To Bewitch a Devil

“In the early hours of the morning,” he spoke.

“And you find your horse better company than mine?”

Zavian smiled as she brushed his horse’s mane with his fingers. “It certainly does have a charm to it.”

Neera fisted her hands into balls and glared up at him. She could clearly smell Jasmine on him, but he wasn’t telling her. He had returned and the first person he went to see was Jasmine and not her.

Fine, he could stick his nose up any business he wanted, and Jasmine might as well warm his bed as his wife, but she wasn’t going to let embarrassment wash over her like murky water. So she stomped off toward the exit, and only screamed out when a strong arm lifted her off the ground from behind.

“Let go of me!” She threw the fists at the hand, but it was pointless hitting a demon, for it was nothing more than the feel of a pillow touching his arm.

Zavian set her down before the horse, and the stallion neighed, his head bowed at Neera. Softening, Neera reached her fingers to its nozzle and stroked the horse.

“He’s missed you too,” Zavian said. “Just like I have, for every second I am away from you.”

.....

Neera did not look at him. She set the horse’s head on her shoulder, successfully blocking the view of the King.

“You were asleep when I came to check on you”, he said. She turned her head to look at him, then, eyes narrowed, the scent was still on him, so she waited;

Zavian catches her eyes. “Jasmine mentioned you both were up late last night. I wouldn’t want you not to get enough sleep.”

“Okay,” her voice was clipped. “And I guess it is because you would rather keep the Queen awake, doing God knows what.”

“What?!!”

“I have spent my days with the Queen, Zavian”, she said by the side of the horse’s face. The horse neighed as if reprimanding the King too. “And I can sense her all over you.”

“Sense her?” Zavian asked, smelling himself.

“It’s a female thing.” Neera replied, pursing her lips as she looked at his body.

“Ahh”, he mused out loud. The horse was pulled away by a stable hand, and Neera lost her cover. She was now facing the King. His hair had grown even longer. Do demons grow hair so fast? It tumbled in a glorious waterfall of mane over his face, like his stallion’s perfect mane.

Her fingers reached for it before she could even realize what she was doing. She combed it away from his view, and stepped behind him, working the golden mane into a loose ponytail.

“I want you in front of me, Neera,” Zavian said.

“Do you have feelings for her, the Queen?” Neera asked. “I won’t blame you if you do. It’s just… you made it sound like I was the only one you wanted before you got married, but I am beginning to understand. With someone as good as the Queen, it’s hard not to fall for her. But it would just be easier if you just tell me than to deny it…”

Before she could finish speaking, Zavian whirled around and pulled her against him, his lips coming down on hers. She didn’t fight him away, and when his head raised up, only then did she notice the stress that mapped on him- dark eye circles, rough clothes, a five o’clock shadow.

“I only have eyes for you from now till eternity,” Zavian said.

Neera gulped. “I like the thought of spending eternity with you…”

She trailed off, and Zavian’s breath caught, his hand around her tightening. His suggestion had stayed with her for days and nights, offering her the good sides to it, and downplaying the bad side, which to her, was only cheating the natural order of things.

“… and I like the thought of having children with you.” Neera finished.

There. No matter the back-and-forth argument of logic she had for days, Zavian always won. Whatever dread of terrible omen threatened would not win over, and long gone are the days of fear, of what ifs, of worries- the present was giving her a gift, and she will take it, and let the future sort itself out.

Zavian’s smile worked like magic to erase every stress on his face.

“You are the best treasure I could ever ask for,” he said.

Neera grinned. “Something tells me that is what you would tell our future kids.”

“Most likely”, Zavian admitted with a shrug. “And I would most likely bribe them with sweets so they won’t tell you”, he stepped back. “Speaking about sweets”, he reached into the knapsack slung at the side of the horse, and brought out a small sack. “This is for you.”

Neera collected it and peered inside. She bubbled with joy at the sight. Sweets of every shape and size were inside, and all for her.

“I heard you were getting those when you went to the market,” Zavian said.

Neera was about to press kisses of appreciation on his face, but when his gaze traveled above her head, she followed it. She stiffened when she saw Jasmine standing there, her fingers clasped and resting on her midriff, her eyes guarded, her posture stiff.

How long had she been standing there? Guilt reared itself in passing in Neera’s gut, and the Queen’s lips took their time before they stretched out into a smile, and she approached the two of them.

“I knew I would find you in here”, she said to the King. Her eyes fell to the bag in Neera’s hand and lifted back to Neera’s face. “I heard you say it was sweets! Splendid”, before Neera could have a chance to protest, she took the bag and peered inside, giving a satisfied hum. “Just enough for story time tonight, thank you, Zavian.”