Page 114 of The Burning Mountain
Which meant he needed to get her angry. It was the only way to manipulate her into abandoning her way.
“I thought you were here for a different reason,” he said, glancing at his fingers, hardening his heart against what he had to say.
“What other reason could there be?” she asked confused, cocking her head.
“Revathi.”
Chandra snapped her mouth shut, maintaining an injured silence.
“I’m curious, Princess, do you not care at all that I came close to taking another wife.”
“But you didn’t,” she said, her voice assuming a shakiness that wasn’t there before. “And I know you’re aware of Revathi’s feelings for King Samudra.”
Veer met her eyes. “Don’t men in Amaravathi take multiple wives?”
“Where are you going with this?” she asked, a distrustful frown turning her mouth down. “And not all husbands do, just royalty. Come to think of it, not all royalty either.”
“Am I to expect that you won’t feel jealous were I to choose another?” he asked, driving home his point. “Maybe not to marry but perhaps take a concubine.”
And then he shot the final nail into the coffin, hating himself for every word that came out of his mouth. “Maybe you’ll reconcile yourself to living like that. Like your mother has.”
Chandra’s chin shot up and her eyes seared into him, wide with vulnerability. Guilt twisted inside his stomach seeing the sudden tears in her eyes. He finally had stepped too far. But as he examined her closely, he got the inkling that this wasn’t the only thing that was bothering her.
She stood up shakily. “You will leave my mother and father out of this. Their lives and circumstances are not like ours,” she seethed, and despite the devastation on her face, he was unable to prevent himself from stepping forward to offer comfort. But she gave him a fierce look, freezing him in his tracks.
“When your uncle told me it wasyouwho ordered my imprisonment,” she said softly, “I refused to believe him. I now refuse to believe the man who’d declared before the entire assembly of Saptavarsha that I’m to be his only wife would now speak to me like this.”
She poked a finger at his chest, and he felt the pain and hurt behind that stab worse than the thrust of a sword, so ashamed he couldn’t meet her eyes. “I can see what you’re doing with your transparent attempts at getting me angry enough that I’ll leave you alone. So let me save you the effort and see myself out. But don’t think this is the end of the matter or that I’ve backed down.”
She whirled away but stopped at the entrance and spoke once more, her words poignant and etched onto his soul. “I’m the one who confessed my love. Not you. So that makes me the greater fool here.”
56
DIFFERENT FROM HIS SIRE
“Iknow you’re a very busy man these days, so I won’t waste much of your time or ask for pointless explanations. I know Amaravathi has declared war against Rajgarh for Kalpeet. I need to know what you’ve planned for the upcoming days,” said Prince Bhupathi, trying to hide his trepidation.
Veer reclined against the backrest of his chair, fixing him with a speculative glance, his fingers drumming the table.
Bhupathi forced himself to not break eye contact. “Look, before you ask, let me make one thing clear, I didn’t know about my father’s plan. You’re my brother-in-law. We don’t rise against our family.”
Veer gave him a mocking smile, but it was edged with fatigue. “Funny you should say that. Do your laws grant you permission to conspire against a son-in-law?”
Bhupathi flushed but Veer spoke again. “I’m inclined to believe you, Prince Bhupathi. And that’s why I must be cautious before exonerating you of any responsibility for what Amaravathi has done.”
“That’s fair.” Bhupathi stared at his clenched hands that he set on the rosewood table and relaxed them. “I still can’t believemy father has recovered in time to plan a war this suddenly. I thought he needed theneelakurinjiflower, and I couldn’t procure them.”
“Maybe he didn’t need them.”
“What do you mean?”
“Come on, Prince Bhupathi,” said Veer, giving him a thin smile. “You’re not stupid. Surely you can connect the dots.”
Bhupathi stiffened. “If you are implying a grand conspiracy—” He stopped, and his shoulders slumped. “You might be right. My father…” He struggled to find the appropriate words.
“Is your king.” Veer finished for him, resting his hand along his cheek, with his elbow propped against the armrest. “And your father. You don’t need to provide an explanation. I can understand your conflict.” His voice deepened. “We have no control over the actions of others, even those we consider family.”
“Thank you,” said Bhupathi and waited a beat before continuing. “Frankly, though, I’m surprised you haven’t clapped me in chains as a political prisoner.”
