Chapter 24: Chapter 22 - The great bandit mishap

I was fine.

Seriously, I was completely, absolutely, perfectly fine.

But someone—a certain overly protective, ridiculously handsome king—refused to believe it.

Rudraksha had hovered over me for the past two days like an overprotective mother hen, making sure I ate properly, drank enough water, and didn’t move too much.

“Rudraksha, I’m fine.” I sighed, stretching my arms dramatically. “I could probably wrestle a lion at this point.”

He shot me an unimpressed look. “You could barely wrestle a pillow last night.”

I gasped, placing a hand over my chest. “Wow. The disrespect.”

He raised an eyebrow. “What?”

I smirked. “You know… the disrespect.”

“…I don’t understand what you mean.”

I stared at him for a second, then burst into laughter. “Oh my god. Maharaja, you are so old.”

His expression darkened. “Excuse me?”

I bit my lip, fighting another laugh. “You don’t know what disrespect means in my world?”

“I know what the word means, Aranya,” he said dryly. “I just don’t know why you’re saying it like that.”

I waved my hand. “It’s a Gen Z thing. It basically means I’m being dramatically offended.”

He tilted his head slightly. “But… you’re not actually offended?”

“Nope.”

He crossed his arms. “Then why say it?”

I grinned. “For fun.”

He stared at me for a long moment before shaking his head. “I will never understand you.”

I smirked. “That’s the charm, Maharaja.”

Finally, after a formal farewell, we prepared to leave Ranshara.

Before we left, we were greeted by the respected elders of the royal family. They were nervous but respectful, bowing deeply as they presented us with gifts—fine silk, gold jewelry, and rare spices.

I watched as Rudraksha accepted everything with polite disinterest, as if it was nothing unusual. Meanwhile, I was mentally calculating how much everything was worth—because, damn, they were being generous.

They also formally acknowledged Vyantara once again, meaning the two kingdoms had now restored relations after years of separation.

It was a big deal, but Rudraksha acted like it was just another Tuesday.

Once everything was settled, we set off into the night, the stars glowing above us as we traveled.

The air was crisp, and I couldn’t help but feel free.

Sitting beside Rudraksha, I sighed happily. “I forgot how beautiful the night can be.”

He hummed in agreement. “It’s quiet. Peaceful.”

I smirked. “Unlike us?”

He glanced at me, smirking. “Definitely unlike us.”

I laughed softly, leaning against him slightly. He didn’t move away.

Instead, his arm draped over my shoulders, pulling me closer.

My heart skipped a beat.

“You know,” he said, his voice low, dangerous. “You’ve been misbehaving a lot lately.”

I blinked up at him. “Me?”

He nodded. “Yes. First, you tease me endlessly. Then, you nearly die and act like it’s nothing. And now? You’re getting comfortable in my arms.”

I tilted my head playfully. “And… you have a problem with that?”

His grip tightened slightly. “Not at all.”

And before I could react, he leaned down, his lips grazing my ear.

A shiver ran down my spine.

Oh.

Oh, we were playing that game now.

I cleared my throat, pulling away before I completely lost my mind.

“Okay, we should sleep.”

He smirked, clearly pleased with himself. “As you wish.”

I swore I saw victory in his eyes.

This man was dangerous.

Just as I was starting to feel comfortable, something unexpected happened.

We were ambushed.

Bandits came out of nowhere, surrounding our royal carriages and horses, swords drawn and faces covered.

For a second, everything was silent.

Then, one of the bandits—who I assumed was their leader—stepped forward, grinning.

“Surrender your riches and we won’t hurt you,” he announced smugly.

I glanced at Rudraksha, waiting for him to unsheathe his sword and end this quickly.

But then, an idea popped into my head.

I smirked.

“Wait.” I grabbed Rudraksha’s wrist before he could move.

He frowned. “Aranya, what—”

I turned back to the bandits, grinning. “Actually, this sounds fun. Let’s get kidnapped.”

The leader blinked. “What?”

Rudraksha turned his head slowly toward me. “Excuse me?”

I nodded excitedly. “Think about it! They think we’re just some rich nobles. Let’s pretend to be helpless and see where they take us.”

The bandits looked extremely confused.

Rudraksha looked even more confused.

“This is not how kidnapping works,” he muttered.

“Shhh, just go with it,” I whispered.

The leader squinted at us. “…Are you serious?”

I gasped dramatically. “Oh no! We are so scared! Please don’t hurt us!”

Rudraksha sighed heavily, rubbing his temples. “I regret everything.”

The bandits hesitated but eventually tied us up and dragged us away.

About thirty minutes into being “kidnapped,” I was having the time of my life.

We were blindfolded, being taken somewhere unknown. I could hear the bandits talking in hushed whispers.

“This was so worth it,” I whispered to Rudraksha.

“This is the dumbest thing you’ve ever done,” he whispered back.

I smiled. “You love it.”

“I love nothing.”

“You loooove me.”

He went silent.

I grinned victoriously.

But then—

“Wait.”

One of the bandits suddenly stopped, his voice panicked.

“…Did she just say ‘Rudraksha’?” another one asked.

I froze.

Oh.

Oh no.

Then—

There was a sharp gasp.

“WE KIDNAPPED RUDRAKSHA VEERADITYA?!”

The entire group screamed.

Utter chaos broke out as the bandits immediately dropped everything and threw themselves onto the ground, bowing.

“Maharaja, please forgive us! We didn’t know! We have families!”

Rudraksha slowly turned his head toward me.

“…This is your fault.”

I bit my lip, trying not to laugh.

The bandits were on their knees, practically begging for mercy.

“We didn’t recognize you in the dark! We swear! Please don’t kill us!”

I glanced at Rudraksha. “You’re not gonna kill them, right?”

He sighed dramatically. “No.”

The bandits burst into tears, thanking him like he was a god.

I giggled. “See? That was fun.”

Rudraksha just gave me a look.

I had a feeling I was going to regret this later.

It had been quite a long day, full of surprises, chaos, and—of course—me getting myself into trouble. But as the night settled in, the chaos of the day began to fade, and the moonlight bathed the land in its soft, silver glow. Rudraksha and I, along with a few of the guards, had set up a tent in the wilderness, miles away from the kingdom . We had no intention of being noticed. The day had been exhausting, but there was something so peaceful about the quiet, the stillness of the night. The stars overhead were endless, like an ocean of diamonds above us.

I sank back onto the plush bedding in the tent, looking up at the sky, my thoughts drifting. Rudraksha was just finishing up securing the last few things, ensuring the guards were on watch, and making sure everything was safe. His movements were steady and sure. He always seemed to know what he was doing, like he had everything under control. But tonight, something felt different—like he was on edge, even more than usual.

I turned my head, watching him as he worked. He looked so handsome, with his dark hair tousled and his usual stoic expression. But beneath that, I knew there was so much more. I felt the weight of everything we had been through—the shards, the rebellion, the constant battles. But now, in this quiet moment, the tension seemed to ease a little.

When he finished securing the area, he walked over to the tent, and his gaze softened when he saw me lying there. I raised an eyebrow, noticing the slight smile tugging at his lips.

"I’m surprised you didn’t run off into the woods already," he teased, his voice low and slightly playful.

I grinned at him. "I’m behaving, for once."

He chuckled, the sound rich and comforting, and sat next to me. The warmth of his body close to mine sent a familiar warmth rushing through me. He was just so... him. And I couldn't quite put my finger on it, but I couldn't imagine being anywhere else but beside him.

"You know," he began, leaning a little closer, "I've been thinking..."

I looked up at him, my heart racing slightly. "About what?"

He tilted his head, his gaze darkening as he stared at me with a touch of seriousness. "About what happened today."

I frowned, remembering the bandit incident, and then my smirk returned. "Oh, I see. You’re still mad about me getting us ‘kidnapped,’ aren’t you?"

His lips twitched in an almost amused smile, but there was a definite glint of warning in his eyes. "You think it’s funny, do you?"

I shrugged, trying to hide my grin. "A little bit."

He raised an eyebrow, his tone mockingly serious. "Well then, maybe you need to be punished for your behavior."

I stiffened for a second, but I couldn’t hide my laugh, which bubbled up despite my best effort to stay composed. "Punished? For what?"

His eyes sparkled as he leaned in a little closer, the atmosphere shifting. "For your reckless behavior today."

My heart started to beat faster at the playful tension in his voice. "Reckless? What reckless behavior?"

His lips quirked, and I could see the mischief in his gaze now. "Getting yourself almost killed and making me worry the whole time. You should know better."

I bit my lip, my pulse quickening at the way he was looking at me—like I was something he wanted but couldn’t have yet. "Oh? You think I deserve punishment for that?"

He leaned closer, his face just inches from mine now. "Yes."

I swallowed, my body suddenly feeling too hot as his voice dropped to a husky whisper. "But I think I’ll make it a bit more interesting."

I couldn’t breathe as his hand brushed a strand of hair from my face, his touch so gentle but electrifying. My body trembled slightly at the soft contact, and I couldn’t help the shiver that ran down my spine.

"What do you have in mind?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper, a challenge in my tone.

He smirked, the corner of his mouth curving up in a way that made my heart race. "You’ll see."

He moved then, slowly, deliberately, leaning in until his lips were brushing against my ear. I felt the heat of his breath against my skin, and every nerve in my body seemed to light up. He whispered, just loud enough for me to hear, “I think I’ll make you earn this, Aranya.”

Before I could respond, he pulled away slightly, sitting back on his heels and giving me a knowing look. "I think it’s time you realized that I’m not going to let you act so recklessly without consequences."

I was almost breathless, the intensity of his words settling into my chest. He was punishing me—no, not really. He was just making me aware of the effect I had on him.

I smiled, half-innocent, but deep down, I knew he was testing me. "Fine, what do I have to do?"

He looked at me for a long moment, and then, as if finally deciding something, he reached out, cupping my chin gently but firmly in his hand. "You have to promise me that you’ll never scare me like that again."

My heart skipped a beat, the vulnerability in his tone cutting through the playful atmosphere.

I nodded, my eyes softening. "I promise."

His gaze deepened, and for a moment, it felt like the rest of the world had faded away. Then, slowly, he leaned in again, this time his lips brushing mine, just a light touch that sent my heart into a frenzy.

When he pulled away, I could barely speak. "You know, you really don't have to punish me. I’m already sorry."

He chuckled softly, his lips brushing against my forehead in the most tender gesture. "It’s not about the apology, Aranya. It’s about making sure you understand what’s important.”

I nodded, my voice barely a whisper as I met his gaze, "I do. I’ll be careful, I promise."

He looked at me for a long moment before speaking again, his voice soft and serious. “Good. Because I’m not letting you go that easily.”

I smiled at him .. Wait Did We Just Kiss ?