Chapter 73: chapter 73

S A N M A Y I The sun hung low over Amaravati, casting a golden hue over the bustling streets and tranquil courtyards. Yet, within the walls of the palace, a much darker shadow loomed. It had started, as these things often do, with a whisper—nothing more than a fleeting word passed between two nobles, two servants, or perhaps just one overheard conversation. But as whispers tend to do, it spread, weaving its insidious way through the halls of the court, infecting minds with its poison."Did you hear?" I overheard one of the attendants whispering as she adjusted my veil. Her voice was low, hushed in the way people often speak when they wish to convey forbidden information. "They say the queen… the new queen, she's still in league with the rebels."I froze, the brush of her hands against my skin now seeming to send a chill through my entire body. "What did you say?" I asked, turning my head slightly to catch her gaze. She flinched but quickly recovered, her face a careful mask of neutrality."I didn’t mean it, Your Highness. It’s just what they’re saying, in the courts, in the hallways. People are talking, and—""People talk too much," I interrupted, my voice firm but controlled. "And they say far too many things they do not understand."She bowed her head, and I could see the unease in her eyes, but she didn’t say anything more. I let her leave my chambers, my mind already racing. This wasn’t the first time I had heard such rumors, but the fact that they were starting to circulate openly within the palace was deeply troubling. Nandini had begun to sow her seeds of discord, and they were starting to take root.I didn’t need to look far to know where these rumors were coming from. Nandini, ever the manipulator, had found her way into the ears of those who would listen. She had begun to exploit the very thing she thought would bring me down—the rebellion that had once been my cause. It was her favorite strategy: to turn people’s weaknesses against them, to stir up discontent and uncertainty. She knew that many still saw me as a rebel, an outsider to Amaravati’s royal bloodline. And now, she was feeding those doubts, making sure that every whispered conversation seemed to confirm her lies.At first, I tried to ignore the rumors. I focused on my duties as queen, on my responsibilities to the people of this kingdom, and on proving my loyalty to Amaravati. I knew that the nobility would be the hardest to win over, for their loyalty had always been to power, not to the people. But as the days passed, the whispers grew louder, more persistent. They spoke of me secretly aiding the rebellion, of using my position as queen to strengthen their cause from within the palace walls.I knew I had to confront these rumors, but I couldn’t do it with words alone. I had to show them who I was, who I had always been—not the rebellious firebrand they feared, but a queen who cared for her kingdom. I couldn’t allow Nandini’s lies to flourish, for they were like weeds threatening to strangle the roots of my rule.One morning, during the morning court session, I found an opportunity to address the issue head-on. The nobles had gathered, their voices a low murmur as they discussed matters of state. Ranajay sat beside me, his brow furrowed in concentration. But I could sense his unease too, for he knew what was brewing beneath the surface."Your Highness," one of the elder nobles, Lord Dharvan, spoke up. "There are troubling rumors circulating about the queen. Some say she has ties to the rebels who still plague our kingdom. What do you have to say in your defense, my queen?"The question hung in the air, heavy with the weight of suspicion. A dozen eyes turned to me, all waiting for an answer. The tension in the room was palpable, but I held my ground, my gaze steady as I looked around at the gathered court. I could see the apprehension in their eyes, the doubt that Nandini had so carefully planted. I would not let that doubt fester."I am no rebel," I said, my voice calm but firm. "I am your queen, and I stand before you today not as someone who seeks to divide this kingdom, but as one who seeks to unite it. The people of Amaravati have suffered enough. It is time for healing, time for us to move beyond the divisions of the past."Lord Dharvan’s lips tightened, but he did not speak again. Others in the room shifted uncomfortably, but no one dared speak out. I had answered the accusation, but I could feel the unease still lingering in the air.Later that evening, Ranajay found me in the royal gardens, walking alone among the blooming jasmine and marigold. The night air was cool against my skin, but my heart burned with frustration."You were magnificent today, Sanmayi," he said softly, coming to stand beside me. "But I can feel the tension. The whispers—they’re not going away."I nodded, feeling the weight of it all pressing down on me. "I know. It’s as though no matter what I do, they can’t see me for who I am. They only see the past, the rebellion, the outsider."Ranajay placed a hand on my shoulder, his touch warm and reassuring. "You are not the rebellion, Sanmayi. You are Amaravati’s queen. And I stand with you, always."His words were a balm to my spirit, but the truth was harder to escape. No matter how much we tried to move forward, no matter how many good deeds we did, Nandini’s seeds of discord had already been planted in the minds of the nobility, and those seeds were beginning to sprout. The rebellion was still a shadow in the background, and Nandini knew it. She knew that as long as the nobility believed I was still connected to it, I would never fully gain their trust.But I refused to falter. I would not let her win.As the days passed, I found myself becoming more resolute. Every word, every action, every decision would be scrutinized, but I would not shrink from the challenge. I would prove to the people of Amaravati that I was worthy of my crown, worthy of their trust. The rebellion had shaped me, but it did not define me. I was not the woman Nandini tried to make me into. I was Sanmayi, queen of Amaravati—and I would fight for my place here.The whispers, though persistent, could not break me. They could not bend me. The road ahead would be hard, and there would be many more challenges to face, but I was not afraid. Not anymore.And as for Nandini, her schemes would falter. For I had learned something important over the years. A kingdom may be shaken by whispers, but it is the strength of its people—and the strength of its queen—that will keep it standing tall.