A Lifetime Ago

Chapter 15

“Timandra..” He whispered. “Your hair..” He trailed off. Everything about her looked different.

Her hair.

Her skin.

Her lips were tainted with deep red colour.

Her cheeks were flared up.

She looked like a goddess, so stunningly titillating.

Her scent was filling his nostrils and stimulating his desires for her ten folds higher.

Her chest heaved up and down rhythmically.

And the gown that she was wearing was perfecting hugging all her curves.

Ragnar couldn’t take his eyes off her gorgeousness.

His face was too close to hers that his breath was fanning on her flushed cheeks.

Timandra’s heart skyrocketed in her chest and her cheeks blushed further with the intensity of his stare. With Timandra in his arms, he suddenly forgot about his previous worries and looked livelier. He twirled her a few times causing her to shriek and giggle loudly.

Her breath hitched at her throat when she saw his lips curl up into a full blown smile, reaching his eyes which she had never seen before. It made his Adonis like features look even more alluring.

“Why did you come here?” Ragnar looked at her with hard eyes.

She swallowed hard. “I felt.. very bored inside the chambers, my lord.” She admitted.

“And what’s with your hair?” He growled at her.

“I coloured it.. to disguise myself” She said looking down on the polished floor.

His eyes were fixed on her hair and that made Timandra very self-conscious.

“D-Do.. you like it, my lord?” She asked him. She wanted to know what he thought about her new appearance.

He kept quiet. He liked her natural hair colour more. “No.. I don’t like it..” So he decided to answer honestly.

She saw his face and it was stone cold and straight.

“Why?” She asked frowning her brows.

“I don’t have to answer you.” He said in a very rude tone.

‘Jerk.’ She cursed mentally before turning away.

When the time for the partners to be shuffled came once again, Nodin was grinning like a fool in front of them, stretching out his hand for Timandra to grab it, “Brother..” He asked Ragnar to hand her over to him.

Timandra could feel Ragnar’s nails digging at her hips as he tightened his hold on her. He didn’t like to imagine any other man being close to Timandra. She shudders with the firmness of his hold around her waist.

“My lord..” Shee called him pulling him out of his thoughts. When he looked at her questioningly, she eyed at Nodin, indicating he was waiting there impatiently.

He quickly let her go. He wanted to smack his cousin with something on his head for interrupting them. He noticed the annoying grin that was plastered on Nodin’s face. He was clearly drooling over Timandra.

‘Who wouldn’t? Any man would want to hold her in his arms and Nodin wasn’t any different.’ He thought.

He wanted to go straight to her and pull her out of his arms but that would be too childish of him. He wasn’t brought up to be a man who would fight with his own cousin for a woman.

He gritted his teeth and growled loudly, making the woman dancing with him to get scared, “My lord.. Is everything alright?” The woman asked turning her head back, following his eyes among the crowd.

Timandra was back to Nodin but her eyes were still riveted on Ragnar. He was staring at her blankly from afar, his jaw pressed tightly and eyes were guarded.

He could see that her eyes openly displayed her sadness and frustration for him. They stared at each other. She was agonisingly too close to Nodin whcich irritated Ragnar.

 “My lady.. I haven’t seen you in Vonentis before? Do you belong here?” He initiated the conversation when he noticed that she wasn’t making any move to look at him.

“I’m new to Vonentis..” She said nervously.

“And how do you know my sister?”

“I.. met her recently through.. Meeda.” She blurted whatever came to her mind.

“Meeda? Who Meeda?” He asked trying to think.

“She’s my cousin..” She lied.

“Oh..” He was still confused but he didn’t want to ponder much into it. Whoever she was, he was mesmerised by her and wanted to pursue her.

“I wonder how I haven’t met you before.”

“..That’s because I don’t go out much.. I recently moved here.” She was growing more fidgety and wanted to run away from him. He had way too many questions for her and she wasn’t prepared to answer them all.

“Hmm.. and are you travelling to Triyad tonight?”

“Yes, My lord.” She answered him, searching for Avira. She was becoming tensed with each of his questions.

Ragnar couldn’t endure the sight in front of him anymore. It seemed like she was enjoying all the attention she was getting from Nodin and it pissed off Ragnar to see her so intimate with him.

He fisted his palms angrily and walked out of the ballroom, without paying heed to the poor woman, who was holding on to him a moment ago. She almost lost her balance when the price pushed her out of his way unexpectedly.

Ragnar knew that Timandra wouldn’t so boldly come out of his chambers without someone’s encouragement and support. It surely had to be Avira’ rash decision to bring her out to the ball room. She didn’t understand the danger in doing so.

Enraged at his cousin, he looked around and he made his way to her with long steps, when he found her flirting with a man. He pulled her by her elbow without a word. He dragged her to the corridors where people wouldn’t notice them. Avira had no time to react as he kept walking out of the ballroom.

“Ragnar.. stop.. Ragnar..” She screamed his name all through the way.

“What is wrong with you?” Avira yelled at him as she tried to get rid of his hand around her arms. He shoved her against the corridor walls roughly. Her voice died at her throat when she noticed the rage clouding at his eyes. She right away understood why he looked so maddened at her.

“Why did you help her get out of my chambers? Do I have to remind you of the consequences?” He barked at her.

“Ragnar.. Listen.. I know what I did was the most foolish thing I have ever done in my life but how long do you intent to keep her a prisoner in your room?” She tried to answer him thoughtfully.

“A prisoner?!” He groaned loudly. “Do you think I treat her like a prisoner?”

“Yes she is nothing different that a caged bird brother.” She argued before sighing. "I kn“w you want to protect her but how long will you keep her in your chambers?”

“As long as she gains her memory back..” He answered back foolishly.

“Don’t forget you will be married in two weeks and you will have a wife that will be staying in your room..” She raised her eyebrows challengingly.

His anger had disappeared all at once and his face dawned with realisation. He hadn’t thought about it at all. What was he going to do with Timandra when his newly wedded wife would occupy his chambers? Where would he send Timandra? Of course she could stay with Avira but then again how long, was his question.

Avira was right! Timandra had to be freed at some point of time but wasn’t it too early? She hadn’t regained her memories yet and had no clue of the outside world.

“Avira but she doesn’t know her identity and her origin yet. How can she roam around freely?” He grumbled.

“Then let her find out, Ragnar. She wouldn’t be able to do that if you keep her locked in your chambers.” She stated.

Ragnar’s features softened and he began to give it a thought.

“You are right. I need to let her free if she needs to discover herself. I cannot probably keep her locked for the rest of her life.” He admitted to her.

“Ragnar, we cannot leave her at the palace while we both are away from Vonentis. That would put her in a grave danger. Let me take her with us. I promise you that her safely will be my sole responsibility.” Avira proposed to Ragnar, as she noticed his anger fade away gradually from his face. She had been thinking of a way to keep Timandra with her during their journey to Triyad.

“Alright.” He mumbled, knowing quite well that they had no other way to keep her safe. “..but what if someone finds out that she isn’t from Vonentis?”

“No one would. I’ll take care of it..” She assured him.

He nodded his head as he recollected how well Avira had tried to change her appearance. She looked like any other woman of Vonentis just too beautiful, he thought.

Leaving her behind in Vonentis would be nothing less than to leave her at the hands of death. How couldn’t he not think about the risks involved in leaving her at the palace? He mentally scolded himself.

Avira was joyfully excited about going to Triyad along with Timandra.

“Thank you so much brother!” She jumped and hugged Ragnar before running back into the ballroom. He watched her hurry into the ballroom. He signed heavily before walking back to his chambers.

Avira flicked her eyes around the hall and found Timandra dancing with her brother. She couldn’t wait for the song to her over as she hurriedly made her way to Timandra.

“Timandra.. we are going to Triyad..” She squealed, hugging Timandra.

“I know that..” Timandra mocked at her friend.

“Yes.. but now we are going with Ragnar’s approval.” She said jumping up and down her feet.

“Really?” She asked biting her lower lip eagerly.

“Yes.. You don’t have to hide from him on our way to Triyad.” Avira informed and Timandra nodded excitedly.

“Are you travelling to Triyad?” They didn’t know that Nodin was standing behind them, listening to their conversation.

“Nodin..” Avira whined. “It’s rude to eaves drop on others.”

“I wasn’t eaves dropping. You too were just too loud for your own good.” He taunted at her with his signature smirk while Avira glared him.

Avira playfully jabbed at his chest. Nodin looked at Timandra who was witnessing the scene shyly with a gentle smile on her lips. He was glad that she was travelling to Triyad with them. He would be getting plenty of time to get to know her, he thought.