Chapter 128

Chapter 202: Quoting the Quit

When the first rays of the sun flitted through the bedroom window, waking up the young mother, she opened her eyes and the first thing she beheld was the striking face of her husband, lying asleep beside her.

She smiled into the pillow, relieved to know his presence was not a dream.

Lady Anjali watched for a long minute the way the gentle morning light danced on his face, the youthful features appearing peaceful in his slumber. Strange it was but all men looked childlike when asleep...

Lifting one of her hands, she ran the tips of her fingers over his face remembering the shape of his features, the texture of his skin, and loving him more with each touch...

She leaned forward and began kissing his cheeks and forehead, running her fingers through his soft hair, wanting to only love him.

As gently as the flutter of a butterfly's wings, her lips brushed upon one of his closed eyelids, and he awoke, his glorious dark gaze meeting with his wife's.

He stared at for a moment, and then his expression turned to amusement, "You seem to be in a bright mood, Lady Queen."

Lady Anjali kissed him lightly on his cheek, "How could I not be when the first vision of my morning is you..."

The General slid his arm around her, "It is a sore sight for me to look at my own reflection in the mirror, how could it be otherwise for you alone, Lady Queen?"

The sun twinkled in Lady Anjali's eyes, "Because I love you."

Her fingers caressed his hair as she gazed at his face.

His eyes studied her expression and then he sighed and sat up, "There is something I have to tell you...about my war assignments"

"What is it?" Lady Anjali's voice was tinged with worry.

She sat up beside him and slid her assuring hand on his shirtless shoulder. "Are you going to have to return back soon?" She was hoping his answer would not be in the affirmative.

The General stared at the space before him, "No..." he heard Lady Anjali sigh with relief beside him, but he continued, "It is this that...there won't be any more war assignments."

Lady Anjali was confused, "What do you mean?"

He looked over his shoulder, his eyes on her, "I resigned."

Lady Anjali stared at him, finding it hard to believe, "You resigned?"

The General was still looking at her, "It disapproves you?"

"Disapproves me?" Lady Anjali snorted, "You resigned a profession YOU loved and I abhorred. It always kept you away from me and persistently made me fear that I would lose you one day to one of those horrid battles..." She looked at him apologetically, "It is selfish of me but, truthfully, I am only happy in this matter where you must be dejected."

The General slid out of bed and moved towards the wardrobe, "Yes, my heart suffers grave remorse for my resignation but it does not harbor any regret."

"Why so?" Lady Anjali wondered aloud, getting out of bed as well, "What made you resign...?"

The General had taken a pair of fresh clothes from the wardrobe and shutting the wardrobe door, he turned to face his wife, "Lightning was wounded."

Lady Anjali gasped, her hand moving to her lips, "Why didn't you tell this... Is she...is she alright?"

The General nodded, "She's resting in the stable presently but if I hadn't resigned, they would have shot her."

"Shot her?" Lady Anjali was aghast, "How inhuman!"

"Battles and all that is related to them are inhuman," stated the General as he walked towards the bath chamber.

"Did you summon a herbalist to come and see her?" Lady Anjali enquired.

"No, but I will-"

All of a sudden, Lady Anjali interrupted, "Wait a moment...did you say they were about to shoot her?"

"Yes," the General paused before the bath chamber door to look at his wife over his shoulder.

"With a gun?"

"A long one, if you ask me," he said, frowning at the memory of the murderous weapon pointed at the head of his horse.

"But how did the guns come into Arhasia?"

The General looked at his wife.

Lady Anjali explicated, "You know how Chotey is against gunfire and has forbidden guns to be used in Arhasia. How can a gun be in Arhasia without the sanction of the First Lord, then?"

The General shrugged, "The First Lord is not as powerful as we think. He can't certainly be vigilant of everything that happens in each nook and corner of this vast land. There are many ill things being smuggled into Arhasia. Probably even imposters too."

Lady Anjali was wary, "We must bring this to Chotey's notice."

The General thought over this for a moment and then suggested, "The Lords of Arhasia may be able to set up stronger vigilance and guard along the coast but evil-doers will always find a way to sneak into Arhasia." He saw his wife's expression fall and assured her thus, "Worry not, Lady Queen, we shall inform him of this illicitness at breakfast today."

Chapter 203: Wet Play

"Chotey?" Lady Anjali knocked at her brother's bedroom door.

Behind her, the General tapped his boot on the floor impatiently, his ears keen to catch any sound from the other side of the door.

A minute passed before the handle of the door was turned and the door opened to real Kushi's face, her long hair flowing down.

The General was impressed. His cure looked stunning in her red night gown.

Kushi's eyes slid from Lady Anjali to the General, whereupon her eyebrows slightly frowned.

Her gaze returned instantly to Lady Anjali's face, "Di?"

"Is everything alright, Kushiji?" Lady Anjali said with slight concern in her voice, "Everyone's waiting downstairs for you two. Its past eight already..."

Kushi opened her mouth to respond when the General interjected warmly, his eyes on Kushi, "Forgive my wife's unheeded worry, Miss Kushi. But she's clearly forgotten her manners and disremembered to wish you a fine morn. Well, here's a good morning from my part."

There was no doubt to the fact that it was indeed the General's voice at his doorway that materialized Lord Arnav's face at the entrance, standing shirtless and tall behind Kushi.

Bringing one his arms to possessively embrace his wife by her waist, Lord Arnav fastened his eyes on the General, his sleep-ridden face brightening up with a smile for his sister's sake, "Good morning, Di. Good morning, brother-in-law... What brings you to my doorstep this morning which seems fine to you, brother-in-law?"

"Ah, Master Menace," the General smiled through gritted teeth, "I cannot deny that I was worried, like your dear sister here, when you two didn't show up for breakfast which is now halfway through."

Lord Arnav narrowed his gaze, "Then shouldn't you be there breakfasting instead of playing butler at my door?"

Lady Anjali stared at the two men, confused about the way they were addressing each other, and then she shrugged and smiled at Kushi, "Won't you change and come down for breakfast soon, Kushiji?"

Kushi smiled at Lady Anjali, "We were just having our morning coffee, Di. We will be down in a few minutes."

"Nani's been asking too. We'll assure her you'll be down soon," Lady Anjali said and turned to leave.

But the General didn't budge.

Lord Arnav frowned when he saw the General smiling at Kushi.

"Do come down as soon as you can, Miss Kushi, why waste away a wonderful morning..." the General suggested politely and then smiled at his wife, who nodded in support.

Kushi felt disgust filling inside of her and she opened her mouth to produce her share of sarcasm when her husband's voice coolly announced, "I am sorry to break your eagerness, brother-in-law. You see, we possibly might take an hour more, before we can come down to breakfast."

The smile on the General's face faded and both the ladies looked at Lord Arnav in mild surprise.

Lord Arnav looked down at Kushi's face, "I am going to have my morning bath and my wife is going to scrub me."

Kushi went red in the face and the General turned green.

Lady Anjali's eyebrows raised in astonishment of having heard the uncommon words issue from her brother's lips.

Kushi was taken aback and stared at him disbelievingly, "Why should I?"

Lord Arnav's clever expression turned serious, "You're my wife. Just do as I say."

She wanted to remind him that she wasn't really his wife but decided against it with Lady Anjali and that General in presence.

Before she could stop him, however, Lord Arnav had dragged her into the bath chamber and shut the door.

Inside, the basin had already been filled to the brim with warm water.

Kushi stood with her ear to the door while, behind her, Lord Arnav undressed and got into his bath, water spilling from the sides when he sat into it.

The sounds of the General and Lady Anjali retreating made Kushi smile.

"You did that to irk him, didn't you?" she pointed out smartly, her ear still pressed to the door.

"No."

"What?" she looked over her shoulder and her smile fell when she saw his clothes on the cold floor and him in the bath, foaming it up with soap.

He looked over his shoulder at her, "Come and scrub me."

She blinked, "But-"

He frowned, "Don't just stand there and waste my time, Kushi."

"I don't know how to!" She looked around helplessly as though something would materialize in the room that could save her from this perplexing situation.

He leaned back, "You were Lavanya's handmaid. You must have done it for her."

Kushi gulped as she groped at another rational excuse, "I've never scrubbed a man before."

He looked over his shoulder, his gaze stern, "I am your husband. It's essential that you learn to scrub me."

"No," she was beginning to get annoyed, "There is no such protocol. I am certain of it."

"Kushi," his voice turned threatening, "Come here this instant!"

Kushi refused to budge and, as he watched, she turned to the door, her back to him.

Suddenly, there was the sound of water splashing and in two wet strides he was right behind her, his wet hand seizing her wrist.

Knowing he was naked, she squeezed her eyes shut and, despite frantic struggles to release her hand from his hold, he easily dragged her towards the bath.

A cold brush was pressed into her reluctant hands and then she heard the water splashing as he repositioned himself in the bath before her.

Kushi braved one of her eyes open and was relieved to find the thick lather of soap in the water, obscuring the vision within.

Only his appealing arms, shoulders and a little of his chest were to be seen above the surface.

He was leaning back, his lounging arms draped on either side of the bath, his strong wet fingers coolly hanging from the sides, though she wisely stayed away from their reach, suspicious of them for she knew not when they might decide to pounce for her.

"I'm not dressed for scrubbing," she pointed out, waving a hand over the red night robe she was wearing but he didn't spare it a glance, finding her desperate excuses futile.

His gaze narrowed, "Scrub."

Pressing her lips together, she held herself from refuting and then, kneeling on the cold floor beside the bath, she began scrubbing his arms with the brush she had been offered.

She worked her way along his muscled arms and over his strong shoulders, dipped the brush lightly in the foamy water and then scrubbed at his neck.

She was finding it extremely hard to scrub him with his unblinking gaze on her face.

At times, her gaze would travel to his face and her heart would flutter when she saw the sunlight from the window casting golden flecks in his brown eyes.

While immersed in studying her, Lord Arnav painfully wished to substitute the brush for her bare hand as the scrub travelled across his chest, brushing against his nipples.

Kushi went red in the face as the scrub traveled up and down his muscled chest and she had to gulp down her floundering valor to try and focus.

Lord Arnav could hold himself no longer. He had foolishly made bait for himself.

With a casual toss of one of his hands, he sprayed water onto her robe.

Gasping, she looked down at the huge wet splotch on the front of her robe and then glared at him, "What do you think you're-?"

And then she stood up in fury and threw the brush into the water, where it vanished into the foam, "Scrub yourself, Lordy! I have better things to do than play along in this ludicrousness!"

She had barely turned on her heels when the sound of water splashing was followed by wet arms circling around her waist from behind her.

"No! What-" Kushi's hands pushed at his arm to slacken his hold on her but he was intent on his purpose.

Kushi could not turn to face him, knowing he was standing behind her with no clothes on.

She didn't know what he was really wanting until she felt his wet fingers at the collar of her robe.

"NO!! NO!!" She dug her fingers into his arm that held her captive to his chest, but the harder she tried, the stronger his hold became.

Tears sprang up in her eyes and began running down her cheeks as he gently slid the robe off her. Mercifully, he didn't undress her of her white petticoat but Kushi knew it was too thin a cloth that he could possibly see through it...especially if he dipped her in water.

Which was exactly what he did.

She tried to fight him but, with a resilient lunge, he had lifted her off the floor and sat her in the bath, the warm foamy water engulfing her from everywhere.

Kushi's hands floundered as she tried to climb off the edge but he had seated himself in the bath again and was pulling her to him, cradling her between his legs, her back to him.

"Please don't hurt me-" Kushi cried in a low voice, as he ran his hand through her long hair that fell in a long cascade, the long ends of which floated on the foamy water.

"Would I hurt my wife?" he whispered warmly into her ear.

Impulsively, she hugged herself, her arms trying to keep her secure from him.

Suddenly, she stiffened.

His hands were at her knees.

What was he doing?

Kushi paled when she realized he was lifting up her petticoat.

"No, no, no..." more tears trickled down her cheeks to be lost into the foamy water.

"Please don't...please don't..." she cried weakly.

"I won't hurt you, Kushi," he assured her.

She closed her eyes and pressed down her lips to stop them from trembling.

And then he stopped.

He read her fear in the way she shivered...

Sighing, he withdrew his hands from her and held onto the sides of the bath, not wanting to touch her when she was unwilling.

Trying to breathe more calmly, Kushi sat in the water surrounded by the foam which danced with the wet ends of her hair.

She could feel his presence behind her and his legs on her either side, fencing her in, but she realized he had withdrawn and no part of him was touching her.

Slow bravery growing intact, she looked over her shoulder at his face.

Had she hurt him by refusing him?

But he was looking at her with a kindness in the gold of his brown gaze.

Her lips were still trembling from the cold and from the panic, but she tried to explain, "I am scared..." Tears ran down her face as words failed her and she looked away.

"Kushi..." his arms were around her, pulling her wet back to his chest and he pressed his cheek against the side of her head, "I never want to hurt you, Kushi...I would never..."

There was pain in his voice and this brought more tears in her eyes.

They remained in the wet embrace for a long time, her back leaning against his chest, her legs between his, as his assuring hands caressed her hair.

Kushi was confused, "Are you doing this for him?"

"For that General?" the First Lord snorted, "What I do outside where we might be seen is for him, but what I do in the privacy of closed doors..." he whispered, "...is for me."

A blush crossed Kushi's cheeks and she leaned more cozily against his chest.

As she lay against him so, with his arms wrapped around her wet petticoat waist, he felt something strange stirring in his chest. He rarely felt this way...and when he did, it was always around her...

"Kushi?"

Kushi looked up at him, her eyelashes wet but her tear-dried eyes beautiful.

"Would you mind if I scrubbed you instead?"

Kushi's eyes widened and she was about to shake her head when he interrupted, "Just your arms and legs."

She still looked uncertain, so he added to comfort her, "I won't undress you anymore than you presently are."

She looked away and, after a long minute, when he had almost decided she wouldn't, she nodded timidly.

If she had looked up, she would have seen the delight that shone in his eyes on seeing her nod.

But she could not quite bring her gaze to his face and chose to observe the film of foam in the bath.

She felt him shift behind her as his hands searched for the brush that had been thrown into the water and, on finding it, he made her sit before him with her back to him.

She felt weak with anticipation and wanted something to hold onto, so she tucked her knees to her chest and hugged her legs.

Behind her, Lord Arnav arose, getting on his knees to better manifest the brush upon her skin.

With gentle carefulness, he began scrubbing along her shoulders and arms.

Slowly, he turned her around, until she was facing him and he leaned her back against one end of the tub.

The water sloshed against his lean waist and Kushi stared up at his wet chest that was exposed to her as he knelt before her.

His warm hands loosened her arms that were clasped around her legs and, trying to ease her discomfort, he slid back and, with his hands reaching under the foamy water, helped stretch her legs before her.

As gently as picking a fragile wineglass, Lord Arnav's hand lifted one of her legs by its ankle and he brought it above the surface until her wet leg was exposed to its thigh.

Never once did he touch her with his hands, grazing her skin only with the brush.

But when it had glided leisurely up her thigh, peculiar sensations twirled in her stomach.

She closed her eyes and breathed in.

He saw this and felt his sturdy wall shake.

The brush slipped from his hand and sank into the water again.

On hearing the plop of the brush falling, Kushi opened her eyes and looked up.

He was still holding her leg up, but he was not scrubbing; the hand that had held the brush was empty and paused in midair.

A desirous fog had fallen upon his eyes as he gazed down at her.

He released her ankle, letting her leg descend into the water again.

And then he moved towards her, leaning closer to her face.

Kushi clutched at the sides of the tub, the fear returning with each phase of his nearing.

She gasped when she felt his hand on her thigh under water and stared at him in disbelief.

He saw her lips tremble and realized it was not of the cold.

He lifted his hand off her thigh and looked at her apologetically, not knowing why he had let himself frighten her again. He hadn't meant to advance on her so...

"Kushi, I'm-"

She leaned up, reaching her arms up around his neck, wanting assurance of safety which she was poor of by the mere manifestation of being wet and nearly naked with him in the bath.

He embraced her, wanting to stop her shivers.

His voice was etched with worry, "Its, alright, Kushi. I won't do anything..."

Reclining his back against the tub again, he pulled her to his chest and she laid her head against his strong shoulder.

"I won't hurt you..." He whispered warmly and then buried his face in her neck, making her flinch.

He breathed in and kissed the wet skin on her collarbone.

"I won't hurt you," he whispered again.

She closed her eyes.

He grazed the skin of her cheek with the tip of his nose, his breath fanning her lips.

She opened her eyes to look at him but was stunned to find him frowning at the water.

She blinked at him confusedly and panicked if he was angered by something she had done, when he looked at her with an amused light in his eyes.

Kushi was clueless, "My lord?"

His arms were still around her as he gazed at her, "Though it is a tempting thought to have my scent on you, I want you to smell like the way you always did. Name me the bar of soap you use and I will stock a year's supply of them."

A smile broke on Kushi's face on hearing his acquitted proposition.

He gazed at her, bewitched by the beauty of her innocent smile.

A minute later, he scrambled out of the bath and fetched two towels, throwing one for Kushi after draping down the other around his waist.

Kushi got out of the bath and dried her hair with the towel he had given her.

He didn't speak anything to her the whole time but she realized that she was beginning to trust him again. She knew he would never do anything she was uncomfortable with...

When they had changed into a fresh set of attire and had walked downstairs, to the dining hall, they found the family had finished breakfasting but remained lounging in their seats, conversing about assorted matters.

Lady Anjali smiled when she saw them enter, "Kushiji, I thought you had been asked to scrub Chotey. But it looks like you were given a good scrub yourself!"

Kushi blushed and to everyone's surprise, Lord Arnav took her hand in his and gently kissed it.

Kushi stared at him as he gazed at her pointedly and then his eyes were looking over her shoulder, a victorious gleam in his look.

She looked over her shoulder and saw the fuming General standing a few steps away from them, frowning at Kushi's kissed hand that was still held in Lord Arnav's.

Kushi was reminded of what her husband had told her in the bath chamber. What I do outside where we might be seen is for him, but what I do in the privacy of closed doors is for me...

She smiled secretly and decided again that if her husband was willing to go into harmless feats of romance just to irk the General, then she was only more glad if the General created opportunities to instigate her husband.

P. S. Though many of you already know this, I would still like to say it again: Neither the Forum nor the Storyteller is appreciative of spamming. Thank you for understanding and looking forward to your co-operation.