SS: Fairytales Part 5

The early orange hues of dawn saw two souls, enraptured in feelings for each other. Too shy to admit it and unsure of what each one felt, they started spending time together. He would watch her while she played her piano, the little heart often adorning her elegant neck. And she would take walks in the huge garden, while Swayam and Rey went around discussing state matters. Everytime they caught each other's eye, they would share a smile and nod towards the other, the eyelock never breaking till one was out of sight, but not out of mind. Rey made silent observations and felt happy that it was his best mate and his sister who were to fall in love. The king and the queen, had to leave for their annual tour around the country and hence Rey often had to go to court and oversee the state of affairs. This often left Swayam and Sharon together alone.

One if their favorite past times was to walk through the woods, close to where the witch lived.  "So, Sharon...what else do you do? Apart from painiting, playing music and being an unearthly charm?", Swayam asked her as they walked through the woods. "I dance sometimes, or everytime I get to rather, its a strange passion for a princess, but I am human afterall", she replied, blushing slightly at his open compliment. "And do you have any preferences, when it comes to dancing?" he questioned her curiously. "Well...not preferences really, but dreams", she replied thoughtfully. "Dreams...as in?", he asked her. "Dreams of mastering the art of dance, the different forms of dance....more specifically the dances that I've heard about from Indus. Do you know Swayam? There are so many forms of dance there which are extremely rigorous, but they're exotic. We had a troupe of dancers from the Indus who entertained us with stories of their land. Oh how I envied the fact Rey got to travel the world, to Indus!It's one place I'd love to go to", Sharon said clasping her hands as she remembered the enthralling folklore she had heard. "Indus is quite an exotic country, its massive with different cultures existing together, but that's what makes it different. People there co-exist with one another despite the difference in thwir backgrounds.", he said, remembering his travel to the country. "Their way of warfare is just and stately affairs are taken care of efficiently. The folk tales are amusing sometimes but are laced with values. Its a very colorful culture", Swayam continued as Sharon looked on. "Tell me more" she asked. And so he told her about his experience in the country. The seemingly ancient practices but efficient practices that were used by them in every field. The warm hearted people, the colours, the festivities and the castes. The stories of different castes. Their epics, which did emphasize on good over evil but neither side was ideal. Both the sides had their good qualities, their beliefs and an equal share of wrongdoings and evil. They were glorified as heroes, but were written as normal humans. Thus caught up in their talk and discussion, they came upon a little brook with a massive willow on its banks. The willow was surrounded by little daisy shrubs, slowly moving to the wind's tunes. After a seemingly long walk, this little place came a refrishment to the two tired souls. They sat beneath the tree and watched as birds fluttered by, chirping merrily and the water gurgled on. They sat close enough to be seen as friends but far apart to not raise eyebrows. Sharon leaned against the tree, drinking in the sight.

Swayam had gone down to the brook to drink a little water, to soothe his parched throat. Filling a little bottle that he had by his sword clapard, he returned to the tree where Sharon rested with her eyes closed. He sat down beside her, and watched her. He watched as she breathed in and out gently, her chest rising and falling gently, her eyes tenderly shut and her cheeks slightly pink. He was so lost in her that he didn't notice when Sharon opened her eyes and turned slightly to look at him watching her. As they locked eyes, they silently fought a battle of nerves, excitement and raw emotions. The urge to be in each other's embrace was too strong. Swayam cleared his throat and looked away and she snapped out of her reverie. "There's water here..." he said handing the bottle to her. She accepted it and drank from it. Silence fell once more as both of them were lost in their own thoughts. Little did they know that the thoughts were of each other. Sharon spoke first, deciding to push her luck, "Have you ever fallen in love Swayam?" She asked him. "Never...not really I guess, at least not before I came here", he replied looking at her intently. Her heart skipped a beat as she tried to control her emotions, "Why not?", she asked. "Probably because, I had not met anyone who interested me I suppose", he replied with a wry smile. "Atleast not until now", he said, stressing on the now. "What changed now?" She wondered absently, while her heart fluttered like the wings of a butterfly. "I met you", he stated simply, watching as her eyes gave away her feelings. "And you found me interesting. You found a friend in me", she said half whispering the friend. "Actually princess...I mean Sharon, would you share a dance with me?", he asked as he rose to his feet and knelt before her, his hand outstretched towards her. "Here? But there's no music!", she responded completely thrown off by his question. He smirked as he replied, "When souls find each other princess, there is no need for music", Swayam said lifting her up to her feet. Pulling her in close, they lightly waltzed under the shade of the willow to the happy gurgle of the brook and the music of nature. The breeze blew like a whisper around them as they swayed, locked in a trance, their eyes more transparent than their lips. Swayam twirled her around slightly away from him and pulled her back gently, encasing her in his arms. He bent his head slightly so as to reach her ears and he whispered, "Not as a friend Sharon, as a lover. As my love", he said, sending shivers down her spine at his proximity. He twirled her away and pulled her back again so that she faced him. Her cheeks had reddened while her eyes showed her surprise, her happiness and joy. Her lips had broken into a wide smile and she looked ethereal. Swayam gasped slightly as he watched her emotions flood her face, making her look unreal. "You found a lover in me. You found your love in me", she repeated softly, making her finally believe that the words she had heard were true. "Lovers don't meet each other Sharon, they..." "are in one another's souls from the beginning", she completed. "Rumi" they both said at the same time and burst out laughing. And as laughter gave away into silence, she looked at him again only to find him already looking at her, his eyes blazing with a kind of fire that made her stomach erupt into butterflies. She unclasped the necklace he'd given her and opened the pendant, revealing a potrait of him and her. "You said soulmate....soulmate meant you", she shrugged, smiling as she watched his eyes flitting from the charm to her, relieved and happy. She fastened the necklace once again around her neck and he pulled her into a warm gentle embrace. As she rested her head against his heart, she closed her eyes and let out a sigh, content with listening to his heart and feeling his breath soak the roots of her hair, filling her with an unknown yet familiar feeling.

Rey stood watching the last rays of the sun, fading bit by bit, each moment revealing a new colour, wondering about Taani when he spotted Swayam and Sharon, walking with wide smiles, their hands entwined and with Shaton resting her head on Swayam's shoulder, looking blissfully happy. Smiling to himself, knowing what must have happened, he hastened to write to his parents to let them know of the good news.

And that my dear readers is the story of how once upon a time, a king and a queen, entered the magical realm of love while embarking in the wonderful journey called life.

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