The Innocent Temptress
It was early evening when Chamundeswari stepped out of her tent. She felt fresh and so much at peace after the long and leisurely swim in the lake. Sighting Vijayendran standing next to Manu’s cage, she walked towards him, a soft smile on her face.
Vijayendran turned his head when he caught the movement in his peripheral. It was difficult to keep his mouth from falling open when he saw Princess Chamundeswari glowing in the gentle light of the westering sun that made the whole lake glimmer at that hour of the evening. Draped in a soft silk sari of the colour of rich cream with a narrow border of gold embroidery, she looked like a devathai who must have fallen out from heaven as she walked towards him. With minimal jewellery and her hair in a simple knot at the back of her neck, the red vermillion pottu in between her eyebrows and the dark kohl outlining her eyes, she was the very epitome of beauty and grace.
Her golden eyes clung to his even as she reached a hand to stroke Manu’s head. It was a humongous effort for the princess to drag her gaze away from the Chozha prince to look at her pet. “Manu, my dear! How are you doing?” she asked in a gentle voice. “I do not think he has fever,” she turned once again to Vijayendran to seek his opinion.
He smiled, shaking his head. “No, he does not have fever. I am sure the healing has already begun.”
She gave him a shy smile. “It was all thanks to your quick thinking.”
Vijayendran waved a hand to dismiss her statement. “Dinner should be ready in an hour or so. Would you like to go for a stroll along the lake?” he invited, looking deeply into her eyes.
She gave him a small nod. “I would like that.”
It was difficult for him not to take her hand in his, but he was careful not to touch her. After all, dealing with Chamundeswari was like trying to get close to a beautiful but wild animal. He had to invoke her trust first.
Princess Chamundeswari fisted her hands as she felt a sudden and inexplicable urge to hold his hand when it swung forwards and backwards as he walked, matching his stride to her shorter one. She had never felt such a need to touch someone before now. What will he do if I take his hand? The bold princess did not think twice as she placed her right hand against his left before wrapping her fingers around it or at least tried to. She was surprised and thrilled to find that his hand was too big for her own small one to cover even one half of it.
Vijayendran’s neck almost snapped at the speed with which he turned around to look at the woman walking next to him, his hand automatically curling around her slender one and holding it firmly. Is she telling me something? He relished the warmth of her palm against his own and felt his heart pump faster than ever.
“My princess…” he said, his voice hoarse with longing.
Chamundeswari stopped in her tracks on hearing his words. That is exactly what I want to be: his princess. Turning sideways to face him, she looked up at him, her long and curling eyelashes fluttering over her cheeks as she felt her eyelids grow heavy even as hot colour rose up her cheeks, turning them red in the light of the setting sun.
Vijayendran lifted the hand he held and placed it on his left arm, his own hands taking possession of her slender shoulders. “Chamundeswari…”
A long sigh shuddered through her body when she heard her name on his lips. Magic seemed to permeate the air as she felt his fingers under her chin as he lifted her face up to his. “Aditya…” His name was a passionate whisper as it fell from her mouth.
He reached down to press his mouth to her forehead, sighing with pleasure when she stepped closer to him. He gathered her in his arms and held her against his clamouring body, his heartbeat soaring to reach to the skies. Her body felt so slender and her curves so soft as they fitted into the granite hard muscles of his chest. Careful not to crush her in his enthusiasm, he hugged her gently.
Burying her face in his broad and muscular chest, Chamundeswari wrapped her arms around his lean waist as she clung to him. She had no qualms about hugging him tightly as she revelled in the sizzling sensations that bombarded her body when it came in contact with his hard one.
Rubbing his chin over the top of her head, Vijayendran held the princess close. His hands moved of their volition as they caressed her slim back before they moved down further to cup the lushness of her curvaceous behind even as he drew her lower body closer to his aching manhood.
The princess sighed when she felt his hands on her back, stepping closer even as she wrapped her arms tighter around him.
“Chamundi…” Vijayendran’s protest was half hearted. It was obvious that she was an absolute innocent when it came to the physical relationship between a man and a woman.
“Mmm…” she murmured, slowly lifting her right hand to trace it over his broad back. She frowned, not liking the cotton tunic that came in the way of her exploration. Moving back a bit, she looked up at him, a determined thrust to her small chin. “Why don’t you remove your tunic?” she demanded.
His eyes went wide with astonishment. “Princess… I…”
She scowled up at him. “I want to touch you, Aditya,” she explained her need to him.
Now what could a man do if a young and beautiful woman made such a request of him? Not really having a choice, Vijayendran did what she expected of him. With a long sigh, he stepped back to lift the hem of his tunic with both hands before pulling it over his head.
Chamundeswari stared at his massive physique with her eyes opened wide, keeping a tight hold on her jaw from dropping even as saliva pooled in her mouth. He was spectacular! That is what he was, with a scar running across from his right shoulder to the middle of his chest. Instead of marring his appearance, it only added to his amazing warrior image. She reached over to trace her index finger from the edge on his shoulder blade all the way down to edge of his rib cage. “How did you get this?” she asked, looking up at him, admiration and curiosity vying with each other in her gaze.
She had no clue as to the effect she was having on his body as Vijayendran shuddered, growing hard with need. “At the battle Maharaja Rajendra Chozhan fought with the Srivijaya in their capital city of Kadaram.”
“But is that not across the sea?” she asked, surprised.
He smiled, his hands caressing her bare waist, his thumbs making circular movements on her silky abdomen. “That is right.”
Chamundeswari’s breath caught in her throat when she felt the warmth of his large hands on her bare waist. With great effort, she breathed out before drawing a long breath within. But it did not make any difference to the triple speed at which her heart kicked in her chest. “You fought along with the emperor?” she asked, her voice turning hoarse as she continued to converse with him even as she felt shaken by his caresses.
Right next to him! But unwilling to admit it, he said, “In the emperor’s army, yes.”
Suddenly noticing the dark green etching of a tiger’s face between his chest and abdomen, she ran her finger round in a circle over it. “How did you get this?” It definitely could not be a birthmark, not when the shape was this perfect.
Goose flesh ran all over his body at her gentle touch exploring the centre of his chest and Vijayendran was worried that he was slowly but surely losing control over himself. His hands inadvertently tightening around her waist, he muttered, “It is a long story.”
“I want to know all about it and we have a lot of time before dinner,” she gave him an adoring smile.
He stared at the movement of her lips in fascination as she spoke. Burying the urge to kiss her, he gritted his teeth when he replied, “I was barely twelve when I got this done. It was not long after my mother’s death and my stomach used to get upset all the time. None of the vaithiyars who checked me could find a cure for my malady. It was lucky that a tribe of nari kuravars were visiting Thanjavur at that time. The head of the gypsy tribe, a grand old woman, insisted that pachai kuthu is a sure way to cure many kinds of ailments. Piercing the needle over this area under my ribcage was the solution they offered to healing my stomach. That is how this came about.”
“They did this when you were twelve and you still…”
“I am twenty-one now,” he said, giving her a mischievous grin.
“Oh!” That made him only four years older than herself. But he seemed to carry a world of wisdom within him. “How come this has not faded away with time?” she asked, pressing an open palm to the design.
Vijayendran gulped, almost choking at the sensation of her light touch. “It will only die with me.”
Without even being aware of what she was doing, Chamundeswari rubbed her hand repeatedly over the design, her fascinated eyes on the movement of her hand on his skin. “Did it hurt badly when they made this?” she asked.
“I cried for two days,” he said, able to laugh about it now.
“Aah!” She leaned forward to press her lips to the area, wishing she could have been there for him. “Why the face of a tiger?” she asked, looking up at him.
Another shudder, more violent than the earlier one, shook his body at the sensation of her soft lips against his skin, just below his rib cage. “Princess…” Even he was not sure if he was protesting or encouraging her.
“What?” she asked, looking at him through her thick eyelashes, a beguiling smile lighting up her gorgeous face.
He shook his head at her, not quite knowing how to deal with the situation. If it had been an older and more experienced woman, he would have made thorough love to her right there on the bank of the lake. But Chamundeswari was so obviously an innocent, quite unaware of the effect she was having on him. It was also apparent that she was discovering her latent sexuality even as she explored the tactile sensation of her hand on his skin. “I have always loved tigers, more so because it is the symbol of the Chozha kingdom.”
“Aah! I understand. No wonder you get along so well with Manu.”
“One cannot deny that he is adorable,” said Vijayendran, taking her roving hand in his and holding it firmly away from his body. “Listen, my princess, no more. Unless you are ready to face the consequences?” He lifted a lazy eyebrow in query.
“What consequences?” she asked, studying his face as she tried to understand the meaning of his words. She could not help but admire his striking features framed by thick ringlets of hair that fell down to his massive shoulders. With the tunic off, she ran her gaze over the wall of his chest all the way to his waistband that held his veshti in place.
Vijayendran was glad that he had tied his veshti in a kachcham between his legs as it helped camouflage his stiffened manhood. “Chamundi! I think it is time to return to our camp.”
“No.” She stamped her foot in a sudden temper, glaring at him. “I will not go back until you explain to me what consequences you were talking about.”
“Do you not understand at all?” he asked, frustration in his gaze as he looked at her.
She shook her head vigorously. “Of course, I do not. Will I ask you otherwise?”
He moved a step closer, the front of his body touching hers. “You explored my chest with your hand. I would like to explore your body too. Will you allow me?” he asked in a gentle whisper. He could not help wondering if she might run her dagger through his heart.
But as always, the rebel princess said and did the unexpected. “I thought you would never ask,” she grumbled, taking his hand and placing it at the centre of her chest. “Go on, explore all you want.”
Vijayendran groaned, long and loud as he wrapped her tightly in his arms to crush her against his chest, lifting her face to his own before leaning down to brush his mouth against hers.
The princess gave a soft sigh as she leaned into him, throwing both her arms around his neck, her eyelids feeling too heavy to remain open. “Adityaaaa…”
How could a man resist such an invitation? Vijayendran did not, either. He drew his damp tongue over the seam of her lips again and again, tasting her delicious lips which were sweeter than honey. When her lips parted in a gasp, he thrust his tongue within to leisurely explore her mouth.
Chamundeswari shook in his hold and was glad of his arms supporting her at the back. Or her legs which had become so weak with longing, might have simply given away. She clung closer to him, revelling in his deep kisses. All this long, she had never known that it was possible to find so much pleasure in a man’s embrace.
He lifted his head with reluctance to look down at her flushed face and reddened mouth. Princess Chamundeswari was a temptress through and through, her innocence making her even more so. He turned her around in his arms with her back pressed to his chest. Cupping her lush breasts in his palms, he squeezed their softness gently, his chin on her shoulder. “Does that hurt?” he spoke softly in her ear.
“Not at all! Do you want me to remove my bustier?” she asked, tilting her face up to look at him. She wanted his hands on her skin.
Oh my God! “I think not, my princess.”
“Why not? Do you not want to touch me?” she asked.
“Too much,” he said, tracing his lips over her bare shoulder all the way to the pulse beating at her neck.
“Then what is stopping you?” she grumbled.
“We are not man and wife, my princess. It is not right…”
She jumped out of his hands to turn around and face him, her fisted hands on her slender hips. “What is not right?” she demanded, glaring at him.
Vijayendran stared at her luminous face, lost for an answer. The commander of the emperor’s army, who had fought so many battles, managing to defeat such fierce and powerful enemies, was rendered completely speechless by the innocent princess’s words. Shaking his head slowly from side to side, he said, “My princess! We cannot enter into a physical relationship… you are the princess of Kongunadu and I am just a warrior in the Chozha emperor’s army. I…”
She stamped her foot once again, lifting a hand to stop him in mid-sentence. “You agree that I am a princess?”
He stared at her, wondering what she was getting at as he felt torn between amusement and adoration. And then there was his manhood which was painfully reminding him of its clamouring need. Vishnurayan had engaged him to keep guard over the princess. How could he have even imagined taking advantage of the situation?
“Aditya!” She straightened her shoulders, unaware that the gesture thrust her lush breasts out, making his dilemma worse. Tilting her chin to glare at him, she demanded, “You have not answered me. Do you agree that I am a princess?”
“Yes, Your Majesty!” He bowed his head, more to hide the amusement in his eyes than for any other reason.
“And you are a mere warrior?”
“Yes, Your Majesty!”
“I command you to teach me all you know about the physical love between a man and woman,” she said firmly, continuing to glare at his bent head. And why not? She thought to herself. He was the first man she had ever come across in her life whose touch she craved.
“Your Majesty?” Vijayendran’s head came up on hearing her words, staring at her, aghast. Did I hear that right? Did she really order me to make love to her?
“Are you pretending to have gone deaf suddenly?” she asked sharply. Not for a minute did Chamundeswari even imagine that he might not desire her enough to refrain from following her order.
He shook his head, amazed. The princess was not just beautiful and courageous, but she was also bold, it seemed.
He shook his head slowly from side to side. How tempted he was by her words! He had been falling in love with her from the first moment he set eyes on her in the temple sanctorum. His love had steadily grown as he spent more and more time with the princess. And just now, his body craved her like a man craving water in a hot desert. But he was not certain the princess was in love with him. If only she was aware of how difficult she was making it for him to say ‘no’ to her? He was positive she had not even considered the consequences of her demand on him. He was probably the first man who had gotten this close to Princess Chamundeswari and she was obviously unaware of the power of lust. He did not want her to make a blind decision based on the cravings of the flesh. “Princess, right now, the most important thing is to keep you safe and alive until your coronation. I have a duty to protect you from…”
Chamundeswari was not really sure about what had happened to her just now. Which is exactly why she was keen that he should teach her all about physical love. Otherwise, how was she to know what it was? And there was the fact that it thrilled her to be in his arms. As for his kisses, they went straight to her head, making her forget herself. Well, if he did not like her, why would he kiss her so passionately?
“Listen,” she stopped him yet again from completing his words. “You have been performing your duty only too well over the past few days. You have not only saved my life many times but also Manu’s today. Let me make it clear that you have been doing your duty as my bodyguard perfectly. I will inform Vishnurayan also if it will make you happy. But at this moment, what is between us has nothing to do with your duty; at least not as the warrior who is keeping me safe. You have a duty to me as your princess. And I command you to show me everything you know about the physical relationship between a man and a woman.”
Everything???!!!
Vijayendran was perplexed by her demand. He did not think Vishnurayan will ever forgive him if he did what the princess requested of him. He planned to woo Princess Chamundeswari and marry her when she was ready. But not just now. Now, the need was to keep her alive until her coronation.
“Your Majesty! I apologise. But I cannot…”
She stepped forward to throw her arms around his neck before pressing her mouth to his, her tongue tracing the outline of his lips.
Groaning in capitulation, Vijayendran gathered her in his arms to kiss her hungrily, unable to resist what she was offering so guilelessly.
When they came up for air, the princess gave him a triumphant but satisfied look, her eyes glowing golden in the twilight.
“Listen, sweetheart, please.” Vijayendran was pleading by now, his penis throbbing with the pressure of her proximity.
“What?” she asked, pouting.
“Let us wait till your coronation. I swear I will make love to you once that is out of the way. It will be my birthday gift to you.” His throat was choked with the depth of need he felt for her, even as he caressed her soft cheeks with his thumbs.
She stepped back; her gaze locked with his. “Alright, I will accept that. But I have a condition,” she said, reaching behind her to remove the knot of her bustier and pulling the cloth away from her body before dropping it on the forest floor, before sliding down that part of her sari which went over her left shoulder and allowing it to trail the forest floor. “I want to feel your hands on me.”
Vijayendran eyes went wide, a deep longing spreading through his masculine body as he stared compellingly at her creamy breasts with their pink tips that reminded him of lotus buds. “Chamundi…” Having no will to resist her tempting body and words, he reached with both hands to cup her gently, his roughened palms scraping over the engorged nipples. He squeezed her twin mounds gently as he lifted his gaze to meet her half-closed eyes. “Tell me if I hurt you,” he commanded, kneading her flesh gently.
She moaned long and loud, thrusting her upper body into his hands, revelling in his touch, her whole body quivering with desire. “Adityaaaaa…”
“My love!” He bent down to draw a damp tongue over one tip, making her jump. Laughing softly against her breast, he wrapped his arm around her waist even as he opened his mouth to enclose the nipple within, suckling on it rhythmically.
Chamundeswari tangled her hands in his hair, pulling his head closer to her body as she gave herself up to his caresses. If this is what it was to be with a man, then she decided that she wanted it every day.
Vijayendran traced his mouth across the slope of her left breast as he moved his head to the right one before giving it the same attention. Holding her soft and pliant flesh within his mouth satiated his craving while also driving his need to the next level. His breath coming in gasps, he decided that it was time to call a halt. Or, Vijayendran was not sure if he could stop from making complete love to her.
Removing his mouth from her breasts, Vijayendran lifted his head to look down at the princess’s flushed face.
Her heavy eyelids fluttered open reluctantly and she looked at him. “Why did you stop?” she asked, her voice hoarse with longing.
“I have honoured your condition, princess. It is best that we stop here.”
“Mmm.” She took his hand and placed it on her breast. “Some more?”
He gently pinched a nipple, shaking his head. “Be reasonable, princess.”
“What is unreasonable about what I am asking? I like your hands on me. I do not think you are averse to touching me either.” She paused, an eyebrow up even as she gave him a knowing smile, confident of her attraction to him.
“A man has his needs too, princess,” he groaned, shutting his eyes tightly. But that only enhanced the sensation in the hand that was caressing her breasts and the one that was at her waist.
“And before you ask,” he growled when she opened her mouth to protest, “I do not plan to say anything more on the subject. As I promised you, I will teach you everything after your coronation. Is that clear?” This time, his voice was commanding, making it clear that he was not going to listen to her anymore on the subject.
She pouted at him before pressing her naked upper body to his equally naked torso, sighing with pleasure when she felt the scrape of his body hair on her soft flesh. “Just five minutes, I ask. After that, I will let you tie my bustier back, covering my body from your eyes.”
He sighed, his hands lifting of their own accord to caress her bare back, kneading her flesh joyfully.
The princess, with her innocence, is going to be the death of me, he thought to himself, a pained smile on his face.
They returned to the camp only after the stars had begun to appear in the night sky, a sickle moon showing its face on the far horizon. Just when they sat down for their dinner, they heard the sound of horse hoofs.
Vijayendran was on his feet the next moment, his hand at the hilt of his sword as he looked in the direction of the sound. A relieved smile broke out on his face when he sighted Vishnurayan.
“Vishnu, I am so glad you have joined us. And well in time too. Come and sit with us for dinner.”
Vishnurayan got down to bow his head to the Chozha prince before turning to Princess Chamundeswari. “Your Majesty! I trust all is well?” he asked, bowing to his princess.
“Vishnu, I am so happy to meet you finally after all this long. And yes, everything is perfect. Between Adityan and I, we have managed to slay all of Pandiyan’s men and also a band of dacoits. There is only Velan with us now,” she said, grinning at her trusted manservant even as she clapped her hands in joy.
The two of them, Chamundeswari and Vijayendran, sat Vishnurayan between them as they brought him up to date on everything that happened during their trip from Thanjavur while Anagha watched on with a happy smile on her face even as she served them their meal.
Later in the night, Princess Chamundeswari tossed and turned in her bed, unable to fathom what was happening to her body as the soft spark of heat which she had felt between her legs when Adityan had kissed her, had become a full-blown fire raging now. She simply had no clue how to douse it. I will ask him all about it tomorrow, she promised herself as she drove her fists into her pillow before turning to the other side.
She was to realise much later that with Vishnurayan also in the camp, she did not get any private time with her handsome warrior.
