( @ciphvr | closed starter | yeehaw let’s get some history up in this bitch )
Kartik wasn’t used to the sounds of people throughout the palace. It was often very empty except for the servants and his family members who remained there. He preferred the silence and would often spend his days on the grounds, finding himself secluded in the grasslands away from the world. His family was of a higher nobility before the Mughals arrived in the area, and they were lucky to be included in the remaining nobility class of the empire. Many old families had disappeared with the Mughals’ arrival, but the Sharmas stayed in their palace with their large expanse of lands because they swore themselves to the empire. Some of his family had actually converted to Islam, but Kartik had remained with the Hindu faith. It was always what he connected with on an emotional level, and simply changing his life would have been strange for him. Even though some things had changed, many things still remained the same for him.
One thing that was about to change was the fact that he was to meet his future bride at night. Kartik always knew his life would reach this point. He’d hoped he would be able to choose his own wife, but his parents were able to convince him to agree to this marriage because it had been decided upon years ago. He remembered meeting her for a brief moment many years ago when his family traveled around the lands, but he had completely forgotten what she looked like. He could only remember that he had thought she was beautiful, but that was about all he knew from their brief encounter. He could only hope that things would go well between them, and if not, they would still have to spend their time together. Already his family was constructing a new palace for him and his bride, and it wasn’t nearly as large and beautiful as his current home, but he knew it would be fine. It was far away from the villages and cities, just as he requested, where he could wander off into the land and get away from the world.
As Kartik stepped through the halls, he could hear the sounds of talking and laughter echoing through the halls. He tiptoed his way past the crowd, and walked through the door to the garden. This was possibly his last moment to himself before wedding preparations began, and he wanted to savor it. He walked along the paths as he made his way to the very edge of the garden where the land soon became untended and wild. Kartik slowly sat down on the grass and leaned back so that he was lying down with his face staring up at the blue sky. He closed his eyes as he listened to the sounds of birds singing and animals shuffling through the bushes and grasses. He didn’t want to move from that spot.
The sound of soft footsteps made him open one eye and look behind him, seeing an unfamiliar woman approaching him. Kartik closed his eye and moved his arms behind his head. “Welcome to paradise,” he greeted softly. He wasn’t sure who this woman was, but he knew that she wasn’t one of his family’s servants. Perhaps she was a servant of one of the many visiting families. Still, there was something about her that reminded him of someone, but he wasn’t sure who. He’d seen so many people over the past few days that it was hard to remember who was who. “If you’re lost, this is the edge of the property. I’d suggest turning back around before you become even more lost in the dangerous land out there.”
