The King's Captive CH-2

CHAPTER 2

The next couple of days were spent travelling. Zahra wondered if her father and brother had noticed that she was missing. Probably not. They would be too involved in the Princes Fair as it was the first time to host such a large scale activity. There were still five more days to go.

On the third day of horse riding, Zahra decided that her backside was aching from sitting on the hard back of the horse. So much for the adventure! She wondered if Ishaan’s back was hurting too. She looked at his lean back with muscular shoulder blades. Her eyes then rested on his lower back. That didn’t look like it hurt one bit. In fact it looked really hard and muscular

He always made sure that she was in sight. He also made sure that none of his men ever came into near distance of her and would always speak to them when she was out of their sight. Many a times he would come really close to her while they talked lying next to each other watching the stars. He would look into her eyes and lose himself in them. He would kiss her thoroughly and entice himself into making love with her. He stopped all the time thinking of all the men surrounding them. He was pretty sure at least half of them had an eye for her. He would get jealous just thinking of it. He wouldn’t ever let any man eye her.

"Ishaan?" she asked while sitting in front of him on the huge horse enjoying the warmth of his breath on her neck.

"Mmm," he said inhaling the scent of her hair.

She turned her head slightly to look into his eyes. "What’s your horse’s name? You don’t think that it could be tired of carrying the two of us?"

"Why?" He asked slightly brushing the tip of her nose.

"I am tired of riding," she confessed. "Can I walk?"

"His name is Devil. And I suppose we could stop for a short break"

He smiled an adorable smile and slightly brushed his lips across the side of her lips. She blushed away. He slowly pulled the reigns and the horse came to a halt. He got off and helped her off too. He was slow and decided to lift her off the horse by the waist and put her down between the horse and himself. He looked down at her and his joined hers.

"You are beautiful, you know" he said looking deep into her face. He pushed her chin up and looked into her deep grey eyes. He inched forward to kiss her when they heard a loud even whistle. It felt like it was a code for something.

Instantly Ishaan’s army gathered around him. He instantly put Zahra back up on the horse and got back up.

He and his men rode like they were racing the wind. Arrows whizzed in from all angles. They zoomed into the density of the jungle where they were proposed to be safe. They slowed down once they thought they were safe. His men surrounded him and they questioned as to what and who was behind the ambush.

Ishaan’s face had grown bright red with anger. "Who has dared to do this," he boomed, Zahra still seated before him.

"I demand to know," he boomed again. "Now!"

At once about six of his men turned their horses and fled away in search of the attacker. The rest stayed close by in protection of their king. "Lets make our way through here" he motioned to rest who followed him through the clearing.

Arrows started pouring in again missing them by mere inches. They were startled as to who was trying their best to kill them. Ishaan stopped his stallion near the thickest bush he found. He quickly got off and promptly removed Zahra from the back of the horse.

"Get down," he said pushing her head down. "Stay behind the bushes. Let no one see you what so ever." He told her sternly. "I’ll be back ," he said and rose to leave.

"Ishaan," she said and pulled him back down. She looked at him with question in her big eyes. He studied her face for a short moment

"You trust me?" he questioned her cupping her face. When she nodded slightly, he kissed her lips softly. "I promise nothing will happen to you. Do not come out no matter what, ok," he asked assuring himself. She nodded and he hugged her and left.

When he was out of sight, she prayed to see him at least once before she died. She had a bad feeling about this but she trusted him fully.

When Ishaan walked a couple of feet away from the dense bush where he had left her, he realized that the arrows had stopped. He whistled for his horse to come. Just as he had climbed on it and decided it was safe to get Zahra, he heard a scream for his name.

When he turned around he could see that a man dressed in black in the distant was holding Zahra at a distant with a sword pierced through her. Blood was pouring out from her stomach and he was doing his best to strangle her.

He motioned his horse to race to her. The man was fully clothed in black- face and all. He withdrew another sword and took a blow at Ishaan. He missed. Ishaan quickly turned and freed Zahra from his captivity. She was bleeding heavily. The man took another blow at Ishaan but he was quick to turn it around to stab the man back. Ishaan was very angry. With himself for leaving her alone. With the man for trying to kill her. With everything that went wrong.

She couldn’t die in front of his eyes. He looked at her lying in a pool of thick blood. He took her in his arms and hugged her. A tear escaped his eye without his knowledge. He looked into her face again. Her eyes were filled with tears. She managed to smile at him for the last time then she closed her eyes.

Ishaan was shocked. He was stilled. He sat there with her in his arms. He had become a statue. He was unable to think or move.
He looked at her frail body in his arms and yet another tear escaped his eye. How could this happen? He felt like a part of him had died with her. He had met her a day or two before and now she was no more.

He was angry with himself for being so foolish. He was frustrated to have miscalculated his and his attackers actions. Now he felt that it would have been better if he hadn’t captured her. At least she would still be alive. He closed his eyes and saw her smiling face appear before him. Her big eyes, her soft lips.

He cursed himself over and over again. It was no use. Zahra wasn't coming back. Blood was everywhere. Her last breath was in his arms.