Chapter 100: chapter 100

S A N M A Y I The day had come—one that I had both feared and longed for. The echoes of the past, the betrayal that had stained my childhood, and the treachery that had poisoned my present, all converged to a single, bitter moment. Nandini, my once dearest friend, my confidante from a time long ago, now stood before me as nothing more than the last vestige of a broken alliance. The woman who had once been my sister in spirit had, through her jealousy and ambition, become my greatest enemy.I stood in the grand hall, the stone floor beneath my feet cold and unyielding. My dark silk saree, embroidered with intricate gold, felt heavier than ever, as if it carried the weight of a kingdom’s fate upon it. My hair, cascading like a black waterfall down my back, swayed gently with each movement as I stepped toward the center of the room.The court had gathered once more, and the air was thick with tension. The nobles, those who had once hesitated, who had wavered in the face of Nandini’s manipulations, now watched with bated breath. Their eyes followed me, awaiting my decision, waiting for me to pass judgment. It was no longer a question of my ability to rule—it was a matter of what kind of ruler I would be.Nandini stood before me, her once regal presence now diminished, her shoulders slumped in defeat. The haughty arrogance that had once defined her was gone, replaced by a hollow look in her eyes. The arrogance of betrayal had crumbled, and now, there was nothing left of the woman I had once called my friend.She had played her hand, and she had lost.“I never thought it would come to this,” I said, my voice steady, though my heart thundered in my chest. I could feel the weight of every word, the burden of years of hidden animosity, the betrayal that had festered since our childhood. “You, Nandini, were once the sister I never had. You were the one who taught me the ways of the court, the one who held my hand when we were children. And yet, it was you who poisoned my mother.”I watched as the words struck her, like arrows piercing a defenseless heart. For a moment, she seemed to shrink under their weight, her breath coming faster, her face paling.“Do you not remember?” I continued, my gaze unwavering. “It was you, Nandu, who, on my sixth birthday, brought the poisoned kheer. But it was not I who ate it. It was my mother. And she died because of your jealousy.”The room fell into a heavy silence. Nandini’s eyes flickered with something—remorse, fear, guilt, or perhaps all of them. But it was too late for her to seek redemption. There was no undoing what had been done.“My mother loved you as her own,” I said, my voice softening despite the fury that surged within me. “She took you in when you had nothing. And this is how you repay her? With poison?”Her lips trembled, and for a moment, it seemed as though she might speak, but she remained silent, as if the weight of her crimes had stolen her ability to defend herself. What could she say? The truth had been laid bare before all, and there was no escaping it.I turned my gaze to the nobles, the lords and ladies who had once turned a blind eye to Nandini’s machinations. “You have all seen the evidence. You have all heard the truth. Nandini is guilty of treason, of betrayal. She sought to destroy the very kingdom she claimed to love.”I paused, my gaze sweeping over the court. “But she will be punished according to her crimes. She will be stripped of all remaining privileges and placed under house arrest within the palace. Her freedom will be no more than the walls that surround her.”The nobles nodded solemnly, the resolution in their eyes clear. There was no room for mercy in this matter. The time for compassion had long passed. Nandini had made her bed, and now she would lie in it.As I turned back to her, I saw her eyes flashing with something more dangerous than regret—defiance. But there was no place for defiance now. It was too late for her to make a stand.“You are no longer the queen, Nandini,” I said, my voice low but filled with finality. “Your reign has ended. Your supporters will be exiled or executed, depending on their crimes. There will be no more room for betrayal in this kingdom. Your family’s name will carry the shame of your actions, and your fate is sealed.”Nandini’s lips parted, as if she might say something, but no words came. Her gaze fell to the ground, and I could see the crushing weight of her defeat settle in her bones.I turned away from her then, my back straight, my eyes cold. There was nothing left to say, nothing more to do. The room, once filled with whispers of doubt and rebellion, was now silent, the echoes of my decision reverberating off the stone walls.But the weight of my actions did not lift. I had done what was necessary, but it had come at a great cost. The loss of my friend, the loss of a part of my own past, was a wound that would take time to heal.As the court dispersed, and the nobles returned to their duties, I walked slowly to the balcony that overlooked the palace gardens. The air was still, and the sky stretched out above me, endless and vast. Below, the people of Amaravati moved about their daily lives, unaware of the storm that had just passed through the heart of their kingdom.I had emerged victorious, but the battle for peace had only just begun.I was jolted from my thoughts by the sound of approaching footsteps. I turned to see Ranajay walking toward me, his expression one of quiet strength. His eyes met mine, and for a moment, the weight of everything that had transpired between us, the pain and the struggle, seemed to fall away. He was home—my partner, my equal.“You did it,” he said simply, his voice low but filled with pride.I nodded, unable to find the words to express the complexity of the emotions that churned within me. It had been a long road, filled with betrayal and sacrifice. But we had weathered the storm together.“I did what had to be done,” I replied, my voice steady but with a softness that only he could hear. “For the kingdom, for us.”He stepped closer, taking my hand in his. The warmth of his touch, the strength of his presence, grounded me. He was here, and with him, I knew that Amaravati would thrive.“Together,” he said, his eyes meeting mine with unwavering resolve. “We will rebuild. We will lead this kingdom into a new era. An era of peace.”I squeezed his hand, my heart swelling with the knowledge that, though the past had been fraught with pain, we had found our way through it. And now, we could face whatever came next—together.The sun was setting, casting a golden glow over the city, and for the first time in years, I allowed myself to believe that the future was not just a dream, but a reality we could shape together.Ranajay and I stood there, side by side, ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead. For Amaravati, for our people, for each other. And as the night fell, I knew that our kingdom was stronger than ever.The queen had taken her stand—and the kingdom was finally united.