A Matter of Chance

Chapter 16- making the first move

Aditha, himself unaware of the full extent of this matter, was horrified. His uncle was adopted- and twin to his fiance.

Kundhavai and Nambi decided not to be their busybody selves and left the couple alone.

Nandini felt sick. Her face was oddly still while her mind uncontrollably buzzed from one thought to another, without completing any. She was sleepless and Aditha decided to spend the night in the sitting room outside her boudoir.

She stood up from her bed, walking all the way outside. She saw her beloved ilavarasar asleep on a velvet sofa. He bore this discomfort, like so many others, so he could do right by her.
He never asks anything in return she thought as she sat down beside him, lightly tracing the lines and scars on his face.
She almost felt guilty for loving him so much, her heart ached thinking of how she loved a mortal as much as God-if not more.

Nandini went from having no one to protect to having to consider two people – Aditha and her twin.
The mild mannered yet aloof Prince Madhurantakan was her twin.

She’d laugh at the irony of a Krishna devotee having a Shaivaite twin if her heart hadn’t broken.

She hadn’t seen him in years yet felt a fierce need to protect her twin. Was this how kundhavai felt for aditha?
She pitied and envied him! To have grown up in a palace wanting for nothing, not having to always remain alert. Yet no one, not even his ‘mother’ wanted him as king.

Blessed with every gift, but when it came to the throne these royals always chose blood over all else.

She would fight to protect him…
A sudden twitch of Aditha’s face made her trace her nose on his cheek, prompting him to giggle and draw her in.
But not at the cost of Aditha’s inheritance.
The man who had everything, had chosen her twice over. He refused to forget or forsake her.

I shall see to it that he ascended the throne She affirmed as she leaned into the crook of his neck. He shifted slightly and curled around her face.

The mystery of her past no longer seemed important now. It was her and Aditha’s future that she prized.
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2 weeks had passed in the place she never thought she’d visit.

Her mornings were spent learning etiquette, followed by socializing with different chieftains and their families. The afternoons saw kundhavai and Aniruddha Brahmarayar explaining politics and the motives of each courtier.

Her evenings belonged solely to Aditha, who delighted in accompanying her to temples and carrying her on his horse. He hung onto every word or gesture that belied even minute discomfort and ensured she didn’t have to tolerate the gossips of palace dwellers as she once had.

Kundhavai though no longer a problem, was still a bad memory. But she was overshadowed by the presence of Sembiyan Madevi and Prince Madhurantakan.

Every meeting with the stately Dowager empress was rife with unspoken tension, both parties exchanging pleasantries while skirting the  exile. Her meetings with Madhurantakan progressed better. He mistrusted others, now aware of his true heritage but warm towards Nandini.

Their initial meetings were awkward. Two siblings born together, raised in vastly different homes now reunited as uncle and niece in law. Aditha too added onto this awkwardness… is that his sithappa or brother in law? He also was slightly envious of the time they spent together, but it wouldn’t last long- he was marrying his Nandini and nothing could dampen his joy.

The wedding no one predicted, happened with great fanfare. The city was decked with flowers and colorful bunting. The royal family donated generously to all and sundry.