Adithan returned from Kanchi the next day. His visit to Kanchi was fruitless, to say the least. He wondered why Sembiyan Madevi had sent him there with Periya Pazhuvettaraiyer knowing full well he would take care of all the things. Adithan just stood there uselessly while Periya Pazhuvettaraiyer made all the decisions.

His heart was heavy for some strange reason.

The first thing Adithan wanted to do was to meet Nandini. He rode his horse towards the temple and waited for her near the banks of the river.

He expected for her to wait there for him but she wasn't there. Adithan tensed.

Where is this girl? He thought as he rode his horse slowly around the pond. He searched near the back exit but she was not there too. Adithan grew anxious, the familiar fear which he felt when Nandini tried to distance her from him the first time, crept into his heart.

"Penne!" He called out to one of the girls who was playing in the pond. The girl got up and rushed to the Prince. (Penne - girl)

"Yes, Ilavarese?" The girl asked in a sweet voice. But it was not as sweet as Nadnini's he thought.

"Do you know where Nandini is?" Adithan asked.

The young girl shook her head. "She didn't come to the Pooja too, Ilavarese," The girl announced.

"Oh," Adithan frowned, disappointment playing around his face. "Okay you may leave now," Adithan dispersed the girl. She paid her salutations and left.

Was she sick? Adithan thought as he rode his horse towards Thirumalai's house which was near the woods. He knocked on the door, but no reply came. He knocked on the door again. This time he heard the jingling of anklets behind him, he turned back swiftly hoping to see Nandini's moon-like face but he was met with Kundavai's.

"Anna," Kundavai called out. Adithan ignored her and searched around the place for Nandini. "Anna?" Kundavai called out again.

"What?" Adithan asked turning towards her. He was acting like boiling water was poured on his feet, he didn't stand in one place. He climbed up on a platform and scouted the area.

"Sembiyan Amma wanted to meet you," Kundavai said, her voice shaking a little. Adithan looked down at her.

"I'll come, you go," Adithan said he shook her off as he continued searching for his Kanmani.

"No Anna, come with me right now," Kundavai said, Adithan looked down at her again and raised his eyebrows.

"Fine," Adithan scowled as he jumped down from the platform. Kundavai turned back and took the lead. Adithan followed her quietly. Constantly looking here and there, hoping to see Nandini somewhere.

Adithan bit his lips and decided to ask about her to Kundavai.

"Do you know where Nandini is?" Adithan asked Kundavai. As expected Kundavai stayed silent, the only sound coming from her was of her anklets and the jingling sound of the ornaments which adorned her hair and neck.

Her long braided hair, which was adorned by all kinds of ornaments swept side by side endlessly.

"Cat caught your tongue?" Karikalan joked at Kundavai's silence. "It's going to rain quite heavily, I suppose, the princess of Chozha Desam is lost of words for the first time in history,"

Kundavai turned back and shot him a look. The look she gave him was not playful or of anger, it showed something else. Guilt. Tears were ready to flow down from her eyes. Adithan's smile melted as soon as he saw his sister like that.

He arched his eyebrows at the sudden change of atmosphere.

Before Adithan could question her, they reached the Periya Pirrati's chambers. The guards pushed open the large door, the smell of sambrani engulfed them.

Kundavai and Adithan entered the chambers. The room emitted a divine aura that would even calm down a mad elephant. Sembiyan Madevi was meditating, she rotated the beads of the rosary in her hands while chanting inaudible prayers.

"My salutations to the Periya Pirrati," Adithan bowed and paid his salutations. Sembiyan Madevi opened her eyes slowly and blessed the young Prince.

"My sister said you wished to meet me," Adithan asked the Periya Pirrati, who simply nodded. She exchanged looks with Kundavai, Adithan looked back at his sister who was hiding behind a pillar, her eyes avoiding his gaze.

Is this meeting about Nandini? Adithan thought.

Sembiyan Madevi coughed, bringing Adithan's attention toward her. "I have thought about your...'love',"

Adithan's heart skipped a beat or two. Everything in Adithan's life has led up to this moment, He was eagerly waiting to hear Sembiyan Madevi's decision.

Was it going to be a good news or a bad one?

He looked back at Kundavai again, who was shrinking in her spot.

"This is not good for you, Aditha," Sembiyan Madevi spoke. "Your love for her is dangerous," She spoke out. Every word Sembiyan Madevi uttered was like an arrow plunging deep into his heart. He knew what was coming next.

"We simply can't let an orphaned girl ascend the throne,"

Adithan fisted his hands in anger, an Orphan? With one nod, Nandini could bring any empire down to her feet. No queen in this world could compare to her beauty! Any warrior would fall before her feet and surrender to her beauty.

"As much as this may hurt you, Aditha, something had to be done," Sembiyan Madevi sighed. Hurt him? This news completely destroyed him.

Adithan knew what would follow. They exiled Nandini, they made it so that she'll never step into this palace ever again. His throat felt like they were collapsing on itself. Adithan blinked away the tears which were pooling under his eyes.

Adithan nerves were fighting with his skin, it took all his strength not to shout, not to scream, not to lose his temper in front of the Periya Pirrati.

Adithan nodded stiffly. Sembiyan Madevi and Kundavai sensed Adithan's suffering from the inside.

Sembiyan Madevi frowned and patted Adithan's shoulders. "It was for your own good," She said. Lies all lies. It was for the good of the Chozha empire. It was for their own personal gain, it was because of their stubbornness to not let a commoner ascend the throne.

He felt the room closing in, he felt like he was suffocating, the place which felt divine just a minute ago felt like hell. It was like standing on fire.

Adithan was ready to burst out, all these hit him like an army of mad elephants. Before his emotions could get the best of him, Adithan bowed curtly and stormed out of the room.

Kundavai looked at Sembiyan Madevi who gave her a silent nod. Kundavai turned back at ran after Adithan.

****

Adithan stumbled into his room and screamed his lungs out. He ran his hands through his black curls, He wanted to pull out his hair, his eyes turned bloodshot. He snatched the necklace around his neck and threw it away. "UGGH!" Adithan grunted and punched the air forcefully. He pushed away a vase and screamed for Nandini, it broke under his feet, just like his heart.

He couldn't marry Nandini just because he was a royal. He didn't want that status anymore. He didn't want to be the Prince. He wanted to sail to some faraway island with Nandini and live a simple life with her. But where will he find her? Where would've Nadini gone? She has no one except Karikalan.

Nandini, Nandini, Nandini. His heart was beating her name.

"NANDINI!" Adithan cried out. His voice displayed the pain and agony he was suffering. "Nandini," He winced as he covered his face with his hands. His throat felt painful as if it was made out of hundreds of thorns.

Tears drenched his hands. Tears which he had shed only when he was born.

The mirror beside him reflected the light from the sun and shined it on Karikalan.

He looked in the mirror. He hated himself, he wanted to punch himself, What's the use of this lame body if he could not protect the girl he loved? The girl who trusted him to protect her?

His jaw tightened, he wanted to destroy himself. He punched the mirror with his hands, it shattered. Just like his heart.

Blood ran freely from Adithan's knuckles. Shards of glass pierced his fist. But the pain in his fist couldn't compare to the pain he had in his heart.

He drew out his dagger. He didn't want to live anymore. He couldn't imagine a life without her.

He placed the tip of the dagger towards his heart. The hundreds of broken pieces of mirror, which lay under his feet reflected this image. The Prince who was ready to take his life.

A/N

I'm sorry y'all 😭😭

This was supposed to be like the 5th chapter but I dragged out the story till 26 fricking chapters to put off this moment, welp the inevitable has arrived.

thoughts?