"Wait up Soma!" The exclamation did nothing to reach the Bengal prince who raced ahead in front, too excited with the chance to share his homeland with you. A smile grew on your face upon watching the enthusiastic prince as he raced out from the train station, quickly heading onto the streets of Bengal, quite literally leaving you behind in the dust. You had only arrived to his homeland just yesterday and today was officially the first day that you would be exploring Bengal with one of its princes.
It was only months ago when you had told Ciel of your plans of going to visit the region with Soma. At first he had been against this, saying that the Bengal itself was far from London and there would be no telling what could possibly happen during your time there, however, after several weeks of asking him, you finally managed to convince him to let you go. This was only a week worth of stay preventing you from doing everything, but Soma had stated that he would make sure that you would see most of his home.
"I apologize for the actions of Prince Soma. He's just simply excited to be able to share our homeland with you," Agni chuckled from where he walked by your side and you turned to look at the Indian Butler giving him a small smile in doing so.
"It's alright Agni. It's a bit cute seeing him like this," you replied, glancing back to see that Soma had disappeared from the station, clearly somewhere far ahead of the two of you.
After making sure that everything was together, the two of you headed out from underneath the train station and onto the streets of Bengal.
It was quite busy out. The streets were packed with merchants and those that lived in the state, and the entire area was bustling as many carried about their day. The packed streets and crowded stalls was reminiscent of the bustling crowds that was commonly seen in London and this gave you a small feeling of homesickness. The heavy scent of spices not to mention savory food hung heavy in the air, stirring your appetite and making you desperately wish to try some of the local cuisine.
Truthfully it was a bit overwhelming; the streets here was more packed than the streets usually were in London, but seeing as you would be in Bengal for a week it was only best to try to get used to it. Agni and you peered up and down the street trying to find where Soma had ran off to, however, the familiar figure of the Bengal prince was no where to be seen and from your peripherals, you noted that Agni was beginning to look worried.
It was only reasonable for this. The prince was back in his homeland so everyone knew of his identity whereas in London where only a few knew who he was.
Something grabbed onto your shoulder making you jump in surprise, but the familiar warmth of the hands was reassuring as you turned around to find the Bengal prince standing behind you.
"What do you think Soniye?" Soma enthusiastically asked, his hands remaining placed on your shoulders and there was a delighted gleam in his eyes. "You've only just arrived yesterday so its your first time seeing the city." There was a large smile on his face as he pulled his hands back and he excitedly looked around the busy street and stalls, seeming eager with what to come.
The Bengal prince wore a brown cloak, the hood draped over his head to hide his identity and prevent anyone from recognizing one of the crown princes and although it was a bit off putting for you, the prince didn't seem bothered by it almost as if he was used to wearing it.
"It's a bit overwhelming, but there so many things here to explore and try out so I'm really looking forward to being able to do that," you stated giving the prince an eager smile one that only seemed to make the one on his face grow.
"You'll love it! I'm sure of it!" Soma's exclamation caught the attention of a few people, but they quickly lost interest and continued on with their day. "Where exactly do you want to go first?" The prince asked turning back to face you while Agni remained standing behind you simply watching the interaction bemusedly.
"I wouldn't know," you sheepishly began, rubbing the back of your neck with an abashed smile. "I've never been here before so I wouldn't know the first thing about this place."
"Ohh, that's right!" Seeming to realize this Soma pulled back and placed a hand to his chin, a contemplative look crossing across his face as he thought over what the two of you should do for the day. "Hmm. Forget that! I'll just show you around all of Bengal. We shall go too all the places that make Bengal what it is. And the food as well. I shall get you to try the food. It is just as good if not better than what there is in England."
Laughing at this, all you could do was nod your head in delight especially with the energetic action of the prince. Seeing his excitement only in turn made you look forward to exploring the streets and city with the plum haired prince at your side, not forgetting Agni as well, and once again you were glad that Ciel had agreed to let you come on this trip.
"So then where to first?" You bemusedly asked, eyes leaving him and trailing to the busy streets and people that packed them along with the vendors that sold both food and accessories. One of the things that you were looking forward to was trying the food. Definitely the food. But that didn't mean you wasn't looking forward in being able to explore Soma's culture.
With a delighted laugh, Soma grabbed onto your hand and he dragged you further into the market despite the surprised protest that came from Agni. Not caring that Agni was calling out to him to slow down, Soma continued to pull you past the people that flocked the market. However, Soma didn't seem bothered by any of this as he easily navigated through the crowd, the prince clearly used to doing this.
A bubble of excitement rose through you as you followed after Soma being sure not to run into any of the people that pushed around your side. Soma led you over to the side of the street which was lined with numerous vendors; mainly those that consisted of food and accessories. The beautiful jewelry that lined the vendors certainly caught your attention and you could only gaze at the variety that spread across the counters in awe, peering around Soma's tall figure to get a better look of them.
As if sensing your interest, Soma pulled you to a stop at one of the stalls, the vendor, an old lady, making her way over once she had noticed the two of them. Both Soma and her exchanged small dialogue in their native language and as they did so, you simply took the time to run your eyes across the jewelry.
They each seemed to be made with real gems and the design each of them had been constructed into was nothing but mesmerizing. You found your attention being drawn to one that was in front of you, a small bracelet of sorts that was in one of your favorite colors. Tendrils of vine made of steel crept along the outer layer of the bracelet and small white flowers of ivory was nestled in between of them.
"Is there any that interest you Soniye?" Soma asked, his sudden words making you pull your gaze from the bracelet and glance up to the prince.
"Actually, I really like that bracelet," you commented, pointing over to the one that had caught your attention earlier. "It caught my eye since it's really pretty."
Soma said something to the old lady who gave him a smile and gestured to the bracelet. Curiously, you watched as he reached over to grab onto it before handing it over yo you. "What?" Although you were bewildered, you took the bracelet from him and rotated it around in your hands.
He simply chuckled at your bewildered state seeming to find it amusing. "Why I'm buying that for you of course," the prince answered with an amused smile, his words making you quickly look at him in surprise.
"Wait! You really don't have to Soma," you protested about to put the bracelet back down onto the counter however, Soma reached out and grabbed your hand preventing you from doing so.
"I want to though. Consider a gift and my thanks for coming with me to visit my homeland. And now that you are here, I shall shower you with gifts the entire trip. So if you really like it, I'll be sure to buy it for you."
His kind words made you look to the side bashfully, your cheeks reddening as your grip tightened more on the bracelet. "Well, if you really do want to buy this for me then I wouldn't be opposed to it." With a large sincere smile, you glanced up at Soma to find that he was tenderly staring down at you, a smile, one that showed his happiness clear on his face. "Thanks for this Soma. I'll really cherish it."
Soma seemed happy with your response as he turned to address the elderly lady, reaching into his pockets to pay for the jewelry. You however, could only stare down at bracelet, a soft smile on your face as you studied it and you slipped it onto your wrist.
"Are you ready?"
Looking up at the sound of Soma's voice, you came to find that he had finished paying for the bracelet and was simply waiting for you. By now Agni had caught up to both the prince and you noticed that he was talking with the owner of the stnad to the left seeming interested in what he was selling.
"Mhm," you replied with a nod of your head, feeling even more cheerful now that the prince had bought you the bracelet. "Why don't we go and get something to eat? I'm interested in trying the local cuisine."
"Really!" He seemed delighted upon hearing this and you wondered if he had thought that you wouldn't have wanted to try any of the food. You softly chuckled upon thinking this as you found it to be amusing. The prince should know that you were open to trying a lot of food.
Soma grabbed onto your hand, gripping it tightly so that he wouldn't lose you in the crowd and you did the same, finding comfort in the warmth that radiated from it. Seeing that Soma was about to pull you back into the crowd, you promptly turned to where Agni was to the left.
"Agni, we're going to get something to eat."
Having heard your words, Agni nodded his head and finished his conversation with the vendor, but by the time he had turned, Soma and you was already navigating through the crowd. With a merry laugh, you followed Soma, wondering what stall he would bring you too.
The sweet aroma of spices hung heavy in the air, the savory smell making your stomach growl and you to grow even hungrier than before. You were looking forward to trying any of the cuisine that you had spotted being sold at the stalls; each of them being ones that Soma continued to pass and you wondered where exactly he was bringing you. All of the ones that you had passed looked appetizing, yet Soma didn't seemed pleased with any of them.
From where you trailed at his side, you glanced up to look at him. Although the hood of the brown cloak he wore hid most of his face, you still caught sight of the purple strands that billowed out from the side and a golden eye, one that was filled with elation. Seeing this you couldn't help but smile, delighted to find that he was happy.
He suddenly stopped and you had to come to a halt to avoid running into him. Curiously you looked up to the prince, finding that there was an eager grin on his face and you followed his gaze over to a stall that was on the less busier part of the market.
"Is this the place we're eating at?" You curiously asked the prince, getting your answer as he begun to lead you over to an empty table that was there.
"It is! When I was younger, I would always sneak out of the palace and come here to eat," the prince answered, settling down into the seat and you did the same across from him. "The food here is so good I would come almost every day."
Laughing a little at this, you glanced over to where the vendor was cooking food, the sizzling sound and savory smell capturing your interest and your stomach growl once again. You had skipped breakfast as you wanted to try as much food as you could so to say that you were only slightly hungry was a lie. "If you say that it's good then I'll believe you. What should I get then?"
Soma paused for a second thinking it over and you noted that his eyes had glanced back to look at the various food that the vendor was cooking. "The cholar dal is very good! It's one of my favorites! I always get it from here when I come."
"Cholar dal?"
"It's a dish that's made with Chana dal, ghee and coconut. To a lot of people its both sweet and spicy, but it taste exceptionally good on top of rice," Soma explained, his description of the food sounding delicious.
"Let's get it then!"
Seeming happy that you wanted to try it, Soma nodded his head and he stood from the seat, heading over to talk to the vendor to order the food. After a moment, your eyes pulled from the figure of Soma and back to the busy streets of Bengal, watching the men and women walk by, some in the company of others and some were alone. Agni sat at an empty table behind you, the butler seemingly to have decided to give both Soma and you space.
This was something you were thankful for. Truthfully, you hadn't just come to Bengal just for sight seeing, but for Soma himself. You wanted to spend time with the Bengal prince. The prince had always been traveling during his time in England and although you hadn't seen him as much as the others, his constant letters made it feel as it he was always at your side. Reading his letters always brought a warm feeling and made you appreciate the prince more than you had before not to mention it was sweet how he would always send gifts alongside the letters. And honestly, you had come to like the prince as more than just a friend.
"Were you waiting too long?"
You glanced up at the voice of Soma, the prince having come back from talking to the vendor and in his hands he carried two drinks and your share of food.
"Don't worry it wasn't too long," you reassured, reaching forward to grab onto the drinks to allow him to place the food down easier. Placing down the drinks that you held, you peered forward to look at the cholar dal that Soma had ordered for the two of you. It reminded you of curry especially with the way it was placed over the rice and steam wafted up from it indicating that the vendor had finished cooking it only moments ago.
Soma settled down in the seat once the food had been placed onto the table, eagerly waiting for you to try the food. Seeing how eager he was, a smile tugged at your lips and you reached over to take a forkful of the cholar dal before placing it into your mouth.
A burst of savory and spicy flavor spread through your mouth so tasteful that you had to go back for a second bit. "It's so good Soma," you acclaimed. "I can see why you like it."
"I'm so glad that you like them as much as I do!" Soma merrily said, eyes closing for a moment as a large smile grew onto his face. "I can't wait to share all of the other food that are my favorites."
"I'm looking forward to it!"
Your eyes slid over to the drinks that Soma had gotten for the two of you, curious on what they were and you reached over to grab onto one, bringing it closer to you. It was yellowish in color, almost reminding you of a tropical fruit and as you took a sip of it there was a slight smoky yet sweet taste in it. "This taste really good. What is it?"
"It's Aam Pora Sharbot. It's made of chilled water with burnt raw mangoes and sugar. It's become popular lately so I'm glad that we managed to find a stand that' still selling it," Soma explained, reaching forward to grab onto his own drink. "How about we finish eating this and then I'll you show around the rest of the area."
"Alright! I'll be looking forward to it."
It wasn't long before the two of you had finished eating and continued making your way through Bengal. By now the crowds had begun to dwindle down in number something that you were thankful for as you didn't have to worry about getting split off from Soma. Agni continued to follow the two of you from behind just seeming content with being walking out on the streets for the day. In a couple of hours, the sun would begin to set and soon the three of you would have to end the tour for the day.
Soma suddenly came to a stop in the middle of the large sidewalk that the two of you had been walking down and promptly, you came to a stop as well.
"Soma?"
Following his gaze, you turned to find that he was staring out into the distance to the left, finding that he was looking at the Jhargram Palace, the palace where he and his family lived. There was a wistful expression on his face as he stared at the palace and with a small smile, you softly pulled your hand from his grasp and leaned against the railing that was in front of you, gazing out to the palace like he was.
For a moment it was silent between the two of you before you turned to regard the prince, flinching a little upon realizing that he was already watching you, a soft happy expression on his face.
"Soma?" You questioned again, the smile growing on his face at the sound of his name and he shifted closer to lean against the railing at your side.
"Thank you."
Bewildered, you blinked, curious as to why he was thanking you and on what he was thanking you for. However, you stayed quiet seeing that he had more on his mind to say.
"When I first suggested you coming here with me I honestly never really saw it happening. But now that you're standing here next to me, in my homeland of all places, I still can't believe it." He chuckled a bit, turning back to look at the palace and on top of the rail, his left hand slowly trailed over towards your own. You didn't flinch when they touched, your fingers grazing each other. "I'm just really happy to have you here."
"You don't have to thank me for that Soma," you lightly chuckled, eyes remaining on the prince who glance back down at you. The hood of the clock had slightly been pulled back, exposing more of his purple hair, but his golden eyes was really what you were focusing on. "Sometimes it seems as if we didn't really have enough chances to spend time with each other so just being able to be with you for this week is what I really love."
Soma chuckled slightly, using his other hand to tug at a lock of his purple hair. "You have always been there for me Soniye which I appreciate. Truthfully, I have grown fond of you ever since we first met. You always make things entertaining whenever I am with you not to mention you always have the right words whenever I am troubled. Actually, I wouldn't just say that I'm fond of you." He quieted for a moment before fully turning to address you. "(Y/N), I've come to really like you as more than just a friend."
He seemed nervous to what your response would be, but froze upon seeing the large reassuring smile that was on your face. Bashfully, you scratched your cheek before shifting closer to Soma.
"Well then if you're admitting something, then let me say that I feel the same way. I love being able to spend time with you and I'm happy that we were able to become close." Lightly you laughed embarrassedly. "So what I'm trying to say is that I like you as well Soma."
Before you had a chance to say anything else, Soma lurched forward and pulled you into a tight hug, however, it wasn't uncomfortable and with a small sigh you relaxed into his touch and wrapped your arms around his figure.
"Thank you," he whispered underneath his breath before pulling away, a joyful expression being on his face. "Let's keep going! We still have a few more hours before it gets dark. There's still a lot to show you! The two of us can buy some Sandesh as well. It's a really good sweet!"
With a chuckle he grabbed your hand, tightening his grip on it and you did the same in return, giving him a smile in doing so. "Let's go then!"