To Bewitch a Devil

“There’s a lake over there”, Jasmine pointed out, lowering herself to the ground next to Neera and crossing her legs.

“It is mostly dry, but with the constant rain, you would never imagine how full it can get. It looks like a large puddle on normal days,” Neera said.

Jasmine closed her eyes and took in as much of the pure air as she could. She could feel Neera watching her. When she opened her eyes, the concubine was already on her feet.

“We should get going,” Neera said. “Your parents might need you.”

“What’s it like, living without any parents?” Jasmine asked. The question was so out of the blue that Neera was at loss for words.

Jasmine put a hand to her mouth in regret. “I am sorry. That sounded harsh.”

“No, you just wanted to know, it’s fine,” Neera assured her. “And about my parents, yes, I do think about them often.”

“Really?” Jasmine rose to her feet, dusting the back of her dress with her palms. “You should go and visit them then. In fact, I will make arrangements myself. The King doesn’t have to know.”

.....

Neera held the Queen’s hand, and Jasmine stopped talking. Neera pulled back, unaccustomed to the physical closeness their friendship brought.

“I don’t need to see them,” Neera said. “To be honest, I don’t think they want to see me too. I am fine here, the happiest I have ever been.”

“But you can’t be sure. Every child needs their parents, and I am sure they will be missing you,” Jasmine put a hand on her shoulder. “The King will understand that, won’t he? Did you two ever talk about it?”

If only she could just leave for a while, maybe Zavian would be able to see her. She was always there, in his face, in his breath, up in his skin! She would never have a chance at this rate! She had not even had her first night yet! What did she get herself into?

Neera could feel the discomfort growing with each question. She pretended to wipe away the glimmer of sweat on her forehead, but instead, backed away toward the archway leading out of the secluded area.

“We will talk about my parents later. For now, let’s go see your parents.”

Jasmine was kind enough to drop the topic. “Sure, I am sure they would love to see you.”

….

They didn’t love her, Neera could tell in the seconds she stepped into the castle’s drawing room. Seated on one of the couches in the drawing room was the Duke, a demon who could pass for Jasmine’s older brother than a father, clothed in garbs so colorful it could make a peacock jealous. Jasmine’s mother, a plainer version of Jasmine washed of the bedazzling beauty of her daughter, didn’t hide her disdain the minute Neera stepped into the room, her lips curled in a way that looked like she had a bad case of the stomach flu.

Neera dismissed the nagging need to turn around and exit the room after greeting them, but Jasmine was a bright pillar of positive support in the silent waves of negativity that oozed from every corner. Even the Selesee guards stationed in the room.

“Neera was dying to meet you two”, Jasmine’s smile was sunshine itself. She moved to sit next to her mother, and the demon put a hand around her daughter, drawing her into her maternal protectiveness. With Jasmine no longer by her side, Neera was hot under their every scrutiny.

“I can’t say the same for ourselves, darling”, her mother said, her eagle eyes trained hard at Neera, like a predator ready to pounce on its prey.

“The Queen has told me so much about you”, Neera managed a smile. No one returned the pleasant gesture, and it was Jasmine’s eager excitement that kept her speaking. “I would love to someday visit Selesee.”

A grunt from the Duke, a raise of a brow from the Duchess. “Tell me… what was your name again?”

“It’s Neera, Madame”, Jasmine reminded her.

“Yes, Neera,” the name was flicked out with hesitation. “Being a human with the face of the late Queen does have its tremendous benefits, doesn’t it?”

Her palms gesticulated to the entirety of the room. Neera’s body exploded with scorching heat, and now, she was beginning to sweat. She made fleeting eye contact with the door, looking for the best possible way to exit their presence.

“No, Lilah and Neera are two entirely different people,” Jasmine defended. “And Neera, you should sit.”

Too late to escape now. “I actually would love to, but I have to get back to resting…”

“You need to go out of your room more. A change of environment could make you feel better.” Jasmine jumped out of her seat, the giddiness of seeing her parents probably blinding her eyes from seeing what was going on.

“See, even my mother is all better from the medicine she took, so come sit.”

Neera perched herself on the edge of the couch gingerly and kept her focus outside the window, sunlight streaming in weakly from behind thick clouds. Jasmine and her mother engaged in their own conversation, filling each other in on the happenings of both their kingdoms, their chatter loud and filling the room. A maid came in and served them all tea and biscuits, and Neera declined, her stomach clenched with anxiety.

The talks of disappearing humans flitted into her ears, and Neera listened as Jasmine spoke about a disappearing village to her mother.

“Zavian is so worried. It is the first time I am seeing him like that,” Jasmine said.

Her mother placed a hand on her daughter’s. “Just be by his side. Offer help when you know you can. I am sorry this is happening early in your marriage, but he will need your comfort now more than ever.”

“I know”, Jasmine hugged her mother, who in turn blessed her head with a kiss.