Parushi rolled her eyes, but I stayed silent. He needed to come to the right conclusion himself. He needed to believe in it enough to stand up to the pressure we’d surely face.
Aru snapped his fingers. “The meaning is clear.”
I held my breath, praying he’d seen the right “clear” meaning in the vision I’d created.
“We must eliminate the Porcugi,” Aru said, striking his open palm with his fist. “Once the Porcugi was gone, the Spirits gave us our heir and allowed our crops to prosper. There is only one path for us: We will send the Porcugi back to the sea.”
He smiled as he walked into the sunlight with his shoulders thrown back. This was the raja I wanted to see: confident, proud, and ready to fight for the sake of his people. All he’d needed was a little nudge to get there.
“Of course!” I said. “It’s so obvious now. We must cast the Porcugi back into the ocean to please the Spirits, and then they’ll bless us with a child.”
“I will not have any snake monsters coming between us.” Aru looked down at me intently and put his hands on my stomach. “Or our son. The Spirits have spoken; we have no choice but to obey. I will do whatever it takes to cast the Porcugi away.”
His solemnity was broken as his eyes crinkled into a smile. “That rhymed!”
“Indeed,” I said. “A warrior and a poet. It would seem you’ve hidden many parts of yourself from me. Perhaps one day you can sing while I play my tambura.”
Aru laughed. “I would never hide anything from you. But I would love to hear you play.”
He stepped closer to me. He didn’t need to put his fingers under my chin anymore; there was no escaping the way my eyes were drawn to his. His fingertip brushed from my shoulder to my elbow and down to my wrist and then my hand. But instead of holding it, he traced each of my fingers individually as he asked, “Perhaps you could come by with your instrument tonight? And you could play for me?”
My blushing cheeks answered his question.
“I’ll take that as a yes,” Aru said with satisfaction. “And I welcome the chance to prove that I am hiding none of myself from you.”
I wished I had my fan. The sun was shining brightly overhead, and the sari combined with all the jewelry made the heat unbearable. Surely that was why I suddenly felt so warm.
“If you have the energy.” I challenged him with a smirk. “We have a lot of work to do when we return to the palace.”
“All the more reason to do it quickly.” Aru’s smile was wolfish as he extended his hand to me and led me through the gates and out of the garden. “We will write and seal the order as soon as we get home.”
My steps were lighter as we made our way back to the palanquins. The sun’s heat didn’t bother me so much anymore, and the many layers of my sari flowed with my steps. I was about to step onto my palanquin when I realized something. “I didn’t finish my prayer!”
Nobody had time to argue. I hurried back into the temple, ignoring the gasps of the people who had finally been let back in after our departure. The monk holding the tray of incense was frozen in shock and didn’t offer a stick to me. I took one anyway and gave him my thanks as I went in.
The cool bricks were a balm on my hot feet and knees. After I lit my incense, I brought my forehead down to the floor in a full bow. People around me scrambled to do the same, but I hardly noticed.
For the first time in a very long time, I prayed to the Spirits.
And I thanked them.
Chapter 31
The moment we arrived back at the palace, Vishwajeet greeted us with a deep bow. “Welcome back, Raja Lakshmappa and Rani Abbakka. I have refreshments ready for you in the courtyard.”
“I am famished,” Aru declared, and he practically skipped as he made his way there, despite the many kodubale he’d eaten on our way back.
I followed behind with less enthusiasm. The taste of coconut and ajwain still sat on my tongue after our snacks, but Aru had made up his mind, and Vishwajeet was positively strutting as we made our way to the courtyard.
The palace in Banghervari was set atop a hill, and its grounds sloped down in the back. It gave the rear courtyard an impressive view of the kingdom: the rolling hills and valleys patched with fields and villages, and the shadowed mountains reaching for the sky behind them. It was quite a contrast from the ocean views at home. The wind came and went, and there was no constant crashing of the waves on the sandy shore. Even the air was different; it smelled of earth instead of salt.
I wanted to love it.
Today, Vishwajeet had created a picturesque setting for us. A circular table adorned with pink and red flowers sat in the center of the courtyard. Its two chairs were draped in orange garlands, and piping-hot stuffed dosas were already served in front of them. The aroma of fenugreek, cumin, and mustard promptly made me forget the snacks we’d eaten on our way back.
Annoying or not, Vishwajeet had timed the preparation of the dosas incredibly well. I sat in my chair and marveled at the steam swirling upward from the thin pancakes that were rolled around a mystery filling. “Thank you. This looks amazing.”
Vishwajeet was focused entirely on Aru, and his shoulders jumped as I spoke. He turned to me and tried to wipe the surprise off his face. “I wanted to do something special. Dosas are Raja Lakshmappa’s favorite.”
