Karikalan: Saviour of the Cholas

Chapter 47: Catch Me If You Can

"That's it. We are done for today."

Alli let out a heavy breath, sweating profusely. Valavan gave her an appreciative nod and was about to turn to leave when she stopped him. "Wait!" He turned. She took in a nervous breath, having no clue how this about to go down. "That idea I was talking about yesterday? I want to try it now."

He shook his head, fear creeping into his eyes. "No way, Alli. We are not going to burn any of his presents."

Involuntarily, Alli shuddered. That morning, his voice had completed its final transition, changing into something else fully, something more deep and velvety. He had come to tell her with an impish grin that he thought Irungovel probably forgot about his existence for him to contemplate marriage, so he had done something to fix it.

She didn't ask him to elaborate like she usually did on matters concerning Irungovel. She was otherwise preoccupied.

If she thought his voice had been pleasant enough when she'd first heard it, she was wrong. If she thought his voice had been nice to hear for some time now recently, she was positively wrong.

This was definitely manly.

Noticing how she had lost concentration, he snapped his fingers before her face. "Alli?"

She suppressed another shudder. Him calling her by her name in this voice was definitely going to take some time getting used to. "That is not what I meant. This is something else. I don't want you here when I'm preparing it."

He raised a brow. "Now, I'm nervous for sure."

She ignored him, thrusting her sword in his hands. "Here. Keep this in my chamber for me."

He shot her a confused look. "But you usually keep it here!"

She glared at him. "I'm just telling this to make you go away! Stop talking and shoo."

Muttering something inaudible, he complied. He took two steps at a time and reached her chamber.

Yes, his legs had completely healed. Healed as much as possible.

Entering her chamber, he looked around for a place to hang the sword. There was no nail unoccupied. He didn't want to displace anything, fearing to face the wrath of Alli.

He finally spotted her table and decided to merely place it there. There was a huge white bag on it. He pushed it aside to make room for the sword. Unfortunately for him, the bag fell down, spilling its contents.

Hastily, he bent down to gather everything and put it back in place before she arrived when the items caught his eye.

It was a pair of male earrings, keyurams, and an elaborate ornament that was worn on the chest. He froze.

They were not just any ornaments. They were his.

He wracked his brain and distinctively remembered throwing them away somewhere randomly. How had she gotten these?

Right then, Alli walked in. "It is all ready! What are you-" Her eyes took in what was there on his hands and widened.

In two steps, she reached before him and snatched them all away from his hands. "Are you snooping?", she yelled. "I let you into my chamber for one minute and you go through my possessions?"

He rose to his feet, his face expressionless. It unnerved her. He stared at her for a few more seconds before speaking. "They are, as a matter of fact, mine. How did these come into your hands?"

She rolled her eyes. "Duh. How do you think I found you on Karuvur? I sent a spy after you."

He looked at her, speechless. His anger towards her seemed so trivial as everything she had done for him came crashing to him. As he stood there reeling, unable to even muster an apology, she yanked his hand. "Stop gaping like a fish out of water and follow me."