48. Bride of Hybrid

Ivan Shirk took Karen away from the place where Dev was confronting his love for Akshara. He asked Karen, "Your lover... Doesn’t she come with you...?"
Karen explained to him, "It’s a long story... I came here from a faraway land in search of her and lost her in my carelessness. I thought I had found her... As I was immersed deeply in her thoughts, she reflected on every woman I saw. "
Ivan consoled him, "It seems your love is true. Don't worry, pal...You will find her as soon as possible. Good luck"
They toasted their wine glasses and gulped the wine in their glasses. Karen greeted him back, "Thank you for the wish..." Karen gestured for Zohan to come, and Zohan approached Karen, "My lord..."
Karen introduced Ivan to Zohan,"... This is my general Zohan and a good friend of mine. I am Karen Redclaws. Just call me Karen."
Ivan replied with a shaking hand, "Karen... Nice name... I am Ivan... Ivan Shirk."
Karen parted with Ivan with greetings and continued his search for Akshara with Zohan in the cave bar.
Before Karen approached the same place where Dev and Akshara were confessing their love, Dev took Akshara to the room of Madame Anura.
Akshara replied to Dev on their way, "I am not coming anywhere... Please leave me alone...Go away from me. "
Dev looked at her eyes and found she was faking in her AWAY words, "If you say so, then you will find ample time to experience my love... But you have to pay penalties for your deeds. "
Akshara asked him with a puzzled mind, "Penalty... What penalty? What are you tricking now?"
Dev called for Ivan, and Ivan appeared on the scene. Dev caught his lower jaw of Ivan and showed her, "Can you see the redness in my friend’s face? You did it. (Akshara arched her brows with flaring eyes). So, you must pay your penalties as punishment by coming to my castle with me and settling your penalties by serving me as my ma… (Dev intended to say MATE, but changed the word)...MAID."
Akshara shouted, "What...? I never gave my word on this. Then how can you decide without asking me?"
Dev went close to Akshara and replied in her ears, "I know you wanted to escape this cage... Trust me... "
Akshara replied with frustration, "You wanted my love initially. You wanted me to serve you as your maid later on. Tell me what exactly you want...? But what is the difference between these filthy men and you? They abused me, so as you do... They want me to serve them as a barmaid, just like you want me to serve you as a maid... "
Ivan digested the situation and responded to Akshara, "Miss... Don’t throw your sharp words at him... I know you can feel his love towards you. Yet, I don’t know what is stopping you from accepting him and his love. "
Dev told Ivan Shirk, without looking in his direction, "Ivan... She is ignoring me... Can you believe that? Have a word with Madame Anura and clear up the legal issues. She is coming with us. "
Ivan responded to Dev, "I'll do it, but you do surely dare to take your lover to your castle."
Dev replied, "Ivan... What do you think of me...? I am revenging her for you... "
Ivan answered Dev, "Oh... Your new way of revenge terminology is outstanding, Dev. "
Akshara told them both, "I am not coming as a maid anywhere. Instead, you can kill me by chopping my head off for not obeying your words. I have my self-respect. Let me die here in pain rather than serve you as a maid, losing my self-respect. "
Dev replied by grabbing her hands and saying, "I will give you a proper respectful title. Be my bride. "
Akshara denied, "Just for the title! I cannot be your bride."
Dev was taken aback by her demeanour, saying, "Ivan, did you notice her demeanour? What type of creature is she?"
Akshara posted her question fiercely, "I must ask you, what type of creature are you? A man with wings, and while I haven't seen you with my own eyes, I've heard you described as a fiery giant dragon, a collaboration of all existing fantasy creatures. Luckily, I am of a single breed, I hope."
"Miss, dare you to call him of impure blood?" Ivan approached her with bloodshot eyes.
"Impure... What? He is more of a trickster than your so-called celebrity crown prince, as charming as others are claiming."
Ivan came in the middle of Dev and Akshara. "Miss, you hurt his true feelings. If not you, then your head will roll on the ground by now. I don’t understand how and why he is so tolerable with your words."
Akshara was venting her frustration by expressing it with sharp words. Ivan, who was stunned by her attitude of voicing against Dev, hurried to defend his friend from his anger. "Dev, hold your temper."
Dev came forward, putting a hand on Ivan's shoulders. He told Ivan, with his eyes over Akshara, with an evil smirk while his nostrils were flaring with anger flames, "Ivan, your curse has true effects. I am obsessed with this girl."
Akshara shouted out, echoing in the walls of Ice Cave bar, "I am not the bride of a hybrid."
Dev told her, "Yes, you are. You won’t deny me if I say who I am?"
Akshara burst into anger while trying to push away Dev, "Crown prince! I don’t need your wealth and I don’t need your name to protect myself. I have been born with enough potential to protect myself. She turned to walk away from him, heading towards her chamber.
A maid came from Madame Anura and informed them, "Crown prince! You can wait in the August room with general Ivan Shirk and your maid."
Akshara followed them with a frown on her face and shouted at him, "Devil, I am not your maid. I am not coming with you. Leave me and go away from here."
Ivan moved towards Akshara to warn her, "One more time, you call him the Devil. I will scorch you to ashes."
"Oh, burn me! Try it if you can. I know you are a fire dragon. Let your flames out, now. What are you waiting for? (Ivan looked at Dev with flaming eyes, Dev stopped him) Are you waiting for your orders? (Akshara mocked Ivan Shirk with a smirking smile). If you are truly a fire dragon, I dare you to burn me now." Akshara manipulated Ivan Shirk.
When Ivan Shirk was about to transform into a mighty red dragon, Dev interrupted to stop him. Akshara feared being a victim in the scene and she ran towards the August room of Madame Anura.
*****
In the Frozen Crescent, in the room of Madame Anura...
Ruko barged into the room of her mother, Anura, and was shocked to witness her friend Akshara being accompanied by the crown prince and an army general.
The three looked back at Ruko, and Akshara ran towards her with open arms and tears in her eyes like a baby. Ruko took Akshara in her arms and consoled her.
Ruko asked in shock, "What happened, Axe? Why do you cry?"
Akshara whispered in the ears of Ruko, "I don’t want to go anywhere. Help me. "
Ruko fixed her eyes at the crown prince and comforted Akshara, "Don’t worry. I will talk to my mother. You are not going anywhere. Trust me."
Madame Anura stepped into her official room along with her lady-in-charge team. Madame Anura stood in front, followed by the three ladies of the chief in charge.
"Long live the Crown Prince, glory to Ayruzglow," Madame Anura and others said in unison as they bowed to the Crown Prince.
Akshara was confused about whether she should bow or standstill. Ruko pulled her hand back and gestured to bow to the crown prince. Akshara knelt before Dev and didn’t know what to say as the others were uttering something.
Akshara was lingering in her thoughts, "Madame Anura is an elderly person and the chief in charge of this magnificent Frozen Crescent, though she knelt before the Devil. Indeed, is the Devil that much of a respectable person? He is evil."
While Akshara was lost in her thoughts, Dev asked everyone to rise and said, "Please raise. Don’t make me feel embarrassed by bowing to me. You are my elders and respectable people in the Ayruzglow kingdom, so I should bow, not you."
Madame Anura rose to her feet and gestured for everyone to rise. Except for Akshara, everyone stood up, and Anura told Dev, "Your highness, you are so generous. We feel proud to be ruled under your kingship."
Dev replied with a smile, "Before your experience, I am still a learner. But I will do my level best to bring glory to my ancestors and the kingdom."
Madame Anura asked, "Your highness, everyone is enjoying your glorious victory, and we feel honoured to let us celebrate your victory. Yet your presence makes me wonder. "
Dev smiled in the corner of his lips and opened his mouth, "Madame Anura, I require your guidance. Enlighten me."
Madame Anura sat down on her chair and told him, "Anything."
Dev looked at Akshara, who was still in the position of bowing. Madame Anura gestured to her daughter Ruko about Akshara.
Ruko patted Akshara's shoulders, and Akshara looked at Ruko and realised that everyone was looking at her. She lowered her tone to Ruko. "When did you all get up?"
Akshara slowly stood on her feet from knelt and had a glance at Dev through the corner of her eyes and whispered to Ruko, "Huh, he is great in performance." He is talking cool with your mother. Just now, he talked arrogantly to me. That dragon-man standing beside him threatened me. He will burn me to ashes."
Dev opened his mouth, "Madame Anura, I wanted to take her as my bride."
The inhales of people echoed on the ice walls and Madame Anura was not at all surprised by his request. Akshara was shocked and gripped her hands of Ruko tightly as her life depends on Ruko.
Akshara eyed Ruko, "Please, no."
Ruko patted her on her shoulders and gave her hope, "Don’t worry. No one is taking you anywhere."
Madame Anura pursued her silence for a minute and replied, "I long expected this situation would come. It is sooner than I thought," she turned towards her assistants and informed, "Look into the edict manuscript, is there any possibilities for the request of our Crown Prince?"
Akshara talked, "Wait... Won’t you have any inclination in this kingdom to ask my wish for this issue as I am involved directly?"
The fatty lady-in-charge whom Akshara named her ‘Balloon’ warned Akshara, "Don’t you dare to raise your voice against Madame Anura and speak ill of our kingdom, where are your manners?"
Akshara came forward, ignoring her warnings of Ruko. "Manners? You and your idiotic kingdom have that those manners have mentioned. You set your own rules and sell the girls here to any random man who appeared who came just to drink wine?"
The fatty lady-in-charge moved towards her, saying, "Hold your tongue, you damsel. You are just a barmaid here, ain’t a princess. You even bewitched our crown prince in your lusty charm?"
"I am not a witch. I don’t know how I came here. If I had my consciousness, I would have killed myself rather than seeking shelter in this eerie ice cave." Akshara shouted with her throat maximum with tears filled eyes.
The fatty lady nicknamed Balloon came near Akshara while raising her hand to give her punishment with the object she had, probably made of dragon’s bones. Akshara closed her eyes while seeing her sweltering approach.
Dev appeared in front of Akshara with his white feathery wings open to defend her. "Go through me to hurt her. She is mine."
Everyone halted in their actions; Madame Anura asked the lady-in-charge to hold her actions and told to Dev, "Crown prince, we have no say against you. Please forgive us if we offended you. Don’t be hard on us."
Akshara was shocked and unknown chillness frosted through her spines upon the words ‘MINE’ and she felt her heart was about to explode, "Did he mean the word mine?"
Madame Anura quickly discussed with her team by turning the pages of the edict manuscript and concludes upon many references in the edict manuscript.
Madame Anura declared, "Your highness, upon referencing the edict manuscript, the possibility of taking this girl with you as a maid is possible."
Dev replied quickly, "I want to take her as my bride and not by any other title."
*****