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Enjoy the chapter :)
Dimitri...
Rose Mazur was a phenomenal creature...almost an enigma.
A wild enigma.
A tempest that couldn't be tamed.
Having spend a little over a half an hour with her, I could attest to the fact that she wasn't like anyone I'd met. She seemed to be in a category of her own, both in beauty and personality.
She was rough around the edges, direct in her approach. Her unruly long mane of silky hair and her chosen attire of jeans were glaring examples of her wild personality, definitely someone who would never play by the rules. She set her own path, this fiery princess. She would never be dictated by convention.
I found myself developing a somewhat grudging respect for her. It was hard to defy the standards of the society and this girl, this woman did. But I couldn't make up my mind about how this particular trait on hers would affect our future.
Not once did I get the impression that she was playing nice. No, I was quite sure Rose wanted me to see her like this.
To what end? Was she hoping that I would call off the engagement? Was she pretending to be scruffy?
No.
From what I could glean from our encounter, it seemed as if Rose would never pretend to be something she was not.
But in our world, putting on a mask was a necessity. She would have to play the part of an empress if she was to marry me.
She would have to don on a mask of civility and patience.
The empress of Russovia had to be someone refined, graceful and well mannered.
Could Rose be that?
I had to admit, there was a certain appeal to Rose's charm. She was naturally graceful and supple, her presence commanding and her voice exceedingly pleasant on the ears. But her conduct?
It was too soon to judge, of course.
I would have to be patient while trying to analyze and determine if she had the capability to become the empress of Russovia.
But what if she was against the marriage?
Her behavior towards me was almost hostile, a suspicious glint in her beautiful eyes as she looked at me. She must have deemed me to be like so many other kings who controlled both their countries and their wives. She could be worried that I would-
Just the thought of it made me sick. While I was aware of the plight of royal women in most of the countries, I've striven to be different from the vast majority of kings. Having been raised by women who gave the utmost importance to the women's rights and their liberation, I would never try to dominate my wife or reduce her to the job of a housekeeper.
At the same time, any wife of mine would have to follow certain protocols. I'd have to wait and see if Rose has what it takes. If not, mutual dissent from both parties could be cited as the reason to break the betrothal.
It was too early to say anything.
But I knew, with full certainty, that I'd have my hands full with this girl.
"So...as I already told you, my mom's strict." Rose's voice broke through my thoughts, focusing my attention on the beautiful woman at my arm. "Very strict."
"So you say," I replied lightly, resisting the urge to smile.
Rose didn't like that, if the glare she sent my way was any indication. "You'll say it too if you see my mother's true face. Let's first establish that my mother is strict before proceeding with the conversation."
Curious to hear what she had to say, I agreed.
Rose nodded, kicking away a stone from the graveled pathway. "The reason I asked you to escort me was to escape the powerful and easily triggered wrath of Janine Mazur."
I frowned, not quite understanding her logic.
Sensing my confusion, Rose elaborated. "I'm sure she's waiting for me at the Nakshatra. If you're with me, she'll know that we've already met. So, she won't be as angry as she wouldn't been otherwise."
Why did I have a feeling that most of Rose's arguments consisted of such roundabout logic?
"I think there's another reason," I noted. "You know that your mother will probably not scold you in my presence."
Rose looked impressed. "Not bad, comrade."
"Comrade?"
Rose shrugged. "Like partners in crime. The crime being tricking my mother."
"That's disrespectful," I said automatically.
"I don't care." Rose said with a steely glint in her eyes.
"You should," I pointed out. "Respect is what makes a man."
"Good thing I'm not a man," Rose shot back.
"Rose," I sighed in exasperation. "Do you treat your people this way too?"
The glare Rose sent my way was powerful enough to set a forest on fire. "No," she said, her voice holding barely restrained anger. She took a few steps away from me and pointed at something to the right, "Take a look for yourself."
Further to our right, a large arch stood proudly, a gateway to what looked like a garden.
"That's Madhuwan - the royal garden," Rose said quietly as I walked over to the arch. "Can you read the inscription on the arch?"
"It's Sanskrit." I'd studied the language and was fairly confident that I could read the words.
But before I could, Rose said softly, "te pratamam aaganthavyam. They come first."
"The Mazur family motto?" I asked, remembering that I'd read something similar."They meaning the people of Loha?"
Rose nodded, eyes on the arch.
"It's a remarkable thought." I said, turning it over in my head.
Rose turned to look at me, her face solemn. Her eyes crackled with energy, fury still evident in those depths but buried beneath conviction.
"It's what we live by," she stated, her countenance echoing the truth. "It's what I live by."
As she stood there, basking in the moonlight and firm in her belief, I saw a glimpse of who Rose Mazur really was and why the people of Loha seemed to love her so much.
She had a way of commanding attention, ensuring that all eyes were drawn to her. But that was not it.
She was someone who loved her people.
Someone committed to her country, her duty.
Someone willing to fight for them.
At that moment, it was as if the world came to a standstill. There was no one but her. Illuminated in the moonlight, she looked ethereal. I felt a connection to her that I'd never felt before, a recognition of a person who seemed so different yet so similar to me me.
They come first.
Yes, we were quite alike in that aspect.
No one had ever understood my passion for my duty before. But, in front of me stood a gorgeous woman who seemed to echo my own sentiment.
I was still pondering over it as we walked the rest of the way in silence until Rose came to a stop. Gesturing to the building ahead, she spoke in an off handed tone, "Welcome to my humble abode."
When I looked ahead, my first thought was that it was one of the best buildings I'd seen around here.
The moonlight fell on the two-storied structure in a way that made the building look otherworldly, just like the way Rose had looked a minute ago. I could hear the gentle sound of waves, indicating that a river or a brook was close by.
Nakshathra, Rose had called it. The name of the building was Nakshathra, meaning "Star" in sanskrit.
There could be no better name for it.
"Nice house," I said, smiling at Rose.
Rose looked indignant. "That's the best word you could come up with?"
Any reply I was about to make was cut off by a angry cry of "Rose!"
Ah, the furious mother makes her entrance.
Janine Mazur stood in the doorway, the light from inside spilling out on the front lawn. Her face reflected her anger before she noticed my presence. When her eyes fell on me, she composed herself quickly.
"I see you've met," she said smoothly, approaching us.
"Yes," Rose replied, smiling triumphantly. There was no sign of the solemn girl who'd declared her commitment to her people moments ago. "I brought him around to see the Nakshathra."
Janine raised an eyebrow in my direction, perhaps doubting my intentions. I would too, had I been in her position.
Rose was certainly doing a good job is damaging my credibility.
"-and he's escorting me to dinner." Rose continued with a fake smile. What was she playing at?
"That's nice," Janine said with a forced enthusiasm which seemed to please Rose. "I'll see you both at dinner then? Don't be late."
On one hand, I wanted her gone so that I could question Rose but on the other, I wanted to reassure her that my intentions were pure.
I didn't want her questioning my character.
But I settled for the former, wanting to talk to Rose first.
With another forced smile, Janine stalked off.
"Were you deliberately trying to make me look bad?" I asked Rose quietly, making sure my voice or my face didn't betray anything.
"What on earth could you mean by that?" Rose said loftily, striding ahead of me.
I resisted an urge to roll my eyes. "You know what I mean, Rose."
Perhaps my voice was a touch harsher. That would explain the fire burning in Rose's eyes when she turned to face me.
When she spoke, her voice vibrated with barely restrained anger. "Don't be such a prude. We're to be married anyway, right? Whoever wants to talk can talk."
"That doesn't make it right." I pointed out.
"Are you worried about your pristine reputation being stained?" Rose mocked, leading the way into her suite.
Yes, I was.
"Why is your reputation so important to you?" Rose asked, her voice changing from angry to curious. "Does it really matter what people say about you?"
"It does," I replied stiffly. I registered the elegant interior of Nakshathra subconsciously but I could only concentrate on Rose at the moment. "When you're in a position of authority, it matters what people say about you."
"I agree," Rose said surprisingly. "When it's about your duty, I do agree. If they're talking about how good a king you are or how you badly you messed up with the new law or something like that. Point is, you should only care about what people say about you as a ruler of the nation. Not the idle gossip mongers who're wondering who you were kissing last week or who you've slept with."
Her words were crass, her manner brash but her words gave a lot of think about.
I'd never before thought of my reputation in the sense that Rose spoke about.
Would it really matter what people spoke about my personal life?
Perhaps not.
But I knew that it mattered to me. A private person by nature, I didn't like the thought of others speaking about my personal life. So, I tried not to give them anything to speak about in that front.
But could I make Rose understand that?
She and I had widely different views on this subject.
Trying to make the other bend to your viewpoint wouldn't work.
Climbing up the elevator with her, I wondered - maybe for the hundredth time that night - if we could make this betrothal work.
Only time would tell...
Stepping out of the elevator at the second floor, Rose led me to a tastefully furnished sitting room.
"I must get ready for dinner. You can look around if you want. I'll be back in around twenty minutes."
Without waiting for a reply, she strode off, disappearing through a door to my left.
Surveying the room, I noted the unique architectural style and unfamiliar patterns used to decorate the interior. Fascinated, I decided to look around to wile away the time.
After all, Rose had given me an open invitation to explore.
At the end of the hallway, I came across a curiously shaped metal door that stood out of the prominent red and gold theme. Very curious to know what was behind the door, I turned the knob hesitantly to reveal-
A gym.
With state of art facilities, it was a contemporary gym; complete with a sparring mat and a table of weapons. I could even make out obstacle courses, some exercise balls and dance hoops.
Maybe Rose liked to stay in shape and hence the gym. But why the weapons? Or the obstacle courses?
Taking a closer look wouldn't be prudent. It would almost be like spying. But I couldn't contain my curiosity.
Resolving to ask Rose about it later, I left the gym and turned to the door opposite to it.
It led to a large balcony.
There was an pool built on the floor, some poolside chairs, a stereo system and a small coffee table surrounded by comfortable chairs. The sound of water that had attracted my attention when we'd arrived at the Nakshatra, was clearer here.
Breathing deeply, I cherished the cool air on my skin as I walked over to the railing. Peeping down, I saw a sizable brook flowing through the backyard.
I tried to imagine Rose sitting by the brook, reading a book while drinking a cup of coffee. But that wouldn't be Rose.
Just spending a hour with her told me that my mental image was wrong. That wouldn't be Rose. It would be me.
Yes. If I were to fit Rose into that picture, she'd most likely be swimming in the brook. Or, something else that matched her energetic personality.
Perhaps I wasn't being fair but I couldn't imagine her sitting still. Maybe it was because our brief encounter only served to highlight the fiery aspects in her. A little more time with her may serve to unveil the enigma that was Rose Mazur.
-who was approaching me now, going by the soft, mellifluous sound of anklets.
I looked at my watch before turning around, pleased to see that she'd taken exactly twenty minutes like she'd promised.
I was about to remark on her punctuality but the sight that met my eyes stunned me speechless.
Never before had I seen a woman this beautiful.
Beautiful wasn't the appropriate word, though. It wasn't enough to describe how captivating Rose looked; clad in a saree, with that elusive garment draped fetching over her curvy form.
The saree was white and gold: white underlay with heavy gold embroidery. The sleeveless, crop top blouse was gold. Over it was a length of white and gold cloth with one end wrapped around Rose's slim waist, forming a skirt with pleats and other end folded into many pleats and draped over her shoulder. Her hair was tied back in a loose bun. A foxy smirk graced her full lips, one that suggested she was fully aware of her charm.
She looked enchanting, like the physical manifestation of any man's dream.
While her jeans and top ensemble gave a ruggedly enticing edge to her beauty, the saree seemed to soften the fire; giving a refinement to the naturally exquisite form.
It was with some difficulty that I regained the power of speech.
"When you said you'd take twenty minutes, I was prepared for a hour," I confessed, forcing my mind away from her fetching body.
"I keep my promises," she said, her voice low and more sultry that before.
"Good," I said, clearing my throat. "That's good."
Rose smiled, her luscious lips lifting slightly at the corners. A cool breeze blew over us, pushing a lock of her hair over her face. As she shifted to brush it back, her gold earrings shook and the gold bangles on her wrist jingled. Her bindi; ornamental little sticker worn between the eyebrows, glinted in the moonlight.
She looked like a true Lohan woman: ethereal, traditional and graceful.
A queen.
"Shall we?" She asked, gesturing to the door.
I smiled. "We shall."
AN: Whew! Complicated chapter full of complicated and confusing feelings! What'cha think about it?
I know Rose and Dimitri seem a little rude to each other but that's because they are two very different people who are very apprehensive about being forced together. After all, misunderstandings happen quite often, especially between strangers that resent being pushed together. They have a long road ahead of them for sure :)
The 'world standing still for Dimitri' part was from Dpov of the first chapter of VA. It seemed to fit in this situation because they both share a sense of duty towards their citizens.
Hope you liked it! Sorry for any/all mistakes. Leave me a review and let me know what you thought of this chapter :)
