Zara used the Amazon’s silence to her advantage. She gazed at the smaller woman’s striking features, the slight wrinkle lines
around her mouth, which were a legacy from frequent smiling. At the way that her eyebrows arched delicately into a curve
and at her graceful nose, its rounded shape a perfect addition to an already beautiful face. With one corner of her mouth
turned up, the captain gazed longingly at Gabrielle’s firm mouth, the way the upper lip was slightly curving and the fullness of
her lower lip. Caught off-guard, those lips parted with a sigh, then bent into a smile as she looked up. Pulled from her silent
reverie, the Moroccan smiled as she gazed into sparkling green eyes.
“I’m very glad that you didn’t walk away from your ship, otherwise, we might never have met,” Gabrielle’s voice was like a
soft melody. Zara leaned forward slightly until her mouth barely touched the healer’s soft lips. When she pulled away, the
Moroccan smiled at the blonde and noticed the mischievous smile forming.
~~~~~~
Nadrah and Pritam were making full use of the estate. When the game of Hide-and-go-seek proved too easy outside, they
moved into the estate. At one point, Pritam found Nadrah and was ready to tag her when she ended up darting from his
grasp, her little legs running as fast as she could through the prince’s home.
“Nadrah! Not fair,” Pritam giggled wildly as he chased her up the stairs and followed her down a corridor that was seldom
used.
“Can’t catch me!” She screamed over her shoulder as childish giggles escaped her control.
“Can so!” He shouted back.
When she glanced over her shoulders, she saw him stopping dead in his tracks, his eyes growing wide. Thinking that he was
giving up, she stuck her tongue out at him and kept running until she hit an immovable force. At the sudden blockage, she
grunted before falling backward onto her bottom. When she glanced up, she saw the scowling face of the woman that Zara
used to spend her time with. With a nervous gulp, Nadrah blinked as she saw the dark Indian man move beside the woman.
“Clumsy child! Watch where you go!” The woman hissed as she straightened out her clothes, then, glancing down at
Nadrah, her brow arched upward. “You are Zara’s servant?”
In a hasty manner, the girl quickly got to her feet. Afraid of the sudden question, Nadrah only gulped and looked over her
shoulder. Pritam was nowhere to be seen.
The woman pulled Nadrah’s head back around to face her. “Look at me, you insolent brat! I asked you a question! Are
you her servant?”
Nadrah managed to say something, but in her haste to answer, her words came out in such a garbled stutter that they were
incomprehensible and the woman shook her.
“Speak up! Are you deaf and dumb, or what?” The woman shouted as the man stared coldly down at her.
Before Nadrah’s fear could get the better of her, a calm voice came from behind them in the hall and the woman hastily let go
of her. “Here, now. What is all this noise?”
Turning, the cabin girl saw Pritam standing with Lady Asha, Arjun’s first wife. Seeing her presence, the woman smiled
obsequiously, her head bowed in a fawning respect to royalty.
“Oh, Lady Asha, what an honor it is to see you.” Her voice was suddenly a soft purr and the man behind her nodded
respectfully to prince Arjun’s first wife.
“And what is the meaning of this, Lady Shikha?” Lady Asha Ashoka’s calm but commanding voice was laced with a clearly
definable accent that labeled her as hailing from the north eastern Kalinga region and further marked her as a daughter of the
rich and powerful Pallavas Kingdom. Arjun’s marriage with a princess from Pallavas united the two largest kingdoms of the
North and East. Once the marriage had been completed, it had taken little time for their combined forces to take over the
southern kingdom of Chalukyas. “For what reason do you make such a disturbance in my house?”
“Disturbance? I was, ah, merely inquiring into the child’s welfare,” Shikha offered as she smiled sweetly at Nadrah, patting
her on the head.
“Nonsense.” The first wife of Arjun stated mildly. “I could hear you shouting from clear up the stairs. I believe that prince
Arjun will not be pleased to hear that you have raised your voice to his favorite niece!” At the look of surprise from Shikha,
Lady Asha smiled and nodded. “Oh, yes, Lady Shikha. Have you forgotten that Arjun considers Zara to be his sister? That
would make Zara’s charge his niece. You would do well to remember this, Captain Daruka, Lady Shikha.” She stated with
a firm voice filled with all of the quiet power and authority of her royal heritage.
With her cheeks flaming and a nod of assent, Shikha bowed to her princess and her husband mirrored his wife’s action.
Seeing their obeisance, Asha nodded, then turned from them and lightly placed her palm on Nadrah’s shoulder, guiding her
from the corridor. When they were around the corner and out of hearing range, she knelt in front of the two children.
“You are very fortunate that Pritam came to get me. Are you all right?” The beautiful princess asked Nadrah, her radiant
smile captivating the child. The girl merely nodded as she returned the smile. “Good, then go and play and I suggest that you
both do your best to avoid that one,” the princess advised as she inclined her head to the hallway where Shikha and her
husband were lodged.
“I think it would be safer to go look at the raptors,” Nadrah stated firmly as she looked in that direction and missed seeing the
royal cheeks dimple as princess Asha struggled to keep from laughing.
Pritam grunted. “I think so too! My sister will need help with cleaning their mews soon and that’s really fun! Let’s go,
Nadrah, maybe she’ll let us help!” He suggested and nodded a thank you to the princess before darting off down the nearest
steps. Glancing up at Princess Asha, Nadrah’s wide smile was filled with adoration for her newest savior. With a slight nod
and a ruffle of the girl’s dark hair, the royal princess nodded toward the disappearing boy as she encouraged the girl to follow.
Like a thundering water buffalo the girl turned and began to chase after the boy. “Pritam, wait up!” She shouted as a chorus
of giggles escaped her.
Princess Asha watched the children disappear from the house, her heart warming at the sound of their voices. With a longing
sigh, she closed her eyes as her hand absently rested on her abdomen. Ever since she had been married, she longed for a
child in her life, yet it did not seem to be for her. The two times that she had lain with her husband were a failure. The first
time they had made love on their wedding night, Arjun was inebriated with wine and could barely perform and no child was
conceived from that encounter. The second time they tried, Arjun was unable to perform at all. But now, with the help of her
husband’s friend, she felt a child was in her future.
Princess Asha had no idea that she would enjoy sharing herself to such an extent with a man. She knew from experience that
she enjoyed making love to and being made love to by her sisters-the wives of her husband. Even the times that she had been
with Zara were wonderful, but until her encounter with Abu, she had never known that it could be so enjoyable with a man.
As the first wife, she was the first to be with the tall, muscular Moroccan. His touches, although tentative, were gentle and
kind. From the soft caress of his lips, to the tenderness of his hands, Abu had brought her to heights of pleasure that she had
never known was possible with anyone but her sister-wives and Zara. Due to his patience and soft caresses, by the time the
gentle man had entered her, Asha’s body was more than ready for him. With each thrust she felt as if she were riding an
ocean wave of rocking pleasure until she came crashing down to rest in an exquisite sense of blissful peace.
With a smile, Princess Asha felt her belly as she silently gave a wishful prayer for Krishna’s blessing. She hoped that the few
times she had been with Abu were enough to already plant a seed within her. Although there was no way of knowing for
certain, she felt that a child was already beginning to form within her. If all went according to plan, she thought with a smile,
by the festival of Sarasvati, she would be able to present her in-laws with the heir to their kingdom and she would have a
baby to pamper and love.
“Sister, is all well?” Ela called to her from their shared quarters.
“Yes, my sister,” the first wife called down the hall.
“Good, then return to our room, for it is your turn again!” Her taller sister-wife smiled, knowing the pleasure that was in store
for Asha.
