76. Bride Grooming

Akshara walked through the corridors of the east wing of the Ice castle. Indigo gazed at Akshara all the way along with much hesitant to ask her. Akshara could hear the giggling sounds of the bride on her approach to Nora’s chamber.
Indigo stopped Akshara by pulling her hands before she enters the chamber, “What are you doing?”
Akshara was puzzled by her action but maintained her stern look, “I should be asking that.”
“Uh, you must have assumed why my lady has summoned you, didn’t you?” Indigo asked her with a tensed built face.
“Your lady’s brain acts differently, how can I predict her?”
“Neither I... (Indigo voiced in a low tone) huh, how can you do... how can you digest what’s going to happen next?” Indigo asked Akshara repeatedly concerning Akshara, “Those brides are here for bride selection. They are here to marry our crown prince, your crown prince.”
Akshara smiled at her and knocked at the door of Nora’s chamber. A voice came out, “Send the dungeon girl in.”
Akshara beamed a smile with a nod at Indigo while Indigo raged and asked before she went in, “Are you pleased to be addressed as dungeon girl? Why do you smile?”
“I always feel like I am an outsider. When Nora, you and others call me a dungeon girl, I feel happy about it since the dungeon is present inside the castle. I hope no one gets the exclusive title as I have.” Akshara remarked with happy-filled eyes, “Whenever you people call me with the title Dungeon Girl, I feel like I possess the dungeon and no one dares to claim it from me. I feel like I am the queen of the Dungeon with the most ferocious beast by my side. I never feel like I am outside.”
Akshara told her without a pause and turned to move in. she stopped suddenly and remarked the fact, “No one dares to be the roommate of the beast except me. You witnessed with your eyes.”
Indigo looked at Akshara like she possessed some divine grace with her and she talked inwardly, “Why does she not stop making me wonder at her? She goes on getting my respect. Are humans more capable of gaining hearts and respect?”
Indigo shook her head in realizing something and Akshara went into the chamber and found five brides circled around the cushion beds and laughing about something amusing.
“How to defect these five brides and win Dev?” Nora was immersed in deeper thoughts. When Nora found the presence of Akshara, she scanned Akshara with her purple eyes.
Nora approached Akshara and got her lower jaw to scan her face with her eyes. She told, “How can your skin be so immune to wounds?”
When Akshara entered the chamber, five brides caught her attention. The first bride was possessing golden blonde, the second bride was a brunette, the third was black hair, the fourth bride was ash-coloured hair and the fifth was red hair.
Akshara tried to remember them with their hair colours and looked at Nora with purple hair whose face was painted with tension and confusion.
Nora was upset by thinking, “I can’t hurt her since her healing power is amazing and how to hurt her? Only humiliation will help.”
“All the beautiful brides let me introduce our royal maid, especially titled as dungeon girl. She is very talented in grooming as she knows how to make our crown prince fall for her traps wickedly.” Nora introduced Akshara not forgetting her to humiliate.
Akshara thought inwardly, “Grooming to impress my Devil? It’s nothing like barmaids making over themselves to attract the drunken men.”
Akshara’s eyes landed on every bride and remembered them with their hair colour, she repeated inwardly, “Blonde bride, brunette bride, black bride, red bride and ash bride. Oh, I forget to add one, purple bride, Nora.”
Se chuckled and scoffed at them. She voiced inwardly, “My Devil chosen me from hundreds of sexy barmaids by his side. Why should I worry with an insecure feeling? Let’s consider this as a test for Devil to show his sincerity to me.”
Soon some dragon maids brought luxurious fabrics and precious jewels, when Nora asked, they replied, “It’s an offer from our majestic queen for the exclusive brides.”
Nora ordered Akshara, “Don’t just stand like a dead log there, come on groom them.”
Akshara nodded and went near the blonde bride. The blonde bride refuses to get groomed by Akshara saying, “Aren’t you the harlot from the cave bar? I have heard on my way here.”
Another bride in brunette laughed, “Yes, she been transported from the bar to be the royal maid from the barmaid. Isn’t this a promotion any harlot ever wants in their life?”
Everyone laughed at Akshara and Indigo felt bad for Akshara in her mind. This bad feeling disturbed Indigo’s mind, “Why am I feeling bad for the humiliation of dungeon girl? Am I creating sympathy for her? Anyway, I am loyal to my lady Lenora, not her. I shouldn’t be a worry for her.”
Akshara tilted her head to her left and think about Dev. She took a deep breath to give them a punchy reply, “I know you are all curious about how I impress your crown prince in the cave bar which no female ever dared in a few centuries.”
All the five brides felt disgraced and Nora’s temples bulged when she gritted her teeth. Akshara felt warmness after humiliating them and turned to look at the fabrics which were sent by Queen.
“We can’t let some dungeon maid shame us with her filthy words,” the red bride threw the flower vase made of ice at Akshara which she dodged easily, mocking at them with her wide smirk, “Aim better.”
Akshara observed the silence spread in the chamber which was earlier filled with giggles and humiliating laughter, “So, I am one step ahead of every female in this land. Want to know my secret? It’s simple, you just have to ask me politely, on your knees princess.”
“I’m done, I can’t stand this. I am going to inform my father about this and I will make sure this Ayruzglow will be shattered into dust for just this dungeon girl,” The bride with ash-coloured hair spitted her enmity in her words.
The bride in blonde stood up to face Akshara, she have to lift her head to face the blonde bride since she was taller than Akshara. The blonde bride caught Akshara’s throat with her bare hands and applied some pressure on her throat to crush it.
Akshara choked and screamed in pain felt in her throat. Indigo feared the activation of Akshara’s amulet, she begged the blonde bride to Akshara’s life. Nora slapped Indigo in her cheeks which changed their initial colour to reddish, “You unloyal maid, you beg for her life?”
Indigo got to her feet and held Nora's legs. Nora kicked Indigo turning her face away. Indigo stood up and faced all brides to emphasize her point, “If anything erroneous happened to this dungeon girl, then our crown prince will blame everyone and your dream will never come true.”
Everyone was taken aback by her warning words Indigo. But the bride in blonde hair didn’t seize her crushing over Akshara’s throat. She told Akshara, “Every soul in this land is aware of the devious traps you webbed for the crown prince to fall for you. Before your tongue move, bear it in your mind that I am born as a princess but I am raised like a male warrior, not less than any filthy tongued barmaid.”
Nora got a sudden thought after hearing the words of the blonde bride and she spoke inwardly, “Raised like a warrior? But I am the only female warrior in this entire world. No one can defeat me in the field. Dev is mine.”
The blonde bride left Akshara’s throat and snatched the white satin fabric from her hands of Akshara and went near the large mirror to see whether the fabric colour suits her.
Akshara picked the crimson-shaded fabric with choking and coughing. She went near the blonde bride who wears the white satin fabric. “White is fine but crimson enhances your natural beauty of blonde hair,” she told and gave the crimson-coloured fabric to the bride.
“Why should I listen to you?” the blonde bride asked her with anger-filled words.
“That’s because I am chosen one by your crown prince from hundreds of sexy princess and barmaids ever born in this world. I know his taste better than anyone.” Akshara spoke boldly only to knock her ego of being born a princess.
“Princesses are born, but warriors are made out of scars. So, if you want to be presentable to the crown prince then wear this crimson not white. I hope, our Queen agreeable to bride selection for her son not warrior selection for her army.” Akshara voiced firmly while her eyes rolled out, yet emphasized every word.
Though raged, the blonde bride gasped, “You may be true,” saying she took the crimson satin many-layered gown to change her outfit. Everyone waited eagerly for the blonde bride’s arrival.