In the afternoon, Noor arrived at her chambers to rest for a while. Dropping her shawl on the bed, she stood at the large chest on one end of the room going through her jewelry. She was to donate one of her necklaces so her maids had laid them out for her to choose from. Running her finger over an intricately designed diamond necklace, she had just leaned in to get a closer look when she heard movement in her closet. Knowing exactly who it was, her heart skipped a beat. The sound of the closet door swinging open entered her ears but she remained still, maintaining her back to it.
Prem stepped onto the marble floor of her chambers and gently closed the closet door behind him. To his surprise, despite being well aware of his presence, she did not turn around. And when she did, a dagger flew out of her hand at the speed of lightening towards him. Missing him by inches, it dug itself into the wooden closet door behind him. Having been caught completely off guard, Prem paused in his tracks for a second to study the path of the dagger and then the fire in the eyes of woman who had released it. Unable to help himself, he shook his head in lowered eyes as his stubborn dimples dug into his cheeks against his will.
That fucking smile will be the end of me. Noor thought outright mesmerized as he worked on getting rid of his stunning expression before starting over to her again. Not done punishing him, she began to walk away when he reached her but he was quick to grasp onto a corner of her chunni and successfully stopped her in her tracks. Facing him once again, she swiftly drew out his dagger this time, and slashed the tightened phulkari cloth between his hold and hers. The cloth tore in an even line and freed Noor from his hold.
Taken aback yet again, Prem stared at her wide-eyed. He knew she would be agitated by his recent show of friendliness towards Chand but hadn't quite expected this. She never did fail to surprise him. When she attempted to walk away yet again, he got a hold of her wrist and stepped up to her. "Enough," he said in a lowered voice.
Letting him turn her towards him, Noor did not fight his hold this time. Still holding her wrist with one hand, he circled his other arm around her waist and pulled her into himself. Landing against his hard abdomen, Noor took her time in travelling her lowered eyes from his chest to his face. When their eyes finally met, they looked at each other in expressions that said that everything their lips refused to say. Both stared on a little angry, a little hungry, a little depressed, a little obsessed. A couple moments ticked by as they stood frozen in that position.
Finally, unable to help himself, Prem angled his face and inched towards her lips. Just before their lips could touch though, Noor turned her face to the side and his lips planted onto her cheek. His eager frustration in response was communicated by the further tightening of his hold around her waist. Slowly, she felt his lips press into a small smile on her cheek before making a quick move downwards and imitating a wild bite on her jawline. As his teeth gently grasped her skin, she felt her stomach flutter. How he still managed to give her butterflies after all these years was beyond her. Noticing her breathing start to grow uneven, he further went ahead and laid a small trail of kisses deeper into her neck. She felt the impact of those between her legs, suddenly making her weak in the knees. There was a rush inside her body increasing in intensity with every passing moment. Unable to help herself, she exhaled a deep sigh of pleasure and reached for his collar in the moment of passion. The further down her neck he went, the tighter her grip grew on his collar. She hadn't realized her body was famished for his touch to this extent. Understanding he was in control now, Prem retrieved his position before her distracted eyes and smiled victoriously before leaning into her ear and finally speaking up. "Won't you ask me what I'm doing here?"
He withdrew to look at her face again and Noor stared back at him with slight disapproval in her eyes.
"Oh, that's right...you're not talking to me." He then proceeded answer his own question. "How are managing that though? Don't you have like a thousand questions to ask me?
Noor eyed him with her displeased expression continued. She wasn't too thrilled about his skilled mouth going from her neck to...well, performing its primary function, talking. This one sided conversation could have waited.
"You look disappointed..." He then pointed out. "It's almost as if you didn't want me to stop." He flirtatiously leaned in. "Be careful though, wanting me that desperately doesn't exactly go with the two daggers I was greeted with." His victorious smile returned. "But..." he eyed her mischievously, "if you ask me to continue, I swear to god, I'll have you screaming in no time." This time he dove forward and his lips landed on her throat. He planted a rough kiss before gently biting her skin with just enough pressure for Noor to lose her senses. A sound of pleasure inevitably escaped her lips and she threw her head back. Enjoying every bit of what he was doing to her, Prem paused yet again and withdrew. "That would have been my name on any other occasion." He stated.
Visibly intoxicated by him, Noor took a deep breath to get a hold of herself.
Noticing which, "c'mon, Noor..." Prem brought his nose and forehead to touch hers, "say my name..." he suddenly demanded. "Say it the way you do when you want me as badly as you do right now." There was an intense desperation in his voice. "When the only thing on your mind is me. Say it the way you do to drive me crazy. Say it, Noor. Please." He begged her.
Lips sealed, Noor looked at him through expressive eyes. Premm... She felt her soul call out his name.
"Out loud, Noor. Not in your mind." He further protested. "Just once. Please baby. Just say it once."
Noor simply looked at him. She would never break an oath she took on his life even if meant getting him angry with her all over again.
Having read her eyes, "Noor..." Prem held her by the shoulders. "I don't need this fucking life if you're not talking to me! Why don't you understand?" He pleaded in frustration. "Fuck that oath. I'd rather not have any official marriage and see you in secret for the rest of my life. I'd rather break rules and risk everything we've got just to talk to you. What the fuck is this though? What good is any of this?"
Tears built up in Noor's eyes but she remained silent.
"Noor..." Prem was still unwilling to give up. "Talk to me. Please. You don't even have to say anything nice. Fight with me. Yell at me for the way I acted the last few months, isn't it overdue? Tell me to go back to Chand! Tell me that you will kill me the next time she's in the same room as me. Say something. Anything?!"
One by one, a tear from each of her eyes spilled onto her cheeks. She would never give in.
Beyond disappointed, "fuck, Noor!" Prem took an upset step back. "So, you're willing to let me leave in anger and repeat the past five months again but you're not willing break that pointless oath?"
Her broken spirit visible in her face, Noor simply lowered her eyes to the ground.
Stepping up to her again, Prem gently lifted her face by the chin. When she raised her tearful eyes to meet his again, he spoke up, "I'm going to leave, Noor." His voice full of pain and anger. "And I don't want to you to expect me by the river, in your bath, or in your bed."
With that, he withdrew and turned to walk away. It was then that Noor noticed a long deep cut on his arm just below the elbow. It was still fresh so she guessed it must have been from a recent sword fight. Naturally, she rushed behind him and got a hold of his arm to get a proper look at his wound. To her surprise, he stood still and let her study his cut. Eventually she looked up at him in questioning eyes.
"You want to know how it happened?" He asked.
Noor managed a subtle nod.
"Then ask me." He stated slowly. "Ask me how it happened and I'll tell you."
Noor stared at him helplessly.
Having predicted her response, "that's what I thought." He said and snapped his arm out of her hold.
Not in the space to let him go just like that, Noor grabbed him once again. This time with one hand on his arm and the other on the side of his face. Her silent eyes pleaded before him in despair.
"What Noor?" He finally asked. "You don't want to talk to me, you don't want to let me go, what do you want?"
YOU! Her insides screamed. I want YOU. Chest breathlessly moving up and down, she shot forward in a clenched jaw and paused inches away from his face.
She hadn't said those words out loud but her bloodshot eyes had communicated them with Prem more clearly than anything he's ever heard. So, for a moment, he simply stood smitten. Smitten by her passionate rage, by her stubborn beliefs, and by her relentless love for him. How she managed to be so destructive without a single word and breathtakingly beautiful at the same time escaped him. Despite the electricity her unbelievably powerful move had triggered inside his body, he was determined not to get carried away. He wanted to punish her for not budging from her unnecessary oath so this time, he, turned his face away when she leaned in to kiss him.
In response, Noor released his arm and grabbed his collar as if to question his audacity. He stared at the side wall, waiting for her to retrieve. She didn't. Instead, she leaned back in and kissed his neck. Sensually and purposefully, the way she would to drive him crazy. Immediately and almost powerlessly drowning in the sensation, Prem found his eyes closing and his heartbeat increasing. Beginning to lose himself to her, he knew he had barely a couple moments to act before his beastly hunger for her overthrows him and they end up in her bed. Then, using a godly level of willpower, Prem got a hold of the woman he desired more than anything else in the world and took a step back from her. "Not going to happen, Noor." He shook his head firmly. "It won't work this time."
Noor let out yet another sigh.
When he tired walking off again, she got a hold of his arm yet again. Irritated, Prem watched her eye his scar once again and then gently run a finger next to it before looking up at him.
"You want me to take care of myself?" He asked with annoyance audible in his voice.
This time as well, Noor confirmed with a slight nod.
"Then tell me to do it, Noor." He asserted.
Giving up, Noor released his arm and took a step back. Time froze for a moment as they both stared on equally disappointed, unsatisfied, and frustrated with one another. Finally, Prem backed in to the closet door and disappeared behind it. The meeting was over and they both felt worse than they did before it.
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PRECAP - By that evening, the news had spread like wildfire within the kingdom. Noor wondered how Prem must have found out and what his reaction must have been. She wondered what his family must be feeling like?
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