To Bewitch a Devil

150 Outside the Castle

“I have council meetings I cannot afford to be absent from, my Queen,” he explained. “I still have dignitaries in the castle waiting to meet with us, and you have duties you would get right into.”

Jasmine deflated in her seat. Neera’s sympathy extended to her, but just as she cared about the Queen, she could not deny the tinge of happiness that erupted in her, knowing that Zavian won’t be leaving with Jasmine.

Jasmine did deserve the newlywed bliss of shared secret smiles sent from across the room, sweet kisses stolen when no one was looking, and, a husband who actually loved her, but Neera had learned a lot earlier in life that there were prizes you paid for some positions you wanted.

Not that Jasmine deserved it, but life does have a way of handing out its unfairness to even the most undeserving of people.

“Zavian...” Neera called out. Jasmine’s head snapped up at that, and if she was surprised, she didn’t show it. She kept looking between the King and Neera, and Neera could feel herself cowering with regret. She shouldn’t have interrupted them.

Zavian, on the other hand, gave her his undivided attention. Neera gave out a long sleepy yawn, apologizing afterward to both of them. When she saw Zavian smile at her and send her a wink, sending her back to the events of the night before, her body exploded in a fiery blush.

“I just wanted to...” Neera cleared her throat. “... I want to suggest to you that perhaps you should take the Queen around the Kingdom” she gave the King an imploring look. A solution to Zavian’s aloofness toward the Queen could be keeping Jasmine busy with royal matters while spending time with her. Two birds, one stone.

“I have that arranged for her with Freya later today...”

“But can I request for you as my companion instead, your Majesty?” Jasmine insisted on Neera’s suggestion. Zavian opened his mouth to speak but closed it with a nod of his head.

.....

“Certainly. I’d fulfill the obligation as you desire,” he agreed.

But Jasmine didn’t want him to be obliged to take her out of duty, but rather because he wanted to spend actual time with her, but she took what she could get. She would let him off with the excuse that he barely knew her, and with time, she will be more intentional about being better acquainted with her husband.

They finally got to eat in silence when the last of the maid came in to drop a huge bowl of tomato soup along with the variety of options that lay out before them, from meat, bread, eggs, all in satisfying mouth-watering quantities.

As Zavian took a bite of the slice of pie on his plate, which was an unusual choice of breakfast, he sighed and closed his eyes.

“Is it that good?” Jasmine asked.

Zavian opened his eyes and graced her with a little smile. Progress on his part. She liked it.

“I have a friend in town that sent it in as a gift,” he stated.

Neera’s eyes perked with interest. “Is it the demon that made that lovely meal that day?”

Neera didn’t wait for a response before she had a slice for herself. She took a slice in her mouth and gasped at the flavors that exploded in her mouth.

“It’s magic” she exhaled.

Zavian laughed. “Maybe it is.”

“Seems I would love to visit this demon you two know;”, Jasmine smiled as she took a slice for herself. She ate it, and Neera waited in anticipation for her comment.

“Mm, it’s really amazing.” Jasmine complimented with a small nod.

“It is one of the best parts about this town,” Neera piped.

“And that day was one of the best days of my life,” Zavian said, drawing Neera’s memory to laughter, rain, and passion.

Neera put a hand on Zavian’s legs; “Thank you.”, she mouthed. She kept the memory like a secret, and the last thing she wanted to do was look like they were both rubbing their happy times in the face of the Queen.

But Jasmine’s eyes went to Neera’s hand on Zavian and the way they stared into each other’s souls. Silence spoke a thousand words, and in that shared moment they both had, Jasmine, could hear the silence tell her she was only just a figurehead in the castle and could be nothing more than that. She could not compete with Neera, not now and not ever.

.....

When Zavian and the Queen were to leave the castle, Neera bid them farewells. As Jasmine made to climb one of the royal stallions, and the handsome creature squirmed in rebellion at Jasmine’s mount upon it. But the Queen had put a hand on its nozzle, and stroked its glorious mane while assuring it with kind and loving words, and that was all it took for the horse to fall in line.

Neera smiled as she watched Jasmine pet the horse. She could remember her mother telling her sister as she fed the chickens that animals could sense a person with a good soul and thus gravitate towards the person. But Neera could remember how the chickens had chased and pecked her mother that day for no particular reason, and a quiet laugh escaped her when she remembered her running across the field with a pack of chickens behind her.

Sadness washed over her as she realized that Jasmine was a nice person and that she didn’t deserve what she was going through. She could imagine how hurtful it felt watching your husband love another woman and barely bat an eyelid toward you. She was engrossed in her thoughts when Zavian threw her one of his smiles that almost sent her knees wobbling, and with two guards, they left the palace grounds. When Neera turned to leave, the blush drained from her face upon seeing Freya.

“The royal concubine...”, the King’s sister drawled the words like a bitter concoction in her mouth. She stepped forward and watched the giants shut the gates before her eyes landed back on Neera.