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).
I'd like to thank the following reviewers for their patronage...
HikaruKotobashi: Glad you liked it...hope you like this better. Anyway, enjoy! .
Kathleen-chan: I am happy you liked my story and am so sorry you found the first story confusing. I have been notified of this and shall change the first chapter as soon as possible, though my beta-reader thought it was worthy of publication. And thanks for adding my story as one of your favorites and also for including me in your alerts list. I feel so loved::sniff:
I would also like to thank all the ghost readers who are probably reading my story right now or have read it before. Thanks guys!
Now, on with the story...
Disclaimer: What have we brought unto this world with us at birth that we should claim it for ourselves? And what shall we take with us when we shall move on into the realm of death?
Ahem... I don't own Fushigi Yuugi. End of story!
Chapter VII:
"You seem so distracted these days." I smiled at my princess as I shook my head.
"No, Shwetha. I am fine." I said as I gathered her clothing for the wash. She caught my hand gently and turned me around.
"I am a good friend of yours, am I not?" she asked.I nodded.
"Then what is it?" I couldn't possibly tell her what was bothering me!
"It's nothing. I presume I am a bit tired. That's all." She looked at me skeptically before shrugging.
"The emperor has invited me for a sword fighting practice. It was a pet fancy of mine to learn to wield the sword and he had promised to teach me. Do you wish to accompany me?" I looked at her with a raised eyebrow as I said,
"I thought you did not approve of me chaperoning you." She looked at me guiltily as she hugged me.
"Oh come on, Adithi! There were so many people there! I wanted our friendship to be around for a long time. The ministers do not trust you very much, you know!"
I sighed as I nodded my head. "Fine. I understand. I shall accompany you." I could clearly see that she was trying to be friendly. But there was certainly something different in the way we spoke to each other now. As though some invisible wall had risen between us… I turned around with her clothing out for the wash when she stopped me.
"We shall leave in another hour. Can you get ready soon?" I nodded my head as I continued on my way to the wash room where they would probably wash the clothing for us.
An hour later, we were walking towards the courtyard where the practice was to take place. I could make out the different noble men there, all ready to start their mock duels.
"Saihitei!" Shwetha cried out. A man dressed in brown pants and a red tunic with white sleeves turned around. His long hair was tied in a graceful ponytail. It was the emperor! But he looked so different…yet so breathtaking! He was talking with one of his guards when he turned back to stare at us. He smiled at the princess and with a flick of his hand had the guard dispersed. Now, he was walking towards us.
"Good afternoon, Shwetha. It is so nice to see you here. And may I ask what a lady would be doing in these barbaric grounds?" his eyes danced with mirth. It was so enchanting.
"Oh indeed! I can inform you that the women of Magadha are warriors themselves! They would march for their country no matter what station they hold!" he smiled as he nodded his head.
"I stand corrected then." He said.
"You had promised me you shall teach me to wield the blade the other day. Remember?" he nodded his head as he turned to one of his servants.
"Arrange a place for them to sit beside me." He said, his voice holding such authority! The servant bowed and left us.
"I am a man of my word. And I shall teach you." he said as he led us to the seats. I stood behind Shwetha who was looking nowhere but at the emperor.
When all had been set up, he turned to us. His eyes rested on me but for a moment…those wonderful liquid golden orbs as they slid down to rest on Shwetha.
"Shall we begin?" he asked gently. She nodded as she slowly got up from where she sat. He led her down the dais where they were seated and into the courtyard,
"I shall first look into how you normally hold your blade and then see if there are any corrections needed." she nodded as she took hold of the sword and lifted it with some difficulty.
"I presume the blades here are not as heavy as the ones you use in Magadha." She nodded as she held her blade in an aggressive stance and swung it around with ease. She had learnt the ways of the warrior to some extent from the generals who worked under our king. The emperor was probably impressed for he was smiling as he clapped his hands.
"You are a learned user of the blade. Aren't you?" she smiled demurely as she slowly nodded.
"I presume I shall let you practice for now, Saihitei." He smiled as he took his blade back from her and turned to the dais. I was standing there staring at him. When our eyes met, I smiled a little. He smiled back though with discretion that was his wont.
"Now we begin." He said as he swung his blade around as though it was merely a feather. The various moves he seemed to execute increased in complexity. Both of us watched with bated breath as he swung the sword around and ended the exercise with his sword pointed to an imaginary foe with his left hand resting over the blade…as though he guided it to his rival's heart. I heard Shwetha clap loudly as he turned to us and bowed lightly.
"That was wonderful!" She breathed as she stood up and walked to Saihitei.
I felt like somebody had knocked me down when I saw Shwetha reach out and embrace the emperor and kiss him on the cheek. He definitely looked surprised for his eyes went wide. But rather that looking shocked he smiled and nodded at her, accepting her token of appreciation. I was generally not quite a jealous person, but now I felt like someone had released a large scaly beast within my heart. I coughed lightly as I could take it no further. Shwetha looked at me questioningly. But he released the hold he had around her waist as he straightened and turned to face the courtyard.
"You are probably the only one who has wielded the sword in this way. I must hand it out to your teachers, my lady. They have done a wonderful job." She smiled as she shook her head.
"I might be a good swordswoman. But Adithi is a wonderful archer." She turned to look at me. I felt flustered, having been pointed out with no prior intimation. He looked at me with interest. I lowered my eyes as I sank into a bow.
"Is that so? Hmm….why don't we test her skills then?" I looked up abruptly to find him staring at me. I tried to smile but I remembered the kiss from Shwetha and I forced my face to remain stony.
"I do not mind! Though there are lots of people here who are probably better than her as you are better than me, your majesty. Do you wield the bow as well as you wield the sword?" she asked innocently. He smiled as he shook his head.
"I am not that proficient in archery, I am afraid. But I shall try. For your sake, my lady." I felt the beast stir again. Why was he doing this? I caught his eye and turned my face away. He ordered one of his servants to bring two bows and quivers. Shwetha meanwhile had turned to me,
"Do Magadha proud, Adithi." I smiled confidently as I nodded and removed the shawl I was wearing, knowing very well that it shall hinder my aim if I wore it. The moment I drew my shawl away, I felt his eyes on me again. This time though, I saw a deep emotion…hunger almost as he walked towards me. I was panicking now. What was he thinking he was doing? I turned my head away as I heard Shwetha speak,
"The bows are here, Saihitei." She said softly. He turned to the servant and with one burning gaze at my bare shoulders; he took one of the long bows and slung the quiver across his shoulder. I did the same and moved to stand beside him.
"Are you jealous?" I heard him mutter. I turned to look at him shocked. He had known then! Then why did he? I frowned at the ground as I turned my attention towards the target far away. He was merely trying to distract me.
I shook my head lightly as I said,
"No."
"Is that so?" his voice was almost mocking. I notched an arrow and took aim to judge the distance.
"Let us have a wager. Shall we?" I nodded my head. He smiled as he straightened the feathers of the arrow tail.
"You lose, you obey any command I give you for a night." I almost dropped the arrow. "Agreed?" he muttered only for me to hear. I nodded my head lightly. "And if I win?" I asked. He smirked as he said, "Then I shall be your servant for the same night." I smiled as I felt his eye on me.
"I agree."
He released his first arrow which hit bull's eye. He turned to look at Shwetha and smiled at her. I glared at the target as I notched my arrow and took aim. I let fly my arrow and smiled relieved when it hit the bull's eye. I heard Shwetha clap for me and I turned around to smile at my friend.
When I turned to face the target again, I met his gaze.
"You are good. But unfortunately…not good enough." He smirked as he loaded another arrow and let it fly. The arrow flew in almost a straight projectile as it hit the bull's eye again.
"Your turn." He whispered. I nodded as I took careful aim. I was not about to lose. My second arrow landed just beside the second one…pointing towards the same bull's eye.
"Hmmm…you are desperate to win, are you not? Why? Afraid I might ask some impossible task of you?" he asked, his voice was silky smooth. I felt butterflies in my stomach as he aimed his third and final shot. He let the arrow fly and it hit the bull's eye again…but it had pierced the previous arrow and had cleaved it neatly into two halves.
"Wonderful!" I heard Shwetha exclaim. I took a deep breath as I took aim for the third time. If I did not cleave my arrow like he did, then I shall surely lose. I felt the world fade away as my vision rested on that one point far away. I drew back the string a little more as I let the arrow fly.
I waited with bated breath as I followed my arrows path through the air and with a dull thud, it landed on the bull's eye. But….the three arrows were separate…I had failed to cleave my previous arrow. I turned around to find the emperor look at me with a smirk. I lowered my eyes as I heard Shwetha descend from the dais.
"You won, Saihitei! Is there any task you cannot do?" she exclaimed as she smiled at him. I felt like breaking my bow but restrained myself.
"Your hand maid is quite a formidable archer, Shwetha. You shall be in safe hands if you were to be ambushed and if she were to have a bow and quiver ready!" Shwetha smiled at me fondly.
"That was one of the reasons, she was trained in archery. But she is hopeless with the blade." She laughed though I felt embarrassed.
"One cannot be good in everything, can they?" he said in what he thought was a kindly tone but I felt more insulted.
"You are!" she said in awe. He smiled at her and shrugged.
"I shall be leaving now. Would you like to return to your rooms? I daresay you shall need to refresh." I raised my face to find him smiling at Shwetha, his eyes never resting one me. I glared at him as I stood there behind the princess…yet he would not look at me. I felt tears threatening to break free but I lowered my eyes, lest they see me crying.
I loved him...to such a degree that it hurt.
I walked slowly to my room having left the princess in her quarters. I felt like I wanted to break something but there was nothing I could do and I merely sank into my bed as I felt the tears spill forth. How could he flirt with the princess when he knew how I felt…wait! Did he know how I felt? Was I merely a plaything for him? It occurred to me that he had never mentioned he loved me…then…neither had I!
"Adithi." I raised my eyes to find Vishaka stand there with a worried expression that got worse when he saw my red eyes. He rushed into the room and knelt beside my bed.
"What happened? Why are you in tears?" he asked me as he gently held my face in his hand. I shook my head as I pushed his hands away and buried my face in the bed linen and continued with my weeping.
"Adithi! What happened? Did somebody say something?" he asked me. I merely cried. He sighed as he forcibly raised me from the bed and made me look at him. I closed my eyes as more tears sprung from my eyes.
"Adithi, tell me what happened. I demand to know." I shook my head as I remained silent. He let go of me but gathered me into an embrace which surprised me. But this gentle gesture made me sadder and my sobbing redoubled.
"Hush…its fine. You can cry as much as you want. I'll be here. I'll always be by your side." He whispered into my ears as he soothed me to calm. I clung to his tunic as I felt all the sadness and the hopelessness of my situation drown me. When my tears had subsided a little, I lifted my head from his chest and smiled at my friend. He was looking down with such care and concern.
"Do you wish to speak, Adithi?" his voice was deep. I shook my head as I drew away from him.
"It's nothing. I just felt depressed. I am fine now." I said wiping stray rivulets of tears. He smiled as he shook his head.
"I know you hide something. But I shall not press you. You can confide in me when you feel like it." He moved towards the door and with a parting smile was gone. I smiled as I thought of his unselfish ways. I wiped away my tears as I moved towards my bathroom to freshen up with a bath.
When I was done with it, I walked out, draped in a white skirt and sleeveless blouse and I walked through the bay window into the garden. I pulled the muslin shawl around me tighter as I felt the evening breeze around me. There were hints of rain as I walked to the gazebo. I leaned against the railing as I viewed the distant corridors of the palace that shone over the pond.
It would be a full moon tonight and it had already been a week and a half since we had arrived. I wondered when the princess planned to leave. Now that she fancied the emperor, I had a little suspicion if our stay would be extended. But then…if anything would form between the royal ones, wouldn't that be glorious news to the king back in Magadha?
He would be thrilled on the probability of such an alliance…I felt tears threatening to erupt again. I brushed them away when I felt something move in the distant corridors. I looked up to find to my horror, the emperor standing there, leaning against the railing just like how I was doing. He was looking in my direction and I knew he had spotted me. So this is how he had entered my room the other day! That was probably the corridor that housed the library and one of his bedchambers.
I could not catch his facial expression as the night's mist was beginning to settle down and Khonan was definitely colder than Magadha. But I knew he was looking at me for he had not moved and I stood as one made of stone…unmoved…as I stared back at him. He would not see the tears that ran down my face as I felt pain. The mere thought of the emperor brought tears to my eyes. He was like a drug that I craved for…a forbidden but necessary thing…I needed it to carry on…to remain sane…but the façade that I was commanded to don…it seemed to drive me insane. I wanted to break free…to be able to declare the passion I felt for the emperor for the whole world to hear. But…
I felt the black thread that I had around my neck…one that bound me to silence…I was under servitude with the ones who cared for me. I was a servant.
"Adithi?" I started as I heard Sātviki call my name from behind. I hastily wiped away my tears as I turned around to find her look at me with worried eyes. Vishaka had probably told her everything. I smiled at her as she walked to me.
"What is the matter with you? You seem so pale! Are you unwell?" she asked me gently as she felt my forehead. I smiled as I shook my head.
"I am fine…merely tired." She seemed unconvinced as she placed her hands around me. I wanted to be alone.
"Vishaka told me you were weeping in your room. What happened?" she asked me gently. I smiled but tears still wouldn't remain bridled.
"I don't think I can talk about it right now. Please?" I looked at her pleadingly. She looked at me, herself close to tears and then she smiled.
"Fine. I shall not press you, child. But you must remember that we shall always be there for you." she smiled as she kissed me gently on the cheek. I couldn't control my tears as they came flowing down. But I managed to smile as I kissed her back and laid my head on her shoulder. How I thanked the gods for giving me Sātviki!
I knew she would always be there for me. I had that faith in her.
"You should eat lest you faint away with fatigue, Adithi." I nodded absently as I nibbled into the apple. I had cried myself to sleep on Sātviki's shoulder and now as I sat with her, she was persuading me to have something to eat. I always ate with her, usually before I went with Shwetha when she had her dinner with the emperor. But tonight, Sātviki had asked for permission, relieving me for the night. I was so grateful towards this woman in front of me.
"Are you alright?" she asked me as I got up from where I sat and walked to the door, intending to go back to my room. I smiled at her as I stifled a yawn.
"I am a bit tired. I think I shall rest for the night." She nodded as she walked me to my door and opened it.
"Rest well, Adithi. I shall see you in the morning." I smiled as I nodded and turned to face my room. It was dark. From the silence that reigned from the princess' room, I could tell that she was not in her room. Probably she was in the banquet with the emperor. I felt sadder as my thoughts crossed him. I sniffed as I closed the door and walked into my room.
I lit a candle by my bed and taking it, walked to the window and opened it slightly. The moon shone down brightly. The clod wind that blew stung my face as I stood there, a blown candle in hand in a darkened room – quite synonymous to my situation! I looked up at the moon, whose blemishes seemed to enchant me more. I always loved full moons and it was my wont to slip into the palace gardens back in Magadha to walk by the streams under the light of the moon. I smiled as I turned around, leaving the window open. I was almost tempted to do the same but I had feigned illness with Sātviki and I did not think sick maidens strolled in the moon…but then…I was ill…in my heart. I sighed as I placed the candle by the table and walked back to the window and not minding to take any shawl, I walked out of the room into the gardens. The feel of the night air around me seemed to invigorate me. I walked around the gardens for as long as I desired and when I felt it was indeed late, I turned and walked back into my room. The princess had probably returned in while I was away. I slowly opened the door that connected both our quarters to find the lamps burning. Then, there were voices…
"Your Majesty seems flustered. Is something the matter?" I heard Shwetha ask. Then, I heard his voice,
"No. it is nothing. Do not worry." There was silence and then…
"I shall be seeing you again, lady Shwetha. I hear that your father might send someone special to collect you in another week's time?" I felt my heart stop a little. Someone was coming to pick the princess up in another week? That meant I would have to leave as well! I had another week to spend here…with him…then, I shall go back…back whence I came…and all shall be forgotten.
"Yes. I heard this dreaded news today morn. But mayhap you can speak with them? I have so grown to love your country…your culture…" she left the sentence incomplete. I painfully understood what she meant and it troubled me.
"I shall try. It shall aggrieve me to have your envoy leave so quickly. I have come to like your culture as well…especially your arts." His voice was soft, almost a whisper. Why was he having that tone with the princess? Mayhap he had lost interest in me…mayhap I was a thing of the past. I felt tears threatening to break free. I quietly closed the door and walked back to my room.
I had a week to spend with the man I yearned to be with forever. One week!
I sat on my bed as I gazed at the flickering flame of the candle. I had but one week…and then, what? I tried not to think beyond that…I gazed at my reflection…the sign of servitude that hung around my neck…one which I bore with pride! Now…it seemed like a noose. A yoke…
I sighed as I fell onto my pillows and closed my eyes. Soon, I slept away.
The tale shall grow…
Author's Note:
End of chapter could mean only one thing! Review away! Any constructive criticism is welcome and queries regarding the story and the plot will also be answered…as long as they're not spoilers.
- Anarya of Lorien.