Page 19 of Rudra Nandani: The Saga of Control And Seduction

Breathing heavily, I said,“You had your chance, Rudra, and if you ever had a tad bit of, for the sake of that affection, just leave me alone!” He chuckled.

“No, it wasn't affection.” He jumped over the window. Once he left, I couldn't keep myself from crying.

Shortly after regaining my composure, I called for Suman. She rushed in, pushing the doors open with urgency.

Delicately clasping my arms, she asked in a distressed tone,“What did he say?” I smoothed my dress with my sweaty palms.

“Nothing, just spewing hot air,” and she frowned at me.“Let's go,” I said, pulling my veil. We both headed to the palace hall.

There was a massive shift in my emotional scale. I didn't feel nervous anymore; I felt determined. I gave myself entirely to him,but he shattered me. He knew that what he was doing would wreck my life, yet he chose to do it anyway. I couldn't forget how he challenged and ordered me after everything he did.

As I tread inside the palace hall, I could see everyone through my sheer veil, seated at their places. But as soon as their eyes landed on me, the hall buzzed with the hushed murmurs of the crowd. Some applauded, some looked amused, while I ambled towards the dais, where my father sat on the throne. I made myself comfortable on the couch placed right beside the throne.

I raked my sight around and spotted the king in the room.

The herald and my father made announcements. As my heartbeat pounded loudly in agitation, I became inattentive to whatever was being said. I snapped back to reality when I felt a hand on my shoulder.

“It's time to let everyone know whom you’ve chosen as your husband,” my mother said, and I thought of my brother, our lively childhood, and the memories we made. The visuals of something happening to him crossed my mind, so I gathered all my courage and stood up. My mother joined me as I walked down the dais and looked at all the present suitors.

My heart ached knowing how every woman must go through this: selecting a man with whom she will spend her entire life, making babies and sharing everything. I have always dreamt of marrying the man I love because the thought of being in a loveless marriage terrifies me.

But in reality, loving a man became my most significant loss. I loved him with all my heart and chose him above everything, and now, when I look back, those thoughts nauseate me.

Love blinded me to the point that I couldn’t see his true intentions. I couldn't decipher that he wasn't here for me, but to collect information about our Empire. I knew he was working hard to claim the throne, but I never considered why he truly wanted it so badly. He trampled our honour, pride, and emotions just to reach the throne.

And why did he do what he did? For revenge? To avenge his family and ruin us? Did promises matter to him more than consent?

My mother was promised to my father through my maternal uncle, which was purely a political arrangement. She was never consulted about it. What he did proves that, for him, the promisewas far more significant than a woman’s life and consent. He believed my parents were to blame for whatever happened to him.

Now, I find myself in the same situation my mother faced years ago. If we apply the same logic here, why is it that marrying an older man was acceptable for my mother but not for me? If marrying a manwhore was right for my mother, how could it be wrong for me?

I wanted to see how far he would go to stop me from marrying an old man.

Walking past all the men, I stopped a few steps away from the king.

Inhaling a deep breath, taming my tears and collecting all the courage I had left, I began,“I... Princess of Mahabaleshgarh, daughter of King Rajvardhan Mahabalesh and Queen Abhishree Mahabalesh… choose…The king of…. Suryagarh, King Surgami Dev Singh…as my husband.”

As soon as I finished, the hall resonated with the chaos of astonished people.

“What??” I heard my father's shocked voice and looked up as he marched toward me.“Nandani…???” He held my hand and took me to a corner out of everyone’s view.

“Why him?” He questioned angrily, and I pulled my veil up.

“Raj, calm down,” my mother tried to appease him, but he seethed at her.“Calm down?! Can't you see, this girl has lost it.” My blood ran cold as soon as he looked at me.

“Why him? There are so many men ready to take you as a wife, and you want that old cranky man as your husband,” he gritted with a deadly glare.

I held my ground and answered,“Other men are not Kings and from a prosperous state.”

He stepped closer, and I lowered my lashes anxiously.“Are you out of your mind? Since when did you start caring about wealth and status, Nandani?” I couldn't stop the tears from falling from my eyes, and I nervously uttered,“I am sorry, but I want to be a queen. I don't want to marry the kings of small states,” He palmed his face in annoyance and held my shoulder.

“Look at me, Nandani,” he said, and I did.“You see... wealth, titles, position, they don't matter after some point. The real wealth of life is happiness, not these materialistic things,” he explained seriously.

“But, who will love me after knowing what I did?” I asked.

“My little girl, any man will fall for you. You are my daughter, a precious gem. Tell me, how can someone not love you?”

Trails of tears soaked my cheeks as I said,“You are saying so because you are a father. But trust me, that's not the truth, and I’m no longer courageous enough to give this feeling a second chance. Now, I want to be on the safe side, for me, my life, and my family.”

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