To Bewitch a Devil

There were the nods of agreement that followed. Zavian rubbed a hand on his face. For a second, he was so sure that with Delilah and with Neera, there was one thing in common; he cannot completely be fully with the woman he cared the most about.

Every eye in the room was on him, waiting. Instead of replying to them, Zavian stood and spoke.

“Thank you all for your suggestions,” he said. “My answer will be known to you in the days to come.”

He left them there. He headed outdoors straight, and he was thankful for the burst of fresh air as he stepped into the garden to clear his thoughts. His head was tilted up to the sky, and he watched the white clouds travel past without a destination in sight.

“Your Majesty”, a female voice called out to him. He shifted his attention to the person, and if not for her striking beauty in the plain clothes she wore, Zavian would have mistaken her for a commoner.

Jasmine approached him, a maid in tow holding a basket. She curtseyed in greeting to the King.

“Is there a problem, Princess?” Zavian asked her.

Jasmine’s thin brows frowned in puzzlement, and then when she looked at her dress, she broke into a smile.

.....

“It’s nothing, your Majesty. I heard there was an expectant mother in town who had just put to bed and was suffering from the blues. I only just returned from there to give her some herbs.” She smoothened a hand down her dress. “I didn’t want to draw attention to myself, and besides, those royal dresses can be impractical sometimes. Also, I have been behind these walls for so long I worried if I don’t leave, I might get the blues myself.”

Zavian nodded in understanding. “You are full of surprises, Princess.”

“I disagree, your Majesty,” she looked to her maid. “Take the fruit basket and share it with the others.”

The maid bowed in appreciation, leaving both the Princess and the King together. Zavian looked up to his part of the castle wing, and he was hoping Neera would be awake. She had been weak from all that blood she had lost, but tonic after tonic from the doctor had her recuperating fast.

“It did not surprise me when you picked her to be your bride,” Jasmine said, drawing Zavian’s attention back to her. “There are just some people you cannot contend with, and that’s okay.”

Zavian let out a quiet sigh. “I will let you and the other princesses know of my decision once it is finally made.”

Jasmine nodded. “I heard she was hurt. Is she doing okay?”

“Yes,” Zavian answered. “Much better. Thank you for your concern.”

“Tell her Princess Jasmine wishes her a quick recovery,” the Princess said. She curtseyed again. “Excuse me, your Majesty.” Zavian nodded and walked away. Jasmine stood on the pathway as she stared at him retreat, a thousand thoughts filling her but no expression on her face. After some seconds, she blinked and walked away.

Zavian headed to his chambers. When he neared his room door, the troubling thoughts he tried to clear off in the gardens wavered with each step he took. On opening the door, the sight of Neera made him block off everything from the world behind the doors. There, in that room, the two of them were sufficient for him.

Neera smiled upon seeing him. She was at the window, her hair worn down, and her arm still in a cast. Colour had long returned to her face, and she took tentative steps towards him, as if anxious.

“How did it go?” She asked. She was prepared for anything, but Zavian had reassured her that he would make sure she was safe, with him. She had pleaded for him to let her go, but he refused, he had told her he would find a way.

“The same thing you told me” Zavian said. “Duty first.”

He didn’t miss the visible way her body relaxed. “That’s... okay.” She rubbed at her cast, deep in thought. “Have you made up your mind about who you would choose?”

He could hear it, the way her heart was beating fast. Zavian took her hand in his and kissed it.

“And who do you want me to choose?” He asked.

Neera let out a breath. She closed her eyes and whispered, “None of them.”

Zavian brushed her hair crowding around her face and held her face as he pressed a kiss to the crown of her head.

“There is a compromise,” Zavian said. “The Council has advised me to take you as a concubine.”

Neera’s head shot up at that. Startled eyes stared up at Zavian, and she remained wordless. Zavian could not read whether that was a good or bad sign.

“We still get to be together,” she finally smiled. “But I am worried about the future Queen...”

“... don’t”. Zavian shushed her. “A concubine is of a lower status, Neera, and I don’t want that for you. I want you to be Queen.”

“Zavian,” she called. “This is our real world, and if being a concubine is what I can get, it is still far from being a maid, so it is not of lower status. This is what we get, and I would accept it, for it benefits both us and the people.”

“I want nothing but the best for you, Neera”, Zavian spoke.

“And you have given me that by being with you. It doesn’t matter if it is as a maid or as a concubine. Titles do not matter to me, Zavian.”

Her mind was already made up. An argument would be useless, and he saw a picture of her being a concubine. She would be safer that way, and even though it was an inferior title, he would ensure she got as much respect as the Queen.

“I will give you what makes you comfortable, “, he told her. “And I will ensure you get everything you desire.”