Page 6 of Sumanika

"I will, but let us go," he offered. I shivered with fear. This could not happen—not at all.

A few objected,“Marry her now. We don’t trust you. Or leave her alone here; let us finish our ritual.”

I looked at him, sniveling. The bloody sword was still hanging in his hand. The rage filled his eyes as he turned to look at me. I hid my face, unable to meet his gaze. I knew nothing.

Let me die. Don’t do this.

“You should not do this. Your bride will not like it. Please,” I protested, muffling and crying.

“I will,” he decided, and I was stunned, noticing the faint sound of him cutting his thumb against his sword.

I hid my face even more and shook my head terribly.

“No, No, You are a Prince, and I am just a maid. You cannot do this,” I argued, but he cupped my nape tightly and made me look into his eyes.

Tears streamed down my cheeks uncontrollably as I felt him touch the top of my forehead and fill the part in my hair with his thick and warm blood.

I burst into tears and immediately tried to wipe his blood off, but he grasped my wrist and pulled me closer. I sobbed.

“She is mine now!” he shouted.“Touch her, and you will all burn alive on your pyres!”

He wrapped his hand around me, reminding me of the time he accidentally threw color at me during Holi. The thought of his family finding out numbed me. What had just happened?

He picked me up and stood tall.“She is dead to you all now. Never try to look for her,” he stated, stepping back and mounting me onto his horse. He quickly settled in behind me, and I turned to see the soldiers trailing him as we rode off. The din of the crowd diminished as the horse galloped faster.

I looked at my white clothes stained with his blood and his hands adorned with the engagement ring. It was only six months until his wedding, and I had ruined everything for him.

A strange tension was building between us, as I didn’t know where he was taking me.

We bounced on the horse, feeling his chest hit my back. I felt vulnerable. I tried to maintain distance.

But he tugged the horse’s reins with one hand and wrapped the other to keep me from falling.

I sat in silence, stunned.

Once we reached a spot far from the horror, he dismounted and helped me down. He glanced away momentarily, checking if anyone followed.

I wiped a tear off my cheeks and looked around—a small river winding through the woods. The sun was setting, casting an orange and red glow across the sky.

“Come with me,” he ordered, walking into the forest while holding his horse’s reins and walking him along.

My feet froze. Being alone with a prince felt too heavy on my shoulders, especially since he was to be married in six months. I couldn’t torture his image. My gaze scanned the surroundings, considering all the possibilities I might face alone with him.

But I didn’t have any choice. Clenching my trembling fingers, I followed him quietly. The scent of mud was strong after the rain. The trees had a different shade of green, reminding me of his eyes.

I shook my head.

"Suno,"“Hey,” he shouted, and I looked at him. He stood a few meters from the river, and I stopped a meter away from him.“You should clean yourself. No one can know about this or what happened today,” he exclaimed, and I understood.“Ji,”

“I’ll get you a pair of clothes. Just wait for me here,” he added, stepping away. I grabbed his wrist, looked at him with tear-filled eyes, and shook my head. He held my wrist back, pulling his hand away.“It’s okay; nothing will happen. Just stay here,”

I cried, forcing.“No, please, don’t leave me alone.” He inhaled deeply.“Fine, I’m here,”

I strolled towards the river. The sound of running water weakened my knees as I approached closer. At that moment, everything seemed capable of killing me. Kneeling, I leaned forward to cup the water in my hands. And, noticing the dried trail of blood in the partition of my hair, I froze.

I was his wife now.

No! He only did it to protect me. It was just the need of the moment.

---