Return of the Asuras |Lesbian Story| (The Sequel)

Chapter 15

~*~

The days passed slowly and quietly. I awoke before dawn with Amarisa by my side. Her warm body entangled mine. The tent was still dark, but I could see the refined features of her face, the shapely narrow chin, and the gentle curves of her frame. I longed to see those eyes open and their dark feathery lashes flutter like butterfly's wings.

My hand slithered over her bare skin, stroking the smooth delicate body. She sighed, and I felt a desire rise in me. I drew back the covers and bent to press my lips against her soft breast. Amarisa knew it was me the moment she was awake. The princess rolled onto her back and welcomed me into her arms. Our limbs slid against one another as our mouths locked. Then we went on the path that we had traversed so many times, yet still ached to go there. Dawn light crept through the white tent flap, casting a faint pink hue upon our skin. The room slowly brightened.

Sometimes later, after we had our fill of passion, we rose and got dressed. Kesar kindly brought us our meal. She didn't come through the door anymore unless we invited her in. When the maiden placed the tray of food on the fur rug, I caught her eyes glance over to my hand, which rested familiarly on Amarisa's lap. I knew it was foolish. Amarisa was my wife, but I withdrew my hand. Although I called on the Kennari for help as I used to, and we talked as we always had, Kesar would never approach me whenever I was with the princess. I could feel it in the way she lowered her gaze around us.

There was tenderness in her eyes when she looked at me sometimes, but she tried to hide it, and I tried not to wound her feelings even more. It was the least I could do to return her kindness. It was best this way for us both.

We thanked Kesar for her assistance.

Then as the sun rose past the top of the palm trees, I got ready for the tasks that needed my attention. Through the doorway, I watched the organized chaos of soldiers marching. Women went about with their chores. The sounds of horses' hooves, elephants' wails, and even occasional growls from the stables filled the air with temporary peace.

I saw my friends walking through the camp and went to join them. The days always followed in the same fashion.

The common soldiers began to accept me. Every day, before they retired to their tents, I had walked among them, offering solace to the young and frightened, making sure they were given enough encouragement and comfort.

For them to go into the brewing battle against the army of demons, I understood how fearful they must be. I felt the same, but the soldiers looked at me as the only salvation the gods had promised them. I couldn't let them down or make my own fear be known.

"I can't promise you safety," I told them one evening while we gathered around the campfire, "but this much I can promise you if we win the war, whether we live or die, our families will be safe from evil and our kingdom will always stand in glory."

Being quite a taciturn person, I didn't know how I became eloquent in my speech. But at that moment, it seemed I knew the exact note I needed to play upon the flute of their passion. The men's eyes shone with confidence and enlivened with pride in their hearts.

The avatars joined me by promising that the gods themselves would bless our army in the fight. No matter how terrible the war might be, it was our duty to wither the blossoms of this evil force.

When twilight turned to darkness, I returned to my tent where Amarisa awaited me. Having been in the concealment all day, she deserved some fresh air.

"Do you wish to walk up to the lake?" I asked her. "If it won't trouble you," came her reply. Just the low sweetness of her voice soothed my jumbled mind. No one noticed as we slipped out of the tent. I took my princess to the wooded area along the quiet lake. Like always she had begun to teach me the native names of plants and flowers as we passed. The fact that she wished to comfort me helped take my thoughts out of the war. It felt like a long time since we had such a pleasant walk like this. The earth smelled fresh. The trees were budding, and night flowers bloomed in beauty.

When we were tired of walking, we sat down on the hillsides, looking over our enormous camp. It stretched out as far as the eye could see. Almost every tent lit up like glowing mushrooms amidst the dark forest. Above us, the ink-black night was sprinkled with innumerable brilliant stars.

We gazed up at the constellation of twinkling lights in the sky. The night was also graced with the greenish glow in the atmosphere. It was strange how there were so many stars tonight as if they all came from every corner of the heavens for a special occasion.

"It looks like a river of shimmering stars, don't you think?" I said to Amarisa.

She gave me a soft smile and rested her head gently on my shoulder.

"We call it, 'Akas Ganga'," she told me. "It literally means, 'River Ganga in the Sky'. It's the part of the river that flows through heavens and later descends to earth over the sacred Himalayas."

I wrapped an arm around her.

"It's so beautiful," I sighed. "Sometimes I still can't fathom the fact that everything here is real."

"If it were up to me, I would never let you fight in this awful war," she said. "I wish I could take you far away from this terrible fate, maybe to another world where we would live together happily."

"I wish just the same, Amarisa," I said. "But I can't abandon my duty only because I see defects in it."

"I know," she whispered back. I stroked her cheek and felt my finger wet with her tears. Tilting her chin to me, I leaned forward and kissed her tender lips. She responded to me, and we kissed softly and warmly in perfect gentleness. After we parted, Amarisa traced her thumb over my bottom lip. Our eyes glittered with emotions.

"Swear to me by the River Ganga, a sacred oath that even the gods cannot break," she whispered, "that you will return to me again no matter what."

"I swear it," I whispered back. Amarisa came into the circle of my arms again and we held each other like that for the longest time.