Daughter of the Naga | Lesbian Story|

Chapter 46

"After I visited you, I had told the palace officers to set up a private place for me here," she said and held a golden goblet up to me. "You might like to try this Sura. It helps ease the internal pain and injuries."

I smiled and took a gulp of the drink she offered, but the taste of the strong liquor burned my throat. I spewed half of the drink out of my mouth.

"Oh holy mother, what in Hindu god's name is that?" I cried and coughed.

Amarisa brought her handkerchief to wipe my lips. She rubbed my back with her tender hand apologetically.

After my coughing fit died down, Amarisa handed me a cup of tea to soothe my burned throat.

But then she let out a giggle as she stared at my face, which was now burning hot.

"Your face is so red! You look redder than a blooming lotus!" she said.

"Are you laughing at my misery, Amarisa?" I said then started to tickle her. Amarisa half-laughed and half-screamed, twisting herself in my arms and trying to cover her exposed belly.

"Nikita, stop!" the princess cried in a giggly voice. I stopped and held her still.

"Say you love me," I commanded.

"Such words so precious shall never be spoken so easily," Amarisa said and pressed her lips together.

"Hmmm, is that right?" I said and leaned my face to her throat. My nose touched the sensitive spot of her neck.

Amarisa squirmed and wriggled herself away. I wrapped my arms around her body like an octopus catching its prey and gathered her back onto my lap.

"How about a kiss then?" I whispered against her goose-bumped skin. My breath must have tickled her that she let out a little yelp. Her voice alerted Malis. The tiger sprinted forward and wedged her head between us, parting our bodies from each other.

"Hey!" I said, frowning at the beast. Amarisa laughed some more and scooted back to her seat again with an amused look.

"Good girl, Malis," she said to her pet. The wildcat rolled onto her stomach and took a nap right between us. Her enormous head rested on our tea table casually.

Malis's large striped yellow body almost reached the height of my shoulder. I looked over at Amarisa for help, but she only gave me a mischievous beam.

"Well played," I muttered, glaring at the sleeping tiger. Amarisa snickered into her hand.

Then we saw a group of men moving around by the bonfire. They began setting up a stage with two wooden posts. The bonfire blazed behind the set. Then they unrolled a white square cloth and tied each end to the posts.

"What are they doing?" I asked Amarisa. She was stroking the ears of her tiger lovingly. I felt a little jealous of the animal and reached out to grab her hand in mine.

"They are setting up a theater," she told me with a smile.

"A theater?"

"Yes, they're going to play the shadow puppet soon," she said brightly. "It's one of our sacred performances left by our ancestors."

A wide grin stitched across my delightful face.

"Oh, I see," I said. "And what will they show us tonight?"

"The epic tale of Lord Rama and Sita," Amarisa said with a hint of excitement herself. It made me eager to see the ancient love story even more.

The theater crews brought out puppets made from a single piece of thick harden leather. Each piece was carved into a character figure. Amarisa told me the performances only took place at night in the open air and only when the royals attended. It was to honor the gods as well.

The large cloth backdrop acted as a white screen in front of a burning fire. The puppet's silhouette would cast shadows onto the canvas, bringing the character to life.

Then the show started. The puppeteers brought the characters on stage with precise and specific dance steps.

They produced a range of movements with the shadows. The singers narrated the story in beautiful verses accompanied by an orchestra. They sang a song that conjured up a story of a young prince. He was banished from his palace and into the forest by his stepmother, a jealous queen.

The shadows danced on the lit background. People gathered before the stage to watch the exciting scenes.

"This is a wonderful art, Amarisa," I said in admiration. "I have never seen anything like this in my world."

Amarisa smiled in response. We followed the story as the singers sang of a princess whose sight was so pleasing that even the birds gossiped about it.

A puppeteer raised a feminine shadow figure.

"That is Sita, right?" I asked.

"Yes, that is she, the princess Rama fell in love with at first sight." Amarisa nodded. She told me that words of her beauty reached the gloomy realm of Lanka, where a dark demon king Ravana lived. He heard about her peerless beauty from his envious sister and plotted to abduct her.

"How cruel!" I said.

Then we saw a very large shadow of the fierce ogre-king emerge. The roaring drums intensified the puppet's manners. The singer's voice turned mean and full of angry notes, speaking in the voice of a giant.

I watched as Ravana abducted Sita from the earthen dwelling of her beloved husband.

They narrated how Rama was grieving over his lost love, and my heart was gripped by the same flowing despair.

Then I heard Amarisa sniffing softly by my side and knew right away that she felt the same.

The thought of losing someone you hold dear is terrible tearing grief. If anything like that ever happened to me, I would have done the exact same thing. I would do whatever it takes even if it meant to slay a great demon-king thousand times over.

I reached over to touch Amarisa's cheek. She smiled back and took my hand in hers, bringing my palm to her lips lovingly.

"Nikita, my fair beloved Nikita," she said with a sigh. "Please do me one favor. Please do stay here and let me adore you forever and ever."

She need not asking for where else would I be while she was here? Besides, I couldn't go back to my old world anymore, and there must be a special connection that bound me here.

"Yes," I whispered. "I promise you with my heart and soul that I shall remain with you and keep you ever by my side, forever and always."

Then I moved across Malis and took her chin in my hand and brought her soft lips to mine. The soothing kiss was all it needed to seal my oath.