Mending Broken Bonds

Dreams and Healing

A/N: Thank you everyone, for the immense love and support you have showered me with. It has help me recover from my insecure state quite quickly. I am back, with another chapter. And while I cannot promise frequent updates, for schools  have been opened, I will try to update as soon as I can. I hope you like this chapter.

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Gentle breeze that had flown past the city caressed her face through the window, causing her to stir and turn away. But her slumber was short lived, broken by the chirping of birds that were flying towards work and she opened her big, brown eyes, sitting up on the lavish bed and pushing down the silken covers.

She yawned before flipping back her long mane of black hair that tickled the exposed skin of her waist and glanced to her left where a man slept soundly, clutching his pillow.

Oh, she thought, so he is sleeping till now? He is hardly in bed by the time I wake up.

She rubbed her eyes before her attention was occupied by the man once again. Frowning, she placed a hand on his forehead that was now covered in sweat.

Alarms went off in the royal lady's mind as the realization of what was happening to him dawned on her.

"Dev." She spoke gently, trying to lure him out of his nightmare. But his eyebrows just knitted together as his grip on the pillow tightened, he seemingly dived deeper into his nightmare.

"Dev." She tried again, a bit harshly this time, worry creeping in her tone. He paid her no heed this time either, she could feel that whatever his mind had conjured was hurting him to a great extent and she could see him in such a state for no longer.

"Husband!" She almost yelled, squeezing his arm and his eyes snapped open, fear dancing in them as he raised his head, alerted and strong hands grabbed at her thin wrist tightly, electing a yelp from her before he took in her form and released it, his head falling back to the pillow.

"Wife." He acknowledged her at last, relief flooding in his voice. "It is you."

"Of course it is me." She replied in a teasing tone as she rubbed her assaulted wrist, in an attempt to lighten his mood. "Why, Dear Husband, did you expect to be greeted by someone else when you wake up?"

He merely offered her a small smile before sitting up and placing his hand at his chin and assumed a position she knew he only took when he thought hard.

She bit her lip, watching as he recovered from his nightmarish state. His breathing, which had been erratic and irregular during his slumber returned to normal. His heaving chest calmed down and fear drained from his eyes, replaced by worry.

It must have been a truly troubling dream to cause him to think this much; he usually never gave so much attention to what he saw in his dreams.

She cupped his cheek and turned to face him, noticing the misery in his eyes. "My Dear." She asked hesitantly, dreading the answer to her question. "What did you see that has reduced you to this state?"

He sucked in a deep breath.

"I saw", he replied, his voice trembling in a way she had witnessed never before. "Brother killed brother in a battle at Kurukshetra."

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Dushala's scream had altered the maidens and they ran in her direction, gasping at the sight of the bleeding man.

The bow fell down from the Princess' hand as she stood there like a statue, staring at what she had done, tears falling down her milky cheeks along with gasps.