Tiger's Promise Read online

  He stared into the water as if he were trying to divine his future and didn’t seem to like what he saw. Then he noticed the purple flower I’d recently dropped, scooped it up into his hands, and brought it to his face. He inhaled deeply and sighed. I found the scent of the man standing next to me more intoxicating than that of the flower. Unlike the other men downstairs who carried with them the scent of the alcohol they had drunk or the garlic they had eaten, this man smelled of musky sandalwood and the scent of sweet grass warmed by the sun.

  Satisfied, he gently dropped the water flower back down into the fountain, where it turned in a lazy circle before floating back. It was as if there was something magnetic about the man that drew the exceptional blossom toward him. Suddenly, I realized that I, too, had come dangerously close to touching him.

  Leaning back at an awkward angle, so he wouldn’t sense me, I wondered how long he would be standing in my very personal space. When he didn’t immediately move, I studied him in much the same way as I did the garden. The fact that he was handsome was obvious, but I’d been around handsome men before and had always remained largely unaffected. A handsome man could be just as cruel as an ugly one. I’d had far too many uncomfortable experiences with men to simply trust one based on his appearance.

  That he was an emperor’s son meant he was powerful, but he didn’t wear his power in an obvious way like my father did. That fact made me like him more. His clothing was well made but didn’t boast the typical trappings that declared to everyone that a rich man wore them. His body was that of a warrior, not a king, which likely meant his father was still alive and, what was more, it meant that he was brave—a man who stood alongside his soldiers rather than behind them.

  His features were not typical of the men I’d come across before. The shape of his face and mouth seemed different somehow, and his golden eyes, with little streaks of rust the color of newly made henna ink, were so uncommon as to be remarkable. He was as exotic and rare as the flower I’d just come across—a bewitching, transfixing contradiction of a man.

  He was a soldier and yet he seemed to have an appreciation for things of beauty. An heir to a large empire and yet here he was alone, without a bodyguard or an entourage. No one was about to scrape at his feet or offer obeisance. Here was an entitled, attractive prince who seemingly cared nothing for parties, diplomacy, or eligible females. And where most men would strike the help for being careless, he was not only kind but assisted the servant—a gesture few men I knew would make, especially for one they considered beneath their station.

  As I watched him twitch his fingers above the koi pond, I smiled and had to stop myself from laughing at the hungry little fish lifting their heads above water and making supplicating shapes with their mouths. They were hungry and sought the sustenance they thought he might provide.

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t bring you any bread,” he said. “If I knew you were here, I would have.”

  My amusement was replaced by something else, something warm, a feeling I couldn’t quite describe. Heat colored my cheeks, and I silently pressed my hands against them. Amazed, I realized I was blushing from just being in his presence. My pulse quickened as I stared at his face as hungrily as the colorful fish. In fact, I couldn’t seem to look away from him until I noticed his brow furrow in confusion, and he glanced in my direction.

  “What is it?” he asked. “What ethereal creature have you discovered?”

  I looked down at the bobbing school only to cup my mouth in horror when I realized that the fish had given up on the handsome young man and were now turned in my direction. They saw through whatever spell it was that made me invisible to others. As their wide mouths opened and closed and they swam closer, he took a step in my direction. Just at that moment, a man called out.

  “There you are. Thank you for agreeing to see me.”

  The young prince stopped; his whole body stiffened as he turned to acknowledge the newcomer. Stepping into the clearing around the fountain, the man strode confidently forward, the mask he wore a version of his earlier self. Younger than the wizened diplomat my father typically preferred—this one he only wore when he met with those much younger than he was.

  It wasn’t different enough that most people would notice. In fact, I appeared to be the only one who saw my father for what he truly was—a decrepit, skeletal corpse—a man as decayed on the outside as he was rotted on the inside. What could he possibly want with this young man? I wondered. Despite the fact that my every instinct told me to run away as quickly as possible, another part of me wanted to stay, wanted to stand between the handsome stranger and my father and protect him as I did Isha.

  The young man answered. “Your…summons didn’t give me leave to deny your request.”

  “And why would you? I assure you that this dialogue will be of vital importance to the future of both of our kingdoms.” My father smiled in a charming way that rooted me to the spot where I stood. “Perhaps you will allow me to introduce myself properly.” He bowed and held out his hand in a gesture of goodwill. “My name is Lokesh.”

  The young man ignored the offered hand. “I know who you are.”

  “Ah, I can see that my reputation precedes me.”

  “Indeed it does. Though I hope it is exaggerated, my impression is that it is not.”

  My father clucked his tongue. “Surely a warrior such as yourself knows that a sometimes admittedly shocking reputation can often serve to benefit its wielder just as much, if not perhaps more, than a finely made sword?”

  Folding his arms across his brawny chest, the stranger answered, “Yes. And I also know that the type of man willing to allow such a reputation to exist, whether it is true or not, is a man I would not have at my back.”

  Lokesh laughed in response. I’d never heard him laugh before, even facetiously, and as far as I could tell, his reaction was genuine. For some reason, the stranger’s answer delighted my father. The nervous feeling I had regarding the safety of the young man intensified by several degrees.

  “How clever. But, then again, I would expect no less of a Rajaram.”

  The young man’s eyes narrowed. “I sense that my time here has been wasted. We had been informed that this meeting would be regarding treaty negotiations. Instead, I find myself a guest at a women’s garden party where I am forced to watch pompous peacocks strut around in all their finery as they flatter, preen, and prance around, congratulating one another on the amount of gold stored in their coffers. The hour grows late, and as my intention is to leave with the sunrise, I would prefer to retire to my bedchamber for the few hours remaining until that time. If it is the recent skirmish you wish to discuss, then I would suggest you get on with it. If not, I will take my leave.”

  Lokesh’s eyes sparkled. “Kishan. May I call you that?” My father didn’t wait for approval but continued. “I can assure you that the recent”—he paused—“small scuffles between our troops, as trivial as they are, have indeed been on my mind. The fact that our two realms have been set at odds pains me, and I feel I must attempt to persuade you that I have in no way been the instigator of such treacherous acts.”

  The stranger said nothing, but his fists tightened, and the muscles in his arms flexed. He clearly didn’t believe the lies spilling from my father’s lips, at least not completely. I wasn’t sure what it was Lokesh had been doing in all of his secret campaigns, but it was now clear that he had malicious aims regarding this young man and his family. The fear I felt for him almost choked me. My body shook and my breathing became ragged.

  “No, Kishan. My purpose tonight is to put an end to any discontent and build a bridge between our people.”

  “And how do you propose we do that?” the stranger asked.

  Taking a step forward and raising his hand in such a way as to appear supplicating to the outsider, but was obviously threatening from my perspective, he said, “By creating an alliance between our families.”

  Four

  Bait

  I couldn�
��t help it and let out a soft, involuntary gasp. Fortunately, neither my father nor the young man noticed it over the sounds of the flowing fountain.

  “What do you mean?” the handsome man asked. He was right to be suspicious. Whatever my father was planning would not bode well for anyone involved.

  Lokesh turned and approached the water fountain. Allowing the stream to run over his fingertips, he queried, “You are, of course, aware of the king’s announcement tonight?”

  “That your daughter is now eligible for marriage? What of it?”

  A part of me was hurt by the young man’s remark. I rationalized it by reminding myself that I wasn’t looking for a suitor anyway. That the best thing for me and Isha was if I married a man who lived far away from my father. Far enough away that I could escape. Such a thing would be easy with the King from Mahabalipuram, but I suspected that leaving a man like this stranger would prove far more difficult. Still, to hear of his indifference to me was a blow to my feminine pride.

  I’d always known that I was beautiful. Isha told me as much daily, and I’d garnered enough attention from the men surrounding our home as to be confident in my appearance, but for the first time in my life, I felt…unappealing. The idea that the young man that I found so very fascinating had no interest in me whatsoever stung.

  My father went on. “You may be unaware of this, but the announcement tonight was unplanned. The king intends to use my daughter to further his reach, and as she is the only connection I have remaining to my beloved, late wife, you may understand that the declaration regarding her eligibility for marriage has caused me some concern.”

  I narrowed my eyes at the mention of my mother. Isha had shared her suspicions regarding my mother’s death long ago. She told me that my mother didn’t die in childbirth as my father led everyone to believe. Her friend, the midwife who delivered me, had spoken to Isha just hours after I was born and reported that both mother and daughter were healthy.

  When Isha’s friend went back to check on me and my mother, my mother’s death was announced and the midwife disappeared. Isha believed wholeheartedly that my father had both women disposed of. Having seen his temper firsthand, I didn’t doubt he was capable of the feat. If I thought killing him was a possibility, I would have done it myself, long ago. The handsome man spoke, distracting me from my thoughts of revenge.

  “What does this have to do with me?” the stranger asked.

  My father ran his fingertips back and forth in the water, and I noticed that all the fish disappeared. No longer supplicating, they quickly retreated to the far reaches of the pond. Had they sensed something when my father touched the water? I wondered. Or perhaps he used his power somehow to make them retreat. I bit my lip, so intent on the next words my father uttered that I could barely breathe.

  “I thought we might come to a mutually beneficial arrangement.”

  “Such as?”

  “Your elder brother, Dhiren, is it? I have heard that he has not as yet taken a bride.”

  “He’s still young. Besides, he’s been too busy defending our lands from your…small skirmishes.”

  My father glanced briefly at the stranger, his lips curved slightly at the man’s remark. “Wouldn’t it be better,” Lokesh asked with a wily smile, “if your brother could return to his duties at home? Forget war and disputes over territory and settle down to be the emperor he is destined to become? With the proper queen at his side, he could take his rightful place. Sire sons to reign in his stead.”

  “Let me guess. You’d want your daughter to be the queen.”

  “She is beautiful. Obedient. Demure. What’s more, her dowry is backed by the king.” He leaned forward and lowered his voice. “And, just between the two of us, with my daughter on the throne, I would be satisfied that my grandchildren would someday rule both kingdoms. The meaningless squabbles over territory would cease, and both of our kingdoms could flourish in a mutually satisfactory way.”

  The young man rubbed his jaw, and I heard the scrape of stubble on his cheek. I wanted to shout, to scream at him not to heed my father’s words. That Lokesh never kept his promises. That even staying here listening to him was dangerous. But I said nothing and wrung my invisible hands, desperate to hear about this future he planned for me. The fact that Lokesh wouldn’t allow the king to marry me off to someone of his choosing wasn’t surprising, but I’d allowed a small sliver of hope to grow, and as I’d expected, my father had snuffed it out before even an evening had passed.

  Then my devious parent added, “Surely, at that point you might be freed to pursue your own goals. Perhaps you can find a wife with enough riches to enable you to purchase a small freehold of your own. Obviously, as the second son, you would be given a portion of your father’s wealth to establish yourself. With enough of a start, you might even do well. You’d never be able to keep up with your brother, of course, but there’s no shame in being second best. And I’m sure my daughter’s royal children would enjoy meeting their uncle should he deign to visit from time to time.”

  As Lokesh continued, the young man’s back straightened even more. His fury was obvious. I knew it and my father knew it. Manipulation was one of his skills, and the only way to circumvent it was to pretend that nothing he said affected you. Again, I found that I wanted to rise to the young man’s defense, but there wasn’t anything I could do. My father had maneuvered his layers of manipulation around the man as deftly as a snake, and I could almost hear the sound of the handsome stranger’s ego being bruised as the coils tightened.

  “You understand that I feel a great fatherly affection toward my daughter. It is imperative to me that I keep her close by. Our lands border each other. Because of that, I am willing to negotiate a betrothal on behalf of our king, but make no mistake, should my generous offer be rejected, I will have no choice but to escalate the hostilities between our peoples.”

  “And you feel comfortable housing your daughter with your so-called enemies?”

  Lokesh’s tongue darted over his lips. “I have every confidence that you will treat her with the honor and respect she deserves.”

  I could have laughed. There was no enemy more dangerous to my well-being than the very man who professed to feel “fatherly affection” for me.

  The young man called Kishan turned his back to my father, which meant he was facing me. In fact, he was only a few inches away. A myriad of emotions crossed his face as he considered my father’s words. I wanted to reach up and stroke the tip of my finger across his brow, to smooth out the wrinkles and ease the discomfort my father had caused him. Finally, he said, “I will pass along your proposal to my parents. We will send our reply by courier within a fortnight.”

  My father lowered his head in a gesture of feigned good will. “May your horses be swift.”

  Kishan took his leave then and Lokesh watched him go. Silence descended on the garden. Every creeping thing was still. Even the wind had died down. My breathing suddenly seemed too loud. I swiped at my overheated brow and willed my invisible legs to stop aching. Raising his hands, Lokesh channeled his power, an act I’d rarely witnessed. The water in the fountain snapped and froze as hoary ice soon covered every inch of the path’s stony surface.

  He whipped his arms in the air, and a stiff wind tore through the garden, ripping delicate flowers from their stems and breaking limbs from the trees. Then he lifted his arms and the ground shook, the frozen fountain cracked, and I stumbled and fell. I bit my tongue hard rather than cry out. Thrusting out his open hands, blue sparks shot from his fingertips and blackened the trunk of a nearby tree. Clenching his fists, he snuffed the power out, and with a determined stride, he left the garden, heading down a different set of steps than the ones I’d used.

  I waited a long time before heading back to my sleeping chamber, and once I did, I carefully washed my feet and climbed into bed, but sleep eluded me. Instead, I stared at the filmy material draped over my bed and prepared myself for the morning to come.

  When dayligh
t found my chamber, I waited for my father to come collect me. I’d expected him to appear immediately, but as the morning hours passed and not even a maid came to my chamber, I ventured out. I didn’t find anyone, guest or servant, until I entered the great hall, and when I did, the one who sought me out was not my father nor his right-hand man, Hajari, but King Devanand, my would-be suitor from Mahabalipuram.

  “Oh, my dear. This is tragic. Tragic news indeed.”

  “What is it?” I asked him as I adjusted the veil more tightly about my face. “What has happened?”

  “Have you not heard?”

  I shook my head in response.

  “The king has been murdered.”

  “Is…is it possible?” I asked, suspicion already filling my mind. “How did he die? Was the villain discovered?”

  “Not as yet. Your father is investigating.”

  “I see.”

  “At first, it was believed he simply expired in his sleep, but as the women tended to him, his nightshirt fell open. That’s when they saw the black marks on his chest near his heart.”

  “Black marks?”

  “Yes. The area surrounding his heart was burned, but the blackened skin was not enough to kill him. Still, it is enough proof to raise suspicion.”

  “I see. What is happening now? Where is my father?”

  “He is organizing the troops. They are to defend the kingdom until such time as a new king has been established. He worries that a usurper may try to take the throne, and he does not wish that to happen.”

  “Of course.”

  He patted my hand. “Unfortunately, this means there will be no plans made at this time regarding your future. You should know, though, that I have made my intentions very clear to your father. He assured me that I would be among the first to know when everything settles down. Until that time, all the guests are to return as quietly as possible to their own domains.”