Vedanti has not forgiven abhirath, what ever she is talking to protect in this chapter is the kingdom that abhirath vedanti made together, her kids that it. ❤

Vedanti's POV:)

God, please give me strength because this 35-year-old man is going to drive me mad.

I stormed into the palace, my boots clicking sharply against the marble floors. The entire place was lit up as if a grand festival were about to begin—banners, lanterns, flowers. A celebration. My eyes burned with disbelief. Instead of preparing for an attack, they were decorating the palace as if we were welcoming guests.

My patience snapped. I spotted Abhirath's most trusted man and stalked toward him. "Why the hell is everyone decorating this palace? Where are the soldiers?" My voice cut through the air like a blade.

The man bowed slightly, his face calm despite my clear rage. "My queen, the king and his men are returning soon. We are preparing for their welcome."

Of course, they are.

Before I could respond, a shrill voice interrupted my thoughts. "OH MY GODDDDDDD!" The sound made me cringe internally. I turned, already knowing who it was. Trupti. She came rushing toward me with a fake, gleeful smile plastered across her face, her arms wide as if she were about to embrace me.

She hugged me, but the memory of last night's incident flashed in my mind—how she had ordered my sons to be thrown out of the king's quarters. My fingers curled into fists. It took every ounce of self-control not to let the rage boil over right then and there.

Forcing a tight smile, I stepped back from her embrace. "I did what you asked, Trupti," I said, my voice steady though my heart raged. "Are you happy now?" I held her gaze, my words heavy with meaning.

Trupti, Abhirath's second wife, stared back at me with her usual arrogance. I had never treated her poorly, not once. I gave her respect, trusted her with the palace's responsibilities as one of Abhirath's wives. But she... her eyes betrayed a deep hatred for me, for my sons, and even for my husband. And I couldn't fathom why.

I remembered the early days after her marriage to Abhirath. There was a particular incident that had burned itself into my memory.

It had been only a few months after the wedding. Abhirath and I were spending time together in the garden, laughing, sharing stories about our plans for the kingdom, when Trupti had approached us. She had insisted that Abhirath needed to focus more on her, to treat her as an equal. I remember how she'd subtly tried to make me feel like I didn't belong, as if she were the new center of his universe.

For a moment, jealousy had flared in my chest. I'd felt insecure, wondering if Abhirath's affection for me was slipping. But then, without missing a beat, Abhirath had shut her down so smoothly, it left no room for argument. He had placed his hand on mine, looked her directly in the eye, and said, "Vedanti is my queen. She has earned her place by my side, and no one will ever take that from her."

That day, I knew Trupti didn't think well of me. Her forced smile hadn't hidden the venom in her heart. Ever since then, her behavior toward me had become more calculated, more cold. She didn't just despise me; she wanted to see me fail, wanted to see me suffer.

But what gnawed at me more than anything was that she even hated Abhirath. Despite everything he had done to maintain peace between us, she harbored nothing but bitterness for him. I could see it in the way she looked at him, the way she manipulated situations to create rifts between us.

"Trupti," I said softly, my voice carrying a hidden edge. "What is it that you truly want?"

She blinked, momentarily thrown off by my question, but quickly regained her composure. "I just want what's best for the palace, for the kingdom," she replied sweetly, though the poison behind her words was unmistakable.

I smiled, knowing better. "If that's true, then why do you fight so hard to tear us all apart?"

Her face hardened. "Perhaps because some things are better left divided."

I stepped closer to her, my eyes narrowing. "Just remember, Trupti. You may think you have the power to divide us, but you will never take what's mine."

She smirked, her confidence unwavering. "We'll see."

As she walked away, I clenched my jaw, the taste of battle heavy on my tongue. This wasn't just about protecting my family anymore. It was about ensuring that Trupti never got the chance to ruin what Abhirath and I had built—what I would die to protect.

I would not lose. Not to her, not to anyone.

As we all stood at the palace gates, waiting to welcome the soldiers and Abhirath, I couldn't help but roll my eyes at Trupti. Her sudden display of excitement was as fake as the flowers she was now adjusting. Inside, when no one was watching, she barely moved a muscle, acting disinterested. But now, in front of the entire kingdom, she was bustling around, pretending to be the perfect, doting wife.

Pathetic.

I scanned the crowd. My parents and Abhirath's parents stood beside us. Both our mothers were visibly emotional, wiping away silent tears as they waited for him. It had been a long five years.

The trumpets sounded, and the cheers of the people echoed across the courtyard. Abhirath, flanked by his soldiers, rode through the gates. Flowers were thrown in their path, the people celebrating their return as the soldiers broke off to reunite with their families.

And then, there was Abhirath. His presence was commanding, the aura of a king returning from battle. He walked straight toward us, every step radiating power.

Trupti, of course, couldn't wait. She broke into a sprint, desperate to reach him first and make her grand display of affection. But what happened next was something I could never have imagined. The man who always cared about appearances, about how the world perceived him, did something that left me speechless.

He raised his hand, signaling Trupti to stop.

She froze, momentarily confused, but then—being Trupti—she ignored the gesture and continued to approach him, arms outstretched for a hug. But before she could get close, two strong female soldiers immediately blocked her path. Trupti's face flushed with embarrassment as she tried to step around them, but they held firm. She wasn't getting near him.

Abhirath didn't even look her way. Instead, he walked with calm precision toward our mothers, touching their feet in respect. The fathers he ignored completely, and I found myself raising an eyebrow in confusion. What was he doing?

My eyes locked with his, silently asking What is all this? But he only blinked at me, a barely-there smirk playing on his lips, signaling for me to have patience.

Turning toward the gathered crowd, his voice thundered across the courtyard, "In the past five years, my soldiers and I have fought countless battles and won, making this kingdom the largest in all of Hind."

The crowd roared with pride, but my focus was solely on him. He wasn't done.

"And here," his voice softened, but it was no less authoritative, "is the  ONE AND ONLY queen of all Hind, Ranisa Vedanti."

My heart stopped.

Did he just—no, he didn't.

My jaw dropped, and I blinked, trying to process his words. Did he just declare me the queen of the entire land? Before I could even react, he continued in that same dangerous voice, leaving no room for doubt. "And we will celebrate the coronation ceremony in our new palace—currently under construction—where we will rule more effectively. Until then, the ceremony will be held here, and you all are invited."

I was still processing the first bombshell when the second hit. A new palace?

My mind was spinning, trying to catch up with everything. I glanced at Trupti, who looked absolutely furious, her plans crumbling before her eyes. First, Abhirath had publicly humiliated her by not allowing her near him. Now, he was making these monumental announcements without so much as a word of warning.

Taking a deep breath, I turned to meet his gaze. He wasn't looking at anyone but me. His dark eyes held a dangerous glint, a challenge, and yet... something more. Something that had always been there between us but had intensified in the years of our separation.

"Shall we?" he asked, his voice low and intimate, indicating that we should head inside.

For a moment, I just stood there, staring at him. The king, the man who had just shaken my entire world in front of everyone, was waiting for me. He wasn't asking, not really. He never did. He was simply telling me we were moving forward—together.

Nodding slightly, I squared my shoulders, my mind already racing with everything this meant. The battle wasn't just on the battlefield anymore. It was here, in the palace, and it was about to get a whole lot darker.

With a final glance at Trupti's furious face, I smiled.

Let the games begin.

Oops no more because you all didn't not complete the target next update next Friday, if the target is completed then I will update on that day.

100 votes and 89 comments on both this chapter and yesterday chapter too.

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