unblinking. Once I'm seated, Singhania lowers himself onto the ground in front of me. My hand still comfortably resting in his, he shifts his body towards the left and reaches out behind him. Grunting, Singhania tugs open a drawer, his fingers disappearing into it. Moments later, I watch as he pulls out a wooden medicine box. 

"I apologise in advance, Princess." Singhania says, as his fingers enclose around the stem of the rose. "But you'll have to undergo momentary pain." Lifting his gaze off of my palm, Singhania's orbs lock onto mine. I inhale a sharp breath as I recognise concern in his eyes for me; a mirror image of the emotion that I'd witnessed in the boy's eyes the other night. Without a word, I nod my head at Singhania, permitting him to go through with the unavoidable.

"I'm sorry," Singhania whispers, his gaze refusing to budge from mine. Without a second's delay, the man in front of me yanks the stem out of my hand in one swift movement. A cry of pain escapes my lips, my fingers tightening around the side of the bench. Momentarily, I squeeze my eyes shut as Singhania's hold on my writhing hand tightens.

"Give me a few more minutes, Princess." He says, reassuringly. Truth be told, Singhania's tone, in this moment, reminds me of the innumerable times when he's spoken about his family in the past. "I'll take all your pain away." 

"Hmm," I murmur, allowing my eyelids to stay shut. For some reason, as Singhania tends to my wounds, I find no reason to open them. Instead, through the folds of my memory, I recall the concerned look in his orbs right before he pulled the thorns out of my skin. Oddly enough, the mere thought of that evident emotion in his eyes is enough to comfort me. 

"All done," Singhania announces, even though the presence of his palm lingers underneath the back of my hand. Instead of feeling satisfied that my wound is all cleaned up, and bandaged, disappointment spreads through my veins. Opening my eyes, I frown down at the cloth bandage that's wrapped around my palm. As I do so, I'm able to finally understand as to why that girl was in such a melodramatic mood that night. In fact, sitting here today, if I could prolong this moment of Singhania tending to me, I most definitely would've done so. 

Nodding my head in gratitude, I allow my gaze to rest on Singhania's. Once again, I witness a cloud of concern masking his orbs. How in the world is the man in front of me seemingly more worried about my wound than I am for it? Truth be told, I can bet my entire land's treasures that had an outsider been viewing us, they'd have believed Singhania bears this wound, and not I. 

"Princess, I hope you're in a generous mood today." Singhania says, as he glances down at my hand. "Because I have one more request to ask of you." Nodding my head, I gesture for the man in front of me to voice his thoughts out loud. "I'd like to accompany you till your chambers." Biting down on my lower lip, I allow my face to adorn itself with a smile.  

"Alright," I agree.