Thank you for giving this book a chance. This book is based on the side couples of my book " Ranisa". This is a special gift to my readers from my side.

This chapter contains mention of rap€ and s€xual ass@ult. You can skip meglos's pov and directly move towards lekha's. And ask me in comments to explain what actually happens without the trigger parts.

"We always contradict our own sayings. Lekha's thoughts were pure but maybe her sense weren't "

R@pe was not a new thing for me. I had witnessed it many times infront my eyes all thanks to the place I have grown up at. And being grown up with something so horrific I had allowed the fire of disgust blow into me.  Marked as a slave in the house of lanista I was once called to pleasure the lady of the house. I still remember I was just 8 year old  when she had asked for me. She had witnessed me in one of the galleries wiping the floor off as the punishment of the day. I was very poor compared to other gladiator trainees in the gladiator school. I was not a quick learner like Zravsaya who was master in learning or loki who was years elder than us. But I tried to match them somewhere I forgot that my age also mattered I was younger compared to both of them and my body type didn't help much. I was thin and possessed less stamina.  Maybe that was the reason she wanted me that night to pleasure  her.

When she had called for me I had no idea what was going to happen with me. Zravsaya was busy with Master luscious that day training for the next under 14 gladiator match. He was soon going to be enter the arena for the first time in his life. Something he always wanted. That night I was happy looking at the fresh clothes the maids had delivered for me to get ready. I was escastic looking at the fresh clothes. Fresh were new for us. After all we ourselves had a tag of price attached to our heads how could we dream of buying new things for us.

Objects don't buy objects.

And that night I was going to realize that I was a object.

I was busy in bathing myself clean in one of the dirty underground bathing chambers when loki entered all covered with blood and dirt. No one dared to initiate a conversation with him when he was out of the arena. He was deadly. I squirmed in mh seat as loki furiously emptied the whole tub on his head. He faced his back towards me and started rubbing the blood off his body.

I ditched my plan of taking plenty of time in the bath and decided to exit the bathing area. What if loki killed me ? I was always scared of him. Zravasaya was much easier than him. Loki never talked to me with a straight face. He was always his bitter self who made sure I felt unwanted in these walls. The way he stared at me with disgust always made me question myself was I not enough. Maybe he was disgusted because I couldn't hold the sword properly. He was a strict mentor and strong gladiator. He had fought many times in the arena, sometimes with men twice of his age but still he always cane undefeated.

I moved towards my small compartment in the basement and smiled looking at the fresh cotton clothes lying there. I quickly wore the clothes and blowed out my hair trying to look presentable. I walked towards the small dirty broken mirror which was hanging on one of the veranda walls in the slave quarters to look at my reflection. But it was no use when the mirror itself was dirty how could I look pretty.

I sat at the end of the slave quarter near the metal gates waiting for one of the maids to call for me. We were locked inside the basement once our training for the day was finished. When we were asked to serve someone would come to the basement with a key and then take us with them.

I kept rolling the stone in my palm as a loud smack boosted from behind. A hand grabbed my wrist and pulled me harshly towards I don't know where. I was being pulled mercilessly by none other than a very furious loki. I tried to get away from his hold but he was very strong compared to my little self. Loki slammed me one of the dirty stone walls making me groan in pain. His eyes raked on my body and a look of concern appeared on his face.

"What are you doing?" I glared at him.

"Where are you going? And how did you get these clothes?" He Demanded his voice full of authority and the danger lurking in it. I clutched my clothes and shrugged.

" The mistress sent me this. She wants to get pleasured tonight " I had answered him innocently. For the first time in my lifetime I had seen loki loose his facade of strong man,  he looked vulnerable. And I thought he was jealous of me.

"And you are going" He asked me.

"Yes I have never been there. I want to see what  it is  like? " I ranted cheerfully clearly illerrate to the fact what was going to happen to me. As soon as those words reached his ears he grabbed my neck and slammed my head on the side wall. I couldn't bear the pain and due to concession I fell unconscious the same moment.

When I woke up after hours I  found myself lying in one of the hard stone beds in Zravasaya's room. He sat near me with his eyes fixed on the ground. Tears rolled down my eyes as pain hit my head. I slowly got up and sat beside him crying silently. Loki spoilt everything.

"Stop crying meglos" zravsaya's muttered his voice cold as ice.

"He is a devil. He took my chance of getting into the lanister's house. He slammed my head on the wall. It's hurting "

"He did it for you. Right now he is suffering in your place. Be grateful that he switched the positions meglos. "

"No! I wanted to be there "  I screamed. Zravsaya glared at me with one of the most dangerous expressions i had ever seen. He appeared more deadly compared to loki and his silence preserved evilness. He was scary.

"You wanted to sleep with that 40 year old woman. You wanted to her to use your body as a service, as a pleasure to her. You wanted to entertain her as number of unwanted hands groped and touched you. You wanted that" He incensed in rage. I squirmed behind clutching my knees tightly as he roared at me. I didn't know what he wanted to say but the only thing I understood was something terrible was going to happen.

It was early in the morning when I heard loki coming back. Out of curiosity I moved out of the room and peeked out where zravsaya stood at a distance. I slowly walked towards him with no noise but gasped when my eyes fell on loki. It was horrific to witness his body. With no piece of clothing hanging on his body I had lost my innocence that day.

The marks, the blood oozing out of various body parts of his skin made vomit rush in my mouth. He had his head dipped into water as he tried to hold his shivering body. Zravsaya was pouring water on his other side trying to get rid of the of the white substance and blood in which he was covered.

"She had punished you. Didn't she?" Zravasaya asked. Loki didn't answer him he had his face dipped into the water for 5 minutes when he suddenly pulled it out gasping for air.

"Nothing I had suffered before " He stated with no emotion grabbing the dirty piece of cloth lying on one of the walls and moving out the room.

That night i had learnt that loki who I always thought was not innocent and evil had sacrificed himself that night to protect my innocence. But it was a sad and bitter truth that one cannot stay innocent In a place where his friends lost theirs every night. I forced myself to step out of my little bubble and turn Into one of them deadly and malicious to avenge the sacrifices my friends made. And one of the last nail in the coffin was when I had witnessed my mother getting dragged in one of the lanista's rooms because the mistress wanted to witness my mother and one of the other gladiators to have sex.

That was the night when I had plugged my only broken most precious paint brush into the gladiators eyes. When he had died that night there was a big commotion in the house of lanista. And my mother was saved. We had already planned to escape and revolt against the lanista but the day i lost my innocence My friends didn't held back. Soon from 3 we turned into 30 then standing in unity we influenced other houses gladiators and turned the flow of the air in our favor. And today we had kingdoms bowing down at our feet.

From slaves to kings.

I was a trained gladiator.  when there's a motive in your eyes you get the lunatic kick and everything becomes invisible there's just a light, the light of goal. The light of freedom. Romania was no longer under slavery it was now a independent nation which was ruled by one of our friends.

But today when I witnessed one of my own men trying to touch someone the memories kicked in and I killed one of my own. Maybe the possession I possessed towards that little rose was something very compelling.

My little rose, her innocence was the most attractive thing. I found it attractive Maybe because I had lost mine when I was a kid. Contrary of being jealous I adored the innocence lekha carried. She was the untouched sweet flower whose petals I wanted to pluck out. I wanted to possess her in a way that her innocence would be only for mine,just for mine. And she could be mine only mine. The feelings I had started developing for the little mouse was scaring me.

But who I was the man who loved to follow the path which was scary. And I was going to walk down this scary path to make her mine. Whatever it took.

I walked towards her chambers which was situated just beside Tani's. As I walked towards the aausbaug I mentally thanked Zravsaya for keeping Tanirika out of the ladies quarters. She had a whole different quarters near his wing called as aausbaug. She was his possession. He wanted her away from everyone and close to him. And I was grateful to him because of him keeping Tanirika away, my little mouse was treasured too.

Silence prevailed in aausbaug as darkness lurked in the galleries. There was no one outside Tanirika chambers, only two of Zravsaya's guards. I smirked nodding at the guards who bowed in respect as I walked past them. I clearly knew what was going inside the chamber.

Well, I was not a fool I clearly caught the Expression he was giving during the war planning meeting. He was having a pleasurable night. Which meant Tanirika was with him and my little rose was alone.

I entered her room which was spacious enough to accommodate her but still it was not enough maybe because she didn't belong here. I moved towards the round bedding which was set in the middle of the room.

But lekha was not there. She was lying near the window her face inclined on the window pane clearly Indicating that she had slept unknown of her surroundings. I stood near the window and gazed at her. Tears stains were still printed on her beautiful face, she had changed her clothes but the roughness in her palm indicated she had scrubed her body too hard. My little mouse was traumatized.

I pinned one of her loose strands behind her ear and picked her up in my arms. She felt lifeless in my arms. I carefully placed her on the bed and adjusted the pillow. She hummed in response as my fingers brushed on her cheeks a small smile grazed on my lips as I stared at her. I pulled the comforter over her properly and left her room.

I hope you have a good day tomrrow, my little mouse.

Lekha woke up with a severe headache the next day. But ignoring the previous day she carried the task of the day. It was better if she forgets the incident.

Lekha was helping Tanirika in the bath who clearly had a very busy night. There were bite marks on her skin and the redness adoring her body sent shivers down her spine. This looked unhealthy and terrifying to lekha's innocent eyes. The king had spoilt her friend.

When she pointed out the savage bites her friend had received she had laughed at it ignoring the devilish behaviour. Apparently this all gave her immense pleasure. How could this be pleasure she had questioned her friend and then to herself. But the answer she had received was this was the most pleasurable thing one can witness their lifetime. And her friend was proudly explaining intimacy to her. She had no shame in reciting the stories about her wild night to lekha.

And not only her Rakasa was turning shameless too. She had recited all the stories of how her husband took her in stables. Lekha felt grossed out. Who does that!

To get away from their teasings lekha moved towards the kitchen. She decided to bring food for Tanirika instead of hearing her talk about her night. Oh lord! What had the king done to her friend. When lekha thought about two bodies being naked to each other and doing stuff she felt her cheeks getting warmed up. She had never been touched. Even her thoughts were pure. How could she allow a man do that to her.

Lekha was not illiterate to intimacy, she knew how it was done and how it was common in couples. But knowing and doing it were two different things. Her chain of process was broken by a young girl who insisted that she wanted the queen to taste her dish. Lekha could not say no to the little girl. She smiled at the girl and took her towards the Queen's quarters not before making one of the tasters to taste the dish.

Tanirika's security was mandatory. Lekha was not aware of the fact that this girl would be the reason she had to face the man who invaded her thoughts these days.

As lekha entered the chambers, she was happy for garima but the sudden realization of the fact that it was time of Tanirika's dose and she was supposed to get it from Master meglos made fear crawl crawl her spine. 

Lekha gulped moving towards the different side of the palace where meglos' chambers resided. His chambers were situated just behind the king's parallel to loki's and other important people in the king's life.

Walking towards the end of the hallway she turned around multiple times giving up the idea of walking in the devil's paradise. She clasped her sweating palms together looking everywhere and then at the two maids who were following her. Good! She thought she will enter with those two.

The guards standing outside his chambers looked at lekha and nodded announcing her presence.  Lekha sighed cursing her body heat due to nervousness walking inside the chambers. Various canvas stood in various corners of the bedroom making it look like a crowded mess. Lekha wondered if anyone cleaned it or not.

She walked inside the chambers with two maids trailing behind her. The maids stood at a comfortable distance allowing Lekha to walk inside. Her anklets sounded like an echo between the empty walls of the chambers. She looked everywhere to search for the person she needed.

Lekha walked towards a particular area of the chambers where different white canvases stood with a thin layer of the curtain on them hiding the beautiful crafting of colours under it. Her steps stepped automatically in the direction of the canvases, the scenery lying under the think curtain on the white paper hypnotising her eyes. The wind blew from the windows teasing her eyes as the silk satin cloth moved in different directions from the canvases stand teasing her to have a look. 

She walked towards the web of canvases staring at the different portraits resting behind the satin cloth enticing her to have a look. Being a maid she had already crossed a line if she opened one of the canvases and peeked at them without permission she would be punished but the thought of having a quick look in the absence of the portrait's owner lured her in the sea of desire.

The desire for lust for the man who stood behind her at a distance of one pillar calculating her every scared step. Meglos's eyes travelled from her feet to her head, smirking he twirled the paintbrush around his fingers waiting for lekha to sin.

He glanced at lekha whose fingers brushed around one of the portraits standing in the middle of a web of canvases. Meglos knew what kind of woman she was. Delicate, pure kitten but curiosity kills the cat.

And he was ready to devour her heavenly in his devilish glory.

Lekha slowly pulled the satin cloth away from the portrait out of curiosity. A gasp left her mouth looking at the portrait in front of her eyes. She braced a hand on her mouth stepping back her eyes wide in shock staring at the painting.

The intimate representation of a couple in the pool was alluring yet very intimate to naked eyes. Her eyes devoured the exquisite sexual representation of intimacy between two lovers took her breath away. The man had his hands around the woman's breasts they were both very naked sitting in the middle of the pool.  The greenish-blue water doing justice to the contrast of creamish paint adorning the intensity of sex, love and hunger in the couple's eyes.

"Enchanting? Isn't it " She trembled in surprise when someone whispered near her year. She yelped soundly stumbling back directly facing the greenish-blue eyes and losing her sanity into them.

She pushed him back holding her breathe, sparing a glance at the painting she ran away from there stumbling around the portraits on her way. Each portrait falling down displayed different sexually intimate positions in them. Her skin was burning, sweat drops running down her forehead, her core throbbing in pain making her feel something very intense in all these years of her life.

"Privacy " A voice boomed around the chamber walls making her stop in her tracks. The maids who accompanied her left the chambers immediately and the guards pulled the gate off closing the entrance of the chambers.

Lekha stared at meglos who smirked widely looking at her. She clutched her fingers into her palms fisting them together to close the desire pooling in her body. How can few paintings turn her on? How can few imaginative concepts make her breathe go away?

Her thoughts were broken down when a hand snaked around her waist pulling her deep into a masculine frame. Lekha gasped holding his arms for support as he slammed her petite frame on one of the chamber walls. She pushed her head on a different side, her eyes closed, he brought his lips closer to her cheek yanking her chin to the other side and staring deep into her orbs.

She opened her eyes due to the sudden movement from him. She was terrified with the intensity his eyes depicted. Her knees felt weak with the one look he bared into her. His hot breathing fanned on her neck making her shiver in cold air. She clenched her skirt tightly allowing him to do anything he wanted to do. 

Unlike the man who touched her yesterday she did not feel disgusted by meglos's hands racing around her body. To the contrary she was enjoying it.

After all the little rose was tainting in the devil's hand.

Meglos sucked her neck slowly and sensually making her moan in thrill. A wave of unknown feeling rushed deep into her core. She clenched her thighs together while he pinched her waist out of nowhere making her wriggle in pain and pleasure. She was clearly submitting to him without realising that she was loving it. His hands gripped her waist tightly as he bit her neck cruelly.

"Meglos! What the hell is wrong with your chambers"
The voice made lekha's bubble of lust burst into infinite pieces as realization her.  Oh, God!

She pushed meglos away face-palming her face several times considering her surroundings. Her eyes fell on a very shocked zravasaya who stood near one of the portraits taking the whole scenario. Lekha hung her eyes low as shame made its way into her body, meglos understood the change of posture in lekha but before he could say anything she cut him off.

"The queen has sent a reminder about her daily dose of the antidote. "

She slurred in a quick whisper and ran out of the room. Tears brimmed in her black orbs as she felt ashamed of herself. How could she give up so easily.

Meglos punched the wall turning around and staring at zravasaya who cocked his left eyebrow balancing the intense stare of meglos.

Meglos walked past Zravasaya who gave him an evil eye. He didn't care what Zravasaya thought about him, he was beyond annoyed right now. And Zravasaya knew him. He was annoyed by himself most of it. He had chained his devil the most since he saw the girl for the first time but she just messed with his mind. Every time he thought to push her away and forget her she was in front of his eyes.

Like an animal hunting for its prey, he
wanted to hunt her.

"What is going on meglos? " Zravasaya seethed in anger kicking one of the canvas lying on the floor aside.

"Careful, Those are still incomplete " Meglos pointed at the canvas kicked by Zravasaya. He moved towards the left section of his chamber where a massive amount of wine and drinks were loaded in the wall cupboard.

He picked the golden wine goblet in his hand, kept it on the counter wall before picking the finest wine he needed to savour.

"Do you need one? " He asked the king without turning around and gulping the whole drink in one go. His eyebrows screeched as the wine burnt his whole throat distracting his aroused body from the clutches of an innocent angel.

"I am not horny. I don't need alcohol to keep my shit in my pants "

"Oh! Oh! It's been ages since you used those vulgar words Vasaya. I missed you " Meglos smirked looking at zravasaya, tilting the down tip of the glass among his fingers.

"Tanirika will have your head on a silver patter when she comes to know about your little lust stunt. "

Meglos ignored all his advances and continued to drink his wine, his eyes adoring the birds sitting on a branch far away.

"That woman you had all your hands-on is very special to Tanirika. She is searching suitable grooms for that woman-"

"She is what? " Meglos narrowed his eyes in curiosity, his whole attention was on Zravasaya words, the wine glass long gone.

"You heard me meglos, stop messing around. Especially stop messing around with people who will lead you to hurt the people you actually care about. "

"I am not forcing that woman to come here. She came here willingly. She allowed me to have all my hands on herself. She loves the way I touch her. I am not forcing her " He yelled throwing the glass away, the glass hit the glass bottles sitting on the wall cupboard making the finest wine spill from the glasses.

"She is driven to lust and you tame that lust. Make sure you don't break the heart of a woman who will take this whole arrangement as a lifetime promise. When we both know you don't even think about that topic"

Zravasaya stated his point clear and concise slamming his anger deep into meglos's mind.

"As if we are different. We both are the same Zravasaya. "

"No meglos, we are not. I love the woman I sleep with. I love the woman whose flesh dances naked against mine in the euphoria of my bed. I love the woman I am married to. I have grown past my problems and I am trying to be a good person. But you my friend, you are driven by the lust which is slowly consuming your thoughts and sanity. Open your eyes and step back before it's too late. "

"What is love? Why is she so special to you? I remember she was just a treaty to you. A woman who crossed the kingdom borders to serve a treaty and occupy the space you leave on your throne. A woman whom you wanted to torture because you thought she had an affair with the pathetic excuse of a brother you had! Why has she became so special to you! " He screamed in anger, his anxiety and perturbation kicking in. He knew zravsaya was somewhat right but he just can't give in. He was not Zravsaya he doesn't know what the other L word was and how a person was supposed to feel it, condemn it and live it.

He was scared and he wanted to be scared forever. He has grown habitual of all the dark memories he had. It didn't know how to walk past them, the way Zravsaya did. He was jealous of the man standing in front of him, his friend. He had ruled his demons and was happy. Meglos knew Zravasaya deserved it but the enviousness of being unknown to that kind of feeling made him furious.

"You are stupid meglos. You know this very well Tanirika was bound to the throne, not to the man you killed with your bare hands. You know her more than me. Don't be blinded Meglos. And I don't care if she loved the man or liked him. He is dead and deep under the grounds and I know this very well that her heart beats for me. I don't need to  prove it. Just the way you know that woman comes to you willingly and submits in your embrace my woman does the same. It's just the thing of feelings and heart. And tanirika grew past a treaty the moment I laid my eyes on her because I was courageous enough to follow my heart. "

Meglos rolled his eyes grabbing the whole bottle of wine and gulping it slowly.

"Stop punishing you for things which were not your fault. Grow up and look at your surroundings life is too long to sulk in isolation. "

Meglos portrayed on emotion as he kept gulping the bitter liquid down. Zravsaya sighed to control his anger. He was about to leave meglos chamber but not before throwing a very little push in meglos's direction.

"She is a good woman. A pure soul someone if worshipped could make your life fill with immense happiness and joy. She could give you something you always desired. The warmth and softness you always desired since you were a kid. Meglos, do not try to play with her. " meglos sat down on the floor rubbing his face in annoyance.

" I want to taint her. She is so innocent "

" you portay yourSelf in her Meglos, she appears same as the little meglos who had innocence lurking in those green eyes. So treat her in the same you wanted people to treat you. If you want to taint her then do it. But taint her in your love. Make her yours. Have your claim on her. Have a legal relationship and win her over. Sort this thing out and confess this all to Tanirika. "

"I don't want to confess anything to Tani right now. I want to be clear of my own feelings before going to her "

" then be clear of your feelings before going to that little girl too"

Yo peeps!!!!

I hope you guys liked the chapter. Meglos is just a kid who was forced to grow up quickly. And he witnesses himself in Lekha.

And I absolutely love how Zravasaya cares of him and also for lekha. He always tries to protect her knowing how much she is dear to his wife.

Anyways we cannot hold our feelings for someone we like. The feelings always overpower. The same is happening with lekha. She is messed up. I never thought that lekha will turn up as a very important character for me. When i first mentioned her she was just a random filler character. But then I contradicted myself by making her Meglos' muse.

And then yall liked it and pushed me to write a whole book for them. Which I absolutely love. Anyways I am glad I have you guys.

Do tell me if you like the pace of the chapter. Next update will be happening after I update Ranisa. And that update will be 👀.

I was thinking to launch loki and jigansa' book with just prologue and first chapter . The updates will start after ranisa is completed.
Should I?
Or I should wait till ranisa ends.

AMAZING I promise.

Hope you guys have a good day.

Love Aditi 💜