"DISCLAIMER: My mental health hasn't been great lately, which is why I've been avoiding writing. I'm feeling a bit better now, but I apologize if this chapter doesn't meet your expectations. If there's anything that needs improvement, please let me know. Your feedback is valuable to me.

Thank you for your understanding."

TARGET 🎯 - 100 VOTES AND 100 COMMENTS

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Abhirath pov :)

The royal court was bustling with activity, filled with the usual grandeur and formalities that came with foreign visits. Ornate tapestries lined the walls, golden chandeliers shimmered from above, and the air was thick with anticipation as the foreign dignitaries arrived. But all I could see—feel—was a seething, burning rage boiling in my chest.

Across the room, Vedanti stood gracefully, her every move the embodiment of elegance and regality. She greeted the foreign guests with her usual warmth, that perfect smile lighting up her face. But what made my blood simmer was the man standing beside her, his eyes lingering on her in ways that made my fists clench.

The way he spoke to her, the way she smiled back at him—it felt like a dagger twisting in my gut. I wasn't mad at her, not in the slightest. How could I be? She was being the perfect queen, the perfect hostess. But him... this man—with his nauseatingly slick charm, dripping words of flattery like honey—he was a dead man walking.

I shifted in my seat, my fingers tapping restlessly on the armrest of my throne, my leg bouncing with barely-contained fury. I could feel the weight of the crown on my head, the heaviness of the title "king" holding me back from what I really wanted to do: drag him out of this room and show him the meaning of fear.

Vedanti laughed softly at something he said, and my jaw clenched so hard I thought my teeth might crack. That laugh—it wasn't the way she laughed with me, but it was close enough to stir something primal inside me. Why wasn't it me making her laugh like that? Why wasn't it me who could draw that blush to her cheeks? The sight of her cheeks turning that soft shade of pink because of him made me want to shatter the room's fragile peace.

I wasn't angry with her, not really. But the realization that I wasn't the one causing her to blush? That I wasn't the one who could make her forget the distance between us, even for a moment? It destroyed me. I didn't even have the privilege of speaking to her informally anymore, not like this man—this insignificant worm—who had the audacity to think he could charm her.

I tapped my fingers harder now, trying to maintain the mask of calm authority, my knuckles whitening as I forced myself to breathe. I couldn't cause a scene. Not here. Not today. After all, I had just executed someone yesterday in this very hall. If I killed this man now, it would seem like an everyday occurrence, and the court might start expecting blood every morning.

But God, the lines he was throwing at her—old, tired, pathetic attempts at flirting.

"Your beauty outshines the sun, my queen."

I nearly gagged. Outshines the sun? Was he for real? I was getting nauseous just listening to his desperate drivel. What was worse was that it seemed to work—her smile hadn't faltered.

My fingers itched for the hilt of my sword. I could hear it calling to me, whispering to be drawn, to be swung, to end his miserable life right here in front of everyone.

No. I couldn't. Not yet.

I closed my eyes for a brief moment, letting out a slow breath. Calm. I needed calm. But that calm was slipping through my fingers faster than I could catch it. Every glance, every smile Vedanti directed his way was like gasoline on the fire that raged in my chest.

And then he said something truly vile, something that broke the last thread of control I had left.

"If I weren't already taken by your kingdom's beauty, my queen, I'd beg for a place by your side—for all eternity."

I snapped. That was it. My vision blurred with red, and I was out of my seat before I even realized I had moved, my legs carrying me toward them with deadly purpose.

Vedanti's eyes flicked up, meeting mine, and there was a flicker of something in her gaze—concern? Worry? It didn't matter. She wasn't going to stop me. No one was.

The court fell silent as I approached, the tension in the air thick enough to cut with a blade. The foreign guests turned to me, their faces shifting from polite interest to wary discomfort. They knew something was wrong. They could feel it too—the weight of my fury, the storm brewing just behind my eyes.

I stopped in front of them, towering over the man who had so foolishly thought he could speak to my queen in such a way. Vedanti stood between us, her expression unreadable, but she didn't move. Didn't say a word.

"Your Majesty," the man said with a smile that made my skin crawl, his voice dripping with false charm. "I was just telling your lovely queen—"

"Enough," I growled, my voice low and dangerous. He flinched slightly, but tried to recover, his smile faltering.

"Is something wrong, Ranasa?" Vedanti's voice was soft, calm, but I could hear the underlying warning in it. She knew what was coming.

I ignored her, my eyes locked on the man before me. "Who gave you permission to speak to her like that?"

The man blinked, clearly taken aback. "I—I meant no offense, Your Majesty. I was merely—"

"Merely what?" I took a step closer, towering over him, the full weight of my presence bearing down on him. "Merely trying to win her favor? To flirt with her? To disrespect the queen of this kingdom—my wife—in my own court?"

The colour drained from his face, and he opened his mouth to protest, but I didn't give him the chance. I could feel the entire court watching, holding their breath, waiting for what would happen next.

I leaned in closer, my voice dropping to a lethal whisper. "You think you can make her blush? You think you can charm her with your pathetic lines? You're nothing. Less than nothing. And if you ever look at her again, I'll make sure the last thing you see is the tip of my blade."

The man swallowed hard, fear flickering in his eyes now. He nodded, stumbling over his words. "Y-yes, Your Majesty. Of course. I—I apologize."

I straightened, my hand twitching toward the hilt of my sword. But I didn't draw it. Not yet.

Vedanti placed a hand on my arm, a soft, calming touch that cut through the haze of rage. I turned to her, meeting her eyes for the first time in what felt like an eternity. She wasn't smiling anymore. There was something else there—something deeper. A silent understanding.

"Let him go," she said quietly, her voice steady. 

For a moment, I considered ignoring her. But the way she looked at me—so calm, so unshaken—it was enough to pull me back from the edge. I took a deep breath, forcing myself to step back.

"You're lucky," I said to the man, my voice cold. "For her sake, I'll let you leave this room alive. But don't think for a second you're safe."

With that, I turned away, my eyes still burning with the need for violence, but tempered now by the touch of the woman beside me.

--

The door to my chamber slammed open, and Vedanti stormed in, her eyes blazing with fury. The anger radiated off her in waves, her hands clenched into fists at her sides as she marched toward me. For a moment, I was almost taken aback by the intensity in her expression, but deep down, it thrilled me. Seeing her like this—passionate, strong—ignited something dangerous within me.

"What the hell was that?!" she shouted, her voice sharp, cutting through the air like a blade. "Do you have any idea what you just did in the court? You almost caused a diplomatic disaster!"

I didn't flinch at her words, though I felt the sting behind them. My gaze remained locked on hers, unyielding, though my pulse quickened. She was breathtaking when she was angry, the fire in her eyes burning brighter than the sun.

"I protected what's mine," I replied, my voice low, dangerous. "That man had no right to speak to you like that, and you know it."

She stepped closer, her chest heaving with the force of her anger. "This isn't about him! This is about you—about your possessiveness, your inability to control yourself! You can't just go around threatening people like that. You're the king, Ranasa! You can't keep killing or threatening anyone who even looks at me!"

My jaw tightened. I could feel the tension between us, thick and heavy, like a storm on the verge of breaking. "I will always protect you, Vedanti. If anyone dares to cross that line, they will answer to me. I don't care about the consequences."

Her eyes widened slightly, a mixture of frustration and something else flickering in her gaze. "You don't get it, do you?" she whispered, her voice softening for a brief moment. "It's not about protection. It's about trust. You don't need to prove anything to me by acting like that."

I took a step toward her, the space between us shrinking until we were only inches apart. My heart was pounding in my chest, a mixture of anger and something deeper—something primal. The air between us crackled with tension, an electric current that neither of us could ignore.

"Maybe I don't trust them," I said, my voice barely more than a growl. "But I trust you."

Her breath hitched slightly, and for the first time since she stormed into the room, her resolve seemed to falter. I could see the conflict in her eyes, the way her chest rose and fell with each breath. There was something raw, something vulnerable just beneath the surface, and I could feel my own heartbeat syncing with hers, faster and more intense.

She turned abruptly, as if to leave, but I noticed something. Her blouse string—loosened and on the verge of coming undone—caught my attention. Before she could take another step, I reached out and gently grabbed her arm, pulling her back toward me.

"Wait," I said, my voice softer now, though the tension between us still simmered.

Her eyes flicked to mine in surprise as I stepped behind her, my fingers brushing lightly against the delicate string at her back. The moment I touched her, it was as if a shock of electricity passed between us. She froze, her breath catching in her throat, and for a heartbeat, the entire world seemed to stand still.

Slowly, I pulled the string taut, fixing it securely. My fingers grazed her warm skin, sending goosebumps racing across her flesh. I could feel the rise and fall of her breath, the subtle quiver in her body as I tied the knot. The intimate proximity of it—so simple, yet so charged—made my heart race faster, and I knew hers was too.

As I finished, I didn't move immediately. My hands lingered at her back, my breath falling softly against the nape of her neck. Neither of us said a word, but the silence was deafening, filled with all the unspoken emotions that we couldn't put into words.

Her head turned slightly, her cheek brushing against my lips, and I could feel the heat radiating off her. I wanted to pull her closer, to erase the distance between us that had grown like a chasm over the past weeks. But I didn't. I couldn't.

I stepped back, breaking the moment, though the intensity between us didn't fade. Vedanti slowly turned to face me, her eyes still wide, her breath coming in shallow, uneven gasps. Her lips parted as if to say something, but no words came out.

Her fingers twitched as though she wanted to reach for me, but instead, she took a step back, her eyes still locked on mine. The tension between us was thick—dark, dangerous, and intoxicating.

"Abhirath..." she finally whispered, her voice barely audible. It wasn't the same tone as before. Her anger had softened, replaced by something deeper. Her vulnerability lay exposed, raw and real, but she wouldn't give in to it. Not yet.

I swallowed hard, my hands curling into fists at my sides, fighting the urge to close the distance between us again. "You don't need to say anything," I said, my voice rougher than I intended. "Just know... I'm always here. Even when you push me away."

Her eyes flickered with a mixture of emotions—confusion, desire, frustration. For a moment, it seemed like she might let her walls down, might let me in. But then she shook her head, breaking the spell.

Without another word, she turned and left the chamber, leaving me standing there, my heart still racing, my body still buzzing from the contact.

I could still feel the warmth of her skin on my fingers, the way her breath had quickened under my touch. I wanted her—God, I wanted her more than anything—but this distance between us, this wall she had built around herself, felt impenetrable.

I couldn't force her to let me in. But I wasn't going to stop trying.

No matter how dangerous the road ahead was.

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Enjoyyyyyyyyyyyyy

Double update today, Hope you all like it; although tomorrow I have a 100 marks paper but my mood was really off today so thought why not write something <3<3

words count -2233

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