Faces in the sand…
I'd like to thank the following reviewers:
Critias: I'm glad you liked my story and gave it a shot. I'm really glad. Hope you'll slip in more reviews.
Michi-nin: Thanks for the review. And as for the conflict...you have seen nothing my friend. MWAHAHAHA!
Lady Seiryu: Thanks for the review and don't worry. Everything happens for the glory of Iluvatar - er...I mean Suzaku. Hehehe.
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).
Disclaimer: I don't own Fushigi Yuugi. And Magadha belongs to the rich heritage of India.
Chapter IX:
"Who is responsible for the child in your womb?"
I looked at the princess with unblinking eyes as I registered what was being said to me.
"Oh Adithi! How did this happen?" I heard Sātviki's sobs. I turned to her, my eyes shedding tears themselves.
"I carry a child within me?" I asked her, my hands over my stomach. She merely nodded. I closed my eyes frightened.
It was his child. It had to be. He was the only one I ever allowed into my life to commit such acts that I would not dare let another man do.
"I am waiting, Adithi. And my patience is wearing thin." I opened my eyes to find the princess glaring at me. I remained silent.
"Is it Vishaka?" I turned to Sātviki who was waiting for my answer with bated breath. I felt silent tears pour forth from my eyes as I mutely shook my head.
"Then who is it?" I heard my princess shout. I winced as I backed into the chair. I was scared. I was afraid.
"Do you remain silent because you want to shield the man from us or is it because you have allowed yourself to be taken for granted by so many men that you are unsure yourself?" I gasped as I heard Shwetha say this. It was the most demeaning thing she could have thrown at me. I cried openly as I clutched my shawl closer to myself and backed further into the couch.
"Answer me!" I heard her shout as she walked towards me. Then, there was a bang as the door opened and there he stood.
"Your majesty!" I heard Shwetha call out. I lifted my head to find him staring at me. I cried more bitterly as I saw him stand there.
"They said you were not feeling well." I heard her say. I turned to him, my eyes glassy with my tears. He was looking at nobody but me.
"I was. So, I came to apologize for having made you wait. They told me you were here. If I might be permitted to ask, what is the problem?" Shwetha smiled at the emperor as she shook her head.
"Nothing that your majesty should be worried about." He seemed unconvinced. He turned his gaze from me to Shwetha.
"Please Shwetha. I insist. There might be something I can assist you with." I lowered my eyes as I cried anew. She turned to look at me with clear signs of rage and disgust as she clenched her fist.
"My maid has committed a heinous crime, I am afraid." He turned to look at me. I couldn't meet his eye. I did not know whether he would believe what would be said to him next. I waited with bated breath.
"What shall that be?" I heard him ask. His tone was smooth.
"Well…I assure you it embarrasses me immensely to be telling this. But, I am afraid…" she turned to look at me. I merely cried on.
"What is it, Shwetha? Pray, tell me!" there was urgency in his voice.
"She is pregnant."
I looked up to find him stand there shocked to the root.
"I beg your pardon?" Shwetha sighed as she walked towards the emperor. I could see his fist clenched tight as he stood there, his golden brown eyes shocked to stillness.
"Yes. The healers say she is one week into it. I have been asking her who the responsible one is, but she does not answer. I do not see why she shields him so!"
He did not speak. There was a knock behind him and all of them except him turned to see who had knocked. There stood one of his ministers.
"Your majesty, I am sorry to disturb you sir. But you are called forth to a meeting with the cabinet. It is a matter of utter importance. You see…" he looked around to give us a suspicious gaze. He moved towards the emperor and whispered something into his ears. But all this while he was gazing at me and I was weeping gazing at the floor.
"I shall have to leave now. I hope you understand." I looked up to find his eyes on me. Shwetha smiled as she shook her head.
"You don't have to apologize. What could you have done?"
He sighed as he turned around, leaving me to stare at his broad back.
"Apparently a lot." He muttered. With that he left the room leaving me there with the princess and Sātviki.
When he had gone, Shwetha turned to me with her glare back on.
"This discussion is far from over. Sātviki, please follow me." she ordered and turned around, her train trailing, and she left my room with Sātviki casting worried and betrayed looks that seemed to kill me.
I cried myself to frenzy until night fell around us. The rains from the morning were yet to let in. I looked down at myself as I sat there on my bed, my clothing in disarray.
I was with his child. I was to mother the emperor's child. Why hadn't I thought of dire consequences when I let him have me? Why had I been the fool? What would happen to me? I felt my head ache as I cried without end. I turned to look at the bay window to find to my horror, the emperor standing there, soaked to the bone. He was rapping at the closed window, his face bearing a frown.
I shook my head as I turned the other way around. I would meet him no more. I would stay away from him. The rapping continued. I turned around to find his face slowly turning angry.
"Open the door." I saw his lips move. I shook my head as I joined my hands and held it to my face.
"Please let me be!"
He was now pounding against the window. I turned around and having no other alternative, I opened the window and ran back to weep on my bed.
"Adithi." I looked up to find him standing there, still in his day clothes, looking down at me with such remorse…I got up and flung myself at him, not minding that he was wet or that I had promised myself never to see him again.
"Adithi…look at me." I looked up to find him gazing at me with a frown.
"Is it true?" I felt weak as I nodded.
"Yes. It is." I whimpered as I buried my face in the wet silken folds. I heard his sigh as he drew me away.
"I am sorry." He said as he held my face gently. I shook my head as I tried to smile.
"What could you do?" he smiled as he ran his hand through my unbound tresses.
"I am the one... it was me…you face such trials and unwarranted questions because of me. I -" I did not let him finish but kissed him. I registered the look of surprise that was there on his face before he smiled and kissed me back. When we broke away, I was actually smiling. The first since I had come to know.
"You should tell them." He said quietly as he seated me on the bed. I looked at the man before me as he dragged a chair beside my bed.
"But…you…your…I cannot!" I said quietly as I clenched my fists in my lap. He smiled as he raised my head to meet his gaze.
"Are you that worried about me?" he asked me. I lowered my eyes as I felt tears springing forth once more. I merely nodded.
"Why? I am the cause for this burden that you have within you." I narrowed my eyes as I said,
"This is no burden." He smiled as he nodded his head.
"You must let it out, Adithi. Only then can I come in and accept responsibility for my child." He placed his hands on my cheeks as he cradled my face in his hands again. I smiled though the streams of tears ran down my cheeks.
"Your Majesty…" I whispered as I placed my hands over his. He smiled.
"I know this is my child…Our child." He said as he gently wiped my tears away with his thumbs.
"My laws…" his smile disappeared a little as he drew his hands away.
"You would still cling to your laws when-"
"No…you don't understand." I said quietly as I looked away towards the door that connected my room with that of my mistress.
"You must go." I said turning to him. He looked at me dubiously. I smiled though my tears would hardly stop.
"If she finds out, you will have no excuses." He frowned as he walked to the door.
"I am going to tell her." I rushed to his side and caught his hands before they could open the door. He looked at me curiously. I shook my head as I pulled at his hand,
"I don't want you to do this…please…Saihitei?" I spoke his name with a yearning and he saw it. He sighed as he hugged me tightly.
"I don't want you to suffer. Why don't you understand?" I nodded mutely, my voice being lost in the torrents of emotion I was overwhelmed with.
"I love you." I heard him say. My eyes widened as I pulled myself away from his embrace to gaze into his golden orbs. He was smiling. He came closer as I stood there, too stunned to do anything. With another sweep he had gathered me into a deep kiss. I moaned as I held onto him for life. When we broke away, he was gazing me with a smoldering look.
"One week into it, did they say?" he asked as I felt his hands over my stomach. I smiled as I nodded. He gently caressed my abdomen as he kissed me again.
"Our son shall be born a prince." He whispered. I smiled as I kissed him back. His hands were now untying the tie of my blouse when…
BANG
The door that connected my room with Shwetha's crashed open and there she stood…angry and crestfallen…It took me a moment to gather my thoughts together as I backed away towards the man next to me who seemed to be just as surprised as I was for I heard him call her name out in astonishment,
"Shwetha!"
The tale shall grow…
Author's Note:
End of another chapters and it seems like things are running into swifter tidings! So, review and tell me what you think!
- Anarya of Lorien.