Iviyana

I dare not slouch back.I sat as straight as I could.I didn't want any part of my body touching his.It was morning already .We had been riding without any stops since yesterday.And all that time I had maintained my position.The way my body was aching was no joke.Be it my legs or my back.I was ready for a bed.I tried twisting this way and that to relieve some pain.

The horse jerked making me jump.In time I grasped the edge of the saddle and held on for dear life.Oh Lord what are you punishing me for ?What wrong have I committed  to suffer such agony?

"Will you stop it?" I jumped again as I heard his deep voice.Really close to my ears.Felt his body heat on my back."You are making him jittery."

 As I have been doing since the start of this journey,I ignored him. I  tipped a bit forward trying to maintain my distance from him as if that helped.There was only so much space in that godforsaken saddle that I was currently occupying with none other than this crazy son of a...

"Stop it." He commanded harshly.The horse neighed.I screamed as the horse raised its front hooves in the air tipping me back.All the efforts gone to waste again as I landed on his chest.

" You stop touching me." I growled and jolted to evade him but he was faster.His hands wound around me to tighten the reigns on his idiot horse who knew nothing but eating and neighing. I tried pushing his arm away.The muscle  coiled arm didn't budge He patted and soothed his horse easily.I swatted his hand as it remained still on my waist."Let go.Let go of me,You hooligan."

He tightened it further until it started hurting."If you don't want me to throw you off.Keep still."

I would have replied back to the thug if only Papa had not arrived by our side.

"Is everything alright ,master." Papa stopped by our side. "Is there a problem?" He asked with concern in his eyes,not for me as was evidenced by his next words. "Iviyana,you are behaving yourself, aren't you?"

I groaned internally. Grabbing the hand around my waist firmly I plastered a smile on my face and leaned back on the hard chest."Everything is alright, Papa.Master is very kind just like you said."

Papa narrowed his eyes ,distrusting me.I kept the smile on my face not letting him detect the lie flowing smoothly out of my lips.

The other hand joined the first one on my waist, caging me in.I grimaced but didn't let the smile slip."Yes, everything is indeed fine.Lets continue on."

Papa nodded his head at his master and trotted alongside us.When I saw Papa gaining a bit distance from us,I straightened my back again and pinched his hand.His let go instinctively.Ha I win,I cried out the next instant  as he pulled my braid so harshly that my teary eyes were seeing the dark clouds above.For the first time I was cursing my long hair.I pulled my braid in front of me so that he cannot use it against me.

"You evil,I'll not forget this.Once I am down this stupid horse,I 'll make you regret." I said through my clenched teeth.

"Oh joy." Disdain dripped from his tone. He must have done something because his stupid horse neighed again and jumped.I held on with dear life,shaken to the core."Don't call Black stupid.He doesn't like it." He said near my ear again.The amusement very very clear in that freaking voice.

I'll kill him.I'll kill him.

Lord please save me till we reach our destination.And then I'll show him.Oh, how I'll show him.I found some solace in that thought.

There is nothing I can do atop this black beast.I have to wait until my feet touch the sacred ground .I have to tolerate the bastard sitting behind me till we reach his home.I just have to.There is no other option.

With that thought in my mind,I sat quietly biding my time.It was all annoying me.His hands on me.Him sitting behind me.Him breathing on my head.His heart thudding.His legs touching me.Everything was irritating me to no end.I just wanted this journey to end soon,else I'll die or probably end up killing him.

My thoughts turned back to yesterday from where this whole episode had started.

After he had laughed his heart out,much to my humiliation,thanks to dear Papa.He had pretended thinking seriously and had come up with this ridiculous suggestion.Papa was all ears ,of course just what I was expecting from Papa.

Papa had all but forgotten my existence .He had been completely attentive and dedicated towards catering his master's needs.He had devoted himself in fulfilling his master's desires.I didn't understand this sorcery.What has been done to Papa? My sensible Papa was behaving like a puppet agreeing wholeheartedly to everything that the viper spewed.This drastic change was getting really hard to digest.

After seeing how Papa was being manipulated by the bastard ,I had demanded to talk to Papa in private for which Papa had first taken permission from the silver monster.As if the "master" owned him.

"We cannot take the carriage.The path on the mountains is uneven and filled with all kinds of rocks.It will take too long .We cannot waste time.We have to reach as soon as we can.Master is here so the kingdom is left unguarded.We cannot waste time Iviyana. You don't know the kind of trouble this can ensue. There is no time to make any other arrangement.You will ride with master and I'll accompany on my horse."

"Why can't I sit with you,Papa?"

"Leena cannot carry the load of two.You know this.She is good to carry small carriages but it will be impossible to ride her on those mountains.Stop being a child.Master is gracious enough to offer.Don't disrespect him by refusing."

"But Papa it will not be right.I have never ridden on horse before.You know it well how I fear them.Riding with someone will not assuage this fear.Please Papa we can make some other arrangements."

"There is no need for fear.You are travelling with master.He is incomparable and much superior to others.You are the most safe with him.Even I cannot protect you like he can.So stop this rubbish at once.We are done talking.Master is waiting and I'll hate for him to wait on us.Come along now."

I shook my head , revisiting the conversation I had with Papa will not do me any good.

Papa has changed.The silver bastard has done something to him.I just know it.I'll have to find the cure before it's too late.But first I have to get down to ground.Only my sheer will to not show fear had sustained me till now.I didn't want anyone to know how scared I really was.Sitting so far above the ground was wreaking hell in my brain.I dared not look down at the flashing ground beneath the horses hooves.And he was running so fast.I had nausea the first few hours of the travel but I had contained it inside.My pride didn't let me show any weakness to anyone and least of all to the one sitting behind me.

I didn't like him.He gave the same feel as Maisie.He is double faced.I had already surmised this.This hatred I felt for him was something new to me.I never felt this way about someone I just met.But I sensed something dark in him and I didn't like it one bit.Yes,I will not deny that the attention he got from Papa was also a factor for my hatred.A small one.

How he was being served and adored by Papa?!How Papa understood and obliged him?How Papa forgot my existence in front of his?!How I saw love in Papa's eyes when he looked at the bastard?!

Oh yes,a really small factor.My teeth gritted.

I didn't understand this bond,this relation Papa had with him.There was love,there was respect,there was admiration,there was humbleness,there was warmth,there was adoration,there was worship but there was also fear.And this last bit confused me.

This master-servant relationship wasn't all it appeared,there was so much more.I wanted to find it.

The horse jumped over and I fell back on him.I give up.I sighed and just stayed there.He didn't say anything.It was tiring as hell.And he felt very comfortable  to my aching back.I'll let it slide for now.Even though he is a chameleon,I saw the love in his eyes for Papa.I also know that he won't let me fall, not because he held some warmth for me but because Papa trusted him to not let me get hurt.He had many colors. There's so much I wanted to know.About him.About Papa.

I yawned.

Whatever.I'll think about it later.Right now I was very warm and very comfortable.And I wanted to rest.

My eyes shut of their accord and in no time I was dead to the world.