Faces in the sand…

A.N.: This is an alternate universe fiction. I have merely shifted Hotohori's age by three years. So…he was twenty two when he died as opposed to the original nineteen. I still feel he married quite too early. Magadha was indeed a real place in ancient India where the people were really advanced in everything they did and they did have a good connection with the Orient, since there was a lot of migration between the Buddhist/Hindu Magadha and China. The great king, Ashoka who spread Buddhism all over India, was a king of this country. Lively accounts of Pātaliputra (the famous capital city of the kingdom of Magadha) and Magadha are available in the Indica of Megasthenes (c. 300 BC) and in the travel diaries of the Chinese Buddhist pilgrims Fa-hsien and Hsüan-tsang (4th–5th and 7th centuries AD).

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Disclaimer: I don't own Fushigi Yuugi. And if I did, then the world would be in chaos! Believe me!

Chapter VI:

I looked at the emperor as we had dinner. To put it more correctly, as they had dinner and I stood beside Shwetha.

"I hear that your father has indeed been successful in his military quests." He said smiling. Shwetha merely nodded as she took another bite out of the bread. She was being the exact opposite of the out-spoken friend who she really was.

"I shall have to be careful then! Your father would be a formidable foe, my lady!" she looked up alarmed as she shook her head.

"Your majesty! Don't even joke of matters such as these! I hope we shall be closer than we are now! May your words never come to be!" she said quite flustered. I was a little taken aback. It was clear as day that he had meant it as a joke. Why was she so worried about this?

"I am sorry, then." He said. Shwetha smiled back at him as she nodded her head.

"Your stable-hand…" my head snapped up at this. Why was he talking about Vishaka?

"My charioteer Vishaka is one of the best with horses, my lord! What of him, might I ask?" I heard her say with pride. I smiled as I thought of my friend.

"He seems to be quite popular with my court." He said casually as he sipped from his cup. I frowned at him as he smirked at me.

"He seems to be the only one apart from me to have ridden my horse." I heard Shwetha gasp.

"He rode your horse? I hope you do not find that offensive! I assure you I shall warn him immediately in the sternest of terms." She said as she turned to me. I quickly averted my gaze from the smirking emperor to the indignant princess.

"Call Vishaka to my quarters immediately after dinner!" I nodded and was about to leave when he stopped me.

"No. That would not be necessary. I think I should like to meet him myself! If it is agreeable with you." He suggested. Shwetha smiled as she nodded.

"It would not be a problem." She then turned to me,

"Have him summoned in front of the emperor after dinner then." I nodded meekly. Inside, I felt like I would explode with anxiety. I knew that Vishaka did not favor the emperor in the least bit! This was going to be problematic!

The emperor interrupted my thoughts again…

"I shall be seeing you again, Lady Shwetha." I started as I turned to find the royal ones getting up, having finished their dinner. Now I would have to call Vishaka and the gods knew if he would heed the summon.

With a final smoldering look that unsettled me, he left the room.

"Any guard in this room will tell you where you should meet me." He said. This was the first time he had spoken directly to me in the presence on the princess and the tone of his voice was that of a mighty and noble emperor speaking to a lowly servant girl. I nodded as I sank into a bow and with another curtsey towards the princess; I left the room to find Vishaka and perhaps to persuade him to meet the emperor. What had he done with the horse? It seemed as though the emperor had not liked him. I was worried. I found my friend talking with one of the other stable-hands. He smiled at me as he saw me approach him.

"What orders are you bustling off to fulfill now?" I smiled as I wondered how similar the emperor and this man in front of me were…both of them did not like me being so prim and yet they could not comment on it or criticize it in the light of day.

"I shall be seeing you again, Ananda." He said to the other person who nodded and with a smile in my direction which I returned, left the corridor. When we were alone, I turned to face my friend,

"Vishaka, do you respect me?" I asked him seriously. He looked at me with an amused glance as he nodded his head.

"Then you shall listen to me, won't you?" he rolled his eyes,

"What orders of the emperor am I to fulfill now?" he asked sarcastically.

"He wants to meet you." I said simply. My friend looked at my totally surprised.

"Why does he need to meet a lowly horse-herder like me?" I caught his hand in mine as I said,

"It is because you had…handled his horse. What did you do, Vishaka? He did not seem happy!" he was glaring at me.

"Oh so that is it, is it? He must be feeling grumpy because I tamed his arrogant beast of burden! Now two can ride the steed! He seems to think of me as competition, perhaps?" he said, his voice rising slightly. I clamped his mouth shut as I dragged him into his room. The room definitely had a very Spartan effect to it. I could see why he hated hierarchy.

"Vishaka, please keep your voice down! I do not want to lose you to the dungeons." he looked at me with a frown and then, his features softened as he nodded his head. I smiled as I ruffled his hair…a sign of thank you.

"Lead the way…Adithi. I promise I shall not lose my temper." I smiled as I nodded my head. I opened the door to find the princess entering the corridor thankfully without the emperor. I had no idea what thoughts shall run in his head if he saw me emerging from Vishaka's room along with him.

I waited with bated breath in front of the room where I was supposed to bring Vishaka. He was definitely getting impatient. There was a cough behind us and I turned around to find a guard standing there,

"The emperor is waiting for you." He then knocked at the door from where a 'come-in' was heard. He turned to us and motioned us to enter while he himself remained outside. I pulled at my friend's sleeve and dragged him inside after me.

The emperor stood there in all his royal finery, just as I had seen him during dinner. He word golden yellow robes that seemed to dazzle with a light of their own. And his crown that seemed to rest on his head seemed to intimidate the both of us. The room where we were looked like a parlor where he received guests. There was a table and chair where he sat reading a book…quite oblivious to the fact that we had entered.

"Your majesty had called for Vishaka." I said meekly. He looked up from the book he was reading. His eyes flashed once at me and then fell on my friend who stood defiantly with his hands held behind him.

"Yes… I have heard of you." He said smoothly. He got up from where he sat and walked towards us.

"They say you are a good rider." My friend smiled though it looked more like a smirk.

"Yes. I am." I would have smacked him if I could. He was being as defiant as he could possibly be. The emperor merely smiled as he turned towards me.

"They say you were riding my horse the other day. Is it true?" he looked at the emperor with a hard glint in his eyes.

"Yes. It is." The emperor turned to look at the man in front of him…he was a little taller than Vishaka.

"And why did you ride it? I believe my stable-hands must have intimated that it was 'my' horse? And that it was quite temperamental?"

Vishaka scoffed silently.

"The horse is not as defiant as it looks your highness." The emperor stared at him with a delicately raised eyebrow.

"Indeed! Then you are living up to your name, servant." I could have sworn I saw Vishaka clench his fists.

"I would like you to tend to my horse. I have obtained the permission from your princess and she desires you work for me." He said simply as he walked back to his desk. I could almost feel Vishaka tremble with rage. He definitely did not like being ordered around like he was some lowly slave. And this order would work on his nerves! I caught his hand in mine, preventing any unwanted words that might sprout forth from him. The emperor turned around and his eyes fell on my hand holding his. I was about to let go when I felt Vishaka hold onto my hand, grasping mine tightly in his.

The expression in the emperor's face that day was unfathomable. I had not the slightest idea what he made of that but he did not say anything after that.

"You may go." He said turning back to his book. The both of us bowed in front of him and we walked out of the room. He still refused to let go of my hand and seemed to lead me out of the room almost. Just when I was about to leave the room, I turned around to find the emperor glaring at the book…as though he was looking at his worst enemy. He looked up perhaps having sensed my gaze. But I averted my eyes immediately when I felt his eyes on me. What his expression was towards me, I did not know. And whether the glare was for Vishaka? I could not apprehend.

"Who does he think he is?" Vishaka almost roared. I shushed him or at least tried to as I dragged him back to the quarters we occupied.

"He merely wants you to work for him. It is because you are so talented, Vishaka. It is not like he is enslaving you!" I said patiently. He glared at me but I smiled in return.

"He wants me – a total foreigner who is not under his rule, to work for him! He is an autocratic ogre!"

"Vishaka!" I did not know when my voice had risen. But I was standing in front of him, my eyes wide with anger. He stared at me, surprised beyond doubt. He was about to speak when I interrupted him,

"Adithi-"

"I am leaving." I pushed his hands away and walked out of the room back to mine. I knew he hated the emperor now…but he could not expect me to share the same views about the man! I did not hate him! On the contrary, I loved him.

I walked up to my room and opened the door with one jerk. I was really angry at Vishaka and if I knew him, he would try to persuade me out of my anger tomorrow with all the tricks he knew. My room was dark as there were no lighted candles. Surprisingly, the bay window was open and I walked to it, intending to close it when I felt someone encircle my waist. I screamed as I felt the hand tighten its hold.

"Adithi, it's me." I heard his voice and I felt my being quieten automatically.

I felt his lips on my shoulder as he did away with the shawl. I turned around to find his eyes glisten in the light of the full moon that shone in the sky.

"Your majesty…" I said but before I could say anything more, he had kissed me. I felt his hands work their way beneath my blouse as his kiss deepened.

I forgot what I had intended to say as I felt his arms around me as he undid my clothing and carried me to my bed… this god with whom I had an affair.

After what seemed like eons of bliss, he fell on top of me, in a heap of sweat and exhaustion. I smiled as he kissed my collar bone gently.

"Your majesty…" he raised his head a little to frown at me.

"Will you not even use my name when we are alone?" I smiled shyly as I nodded my head.

"I don't know…I am afraid." I said softly as I ran my fingers through his hair. Here I was in bed with a man I was hopelessly in love with yet…I knew it would never be.

"You need never fear me, beautiful one." He whispered softly near my ears as he kissed my ear lobe. I smiled as I nodded my head.

"I am thankful then…Saihitei." He smiled as he kissed me again…the kiss deepening with intensity as did our beings as the night wore on…

I woke up the next morning to find my bed empty. I got up to find my room empty as well. The bay window was open. I had failed to close it last night…last night…

"Adithi! Are you up?" I slowly got out of bed, clutching the bed sheets around me as I gathered my clothing from the floor. Just as I had managed to tie my blouse in place, the door opened revealing Sātviki. She looked happy…she was positively beaming.

"Did you hear the good news?" I shook my head, not quite listening to anything she was saying. All my thoughts dwelt on the emperor. He had left early in the morning. Why hadn't he woken me up? Why had he left me?

"Adithi! Are you listening?" I started as I suddenly beheld Sātviki looking at me with worry.

"Are you alright?" I smiled as I nodded my head. "What is it, Sātviki?"

"Vishaka has been called to work in the palace for the emperor." I nodded my head. That was old news! Then I remembered. I had been the only one there when the order was given. Sātviki would not have known it and since Vishaka was not that keen, he hadn't woken his mother to convey the news.

"I know. I was with him when the order was given." Sātviki smiled as she nodded her head.

"I am so glad! Mayhap he can settle here! My son would be tending to the horse of the emperor! Oh I am all in a jitter!" I smiled as I watched Sātviki walk out of the room probably to convey the news to another friend of hers.

I walked back to the bay window and gazed out through the glass at the gazebo where I had first spoken to him. I smiled as I remembered last night. It had been very special. I blushed as my thoughts traveled to him…was he thinking of me right now? I did not know.

The tale shall grow…

Author's Note:

End of another chapter! Now 'tis time to review, my hearties! So, review away! Any constructive criticism shall be welcomed. And all flames shall be used to heat the homes of the poor.

- Anarya of Lorien