"You will be the Yuvraani of Suryagarh but you will never be my wife."
When they were only kids, Ridhima and Hruday were promised into a bond they didn't even know the meaning of.
Hruday Singh Tanwar, grew up into the Prince he was destined to be. T...
Returning to Suryagarh after our visit to Ajmer, my mind was a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions. The serene moments at the temple with Ridhima still lingered in my mind, contrasting sharply with the rage simmering just beneath the surface. I could feel the tension building within me, ready to spill over.
I marched straight to Rani-Sa's chambers, determined to confront her about the incident at the party. The moment I entered her room, Rani-Sa looked up from the letter she was reading. Her expression was one of mild surprise, but I could see the flicker of wariness in her eyes.
"Hruday, looks like you are back from you little weekends getaway. I hope the two of you enjoyed yourselves." she asked, her voice dripping with false concern.
"Enough with the pretense, Rani-Sa," I snapped, stepping closer.
She raised an eyebrow, feigning ignorance. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Don't play your dirty games with me," I growled, stepping closer. "I know you were behind it. You paid someone to drug her drink. Why?"
For a moment, she maintained her innocent facade, but then something in my expression must have convinced her that further denial was useless. She sighed, setting the letter aside and folding her hands in her lap. Her innocent facade cracked for a moment, replaced by a cold, calculating look. "And if I did? What then?"
"You could have seriously harmed her!" I shouted, my fists clenching at my sides.
"It was necessary." she said, her tone almost dismissive.
"Necessary?!" I could hardly believe my ears. "This is not a game. She's a person, not a piece on your chessboard."
Rani-Sa's eyes narrowed, her demeaner shifting from feigned innocence to cold calculation. "You need to understand, Hruday. This marriage, this entire deal, is to secure the share of the property that was owned by Ridhima's father, Pradeep. It's now in Ridhima's name, and we need it. You know this."
"That doesn't justify putting her in danger," I retorted, my anger rising.
"Oh, please," she scoffed, waving a hand dismissively. "Aren't you getting too attached to her, Hruday? Remember, this arrangement is a business transaction. Nothing more."
"I don't care about all that. If you try anything like this again, it will not end well." I shot back, my voice firm.
She laughed, a mirthless, chilling sound. "You're so naive, little Yuvraaj. Do you really think you can protect her from everything? This is a game of chess, and everyone moves according to the queen's will. You're only in the game as long as your queen is alive. The king?" She shrugged, a cruel smile playing on her lips. "He's replaceable."
Her words hung in the air, a chilling reminder of the cold, ruthless world I was a part of. The game she played was one of power and control, and I realized that as long as Rani-Sa was willing to treat people as mere pieces on her chessboard, no one was safe.
She leaned back in her chair, her eyes cold and calculating. "You think you're strong enough to defy me? To protect her? You have no idea what you're up against, Hruday. You're still just a child playing at being a king."
"You underestimate me," I took a step closer, lowering my voice to a dangerous whisper. "I'm not a child anymore. And this is not your game of chess. I have no intention of being anyone's pawn, Rani-Sa. And if you think you're going to be the queen for much longer, you're very mistaken."
With that, I turned and left her chamber, my mind a storm of conflicting emotions.
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