If love had prevailed (Ponniyin Selvan AU)

Idhaya Thudipugal

Translation: Heartbeats

Sleepless nights had become a habit after meeting Nandini, but last night wasn't just daydreams.

It was madness. Desperation. Absolute insanity.

For some unfathomable reason, he loved it.

To be lost in thoughts of her, to live in a world that consisted of only him and her. That world was more beautiful the biggest and most grand of palaces.

But Nandini the girl with the beautiful heart and voice was one thing. Nandini the seductress was...

His heart rate was spiking upwards at the thought of it.

Right now, he was making his way to the very same Vishnu temple, accompanied by his sister and mother, for they had to attend the morning pooja following the one that happened last night.

And all he could think of was seeing her again.

Surprisingly, there were moments when his thoughts went elsewhere. His father was thinking of sending him to war against the Pandyas, an idea he had enthusiastically agreed to at first. However, the more he thought he thought about it, he realized a lot of responsibility would be placed on him. Even with the help he would get, he needed a little more practice.

But he really wanted to go. Wasn't experience the best practice?

This raging battle in his head was slowly dissipating into dust the closer they got to the temple. It was like his heart was beating her name.

Nandini. Nandini. Nandini.

The only thing holding him back from running to the temple was his mother and sister. Even the former was fine, but Kundavi? He would never hear the end of it.

Even now she was glancing at him every 5 seconds, a knowing yet disapproving look in her eyes.

But how could she understand? She had never known it. The feeling of waiting, yearning, living for someone else.

What he did not know was how alone Kundavi felt without her anna. Besides Arulmozhi, he was her best friend, for she had no one else. She didn't know any other princesses.

Now that he was consistently distracted, he barely spent time with her and Arulmozhi. No crazy debates, no games, no theories, nothing.

She would have even been satisfied with a petty argument, but nothing.

Well, her anna wouldn't always be there, neither would Arulmozhi. She figured she would need some friends.

Maybe she could ask to meet some princesses from the Chola kingdom. To go on a tour of her land.

Yes, she would most certainly like that. She decided to ask her father once they went back to the palace.

For now, she could keep an eye on her lovestruck brother. Her love for her country crossed her love for romance and the crown prince in love with a common girl was synonymous to disaster for the empire.

Future queens should only be princesses.

But Nandini was a nice girl. She would make a good friend if it weren't for this.

The temple had just entered their line of sight, and she noticed Aditha visibly brighten at the sight. 

She resisted the urge to groan. This was another reason she despised their situation. She didn't realise he would be so irritating in love. And his pace was now picking up. 

"Slow down anna, she'll be there", she hissed under her breath, so that their mother couldn't hear. 

His face tinted pink at her words. "Alright, alright"