Chapter 70: chapter 70

S A N M A Y I The echoes of the court’s celebration still hung in the air as I stood beside Ranajay, the weight of the sacred fire’s light upon us. We had completed the Saptapadi, the seven steps around the holy fire, and as the last step was taken, a new chapter of our lives had begun. The applause of the court had sounded like music to my ears, and yet, a shadow lingered over our union, a shadow I could not quite name but felt deep in my bones.Ranajay’s hand, strong and steady in mine, was my anchor in the midst of it all. His eyes shone with the same promise that had been there when he first confessed his love for me. In that moment, I believed that we could overcome anything—together.But the gods, it seemed, had not yet finished testing us.A sudden commotion rippled through the court, a sharp intake of breath from the crowd, followed by the unmistakable sound of a dagger’s cold blade slicing through the air. My heart froze for a heartbeat, and then, I saw it: the glint of steel aimed directly at me.Before I could even react, Ranajay’s arm was around me, pulling me behind him in a seamless motion. The dagger missed its mark, but not by much. The force of the throw sent a shiver of cold terror through my body, and the realization hit me with the force of a thunderclap.This was no accident. This was deliberate."Stay back!" Ranajay’s voice rang out like a battle cry as he shielded me from the threat. His body was a barricade between me and the would-be assassin, his eyes darting to the attackers with a fury I had never seen in him before.I glanced quickly at the source of the attack. And there, standing at the far end of the hall, was a figure I knew all too well: Nandini. Her face was twisted in an expression of pure malice, and beside her, standing tall and regal in his dark robes, was King Jayavikram. The two of them stood like vultures, watching with cold amusement as chaos threatened to erupt around us.Ranajay stepped forward, fury burning in his eyes. "You dare!" he shouted, his voice a low growl that made the very air around us crackle.Nandini’s lips curled into a thin smile. "It’s the price of power, Ranajay," she said, her voice sweet but laced with venom. "Some will do anything to claim what they believe is theirs."She stepped back, her hand brushing the arm of King Jayavikram, who had a look of quiet satisfaction etched upon his face. "The kingdom needs to be ruled by strength, not by this... this woman," she sneered, gesturing toward me as though I were little more than a pawn on a chessboard.Ranajay’s jaw tightened, and I could see the muscles in his neck bulging with the strain of holding back the fury that threatened to explode. "You’ve underestimated me, Nandini," he said, his voice low and dangerous. "And you’ve underestimated my love for her."It was then that I saw it—a flicker of movement in the corner of my eye. Another assassin, hidden in the shadows, ready to strike again. My heart skipped a beat, and before I could warn Ranajay, he turned, eyes blazing, and with a movement that was both swift and precise, drew his sword.In a flash, the assassin was disarmed and pinned to the ground, the blade of Ranajay’s sword pressing firmly to his throat. "Your plan has failed," Ranajay said, his voice cold, almost detached, as though he were dealing with nothing more than an inconvenience.The assassin trembled beneath him, his eyes wide with fear. And then, in a voice barely above a whisper, he spoke: "It was them... Queen Nandini and King Jayavikram... they promised us gold, lands—everything if we succeeded."The confession hung in the air like a heavy fog, and I felt my blood run cold. Nandini and Jayavikram, working together in the shadows to destroy us. To destroy everything we had fought for. The realization hit me with the force of a hammer."Enough!" Nandini shouted, her face contorting with rage as she took a step forward, her hands trembling. "You will regret this, Ranajay. You will regret ever defying me!"Ranajay stepped away from the fallen assassin, his eyes not leaving Nandini for a second. "You’ve already lost," he said, his tone unwavering. "Your treachery ends today."Nandini’s eyes burned with fury, but there was a flicker of fear in them as well. She had expected us to break, to fall before her schemes. But instead, we had stood tall, united. And now, the truth had come to light.The tension in the hall was palpable, the court watching with bated breath, uncertain whether this was the end of the drama or the beginning of something far worse. Jayavikram, sensing the shift in power, took a step forward, his regal composure faltering for a brief moment as he assessed the situation."You think you’ve won, Ranajay?" Jayavikram’s voice was low, tinged with venom. "You think this wedding, this farce, will change anything? You’re nothing but a boy playing at kingship."Ranajay turned slowly to face his father, his gaze hardening. "I am not the boy you raised. I am not the son who bowed before your will. And I will not allow you to destroy what I have built."There was a long, tense silence, broken only by the distant crackle of the flames in the firepit. And then, Ranajay took a step toward me, his hand outstretched. "Sanmayi, come. We’ve endured enough. It is time we stood together, as equals. As rulers."I hesitated for only a moment before I placed my hand in his, my heart steady, my resolve unshakable. "Together," I whispered, my voice low but firm. "We will face whatever comes next. Together."With that, we turned our backs on the conspirators, our heads held high. The court watched as we walked, side by side, toward the throne room. And in that moment, I knew that nothing—no betrayal, no assassination attempt—could ever break the bond we had forged.The road ahead would be long and fraught with danger. But we were ready.And together, we would rule Amaravati as equals.Behind us, Nandini and Jayavikram retreated into the shadows, their plot unraveled, their plans for revenge set in motion. But we were no longer the pawns in their game.We were the players.And our reign had only just begun.