75. Shades of Indigo

Indigo, the dragon maid of Nora stood awestruck in front of the orchid which turned into ashes. She wasn’t able to move any of her muscles on seeing the happenings in the orchid.
“Is she really chosen by our crown prince? The amulet, he gave her, is really protecting her on his behalf. It lit off the fire set by Nora and healed her too. Indeed, she is chosen one.” Indigo talked to herself and rushed toward Akshara after the fire was out completely.
Akshara was lingering in her partial conscious talking to Dev. She woke up suddenly when she heard his voice whispering in her ears, “Wake up, Sara. It’s time for you to find yourself.”
Akshara opened her eyes and saw Indigo standing in front of her and she asked Akshara, “What were you blabbering?”
Akshara tried to stand up and fall immediately to the ground. She tried again with the echo of Dev’s voice which was instantly boosting her. She glanced at Indigo and said, “Time to find me.”
Akshara walked towards the dungeon with totted walks without looking back at the orchid which turned to ashes. Indigo followed her to the dungeon, “Where are you going?”
Akshara didn’t open her mouth and just walked towards the dungeon with her crimpled legs. When Akshara missed her balance in walking, Indigo rushed immediately to help her.
Indigo’s act of helping left Akshara with wonder, “Why do you help me?”
Indigo responded while taking her hands back with a confused mind, “I don’t like you but I respect you. I saw it with my own eyes. You are chosen one. Only you can be the bride to our crown prince. He marked you to be his bride.”
Akshara eyed her with doubtful eyes, “Is this compliment or sarcasm?”
“You can think of your will. (Indigo chuckled) I saw you practise sword with a broom the other day. You know sword fighting?”
“I didn’t know until I roomed in the dungeon.”
“Then, who... how...?”
“It’s your crown prince. He mastered me in the sword.”
“How?” Indigo asked and thought inwardly, “I brought her to the dungeon by the time when the crown prince left the castle. How could he teach her?”
Akshara didn’t mind the presence of Indigo and entered the dungeon without saying anything in return. Indigo stopped by the entrance of the dungeon fearing the presence of the ferocious animal.
Before Akshara could enter the dungeon, Indigo stopped her to confess, “I am the royal maid of Ayruzglow kingdom and loyal to Lenora Shirk.”
“oh, Nora’s full name is Lenora?” Akshara articulated Nora’s name and nodded her head while entering the dungeon. Indigo stopped her again and Akshara asked with exhausted eyes, “Are you expecting my handshake?”
Indigo shook her head negatively and uttered, “Though I am loyal to my lady, I have great respect over you, I witnessed it myself. Akshara, you are the chosen one. The chosen bride of the crown prince,” she mentioned.
“You said that already, anything else?” Akshara nodded positively and turned to enter the dungeon. Indigo stated, “If I saw you first before Nora, I will be loyal to u. You have great potential to become queen of this kingdom. Since I am with Nora, I want her to be the queen of the kingdom. But I will help you when you needed the most at once.”
As Akshara was exhausted, she nodded quickly at Indigo and entered the dungeon with the crimpled legs. She walked towards her place where her pet birds were twittering on seeing her.
“Sun Shine, the orchid is burnt into ashes. No more orchids. I saw Devil and I am not aware whether it was real or a dream. He told me that it was time to find myself. What’s that mean?” Akshara talked to her pet birds while sitting on the ground leaning against the rock rested her head on the rock considering it as her bed.
“I can’t solely depend on Devil to heal and protect me all the time. I must find myself within me. I have only this, (She took the broom in her hand) I have learned to defence and attack. I need to get the speed. How do I accelerate myself?” she asked.
Akshara determined to practise the speed. She stood in front of the ferocious animal and told, “I must find myself. I must find how much I am capable of?”
“Are you mad? Why are you waking the beast?” Indigo confronted her. The ferocious animal sniffed its breath at her. Its breath scared her like always and she thought to herself, “I mustn’t fear you.”
Akshara held the broom in her hand and practised without any disturbances until Nora decided on her next torture on Akshara. She practised giving much speed to her hands and legs.
All the beasts and birds in the dungeon were stunned to look at her skills. The ferocious animal threw an apple over her. Akshara sticks the apple with her broom. The pet birds, Sun and Shine chirped in happiness.
Indigo too clapped her hands cheering Akshara involuntarily. The ferocious animal got curious and threw random apples at her. Akshara dodged every apple thrown by the ferocious animal.
*****
After a few hours, Indigo brought some food for Akshara without Nora's knowledge. Indigo opened the entrance of the dungeon and entered without making any noise thinking of the ferocious beast inside.
Indigo was shocked to see the ferocious animal still throwing apples at her and she was dodging it with the broom. “Wha-what is happening here? Still finding yourself?”
One of the dodged apples fell over the head Indigo and it bruised her head to let the little bump on her head. Indigo felt pain acutely but didn’t scream, fearing the ferocious animal’s attention might draw towards her.
At one point, Akshara was very confident that she could defend against any attacks from any direction. She felt overwhelmed by learning something. The ferocious animal seized its action of throwing apples. Akshara laughed at it, “Are you out of apples?”
The ferocious animal prolonged its head towards her; Akshara stepped forward to get even closer to the animal. They stood face to face and it sniffed its breath over her.
This time Akshara wasn’t feared and didn’t dodge back. She stood with her courage and strength in her heart thinking of Dev in her mind. She moved even further and dared to touch the ferocious animal with her bare hands.
Indigo dropped the food in her hand and the plate made a tingling sound which awakened the presence of another person in the dungeon. The ferocious animal looked fierce in the direction of Indigo.
Akshara ran in between Indigo and the ferocious animal to stop its attack. “Get back. Don’t hurt her.” Akshara ordered the ferocious animal with wide-open defensive hands.
And it did the same. Indigo was awestruck, “It’s... it’s... obeying your words. It is giving you food. What kind of human are you? Are you really human?”
Akshara looked down at the scattered food and smiled at Indigo, “When royalists don’t offer me food, this ferocious beast gave me one. It has heart unlike few royalists in the castle.”
Akshara continued, “Why do you come... with food?”
“You are summoned by my lady. I thought you must be exhausted and hungry.” Indigo remarked her concern over Akshara.
“She wants me? What for? Has any idea of torturing me hatched inside her dragon skull?” Akshara asked and Indigo nodded.
“It’s... (Hesitated) Its brides from allied kingdoms have arrived and Nora wished to join the parade. Now they are waiting in their chamber to present themselves in front of our majestic queen and our crown prince.” Indigo recited quickly.
Akshara arched her eyebrows when she heard the word ‘Crown Prince’ and didn’t talk back. Indigo understood her reactions and told her, “He is coming.”
Indigo continued, “There is a verdict passed by Las Oajar that our crown prince is crowned as king by the third full moon.”
Indigo observed the happiness on the face of Akshara but Akshara didn’t talk anything in reply but just listened. Indigo continued saying, “According to ethics of Ayruzglow kingdom, the king must be crowned and throne along with his queen.”
Indigo paused then and there to read the facial expression of Akshara which was as clear as icicles that framed the dungeon.
“Why don’t you say anything?” Indigo was impatience with the void of emotion on Akshara's face.
“Should I say something? Am I allowed to say?” Akshara asked her about the way that she has been treated in the castle these days after the departure of the crown prince.
“Huh,” Indigo breathed her dissatisfaction and lead the way to the chamber where brides had been halted to refresh.