The little one shall go far.

****

"Don't you understand that it hurts?" Indumala's grumble resounded in the hut. Bluish marks adorned her soft skin. She groaned as her friend and fellow mage Raksa pressed on her limb with the moist rag.

"It will hurt a little, but you need this massage. It will help your taut muscles to relax."

She looked at her reflection in the water bowl– messy unkempt locks falling over her swollen eyes, a little scar under her pretty red lips and a self-conceited smirk. "I don't look that bad, do I?"

"You look like you came back from a war."

"Which is true. I, Indumala," she scrunched her nose as the rag wiped the wound, "defeated all the brats to emerge as the winner."

"And allow us mages to boast about our magical guild." Raksa kept the rag aside and massaged her arms with oiled hands. "Does this make you feel better?"

"Yes. I really need to let go of this stress. Baba's marriage is tomorrow and I must look presentable. I still get an ache when I try to bend down and pick something up. Those boys in the arena gave me some brutal back pain."

"Actually, you never fought this hard in your life before." A leisurely cat on a four-beat gait sneaked into the room, spilling a pot of cool water all over. Its startled call alerted Raksa, who at once drove it off with a stick. "Darius feeds this cat twice a day and still this one's up to stealing. What was I saying?"

Indumala rested her face on her hand. "That I had never fought in a combat before."

"Yes." Raksa nodded. "None of us mages had at your age. It's natural that you will carry some tension in your body, even if it has been a week. Some of the marks were rendered by magic. Those will take time to heal."

"But I can say I paid them in double!" Indumala grinned. "Remember those poor faces? They didn't expect a sixteen year old girl to rub their butts on sand."

"That reminds me, the Rajan wasn't pretty pleased either." Raksa scrunched his nose. "Or does he always look that grumpy?"

Indumala hissed when Raksa put pressure on the joints. She yanked away her hand, caressing the scars and thinking about the Rajan. It was the first time she witnessed the ruler of Aryavarta in his raw glory, possibly the strongest man alive, bedecked in jewels and fine silk. Of course, he would be judgmental. He had grown up alongside sturdy men with bulky muscles and astute ministers with sharp minds. Perhaps the only women he was used to seeing everyday were dancers. "He didn't expect a woman to win the contest."

"Long ago, Aryavarta did have female bodyguards."

"Long ago, Raksa. Long ago, not now." Indu tied up her hair in a bun. "He won't accept me easily, even if I am the daughter of his most trusted man."

She had heard terrible things about this Rajan Rudra. That he used to torture men till death, like skinning them alive or amputating their body parts. Rumours went around that he was a monster, half-human and half-devil. He used to bring women from the land of Yavana, maybe for his own entertainment.

But this time, a woman was going to be his protector. She had won the right to be his shadow.

Her Baba, Aryamna, never shared the details of his duty with her. He was there to listen to her day-to-day little achievements, the arguments she had and the bets she lost, but he never told what he did as the right-hand man of the Rajan. Indumala knew there were some things she couldn't ask.

"Baba wasn't ready for me to participate in the contest. I don't know if he is happy that I won. Is he happy?" Her voice was dripping with sadness. "I don't know..."

"The people there were making fun of your idea because you were a female. I think that ticked off your Baba, and he wanted to show to the world what you were capable of. You won by merit and not favouritism."

"So, is he proud?" If her Baba wasn't happy, there was no use.

"He is. He doesn't always show it, but trust me, he is proud of you, Indu. You are the first mage to become a bodyguard. A female bodyguard after so many years of history!"

Indumala smiled. Her warm brown eyes sparkled as she beamed. "I will not let him get upset. I will be a good daughter. It makes me so happy that he is getting married. He did so much for me." Tears pricked her eyes as she recalled her origin. "I was an abandoned baby. He could have just thrown me away, but no, he accepted me as his own. He has worked for the welfare of so many children."

"It's good that now he will get a companion for himself."

"He wasn't ready for the marriage at all!" Indumala chuckled. "He was blabbering on how unnecessary this is. The Rajan convinced him. He doesn't get to cancel the order of the monarch!"

"Now you too will have to handle that man too. You won't be able to cancel his orders either."

"Oh, we do have our small heated debates. I think I will get used to it. And he better does too."

Indumala shrugged. This was written in her destiny. It would be hard to get along with a man who probably never considered a woman as his equal, but she would show him that they were. She was going to be his bodyguard, his shield. It wasn't something to be taken lightly.

And I will ensure that he knows to not take me lightly.

****

The candlelight flickered in the dimming darkness of the dawn, the flame swaying to the light breeze of the night. Aryamna meditated upon it silently.

One strong gush of the wind and it would die out. There wasn't much hope left in what was going to happen. He would have to accept everything with a smile.

The teardrop-shaped earring in his hand glistened. He felt its smoothness, relishing the memories behind.

"How can I ever forget you?"

And if he couldn't, there could be no question of moving on. He was made for her and only her.

"Was this even necessary?"

A thousand times he denied the need of a complete family. He had been both the mother and father to Indumala. Now when she was a grown up, didn't this feel like an excuse?

"If you are willing to have some company, I might be of use."

He hid the teardrop inside a box. It was Rudra who spoke. "I can't leave you alone, Aryamna."

It was dark in the room and Rudra didn't notice the earring. It would not be of harm even if he did, but Aryamna didn't want to put him under more pressure.

Aryamna shifted to the side of the creaking bed near the window overlooking the buzzing street below, where the mages and the nobles were busy with the preparations of his marriage. Rudra came and sat beside him, wrapping his arms around Aryamna's torso while resting his head on the shoulder. The brotherly warmth seeped in, relaxing Aryamna for a moment, assuring him he wasn't alone.

Yet he felt he was.

Such tender moments between them were rare now. Rudra had changed too much to consider that his love for Aryamna still remained the same.

"Whatever you have in your mind, pour it out now before the morning," Rudra's voice was brittle. He bewildered Aryamna. Rudra was the one to convince him to take this step and now he reminded Aryamna how the same was a cause of worry. "I don't think either of us will be able to sleep tonight."

"It is my marriage, Rudra. Not yours. Go sleep and avoid getting taunted for your dark circles."

Rudra watched Aryamna with covert admiration. "Marriage is such a heavy thing that even if it is not one's own everyone around gets too anxious and excited."

"It feels like an excuse, Rudra. Indu is a grown up now. She does not need a complete family."

"It is cruel, Aryamna. You are telling me that grown ups do not wish for a family? Are grown ups that bland?"

"I do not mean that," he hissed. "Indu can do without a mother. I can do without a wife. Not required. Not a necessity."

"Then recall how your so-called 'grown up' daughter was hopping like a monkey when she heard you will be marrying."

Aryamna smiled. "Is she a pain?"

Rudra rolled his eyes. "She is a pain and a relief. She protects me and then insults me. You know what, tell your daughter to behave like I am the Rajan."

"I have taught her to behave like she doesn't care who is the Rajan."

Rudra frowned at his words.

"I have also taught her to be dutiful." Aryamna grinned sheepishly. "You have seen plenty of it yourself."

"She really needs a mother. You have not been the best influence these sixteen years."

Aryamna turned around completely and hugged him. "I have not been the best to many."

"I should be the one proclaiming that loudly in front of the townsfolk."

Aryamna flinched. "Why did you want me to marry again, Rudra? You know I cannot forget her."

"I know that. No one can." He drew in a breath."I have pushed you to this because Indumala will be happy. You saw how she was all bright and smiles on hearing the news." Rudra's shimmering eyes glinted mischievously. He stroked Aryamna's hair. "I am a man of few words," he said, his tone now grave. "Even if this persona has changed drastically, I still love to speak less sometimes. You know it is of value to me, to a man like me."

"What do you mean?"

"I love you immensely. Whatever I am doing I do it for your good."

Aryamna felt a bit tingly and nervously gulped. "You are a menace. You know your importance in my life would never change but that does not mean you can play with the position of who is to become my wife."

"I am not having fun, Aryamna! How could you even tell this?" He glared at the Senapati.

It was Aryamna who was usually chastising him and rebuking him, not the other way round.

"I am sorry." The Senapati looked away with pursed lips "But I cannot forget her."

"I am not asking you to forget her, Aryamna. One cannot ever forget the one they love most." Rudra felt a dagger pierce through his heart.

"You never married because of your promise. I also do not want to," he reminded the Rajan.

Rudra balled his hands into fists. "We are not the same."

It was the unadulterated truth.

"Fair enough. I will marry her. But I cannot provide her conjugal happiness."

"That's something between you and your future wife. I am not all ears." He paused to think over his next words. "Trust me, Aryamna. Go with the flow."

"How wise, Rudra. It is an irony to see all these pearls glide from your lips. What if I am not happy with the marriage?"

"We will see. Tomorrow if you feel like you will not be happy with this marriage ever, if there is no chance of a hopeful future, I will go bald."

Aryamna gasped.

"No, forgive me! The thought of you going bald is too agonizing. Your pack will rip me apart. They don't want a blood-sucking beast like me, who otherwise should have been your enemy, to enjoy being the Beta of your pack. This isn't supposed to be a gala event."

"And by chance if there is some hope–"

"I will bring a baby with her."

Rudra gaped at him. "Really?"

Aryamna half expected him to be shocked, which he was. More than that, the Senapati expected him to look morose, guilty and ask for forgiveness for making him go on a new path in life.

But Rudra did not emanate even a ray of regret. The impenetrable gaze froze Aryamna's heart. A ghost of a smile on the Rajan's face tormented the revered Senapati.

"So be it." Rudra stormed out with his flying cloak.