Behemoth Boyfriend: Ikshan Part One (special preview)

I chuckle and shake my head. “No, he did ask me to shave my face.”

“Then let’s go! We have a lot of work to do!” She grabs me and we go back to our quarters. There, she shaves me, trimming my beard and taking a razor to the stubble. She has me wash, and she uses her special oils on my skin. My mother then trims my hair and styles it into a braid. Come morning, she shaves the stubble again, takes my hair from the braid and combs it out, making my hair into a mane of luscious waves.

I dress in my best, or what my mother says is best, and I go to meet Ikshan at his study. Most rooms in the palace are large, to accommodate the royal family and the Behemoths. The study is a wide room with high ceilings, and the walls are nothing but shelves stuffed with books, artifacts, and treasures of Sita and the royal family. There is a painting on one wall depicting Ikshan’s father with King Dhaval of the Rakshasa, from when they were young boys.

Ikshan is behind his desk, a massive white island in a sea of pink tiles. His head is down and he wears a pair of thick glasses. His ears are raised, and he lifts his hand and beckons me forward. 

“Come in, come in. I am nearly done here, Veer, please have a-” As he looks up at me, his words stick on his tongue and his mouth hangs open. He adjusts his glasses and his ears slope down a bit. 

“Is something wrong, my Rajah?” I duck my chin and avert my eyes from him.

“Ikshan,” he corrects me. “And no, nothing is so wrong as it is right,” he whispers breathlessly. “Look at me, Veer. Raise your head.”

I slowly lift my chin as Ikshan rises from his desk.

“My goddess,” Ikshan’s voice is weak and awed. “You’re more beautiful than I remember.” He then shakes his head and swallows. “Forgive me I… I’m just struck.”

“Thank you.” I’m struck as well, to say the least! “I’m honored you think so, my Rajah… Ikshan.” I bite the inside of my cheek. “My mother forced me to shave,” I try to laugh, but find the air in the room has become too heavy to draw breath.

Ikshan moves away from his desk and picks up the pot from the tea service on a side table. He fills a cup and passes it my way. “She worked wonders. Your hair yesterday didn’t seem so…” he clears his throat and pours another cup of tea.

“She forced me to do a lot of grooming yesterday,” I try to laugh again. 

“This is cinnamon tea, a gift from Queen Mythri,” He seems to be avoiding the topic at hand. “It’s become a favorite of mine, as well as hers. When I studied at the academy, she treated me like one of her own. Have you ever met her?”

I shake my head. “Goddess, no. I wouldn’t be worthy of such an honor.”

“You would be worthy. Everyone is.” He chuckles then looks down into his tea. “I suppose I need to get over myself and tell you why I’ve asked you here.”

I eye him curiously, wondering what his words mean.

“I’m sure you know, as everyone does, why I do not have a queen,” Ikshan murmurs. “Not everyone is willing to accept it, but it is not something I am ashamed of.”