Chapter 16: Chapter 14 - a king among commoners

The morning air was crisp and cool as I stood outside, chatting casually with an old woman who sold fresh flowers near our street.

She was sweet, her wrinkled hands tying together garlands of jasmine and marigolds with practiced ease. I had stopped to admire her work when she had struck up a conversation, asking where I was from.

I was in the middle of spinning a vague answer when something caught my eye.

A line of royal carriages had appeared at the far end of the street, their golden embellishments gleaming under the rising sun. The townspeople immediately paused, their expressions shifting from curiosity to quiet reverence.

Within seconds, they all bowed.

I turned my head just in time to see Rudraksha stepping out of our house.

His expression was unreadable, his posture relaxed yet commanding. He didn’t speak—he simply nodded, his golden eyes scanning the group of nobles who had just stepped out of the carriages.

Even without his royal attire, even dressed as a common man in disguise, he carried himself with the same power that had made people fear him in Vyantara.

I had nearly forgotten.

He wasn’t just any king. He was a legend.

I watched as the noblemen greeted him with deep bows, their voices respectful, careful. From the bits I caught, it seemed like they were royal advisors from Malvastra’s court, requesting an audience with him inside.

Rudraksha remained silent for a moment before giving a small nod. “Inside.”

With that single word, they obeyed.

The moment the doors closed behind them, the people exhaled, whispering among themselves.

One man, who had been standing nearby, turned to me with wide eyes.

“Your husband is the great Maharaja Rudraksha Veeraditya?” he asked in an awed whisper.

I choked. “I—What? No! He’s not—”

But the man wasn’t listening. Others were already whispering among themselves, nodding in agreement.

Great. Just great.

Not only did everyone here know who he was, but now they thought I was his wife.

The moment the noblemen left, I marched inside, arms crossed.

“Explain,” I demanded.

Rudraksha barely glanced at me as he rolled up a scroll and set it on the table. “Explain what?”

I gestured toward the door. “That. The bowing, the whispers, the ‘great Maharaja’ nonsense.”

He smirked. “It’s hardly nonsense.”

I scowled. “You told me we were supposed to be in disguise!”

“We were,” he said easily. “But Malvastra has always known me. There was no point in pretending otherwise.”

I gaped at him. “So you just let them—”

“They requested that I come to the palace,” he interrupted, his tone calm.

I hesitated. “…And?”

His smirk widened slightly. “I refused.”

I blinked. “Wait. Why?”

He leaned back against the table, arms folded across his chest. “Because you wanted to stay here, not in the palace.”

I froze.

For a moment, I didn’t know what to say.

“…You refused to go because of me?”

He shrugged as if it wasn’t a big deal. “I like it here.”

I stared at him. “No, you don’t. You hate this place.”

He hummed, tilting his head slightly. “Maybe. But I don’t hate being here with you.”

My breath hitched.

His golden eyes watched me carefully, and for a second, I felt like I couldn’t breathe.

Then, in true Aranya fashion, I decided to ruin the moment.

I cleared my throat. “So what I’m hearing is… you’re lit lowkey obsessed with me.”

Rudraksha’s brow furrowed. “lit Lowkey?”

I smirked. “It means secretly. Like, you won’t admit it, but you totally are.”

He scoffed. “I openly told you I wanted you to stay. That’s hardly a secret.”

I gasped dramatically. “Oh my god, you are a simp.”

His eyes narrowed. “That word again. You used it before.”

I grinned. “Yep. It means someone who does too much for the person they like.”

His gaze darkened slightly. “And you think I like you?”

I smirked. “Don’t you?”

He leaned forward, close enough that I could feel the heat radiating off his skin.

“I think,” he murmured, his voice dangerously low, “that you enjoy testing me.”

I swallowed. Hard.

His lips barely curved into a smirk before he pulled back, leaving me flustered.

I hated how easily he could do that.

Later that evening, we sat by the small courtyard well, the cool night air carrying the faint scent of jasmine.

“I asked around,” Rudraksha said. “The chaos last night wasn’t just a random attack. It was planned.”

I frowned. “Planned by who?”

His fingers tapped against the wooden bench. “The rebels. Someone within Malvastra’s court is working with them.”

I exhaled, rubbing my temples. “So we’re stuck in the middle of someone else’s mess.”

“Not necessarily,” he mused. “But we need to be careful.”

I leaned back, staring at the stars. “And the mirror shards?”

He was quiet for a long moment. “No new leads yet.”

I sighed. “It’s like everything is connected, but we don’t have all the pieces.”

His gaze flickered to me. “We’ll find them. Be patient.”

I turned to him with a smirk. “Says the most impatient person I’ve ever met.”

His lips twitched. “And yet, you are the one who refuses to sit still.”

I chuckled, shaking my head.

For a while, we sat in comfortable silence. The night stretched on, the sounds of the city slowly fading into stillness.

Then, softly, Rudraksha murmured, “Aranya.”

I looked at him. “Hmm?”

His golden eyes held something unreadable.

“…If you find a way back, will you leave?”

I swallowed.

I knew my answer.

But I wasn’t ready to say it yet.

So instead, I leaned against the cool stone of the well, looking up at the stars.

“Let’s find the mirror shards first,” I whispered. “Then we’ll see.”

Rudraksha didn’t push.

But as I glanced at him from the corner of my eye, I saw his fingers tighten into a fist.

And for the first time, I wondered—if I did leave, would he  really let me go?

Something wasn’t adding up.

The attack on Malvastra had been too well-coordinated to be random. The royal advisors visiting Rudraksha this morning had been nervous, fidgety. And the rebellion rumors had been swirling around long before we arrived.

The more I thought about it, the clearer it became—someone wanted Malvastra in chaos.

And amidst all this, the mirror shards were still missing.

I had a gut feeling there was a connection.

That’s why, when Rudraksha sat down with his men to discuss the rebellion, I made my decision.

“I’m coming with you to the palace.”

His head snapped toward me, his golden eyes narrowing instantly. “No.”

I crossed my arms. “Yes.”

“No,” he repeated, firmer this time.

“Yes.”

He exhaled sharply. “Aranya.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Rudraksha.”

A muscle ticked in his jaw. “You have no reason to be there.”

I scoffed. “I have every reason. I’ve been gathering information too.”

“You’ve been eating sweets and exploring markets.”

“Exactly. And guess what? You learn a lot when people don’t think you’re important.”

He sighed. “It’s too dangerous.”

I stepped closer. “So is sitting here, waiting while you do everything alone.”

His jaw clenched. “I’m not arguing about this.”

“Neither am I.”

Silence.

A long, tense silence.

Finally, he pinched the bridge of his nose, exhaling deeply. “You’re impossible.”

I grinned. “And yet, here we are.”

He glared at me for a second longer before muttering, “Fine.”

I won.

The soldiers watching us exchanged amused looks, chuckling to themselves. Some even bowed to both of us.

I noticed it, but Rudraksha didn’t seem to care.

He simply turned to his men and commanded, “We leave for the palace.”

The royal palace of Malvastra was just as grand as Vyantara’s, but in a different way.

Where Vyantara’s palace was structured and imposing, this one was ornate and artistic. Carved pillars lined the entrance, each depicting different legends. The scent of sandalwood and roses filled the halls, and bright fabrics and golden tapestries adorned the walls.

As soon as we arrived, Rudraksha was called to meet with the council.

“I’ll be in the garden,” I said.

He paused. His fingers twitched slightly, as if debating whether or not to let me go alone.

I smirked. “I’ll be fine.”

His golden eyes lingered on me before he sighed. “Stay close.”

I saluted. “Yes, Maharaja.”

He muttered something under his breath and walked away.

I wandered into the royal garden, the scent of blooming flowers wrapping around me like silk. The garden was stunning—a vast expanse of lotus ponds, carved fountains, and shaded walkways covered in vines.

And there, standing by the water, was Prithish.

His dark eyes caught mine immediately, and he smiled. “I was hoping we’d meet again.”

I walked over, crossing my arms. “Well, here I am.”

He chuckled. “Still fearless, I see.”

I tilted my head. “Do you want me to be scared?”

“Not at all.” He leaned against the stone railing. “In fact, I admire it.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Alright, Prince Prithish. What do you want?”

He sighed, shaking his head. “Straight to the point. Just like before.”

I blinked. “Before?”

He ignored my question. “I assume you’re still looking for the mirror shards?”

My breath caught.

I had never mentioned them to him.

“How do you know about that?” I asked carefully.

He smirked. “Because I have one.”

My eyes widened. “What?”

He reached into his tunic and pulled out a small, jagged piece of glass.

The moment I saw it, I knew—it was from the mirror.

I took a step closer. “You had this the whole time?”

“Yes.”

I exhaled sharply, my mind racing. “I need it.”

“I know.”

I narrowed my eyes. “…And?”

He smirked. “And I won’t give it to you. Not yet.”

I groaned. “Of course. What’s the price?”

His smirk widened. “I want to see what you’re capable of. Solve this rebellion problem, and I will hand it over.”

I scoffed. “You’re giving me a challenge?”

“Call it a test.”

I sighed. “Fine. Challenge accepted.”

His smile faded slightly, his expression growing more serious. “You should know something, Aranya.”

I frowned. “What?”

He looked at me carefully. “The mirror… did not belong to Malvastra. It never did.”

I stiffened. “Then why is a shard here?”

He hesitated. “…Because it belonged solely to Vyantara.”

I felt my stomach drop.

“Then how—”

He shook his head. “I can’t tell you that yet. But when the time is right, I promise I will.”

I clenched my fists. More secrets.

Before I could question him further, a strong hand grabbed my wrist.

I turned, startled—only to see Rudraksha.

His golden eyes were dark with jealousy.

He didn’t say anything.

He simply pulled me away.

We walked through the halls silently.

Well, he walked. I was being dragged.

I finally jerked my hand away, scowling. “Rudraksha!”

He turned, his jaw tight. “What were you talking about?”

I crossed my arms. “Nothing that concerns you.”

His eyes flashed. “Everything about you concerns me.”

My breath hitched.

For a moment, neither of us spoke.

Then I smirked. “Are you… jealous?”

He scoffed. “No.”

I gasped dramatically. “Oh my god, you are.”

His expression darkened. “Aranya.”

I waggled my eyebrows. “Wow. The great Maharaja Rudraksha Veeraditya being possessive?”

His fingers twitched.

I leaned closer. “Do you want to know what he said?”

“…No.”

I smirked. “Liar.”

His jaw clenched.

I was having too much fun.

I placed a hand on his arm, tilting my head. “You don’t like it, do you? Someone else talking to me?”

His breathing slowed.

I smiled. “See? Simp behavior.”

He growled.

Before I could react, he backed me into the wall, his body towering over mine.

My heart skipped.

His golden eyes locked onto mine. “You like teasing me, don’t you?”

I swallowed. “…Maybe.”

He smirked slightly. “Careful, Aranya. I don’t lose games.”

My breath caught.

For a second, I thought he was going to kiss me.

But he simply leaned in closer, his lips brushing against my ear as he whispered—

“You’re mine.”

And with that, he stepped back, smirking as he walked away.

Leaving me stunned, my heart racing wildly in my chest.