Page 10 of Rudra Nandani: The Saga of Control And Seduction

Sitting under the tree, I peeked at the sky. It was a moonlit night, and the sky was filled with stars. The noise of insects invading the silence made everything a little more calming.

Closing my eyes, I didn't know when sleep took over my senses. I woke up to the sound of birds chirping and sunlight slowly falling on my face.

Praying to Surya Dev6for another beautiful day, I resumed my journey back to Suryagarh. The King must be‘missing me’— Missing taunting me[!]

Once reached, I left my horse in the stable and walked towards my room.

Yes, a room. I did not have a chamber. I was just the king's guard and the head commander of the army. I was allotted a room and lived like any other ordinary soldier.

My room had no beds, so I slept on the ground. I was not offered a seat in meetings and stood outside the King's chamber, merely guarding him.

My break was over. I asked for a few days off, and he granted them to me for the first time.

I wanted to see Nandani once and check if I could control my emotions around her. For two years, I had strived to gain control over everything, but I felt like a complete failure when I saw her standing before me.

Her long hair, slender neck and beautiful face, her big eyes filled with kohl, and when she stared at me with those eyes intensely, I felt like I was losing my sanity.

Why was I so cowardly and uncontrollable in front of her?

I didn't want to touch her, but when she was near me, smelling so divine, I just wanted to engulf her in my arms. In those few moments, I just kept forgetting that she was the daughter of my enemy and that I was on a mission.

I cursed myself as I donned my guard's attire.

But from now on, I promised to keep myself in check, forget her, and focus on my mission.

I secretly had to create an army because I was waiting for the king to grant me my claim to the throne, which was fine. However, if he did not, I would have to wage war, and once I won, I would wage another war against Mahabaleshgarh.

As I stepped outside his chamber, the soldiers guarding the door bowed in greeting. I returned their greeting and took my place beside them.

This was my job.

Everything was going fine. I immersed myself in my work, trying to forget my attraction to her, and kept myself busy aiming for my targets and fulfilling my ambitions.

Now, another reason why I could not sleep with her and had to intoxicate her was that I could not have sexual intercourse with her, with any woman, until my coronation Yagya7would be performed.

Since I was a nineteen-year-old boy, I'd been celibate. My master told me to practise it, learn to have control, and surpass every state. If a man could control his hunger, thirst, pain, emotions and sex drive, no one could distract him from his goal.

But she did.

I considered cutting corners and using her to weaken her empire and ultimately defeat it. However, I couldn’t get closer to her; I couldn't even kiss her. I knew that if I had kissed her even once, all my sacrifices and control would be in vain. I wouldn't just have stopped at her lips.

I had two plans. One was to cheat, betray Mahabaleshgarh, and use Nandani as my shortcut to success. The other was to have patience and control, to achieve everything decently through hard work. But I couldn't do what I thought I'd do to her.

So, I had to choose the latter and win everything through my hard work. Hence, I left her.

One week had passed, and I was still trying to get over her. As usual, I was guarding outside the King's chamber when he called me inside,

“Rudra,” I opened his chamber door to ask.“Yes, your Majesty?” He was seated comfortably on the couch, holding a letter in his hand.

“Get yourself prepared. You are coming with me to Mahableshgarh,” he informed me, and I frowned.

“What?” I countered, and with a smile, he clarified.“Yes. Rajvardhan is marrying off his daughter, and I will attend it. And since you are my royal guard, you go everywhere with me, right?” I nodded.

“Yes, Your Majesty.” This information struck me strangely, and I was deeply shocked.

She is getting married?!

I felt a sudden uneasiness arising in my heart and exited the chamber. I furrowed my brows because I couldn't understand why she had suddenly decided to get married. One week ago, she was ready to hand herself over entirely to me, and now she would marry someone else.

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