A Syrup of the Bees

A king lies dead by treachery, and his beloved queen by his side. But the gods have been watching from their celestial realm, and love that transcends death demands a second act. In this shimmering oriental romance from 1914, F.W. Bain weaves a tale where divine intervention meets human longing, and the boundaries between myth and memory dissolve. King Arunodaya, cut down by treachery, is given a chance at reunion with his murdered queen through a prophecy spoken by the great god Maheshwara and his consort Uma. His quest leads him through lifetimes and across mystical landscapes populated by the Widyádharas, Indian fairies of ancient lineage who bear no resemblance to their European cousins. Here, jealousy becomes a cosmic force, love a thread that persists beyond mortality, and the natural world hums with supernatural intelligence. Bain constructs his narrative like a fever dream, where every emotion achieves mythic proportions and every encounter carries the weight of destiny. For readers who have ever wished for a love story that operates on the level of legend rather than realism, this is that rarity: a romance grounded in the rich soil of Indian mythology, where the gods themselves are not indifferent observers but active participants in the drama of the heart.