Laxita's POV

As soon as I was ready and looked like a civil human being, I made my way downstairs. The dining hall was buzzing with excitement as almost everyone was present. The long dining tables were filled with food, sweets, drinks, alcohol - you name it. Everything you desire was present on the table.

Soma Sangha's Dining Hall

I don't know what I was expecting but it certainly wasn't this grand of a celebration. And to think that it was being held because of me....It was a nice feeling.

My uncle was the first one to spot me. He was talking with the officials who conducted the test today. "Look who's here! It's the star of today's celebration. Come over here, Laxita."

Uncle introduced me to all the officials who were present. Everyone congratulated me and expressed their happiness. It was so infectious that I couldn't stop smiling for the entire time I was talking to them.

After a while, the officials left for dinner. I found the nearest empty plank and sat down. My spot was at the corner of a table and I could see the entire hall from there. Everyone was chatting, smiling and laughing. It was a jolly atmosphere but I still felt dread piling up inside me.

"Where's your mind wandering?" Veer plopped down beside me. "There's an entire celebration being held in your honour and yet here you are, looking so gloomy."

"It's nothing."

"Ooh, there's definitely something." How can he always read my thoughts?

I blew out a breath and said, "Honestly, I am terrified. This is a huge responsibility. Everyone's relying on me and I have no clue how I am going to be a pivotal person in the future battle against dark mages. The battle is inevitable, everybody knows it."

"So?"

"I don't know- I'm just confused and... nervous and....scared." It was the truth. I really was terrified and anxious.

"It's alright to feel that way. The title just dropped on you all of a sudden. It would've been weird if you had been completely fine. As for the war, just know that you're not alone. An entire association of mages is behind you. I am behind you."

His honest and sincere reply made me smile. "You always know what to say to make me feel better. Thank you for listening to my stupid rant."

"But that's not the only thing that's bothering you, right?" At this point, I am convinced that he's a mind-reader.

There was something about the way he was intently listening to me which made me want to open up to him. I sighed and continued, "Yes, that's not the only thing that's bugging me. You know, the main reason why I wanted to be a mage was to become powerful. I wanted to reclaim what was rightfully mine.

My father's half-brother, Vijesh snatched away my father's business after my parents' death. And the worst part is, I couldn't even fight back. This was all because of Kshatra Gadh's archaic customs of not handing down the businesses to daughters if they're unmarried. I mean who made this rule?" I was furious and at this point, I just wanted to vent out my anger and frustration.

"In their absence, he became a lavish spender. He started spending my father's hard earned money in alcohol and gambling. There were many nights when I had to sleep with my ears covered because he called upon women at my  home...." My voice trailed off. It didn't take a genius to figure out what he used to do. I didn't want to recall those terrible nights.

"I beared everything, literally everything, hoping that one day I would find a way to get it back. But nothing ever goes my way. He fixed my marriage to a man who was more than thrice my age just so he could keep my father's money." I looked at Veer to see his reaction but he was just sitting there, looking at me, his expressions unreadable. So, I carried on.

"My fiancé, the one whom I loved all my life ditched me. My friends were helpless against the rules and the king refused to listen to their requests. If I hadn't found my mother's letter, I may have been rotting away in my so-called husband's house.

You know what the sad part is? Despite being an arch mage, I still can't claim my father's business and property. And the reason is - because I am unmarried. My kingdom's rules don't care if I'm an arch mage or not. If a daughter is unmarried, she has no identity or rights whatsoever. This is why I am so envious of Somapura. Men and women have equal rights. Their future monarch is a queen and not a king. Something like that is unimaginable in my kingdom..."

I realized that I've been ranting at this point so I stopped. "I am sorry for bombarding you with my issues. It's just that, I am feeling a lot of emotions today."

"It's fine. You don't have to apologize. I can lend you an ear whenever you want to." That made me smile. "So, how do you plan on getting your father's business back? Have you found someone to be your husband? Considering, you cannot get it back unless you're married."

"That's the thing. I had already talked to my uncle and aunt about leaving the association once the test was done and I doubt that they'll stop me. They know why I want to go back to my kingdom. The issue is - a husband. Where can I find a man with whom I can comfortably spend the rest of my life with? It's a really urgent issue and at this point, I am praying to God to drop a husband in my lap." I thought he would laugh at my attempt at a joke, he didn't. He was just staring at me and then he said something which I had never expected from him.

"Why don't we get married?"

I was not sure I was hearing correctly. "What?!"

"I ah...I mean, if you need a husband then we can get married. Only if you want to. It was just a suggestion." He smiled nervously. Was he flustered? In all the time I've known him, Veer never gets flustered. Emphasis on never.

Before I could say anything, Devansh appeared out of nowhere. "Why is the star of the celebration sitting in a corner? Unacceptable. Everyone's looking for you." He dragged me away before I could protest.

The rest of the night was filled with meeting and greeting people, accepting their best wishes and smiling till my cheeks ached. I kept on scanning the crowd during the celebration but I couldn't find him. A part of me was relieved. I needed some time alone to process his proposal. Right, Veer PROPOSED to me. No, I am not freaking out. And that being said, I couldn't find him for the rest of the night.

Turns out, I was wrong. Like very, very wrong. The next morning, I woke up with a burning sensation plaguing my body. Somehow, I made to the corridor outside my room and then collapsed. If my uncle hadn't been nearby, I would've been consumed by my magic. When I regained my consciousness, I came to know that my powers ran rampant and my body couldn't handle it. 

"You'll be fine after some rest. I was expecting a sudden surge in power but I didn't know that it would happen this way. How are you feeling?" Uncle asked in a concerned voice.

The morning commotion gave a shock to my family. I had spent the entire morning lying in bed. I even had my lunch in my room.

It was late afternoon now and my family had gathered around my bed. My uncle had taken a seat beside me. All of them were looking concerned so I sat up to assure them that I was fine. 

"I am feeling much better...Better as compared to morning at least."

"Good. There's something I would like to give you." He took out a bracelet from his tunic's pocket and latched it on my right wrist. "This is an artifact to regulate your powers. Wear it until your powers are back in your control."

The bracelet was so beautiful. It was lined with little blue gemstones which gleamed in the sunlight. It looked more like an accessory rather than an artifact. "Thank you, uncle. I'll be fine, all of you can carry on with your daily work."

My aunt said, "One more thing, the details of your condition shouldn't leave this room. We don't know who's listening. So, stay in your room until you feel better."

She gave me a hug and after that everyone trickled out of my room, leaving me alone with my thoughts. My situation was serious but it wasn't life-threatening. The powers running rampant was a common occurrence for high-level mages. My case was concerning because we were talking about a huge amount of power here, like much more than high-level mages. Uncle had a haunch, that's why Devika and aunt kept checking on me all night. I was so grateful that I was surrounded by people who were so concerned about my well-being.

Since, I was under strict instructions to not step out of the room, I decided to stew in my thoughts. And all of a sudden, my powers running rampant was the last thing on my mind. My mind wandered off to a certain someone. The one who proposed to me the night before. I had to give an answer to him but I didn't know what I should say.

My brain was swirling with questions - Why did he ask me to marry him all of a sudden? Was it out of good-will or did he pity me? What would he gain by marrying me? Was he joking or was he serious? There was no end to them.

Soon, the exhaustion weighed in and I slept. Devansh woke me up at dinner time which was yet again served to me in my room. After dinner, I slept again. I didn't know why I was so drowsy when I had slept for the entire day. 

The next morning, I woke up feeling as good as new. Fascinating, what a day full of rest can do to you. I left my room in the morning to get some fresh air and the first person I saw was Veer. I came to a halt and my first reflex was to hide. He was standing across the hall and was engaged in a deep discussion with someone that's why he didn't notice me. I still wasn't ready to face him yet. So, I knowingly or unknowingly avoided him for the whole day.

Even after an entire day of thinking and sleeping, I still didn't reach a conclusion. My thoughts were a jumbled mess. I needed some advice and I could only think of one person.

That evening, I dragged Devika to my room. I needed advice from a similar aged female and she was the only one I could think of. She was quite popular at the association because of her beauty and talents and also, she was better at reading men's emotions as compared to me. I hate to admit it but I probably sucked at it.

I have seen so many boys trying to woo her and failing miserably. Her conditions in terms of relationships were pretty simple - choose a man who respects you, cares about you and treats you like an equal - pretty reasonable if you ask me. There are a lot of mages out here who are entitled and cocky. They actually rub me off in the wrong way. Thankfully, none of them ever approached me because of my iron-clad barriers but they think that Devika's an easy target. Surprise! she's not. She's a badass and she knows how to place those entitled pricks in their places. And that's why she is the best person for this advice.

I word-vomited about my situation in front of her and she listened carefully. "So, you're telling me that brother Veer proposed to you and you didn't even give him a response?!"

Was she surprised or angry? I couldn't gauge her mood. "No? I mean I was really confused when he proposed to me and then Devansh dragged me away from him then my powers ran rampant and then because I still hadn't reached a conclusion, I unexpectedly hid from him as I panicked. Honestly, it's a mess."

"Outrageous!" She cried out. "We are talking about Veer here, the youngest army general of Somapura and the most eligible bachelor who's also smart, kind, humble, handsome and caring. What's there to think? He's a whole package.In this life, you won't find anybody like him.

Girls would actually kill someone to be in your position, you know that right?" I didn't know that and the extremity made me shudder.

"You said that you were in a hurry to rush back to Kshatra Gadh, right? Let me tell you this as someone who's known him for a long time - you'll not find a better husband than him. I don't know why he asked you to marry him but if he did, then please say yes. He's not the type to joke about these things."

When I didn't say anything, she sighed and continued, "I just want you to know that I really care about you and I would've been against this if he was a shifty person, which he's not. He's the perfect man for you."

When she puts it that way, then there's not much to think about. "Alright, I'll talk to him."

"Just talk?"

"Fine, I'll accept his proposal."

"Good. That's my girl." She smirked.

She added, "You know, Devansh and I have been shipping you two since the day you talked for the first time. In our minds, you were perfect for each other. I guess we were right."

I had no clue about this but that's a matter for another day. Right now, I had to find Veer.

Veer's POV

I messed up. And when I say that I messed up, I mean that I created a catastrophic kind of a mess.

When Laxita said that she was in a desperate need of a husband, my deepest desires just slipped out of my mouth and I couldn't control myself.

It has been two days since then and I haven't even seen her. On the night of the celebration, I purposely avoided her because I was too embarrassed. I mean who proposes like that - so casually, in a crowded room which was full of people? So much for taking it slow. That's not what I had in mind when I decided to ask her to marry me, it should've been more of a romantic setting.

But what's done is done. I have to find her fast and beg her for forgiveness before she refuses to talk to me for her entire life. I know I'm being dramatic but I can't help it because I'm freaking out.

It was night time and I was mopping around in my room. Bhargav ji had assigned one of the guest rooms to me, temporarily. It was a nice room, all warm and cozy but even that room wasn't able to calm me down tonight. I hadn't seen her at dinner for two consecutive days and now, I was getting worried. 

I was wallowing in my thoughts when I heard a knock at the door. I didn't want to open the door because I wasn't in the mood. But I decided against it and left my bed to open the door.

To say that I was shocked is an understatement because Laxita was the last person I was expecting on my door.

"Um, can I come in?"

I had seen her after two days and my eyes were drinking her in. She was wearing a simple navy blue saree with minimum jewellery. Her hair was down in smooth waves which cascaded her face. Even with such a simple outfit, she was strikingly beautiful. I missed her...a lot. I don't know how I went on without seeing her for years. Right now, two days felt like an eternity.

"Veer?"

She asked you something idiot, answer her. You can admire her beauty later.

"Yeah, sure!" Why was I sounding over-excited? 

I led her inside my room and she took a seat on a couch. I sat on the bed so that she won't be uncomfortable by my proximity. We were sitting in such a way that we were directly facing each other.

"You must be thinking why I am here." She was fidgeting with her fingers and not meeting my eyes. Was she nervous? Or worse, uncomfortable? Please let it be the former. "There's something I would like to say to you."

"Alright, go on." Even though I was looking all calm from outside, I was freaking out from inside.

"You know about your proposal...I think I am ready to accept it."

"What?!" I thought my ears were betraying me.

"I accept your proposal Veer. Let's get married."

There's no way this was real. I was feeling too many emotions all at once - surprise, elation, shock, happiness, nervousness, giddiness and most of all relief. Relief that she wasn't angry with me.

And freaking hell, she just accepted my PROPOSAL!

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Hello lovely people❤️

Did you like the new chapter? This was my longest chapter till date - 2900 words!

Laxita has decided to marry Veer, what new adventures await them?

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