Rose...
"Whoa!" I breathed out as I took in my surroundings. "You weren't kidding when you said destroyed."
Beside me, Ivan sighed, looking at the burnt remains of a great banyan tree standing atop a podium. The village square, no doubt. We had similar ones back in Loha.
Everywhere I looked, I was greeted by charred residues of trees, houses and farms. Crops were completely annihilated by the fire and the blackened stumps of trees and stalks of crops still smoked, a fresh remainder of the horror that had occurred less than a day ago.
Residues of soot lingered in the air, darkening the scene. Grey and black were the dominant colors in the environment permeated by a stench of the burnt. My boots cracked noisily against the abandoned pavement, the only hint of sound in this bleak setting.
"Are you okay?" Ivan asked me gently.
I just nodded.
"I can't believe traasa has become so...brave." Ivan said, his steel gray eyes apprehensive and angry. "When on earth did they become so powerful?"
I shrugged, unable to answer.
There wasn't one.
Despite all the efforts, traasa was growing stronger. First the bomb blast in Loha, now this. What more?
Did I really want to know?
No. What I did want to know was how I could help bring them down.
What sort of beasts set fire to the crops at the peak of the harvest season, knowing that they'd not only be destroying the livelihood of the villagers but also risking the lives of thousands?
How many people are yet to die at the hands of traasa?
How do we stop them?
"Let's go, Rose." Ivan said, lightly touching my shoulder. "The relief camp is not far from here."
Dimitri…
Would I be adding to his stress by being here? He'd start worrying about my safety on top of everything else...
But as I started walking through the desolate paths, I knew I'd done the right thing by pestering Ivan to bring me here.
It was my duty to be here.
More than anything else, I wanted to provide some semblance of reassurance to those affected by this incident. Reassurance that those responsible for this wouldn't be allowed to run unchecked, that their leaders would stay by them at this hour of need and do what it takes to restore their livelihood.
I just hope I can convince Dimitri.
Speaking of whom...
Ivan and I turned a corner and came to a stop at the end of a small hill overlooking the vast plains. Hundreds of tents were erected throughout the area. Trucks entered and left the area through the road directly opposite to where I was standing. Soldiers, dressed in Russovian military uniform, were unloading packages from the truck and distributing them to the line of civilians waiting patiently. As I watched, a jet swooped low and circled the area. The civilians who spotted the jet ran to get close to it. Soon, I saw why. Soldiers aboard the jet dropped huge packs of supplies to the villagers waiting underneath.
As Ivan and I walked down the hill, some soldiers spotted us and saluted. At first, I assumed it was because they recognized Ivan.
"They know you," Ivan pointed out. "They recognize you, you know. You're pictures have been circulating in the Russovian media for a while now."
I huffed but waved back at the soldiers.
"Ivan!" shouted a man dressed in a gray suit. He hurried over to us with a frown on his face. "Hello, Princess."
I nodded in reply.
Close by, he looked young and rather cute. But the lines of worry clearly etched on his forehead gave him an aged appearance. The stiff gray suit also gave off an impression of strictness. I'd say that he was the sort of person who held the law superior to anything else.
The mystery man turned back to Ivan. "Why did you bring the princess here? It's too dangerous. Our soldiers spotted two traasa militants close by."
"Have they caught them?" I asked sharply.
The man looked a little surprised by my questions. "Not yet, Princess. But you shouldn't have come here."
I smiled thinly. "I don't mean any disrespect but I need to be here."
The man looked totally taken aback.
Ivan laughed. "Do you see what I had to deal with, Amartya?"
The man, Amartya, shot Ivan a glare. "Have some respect, Ivan."
"It's quite alright, Mr. Amartya." I said smoothly.
Amartya bowed to me. "It's a pleasure to meet you, princess. I'm Amartya Badica, the health minister of Russovia."
"Karolina's husband?" I asked in surprise.
Amartya smiled, his features softening. "Yes, ma'am."
I grinned. "There's no need for formality, Lord Badica. You're to be my brother-in-law, after all."
"Please call me Amartya," he offered.
"Only if you promise to call me Rose."
Amartya smiled and agreed. "His Majesty is this way, Rose."
Heart pounding, both in excitement and apprehension, I walked with Ivan and Amartya to a large tent set up in the middle of the field.
Here goes nothing...
Dimitri
The old, wizened man wiped a single tear rolling down his cheek as he stared at the burnt remains of a house, gripping his walking cane tightly as he fought to control his emotions. He heaved a sigh, wiped his tears and turned to look at me.
"We never-" his voice shook. "-we didn't. Your Grace, my house-"
"I know," I nodded, bowing my head. My chest hurt when his sorrowful eyes met mine. I fought to find words, to provide some semblance of consolation to the man before me but I couldn't. What do you say to a man who was forced to stare at the ashes of his life's work?
There was not a single inch of pastureland that was spared from the destruction. The fire had consumed everything.
Distantly, I wondered how I must have sinned to witness such a situation. If Saha had seen fit to destroy…
No. This was man made destruction.
This was traasa.
I cleared my throat and tried again. "I know I can't replace what you've lost. But I can assure you that those responsible for this will not go unpunished."
The man, the head of the village Halvi, sighed and nodded. "By Saha's mercy, none of the people were harmed. But the cattle…"
I tucked my hands into my pockets as we walked towards the relief camp. "You will be compensated. I know it's not enough but it's a start."
"Thank you, Your Grace."
I coughed to clear the disturbance in my lungs due to the excessive amount of ash in the air. "I'd like to meet the panchayat at dinner. We have much to discuss."
Panchayat is the village council, headed by the man before me. I already had several plans regarding the rehabilitation and subsequent restoration of the Halvi but I needed to discuss it with my ministers and those that knew the village the best-the panchayat. Hopefully, we could wrap up discussions before night falls and get around to the implementation the very next day.
Despite being advised to rest, I couldn't bring myself to relax. Not even in the solitude of the tent pitched for my use. The sounds from outside; the footsteps, voices, the sound of moving trucks, loud calls…they were a constant reminder of where I was and what had happened mere hours ago. They were a reminder of what traasa had done…
If they had their way, I would go down as the last emperor of Russovia. If that was all they wanted, I would gladly step down. But they were sinister designs for my country, for my people and there was no way I could allow them to win, to-
Footsteps.
Soft, very soft footsteps.
There was someone in the tent with me. I could sense their presence behind me, shuffling slowly carefully.
Mentally, I calculated six different ways in which I could incapacitate the intruder if they made the first move. There was a slight possibility there the intruder was not harmful but why the silence? Why the care to not tip me off?
Careful to not give away the fact that I'd found something amiss, I acted as if I was fixing my tie and brushing my coat.
The intruder took another slow, quiet step closer.
I couldn't stall anymore.
Without hesitation, I turned and tackled the person to the ground.
The intruder seemed to have expected this and let out a laugh as I pinned her beneath me.
"You really shouldn't sneak up on people," I chastised the beautiful girl trapped underneath me.
She was definitely not who I'd expected.
My fiancee let out another laugh as I pulled away slightly to look at her. With wild, disheveled hair, flushed cheeks and a twinkle in her eyes, she couldn't have been more captivating.
I felt a strange, sharp twinge as I stared at her. It was an odd feeling. A mixture of many different emotions, each struggling with the others to emerge on top.
There was surprise, yes, but not as much as I'd expect. It was as if I knew, subconsciously, that Rose would come to Halvi. I knew her well enough. I'd always connected with her because of our shared passion for doing the right thing; for our duty. That's what had brought me to Halvi. That's what must have brought her too. It pleased me endlessly to see that she'd already accepted my people as her own...
Of course, there was a part of me that hoped that she'd come for me, but that was ridiculous. Even if she wasn't here for me, I was happy enough to be in her presence again.
As much as I'd missed her, as happy as I was to see her again, I couldn't deny that I was afraid. This was almost a war-zone. She could get hurt...
Maybe I was even a little angry that she'd put herself in danger again but that was a very small part. I'd be a hypocrite to criticize her when I'd have done the same thing.
How could I deny her the right to be here?
"You're not angry?" Rose asked suddenly, as if she'd just read my mind.
She bit her lip anxiously as she waited my reply.
That small action nearly became my undoing.
Dragging my eyes away from her lips, I focused on her bright brown eyes. "Maybe a little," I conceded softly. "But I can't say that I didn't expect to see you here."
Rose seemed pleased at my words. Those full lips of hers turned up in a brilliant smile. "Good. Glad to see that I don't have to use all those awesome arguments I'd prepared to convince you that I'm right."
"I don't remember saying that you're right," I teased lightly.
Rose chuckled.
The vibrations of her laughter spread through her body pressed against mine, making me aware that I still held her pinned to the floor.
Rose seemed to realized the same thing-at the same time.
Her laughter ceased as she looked up at me, her eyes wide with emotion. I couldn't read them through the fog that seemed to have settled in my brain. All I could think of was how enchanting she looked, pinned beneath me like this. The soft smell of her perfume encased us as the world melted away. All that existed were her eyes, her inviting lips...her.
Unable to help myself, I dipped my head; my lips millimeters away from hers.
I paused to just take in the moment, to savor the closeness to the one woman I wanted in ways I'd never wanted another. I couldn't understand this feeling and that worried me momentarily but I couldn't think about it for long.
Not with Roza looking at me like this.
Her eyes were molten honey or rather, burning lava. I detected a hint of impatience there but what made me breathless was the desire in her eyes.
She wanted me too.
The realization was very satisfying; it was like a fuel burning through my veins, urging me to close the distance between us.
The thought that we could be interrupted any moment didn't hold much weight, nor did the resulting embarrassment of being discovered. It was recklessness...madness but I'll be damned if I cared.
With that thought, I finally leaned in and kissed her the way I wanted to.
She wasn't complaining...
I tried to be gentle, I tried to control myself, to slow down but I couldn't.
I couldn't.
I kissed her with everything I had in me, elated to discover that she matched me every step. As her nimble fingers ran through my hair, I tried desperately to hold on to the last shreds of my already tattered self control.
These sensations were new and deep, threatening to devour me whole. I couldn't fight it, couldn't fight my body's reaction to her touch or my heart's desire to hold her close and never let go.
Just like the first kiss we'd shared, both of us broke the kiss at the same time. Our physical connection may be broken but our emotional connection burned brighter than ever.
Rose
"I'd like to commend you all for the excellent work done today," Dimitri said with a small smile as he looked at the ranks of soldiers standing stiffly before him. "You have helped the people of Halvi, saved them from this destruction and successfully safeguarded them today."
I clapped heartily along with the people of Halvi and the Russovian cabinet ministers. The Army deserved the praise and the recognition by their sovereign king and Dimitri knew that.
There he stood on raised ground, in slacks and powder blue shirt with sleeves rolled up, looking like a god among mortals. His relaxed posture and the half smile on his lips made him looked all that much more godly. And I wasn't the only one thinking that.
I could see it in the faces of thousands of villagers gathered, in the grateful smiles of the elderly and the excitement of the young ones. Even the soldiers' strict visage cracked into a smile as Dimitri expressed his gratitude for the work done by them.
"Close your mouth," Ivan whispered in my eyes, a teasing grin on his face. "You're almost drooling."
I shot him a fierce glare, hoping no one had heard him.
Instead of shutting up, Ivan just laughed quietly. "Don't think I don't know about you and Dimitri getting hot and heavy in the tent."
Mortified, I intensified my glare, hoping to get him to shut up.
"You should be thanking me," Ivan said loftily. "After all, I was the one who kept everyone away from the tent."
Before I could reply, Dimitri spoke again.
"I'd also like to thank the efforts taken by the ministers to help the people of Halvi," Dimitri said, his resonant voice carrying over thousands gathered around him. "Your efforts are noted, gentlemen."
Dimitri paused, the lines of his face turning grim. "The enemy doesn't know who they have trifled with. They seek to bring us down. But they know not the power of Russovian people."
Dimitri's voice was powerful and he spoke with a conviction that left no doubt about the fate of traasa. I could see the effect his words had on the people.
"Citizens of Halvi, rest assured that the state will take care of you," Dimitri said, looking around at the villagers. "We will do our best to restore your livelihood before the Feast of Medha. You will enjoy the Feast along with the rest of Russovia. Halvi will thrive again."
There were affirmative shouts from every direction as the people clapped as one, standing behind their leader. The mood turned festive, joyous and alive with hope.
It was such a vibrant moment that I knew, beyond doubt, that I'd made the right decision in coming to Halvi.
Dimitri smiled as people cheered. As he looked around, his eyes met mine.
Ivan, Nikolas and I were standing to the left of the Army lines with the rest of the cabinet while the people of Halvi stood to the right of the soldiers. Dimitri had not looked our way even once during his speech which was why I was surprised when he beckoned me forward.
What was he doing?
Curiously, I walked over to him, surprised again when he grasped my hand in his as he turned to face the people again.
"There's someone I'd like to introduce to you all ," he said, smiling proudly. "This is my fiancee, Princess Rose Mazur of Loha." Some people gasped below us, some grinned while some cheered, calling out greetings. The Army saluted as one, their stoic visor cracking into a smile.
I grinned and waved at the people, setting them off into a louder cheer. This was beyond what I'd expected. They looked so excited to see me...It was both scary and mind-blowing.
Besides me, Dimitri chuckled quietly and squeezed my hand which was still wrapped in his. Before I could say anything, Dimitri spoke again, "Without thinking about her own safety, she came here with the intention of being there for her people." Dimitri's dark eyes locked with mine as he continued to speak, his tone softer now. "I'd like to thank her for coming, for accepting Russovia as her own."
This man...this gorgeous, marvelous, thoughtful man would be my undoing. My heart warmed at his words. My eyes stung as the full force of what he'd just said hit me. The people standing below us were going berserk, waving and cheering happily. What had I done to deserve so much love?
But I knew at that moment, I knew I would do anything for them, for this country that had already accepted me as one of their own and for this man who was quickly becoming the most important person in my life.
