Chapter 21
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Chapter Twenty-One
Angad stared after her, hope seeping from him in a huge sigh. What now? Did he consign himself to a loveless marriage? Forget Kripa with her dancing eyes and beautiful dreams? He could marry another, but he knew in his heart he would never forget Kripa. She?d become a part of his heart.
How could he make her understand that?
He'd tried all his usual ways and they had failed, failed miserably because Kripa wasn't his usual type of woman. He played and replayed the moments spent with her in his mind, and suddenly, hope renewed itself in him.
He raced out of Pritvi and Aaliyah's house and returned an hour later. "I must speak with her one last time," he said to Aaliyah when she allowed him entry.
Aaliyah frowned. "I don't think she'll come downstairs."
"Then, I will go up." He headed for the stairs.
"Third door on the right," Aaliyah called after him.
He found her stretched out on her bed, facedown. "Kripa," he said softly.
"Go away." The pillow muffled her voice.
"I want to talk to you."
"I said, go away." She punctuated the demand by throwing a pillow toward him.
"Ah, you're showing your temper again."
She sat up, her eyes reddened from the tears she'd been shedding. The sight of those tears hurt him, yet filled him with renewed hope. If she didn't care about him, why was she crying?
"You told me once you could never fall in love with a man without dreams. At that time I had no dreams, but I'm not the same man. You gave me a glimpse of your dreams and somehow they became my own. I want what your parents had, a marriage based on love, and I can only have that with you."
He waited a moment for her to say something, but she remained silent and he continued. "I was a fool to think flowers or expensive baubles might change your mind. That's the Stanbury tradition, and I think it's time I start a new tradition a tradition of love." He handed her a small gift box. "Go on, open it."
She sat up and swung her legs over the edge of the bed. She opened the box to reveal a cheap, tawdry key ring in the shape of a heart. On the back was a sticker that read Made in Taiwan. She looked at Angad questioningly.
"I figured Taiwan was a good place to begin our journey of anniversaries together. You know keep your mother and father's tradition going."
She blinked once, twice then stood and he reached for her. He held her close and stroked the softness of her hair. "I thought my destiny was to be King of Edenbourg, but I believe my true destiny is to spend my life loving you," he said.
"Oh, Angad. I love you," Kripa replied.
The words sang in his heart, danced on his soul and he kissed her with all the love that was contained inside him.
"Kripa, marry me. Put me out of my misery. I can't imagine my life without you," he said when their kiss had ended.
"Yes," she replied, her eyes shining brighter than any gem he might possibly buy. "Yes, I'll marry you."
Again they kissed, a kiss of promise, of passion, of love.
"What happens now?" she asked. "Do we find a justice of the peace so we can get married before your father's deadline runs out?"
"No." He stroked a finger down the side of her cheek. "I don't want a hurry-up wedding. I only intend to do this once in my life, and I want it done right." He took her hand in his. "Come we'll go talk to my father."
.+ One more part +.
.+shabina+.
Angad stared after her, hope seeping from him in a huge sigh. What now? Did he consign himself to a loveless marriage? Forget Kripa with her dancing eyes and beautiful dreams? He could marry another, but he knew in his heart he would never forget Kripa. She?d become a part of his heart.
How could he make her understand that?
He'd tried all his usual ways and they had failed, failed miserably because Kripa wasn't his usual type of woman. He played and replayed the moments spent with her in his mind, and suddenly, hope renewed itself in him.
He raced out of Pritvi and Aaliyah's house and returned an hour later. "I must speak with her one last time," he said to Aaliyah when she allowed him entry.
Aaliyah frowned. "I don't think she'll come downstairs."
"Then, I will go up." He headed for the stairs.
"Third door on the right," Aaliyah called after him.
He found her stretched out on her bed, facedown. "Kripa," he said softly.
"Go away." The pillow muffled her voice.
"I want to talk to you."
"I said, go away." She punctuated the demand by throwing a pillow toward him.
"Ah, you're showing your temper again."
She sat up, her eyes reddened from the tears she'd been shedding. The sight of those tears hurt him, yet filled him with renewed hope. If she didn't care about him, why was she crying?
"You told me once you could never fall in love with a man without dreams. At that time I had no dreams, but I'm not the same man. You gave me a glimpse of your dreams and somehow they became my own. I want what your parents had, a marriage based on love, and I can only have that with you."
He waited a moment for her to say something, but she remained silent and he continued. "I was a fool to think flowers or expensive baubles might change your mind. That's the Stanbury tradition, and I think it's time I start a new tradition a tradition of love." He handed her a small gift box. "Go on, open it."
She sat up and swung her legs over the edge of the bed. She opened the box to reveal a cheap, tawdry key ring in the shape of a heart. On the back was a sticker that read Made in Taiwan. She looked at Angad questioningly.
"I figured Taiwan was a good place to begin our journey of anniversaries together. You know keep your mother and father's tradition going."
She blinked once, twice then stood and he reached for her. He held her close and stroked the softness of her hair. "I thought my destiny was to be King of Edenbourg, but I believe my true destiny is to spend my life loving you," he said.
"Oh, Angad. I love you," Kripa replied.
The words sang in his heart, danced on his soul and he kissed her with all the love that was contained inside him.
"Kripa, marry me. Put me out of my misery. I can't imagine my life without you," he said when their kiss had ended.
"Yes," she replied, her eyes shining brighter than any gem he might possibly buy. "Yes, I'll marry you."
Again they kissed, a kiss of promise, of passion, of love.
"What happens now?" she asked. "Do we find a justice of the peace so we can get married before your father's deadline runs out?"
"No." He stroked a finger down the side of her cheek. "I don't want a hurry-up wedding. I only intend to do this once in my life, and I want it done right." He took her hand in his. "Come we'll go talk to my father."
.+ One more part +.
.+shabina+.
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