Crossing paths with someone is not in our hands, that right belongs to someone who binds you with your soulmate. 
-Jignasa

•||Jignasa||•

Chaturan was slaughtered in a duel with a Rakshatrian Soldier who came to Jagnya proposing a treaty for the princesses. He had crossed his limits as a lower-ranking warrior by challenging the treaty holder for a duel. He told me he was fighting for me but I didn't know it was a white lie. Women in Jagnya were not allowed to watch men's Duels they were made to sit in the chambers and learn skills to be a good wife for a man to whom they would be married. I was the fifth daughter of the King of Jagnya, King Jaywant and the only was who was Legitimate. My father was a power-hungry cruel man. He never respected my mother, and I knew he only looked up to me because of the horoscope. The horoscope of me being the sole reason for Jagnya gaining power like never before. The priest had foreseen that my future lay in the hands of a conqueror and My father connecting the dots thought I was meant to be the Queen of Rakshatra.

I am Jignasa, Princess of Jagnya the only legitimate heir of King of Jagnya. The one who was predicted to marry a king, a king like never before, a king like the mountains, a king whose glory will define his legacy.

And today I was breaking my stars, they said the lines engraved in our palms were future pathways depicted in a mysterious form. And I was breaking one of my paths by marrying a person I had met a night ago, my kidnapper. With his accent I could feel he did not belong to Hind, maybe that was one of the reasons he looked annoyed with the rituals.

I was one of those brides who had no heena in her hands, no Alta in her feet but was getting married. My dress was a simple yellow lehenga with minimal jewellery the kingdom of Vidharbha presented me with. They looked at me like I was some dirt and that made me angry. I was a Princess, no matter who my father was I had the blood of one of the oldest Lineage running in my veins, The mighty house of Jagnya.

My eyes zeroed on the holy fire burning in front of my eyes but it didn't match the fire burning my heart in shreds. I burnt my relationships, emotions and every ounce of care I held for my family into the holy fire.

May I be reborn as the strongest woman and revenge-taker in the history of Hind. I wish Maa Ambe bless me with the power to burn everyone in the agony of Betrayal. My betrayal.

"Princess, General Akroor has sent you gifts as a token of love for his future bride. " One of the maids broke my reverie of thinking bringing me back to the present.

General Akroor was the man behind my Father's dreams. He was a man who had planted all kinds of greedy seeds in my father's brain. And now my father believed that he was the one who deserved to be my husband.

Alas! I already had a husband. I nodded touching the plates filled with jewels playing the facade of the good princess I was supposed to be.

"I would like to take a stroll in the gardens. " I announced tucking my veil properly around my frame. One of the maids who secretly worked for my father alerted her place, her owl eyes following my every movement.

"The short woman who had a mole on her chin is one of your father's spies. She will note your every move when you go back and report it to your father. " My husband had informed me.

"She has been working for me since I was 13" I frowned hearing him disclose one of the truths about one of my ladies. That too included the one who was with me for years.

I pondered over my thoughts reminiscing all the incidents I had with her, one of my maids Trivula. She was the one who accompanied me to Rakshatara. She was the one who told me about Tanirika being a cunning woman, who was out for claiming the king of Rakshatara as a foe disguised as a friend.

He was right she was always there and maybe she was the reason my father always knew what was wrong with me.

"Princess, you have just returned safely after being kidnapped by one of our enemies. You should take a rest. " Trivula said.

"The man who kidnapped me is in dungeons and Father is dealing with him. General Akroor's name is enough to keep crisis away from his future wife. I desire to take a breath of fresh air and don't forget your place I am the one in power here " I ordered walking out of the chambers.

The sun was slowly cascading down its lane implying that the moon was claiming its domination again. Orange hues covered the sky in a blanket of warmth before disappearing into the darkness.

My two maids followed me, one of them being Trivula. I aimlessly strolled near the stable lost in my thoughts. I loved horses. They were my favourites. Smiling at the thought of riding one to ease my mind, I walked towards the stables. The helper bowed in respect as she inspected her favourite white mare.

I smiled softly rubbing the fur of the mare who snuggled her head in my palm. A horse neighed loudly stomping its feet in the stable, the maids standing behind me screamed in fear when the horse showed no sign of calmness.

"Helper!" Trivulla yelled looking at the horse who was now out of his cage breaking the ropes and tying him. The maids shrieked in fear running out of the shade as chaos erupted. In one instance, every horse around me started to behave weirdly making fear build inside me too. Soon all the horses got free in a second and hell broke loose. Every helper and soldier around me started running around as the horses behaved like savages.

My mare screamed in agony running past me into the forest connected to the stable. I was about to turn around and run away when the moon stood high in the sky, my anklets rang desperately as I tried getting to a safer place. Before I could move away from the stable I was pulled back with a force, a hand preventing me from screaming.

I started thrashing in the masculine hold, as the roughness of the hands holding me hinted that it was a man. I was about to force my knee on his groin when he held my knee in a tight hold throwing me carelessly on the barn kept in the stable for the horses to eat. My face hit the roughness of the dried grass as I struggled to get hold of myself.

Anger rushed into me, how dare someone touch me like this! Rolling on my back I glared at the man standing in front of me. 

"It took me a second to free those horses you see?" The man smirked, his eyes raking over me as I glared at him. Though I was glaring at him I felt a sense of relief that it was he who was standing in front of me, the man who kidnapped me, the man who was my husband.

"How did you get out of that cell? My father had you locked up in the dungeons?" I adjusted myself comfortably on the barn bed staring at my husband, noting the sarcasm.

"The iron bars don't hold the power to cage me, I have seen worse, wife" he smirked tracing his fingers in the air, before I could point out what was he planning I was dragged by ankles towards him, my anklets crushed between my foot and his hands making me hiss in pain as the anklet bells punctured in my skin.

"How many times should I tell you, stop man-handling me" I seethed in anger glaring at him. He ignored my expressions coaching down on his knee, I felt him getting rid of my anklets.

"We need to quiet down and these anklets didn't take the order seriously, you see little Vixen?" he murmured caressing the sole of my foot, I rolled my eyes in annoyance, he had the most stupid yet perfect reasons for everything.

I felt him pinching my leg lightly making me divert my attention solely on him. I took in his features as the chaos erupted around us paid no attention to us. He was still wearing the same clothes I saw him wearing yesterday when he was caught by my father. His masculine scent mixed with the dried grass around me made me realize that he was an eyepiece compared to other men. No doubt he was one of the most peculiar men I have ever seen. His green eyes and dusky tan skin enhancing his muscular features made him look more attractive.

I hated how insanely divine he appeared compared to other men I have ever laid my eyes on. I knew he didn't belong to Hind but there was the red thread dangling on my neck binding him to Hind forever.

"Can I ask you something?" I asked him making him cock an eyebrow at me. I wriggled on the barn bed at one side, lying on my left I stared at the moon in the sky which could be seen from the small window in the shade.

"How do you plan to take down my father?"
I dodged the initial question I had in my mind, it would be too inappropriate, considering our circumstances right now. No way in hell I was going to ask him why was he this handsome.

"did you switch sides?" he asked pressing my ankle and making me push him back with my foot. He held my feet in a firm hold dragging me towards him like a rag doll, I was astonished by the strength play he did right in front of me.

His features hardened as our chests collided, he had one of his knees crouched on the barn bed. I courageously gazed into his green eyes challenging him for I didn't know what.

"Know your limits!" he fired holding my hair in a tight grip. I glared challengingly, who does he think he is?

"You should know your limits, I am a royal! You are nothing. Just a random puppet of a soldier carrying his master's orders" I seethed pinching his wrist which was holding my hair in a tight grip.

"And whose orders you carry, damsel in distress your pathetic excuse of a father who can't even love you like a man he calls himself, who wanted to trade you as a gift, a commodity to my Master while you cried in a corner for being his second wife? A second wife to a man who was deeply madly in love with a woman who you despised, a hell of a life you would have had Princess, or should I talk about the general you are marrying, Heard from the brothels that he can't get it erect, how will he satisfy you? Huh? At least I can show your royal self what it feels to be a real woman, while your prince who you killed wouldn't have and nor your nightly general. "
He spat those words like the crude man he is, everything about him was disgusting, and his talks were dirty, shameless and mannerless.

"your parents forgot to teach you manners, because why in the god's name are you being this disgusting, Well what can I expect from a leech-like you?"  I fired back, I take no disrespect from anyone. I demanded respect, I was the princess of Jagnya and he was just a common low-level soldier.

"My parents sold me when I was five so yes dear princess, they didn't teach me manners, and I am proud of it! A stupid damsel in distress like you won't understand that who craves for pathetic men to rule over her. Like your Coward father and your fiance," He said pushing me back on the barn with a force.

I saw a flicker of darkness in his orbs, a darkness he flashed for a second and then buried it maybe he was scared to show his that side to me. Glad he was cause that one second shook me to the core, he appeared deadly, a monster. But I knew I was the one who initiated that monster out, god knows what will happen when that monster is out freely.

Who will control it?

"I did not know about my father, And I don't like General Akroor can you stop forcing those two men on me!" I said pushing my veil down properly allowing my hair which he messed up openly. His knuckles were clutched in a tight grip as he pinched his nose in anger. I was scared of angry men, they brought bad memories.

Bad ones which forced me to be a good princess.

"Why don't you tell me what made you meet me right now?" I tried to change the topic. But he didn't budge.

"Look soldier, you got no right to be mad at me, I know I speak a lot sometimes, but you crossed limits too. I promise till our deal gets balanced I will try to be civil. And you should too"! I said patting his bicep a little, and I won't lie he was muscular. God knows what he hid under that yellow kurta.

He snapped his eyes at me making me cover back to the barn bed.  He was scary but he held that with the scariness like a king, he held a power, his aura was dark and for the first time I started liking darkness.

It was surprising because I hated darkness, it was hollow and deadlier.

The reason I love Chaturan is that he always reminded me of light, I don't know how but maybe because whenever I was on house arrest and my father took all sources of light away from me he was the one who used to light a small lamp for me. I know he was a little reckless but he was the only one who held me when I was scolded by my parents for not being a good daughter.

But I hated him now, I hated his every memory, and I didn't know why but something inside me burnt into fury, I hated that I was so sick and weak that I loved a man like him, allowed a lying man to rule over me. The Soldier was right I was pathetic, a pathetic woman allowing men to take advantage of her, since childhood I allowed my fathpursue press my dreams anletet his choices overpower me.

He was right maybe that was the reason I married him two days ago and that will be the reason I will give my virtue to him. By my own choice, not because of someone who would use it for his benefit. To him, a mere stranger who I will never encounter once the deal is over. Once my father will lose the war I will get this kingdom, as a ruler.

🦋🦋🦋🦋

Thank you for reading and commenting on this book. I am grateful to each one of you.

And yes, they do it here. There will be no detailed smut of this party as this decision was not out of love, it was because she was reckless and he gave it to her because right now she held no place for him.

They both gave into their desires thinking this would be just one night thing but life's not that simple, is it?

Will update soon!

Love Aditi❤️