chapter 25

Chapter Twenty-FourThe Crown and the StormThe night before Rani's coronation, the palace was alive with a kind of quiet anticipation. It wasn’t the chaos of war anymore, but the subtle tension of a nation on the cusp of its future.Rani walked the corridors of her family’s ancestral palace like a ghost. Every corner, every tapestry, every pillar—reminded her of the history she had inherited. The legacy that now lay on her shoulders. But unlike her mother, she hadn’t been handed a crown. She’d fought for it. She’d clawed her way through blood, betrayal, and lies to stand here.Tomorrow, she would become the queen her people needed, but tonight, she was still Rani—still human. Still the daughter of a woman who tried to break her.The night was quiet—too quiet. The air held an odd stillness, as if the world were waiting. Waiting for her to decide who she was going to be.She stopped in front of the ornate doors to her mother’s old chambers.Rukmini had left the palace, sent into exile with nothing but the clothes on her back. The world believed her to have retreated into spiritual seclusion. But Rani knew the truth. Her mother had been the architect of her pain, but she’d also shaped her into the woman she was now.She wasn’t here to mourn her. But she needed to understand.The doors creaked open.Inside, the room was untouched. The silk drapes still hung, the furniture still in place, as though nothing had changed.Rani stepped inside, the soft carpet muffling her footsteps. The air smelled faintly of jasmine, the same perfume her mother always wore. The same perfume that had once reminded Rani of comfort, of maternal love.She walked over to the vanity, where a mirror still sat—cracked, but still there. Rani’s reflection was dim in the fading light, but she could see enough to notice the change in her eyes. She wasn’t the girl who had been too scared to rule. She wasn’t the girl who had yearned for her mother’s approval.She was the woman who had taken her crown by force.A noise from behind her made her turn. The door had creaked open, and standing in the shadow of the doorway was Dev. His presence was a quiet comfort.“You should be resting,” he said softly, stepping closer.“I can’t,” she replied. “Not until I’ve seen this room, not until I understand everything.”He didn’t argue. He knew this was something she needed to do.Her gaze flicked to a drawer in the vanity, half-open, as if something had been hastily shoved inside. She walked toward it and pulled it open, her fingers trembling slightly.Inside, there was a small, worn journal. The leather was cracked, the pages yellowed with age. But it wasn’t the journal that caught her attention. It was the seal on the cover—the Raichand family insignia, the same one her father had used.Dev stepped up behind her. “What is it?”Rani opened the journal carefully, flipping through the pages. The writing inside was her father’s. The words were sharp, calculated, and bitter.“Rukmini has done something I can never forgive. She has set into motion a plan that will destroy everything I’ve worked for. But she’s my wife. She’s the mother of my daughter. I cannot kill her. I cannot expose her. I must silence her quietly.”The more she read, the darker the ink became. Every line seemed to confirm something Rani had always feared—that her father’s power was never about protecting his family, but controlling it. And now, with Rukmini gone, he had left her with a broken kingdom to fix.But it wasn’t just the journal that unsettled her. It was the final page.“If Rani survives what I am about to do to her, she will be a queen without a throne. She will be empty—my throne will consume her, and she will forget who she is. And then, my plan will succeed.”Her heart stopped. It was a confession. A revelation. Her father had planned for her to fail. He had set her up to lose everything, to become a puppet, a figurehead without a heart.She slammed the journal shut.Dev’s voice broke the silence.“You didn’t fail. You’re here. You’re alive.”Rani turned to face him, her eyes brimming with a mix of anger and sorrow. “He never believed in me. He thought he could destroy me without even being there.”Dev reached for her, gently cupping her face in his hands. “But you’re not him. You’re not your father. You’ve never been.”Her eyes searched his, and for the first time in days, she allowed herself to breathe.“I’m scared, Dev,” she whispered. “I’m scared I’ll never be enough. That even when I take the throne tomorrow, I’ll never fill the space left behind by everything they’ve taken from me.”“You will,” Dev said firmly, his voice steady. “You already have.”The Coronation DayThe palace was bustling, the air charged with electricity. The throne room had been prepared—silk banners in royal blue, gold threading through the fabric, the scent of jasmine heavy in the air.The people of the kingdom had gathered outside, awaiting their new queen.Rani stood in front of the mirror, dressed in royal regalia. Her golden crown rested on the velvet cushion beside her, the emeralds sparkling with the promise of power.Dev stood behind her, his presence grounding her. Maya was already in position, ready for whatever would come.And then, Rani’s gaze fell on the small dagger tucked into her belt—the same one she had held when she confronted her mother. It was a symbol of everything she had overcome.She was no longer the frightened girl who had been too scared to lead. She was the woman who had fought for her place at the throne. And now, she would wear it.In the throne room, the courtiers, generals, and advisors lined up in anticipation. The crown bearer stepped forward, the golden crown held high.Rani walked to the dais.The room was silent.She took her place on the throne, and the crown was placed gently upon her head.As the first rays of sunlight broke through the stained glass windows, casting a warm glow over the room, Rani looked out at the sea of faces.She was their queen now.And she would never be his again.(Nxt)