When I returned to the fort I felt only anger in me. I had always been good at controlling my anger. If I wasn't, then there would have been a lot more blood on my hands then there already was.
My foolish brother was the first to greet me upon my arrival. "You look pale, brother," he said.
"I'm fine," I said, walking past him and towards my room.
When I closed my door, I pulled off my clothes and prepared for a bath. The trip would take three days and as our parents required us to be back urgently, we would not be able to take any long, comfortable baths for those three days. In fact, a comfortable rest would most likely not be possible either.
It did not help that I was not able to able to sleep well for the past few days.
This was my own fault.
In my mind, the second I had given her that bangle... I had convinced myself that she was to be my wife. I had never been denied by a woman before, and I had figured she would be the same. But of course, she was much more complicated than those other women.
She was smarter.
In the time I had spent up late at night, I had realized that I understood her fear. She was a peasant.
Even women who spent their whole life in the palace often did not know how to properly conduct themselves. That went for men as well.
I should have been clear from the start.
Now here I was, wondering if all of this was a complete waste of time.
Things would be different now. Much different. I would go home and my mother would probably have another group of potential brides lined up for me. She would give me the choice and I would pick a simple minded princess who wanted nothing more than to be the wife of Aaryan, the Warrior Prince. The title came with much merit, respect and wealth, and that would be about all she wanted.
And I would force myself now to be satisfied with that because all that was expected of me was to help that woman bear a son.
Then I'd be off to fight more battles and win more land.
I would return, bear more children, then go off to fight more battles and win more land.
That would be my life.
I frowned.
No more stories.
No more jumping into empty lakes for no reason whatsoever.
No more lying in each other's arms and talking about nonsense.
No more thinking that 'if she were my wife... I would have a reason to want to come home.'
Now I sighed, feeling like an utter fool.
I kept telling her that nothing would change... but absolutely everything would change.
Everything would change if I was with her.
And I would not have had it any other way.