Chapter 34: chapter 34

S A N M A Y I The moonlight cast a pale sheen over the palace, its light creeping into the chambers like an unwelcome guest. The once-vibrant halls of Amaravati now seemed cold, distant, their beauty tainted by the weight of courtly deception. I had long grown accustomed to the shifting alliances and the fragile nature of power, but tonight, something felt different. The air was thick with tension—an undercurrent of conspiracy that threatened to suffocate even the bravest of hearts.I had been here for days now, moving like a shadow through the palace, observing, listening, and learning. The walls that had once been a sanctuary of royalty and pride now seemed to close in on me with every passing hour. If I were not careful, they would crush me, just as they had crushed so many before.Princess Nandini’s presence in the court had been a thorn in Ranajay’s side from the very moment she had arrived. What had begun as a political union to strengthen alliances had turned into a bitter rivalry. Her bitterness toward Ranajay was palpable—her pride wounded by the broken engagement, and the pride of her father, King Yashvendra, only fueled her thirst for revenge. She now wielded her political influence like a weapon, carefully planting seeds of doubt among the courtiers who had once supported Ranajay. Her movements were precise, her words cutting, always a step ahead of the rest of us. She was dangerous, and she knew it.I had been warned about her before, of course. Ranajay had spoken of her with disdain, describing her as cunning and manipulative. But I had not truly understood the extent of her power until I saw it firsthand.This was no simple matter of petty jealousy; Nandini was using the very system of the court to her advantage. She had allied herself with the influential families who sought to weaken Ranajay’s position, exploiting his weakness for personal gain. It seemed as though every time he turned to someone for support, Nandini had already woven her web of deceit, pulling the strings from the shadows. There was no one left in the court who had not been touched by her manipulation.As I wandered through the hallways of the palace, it was hard to shake the feeling that I was walking through a labyrinth. Every corner I turned held the potential for danger. Whispers echoed off the stone walls, and every face I encountered seemed to conceal a hidden agenda. The walls themselves seemed to groan under the weight of so many secrets.It was in this very labyrinth that I found myself face to face with the woman who had become my greatest threat in the court: Princess Nandini.She was standing by a balcony, looking out over the sprawling gardens below, her back to me. She had always been beautiful in a way that was impossible to ignore—her regal posture, her perfect features, the sharpness of her gaze that could pierce through anyone who dared to meet it. But now, there was something colder about her. A hardness had settled in her eyes, a cruelty that had not been there before.I stood still for a moment, watching her, unsure of what to do. She must have sensed my presence, for she did not turn, nor did she speak, but the tension in her body was palpable. Her silence spoke volumes.“Princess Nandini,” I said, my voice steady but with an edge of caution. “I see you have not let the broken engagement cloud your ability to make alliances.”She laughed, a sound that lacked warmth and rang through the marble hall like the strike of a bell. “You are as perceptive as always, Sanmayi. I do hope you are not here to lecture me on the virtue of forgiveness. I have heard quite enough of that nonsense.”I stepped closer, my eyes never leaving hers. “Forgiveness? You don’t need my forgiveness, Nandini. What I wonder is whether you have truly considered the consequences of your actions.”Her lips curled into a smile, but it was not a friendly one. It was the kind of smile that belonged to someone who knew the game better than you did. “Consequences? Oh, Sanmayi, there are always consequences. But I have learned that it is better to make my own destiny than to wait for someone else to shape it for me. Your prince—your beloved Ranajay—has made a mess of everything. He cannot protect you. He cannot protect himself. And as for his precious kingdom—well, it is already on the verge of collapse.”I could hear the venom in her words, but I refused to let her provoke me. “Is that what this is about then? Your father’s pride? Your need to avenge the insult to your honor?”“Honor?” she scoffed, turning to face me, her eyes cold as steel. “No, Sanmayi. This is about power. It is about the ability to shape the world as I see fit. You may believe you are on the side of righteousness, but the truth is, you are all pawns in a much larger game. And I intend to win.”Her words were a challenge, a declaration of war. I could feel the weight of them pressing down on me, trying to provoke a response. But I had learned, over the course of this war, that every word could be used as a weapon. She was trying to bait me into something—into a mistake.“You think you can win?” I said slowly, my eyes never leaving hers. “You think you can control everything around you? The court, the kingdom, even the rebels? You underestimate the forces at play, Nandini. And you underestimate me.”She raised an eyebrow, a small smirk playing on her lips. “Is that so? Tell me, Sanmayi, what exactly do you think you can do? You’re just as trapped as I am, perhaps more so. You are a part of the rebellion, yes, but you’re still here, aren’t you? You’ve allowed yourself to be drawn into the very heart of the court, where everything is a lie, a mask.”I felt the sting of her words, but I refused to let her see that they had an effect on me. “I am here because I have my own game to play,” I said, my voice firm. “And I don’t need your permission to win.”Nandini’s smile faded, her eyes narrowing as if she had just realized that I was not as easily manipulated as she had assumed. For a moment, the air between us crackled with tension, as though we were two predators circling each other, waiting for the other to make the first move.“I’ll have what’s mine, Sanmayi,” she said, her voice low and dangerous. “And you will be nothing more than a casualty in this game.”I took a step back, meeting her gaze with a calmness I did not truly feel. “We shall see, Princess. We shall see.”As I turned to leave, I could feel the weight of her words hanging over me, like the blade of a sword poised to strike. Nandini was no fool—she knew how to play the game, how to weave her influence through the court. And if I was not careful, if I was not vigilant, she would be the one who emerged victorious.But I was not about to let her win. Not without a fight.The court of thorns had become a battlefield, and I had no intention of walking away from it unscathed.