flashback

His eyebrows furrowed as he found his king piece caught between Jodha's queen and bishop pieces. How she defeated him at this game every single time was indeed commendable.

Sujamal did not miss the grin on her face as she concluded with a gleeful "checkmate."

His lips stretched into a smile that did not reach his face as he congratulated her for a game well-played. However, it seemed as if Sujamal had completely forgotten how observant his cousin-sister could be when she decided to be (and that was almost every time).

No one could ever get away with lying to the Rajkumari and that included him.

"Sujamal Bhaisa," her calm voice brought him back to reality. "Is this still about the upcoming coronation?"

He stared into her warm eyes and he shook his head before calling for one of the dasis to clear the table of the chest pieces. He rested his back against the seat before letting out a sigh. It was about the coronation.

"Jodha," he started, his voice more sombre than usual. "Do you think I deserve to be on that throne? I have heard words and-."

"Sujamal Bhaisa," her voice was firm, her warm eyes taking on that fire the people of Amer admired her for. "This throne has always been made for you. I know Bhapusa considers you well, why would he not crown you as his heir?"

He wanted to shut his eyes in frustration, surely, Jodha was not naive to think so. Was she trying to reassure him even though the evidence glared right at the both of them? The probability of Kaka Sa making him the crowned heir was slim at this point.

Kaka Sa needed someone who would unite Rajputana for good in case the Mughals delivered on their threat of an invasion. Sujamal, on the other hand, was not interested in attempting to unite an already divided nation. The Rajput kings rarely agreed on anything with every visit to Amer ending up in heated debates.

Sujamal knew the Rajput kings would not waste a single second to attack Amer, why try to unite them when he could crush them before they made a single attempt on Amer? Kaka Sa was no stranger to his dissent, the old man believing in the "strength in numbers" cliche and for that reason, Sujamal knew the older man had selected another person as his choice of a crown prince.

He stared back at his cousin whose eyes still stared at him, awaiting an answer to her question. How would he explain to her that Kaka Sa was not going to pass down his birthright to him? Most of all, how was he going to explain to her the letter which sat at the bottom of the chest in his quarters?

flashback over

Yet, here he stood, his eyes brimming with tears of regret as he lifted one of the ends of Jodha's palki. He had managed to sneak into the wedding entourage in Sambhar with a disguise, avoiding almost everyone but Dadi Sa.

What gave him the illusion that he could dodge being detected by the ever-observant woman? Her eyes had widened as she saw her step-grandson through his disguise, her hands quick to pull him aside to a corner as she requested he leave the tent.

Not that he could blame her or anyone for that matter.

The moment he had heard the news of Jodha's rishta fixed with none other than the very emperor he had attempted to form an alliance with, he knew he had gone too far, way too far.

Her burning hatred for Badshah Jalaluddin Mohammad and the Mughal Empire was no secret to anyone. But in his quest for the throne, Sujamal might as well have handed over his cousin on a platter to the Mughal emperor.

And at the end of the day, it was all futile. The kingdom of Amer and the entire nation of Rajputana have slapped the label of a traitor on his name and Raja Bharmal still remained on the throne with Rajkumar Bhagwan Das as his crown heir.

In addition, any attempt to wage a war on Amer to reclaim the throne would be a counterproductive idea now that Jodha was married to the Mughal emperor. The last thing he needed was to face them in battle.

So, what did you gain in all of this?

His head turned slightly to see Jodha's hands slowly losing connection with those of Sukanya and Shivani. The guilt only managed to worsen his regret.

If only he had not join hands with the Mughals.

Maybe she would be married to Raja Suryabhan. Maybe this occasion would have been happier than whatever just took place today.

Maybe...

At last, Jodha could slowly let out a brief sigh of relief. A chapter of her nightmare was finally closed, thrown to the back of her mind and awaiting the erasing effects of time to take its course.

However, her eyes stared down at her ghagra and red-painted toes as she slowly anticipated his arrival.

She may have requested a separate tent be built but she knew he'd come over.

If he thought he was going to let him gain access to her body just because she had made her vows, then he had better think again.

And should he attempt to misbehave with her...her hand felt for the outline of a dagger underneath her ghagra.

One of the send-off gifts Maa Sa had given her was the dagger, a gift from Bhagwan Das Bhaisa. The dagger, whose outline rested against her palm, was crafted by Amer's best of artisans with its blade sharp enough to break through skin at the slightest contact.

Just as she had expected, her ears picked up the sounds of footsteps from outside, her gaze remained down on the floor, tracing the patterns of the floor. A gush of air signalled his entrance and her eyes caught sight of his juttis.

Slowly, her gaze moved up to meet his. Her breath got caught in her throat at the eye contact. Those hazel eyes were void of any form of expression and that had her heartbeat quickening.

If there was one thing her defence lessons from her earlier years taught her, it was that an unpredictable foe was more dangerous and to be taken seriously.

Maybe she needed to stop taking him for an enemy now that he was her husband but his stance had her sneak her hand to reach for the dagger as he slowly advanced at her.

She contemplated backing up against the bed as he got even closer to her but a part of her opted to stay rooted. Just a few steps closer and his neck would feel the sharp edge of her dagger.

He was so close she could take in the scent of his perfume, so close she could feel him. Her hand gripped harder on the dagger.

His head tilted to the side as he took in her features under the glow of the lamp. She flinched, turning her face to the side.

He tried again, this time, Jodha faced him and was just so quick to hold her dagger to his neck - way too quick. It was then that his expression changed from the stoic glance he held before to a smug smile.

Of course, he had expected something like this from the moment Badi Ammi had informed him that his new bride had requested a separate tent.

The implication was not lost on him as his feet took him straight to her tent only to be met by her bandhis, Moti Bai and Reva Bai. The two women exchanged looks between each other, wondering if they should go in to warn their mistress about her new visitor.

"Takhliya," he dismissed them with a wave of the hand. They both bowed slightly before walking away from the enterance.

His hands swung open the flap of the tent, his vision treating him to the sight of her seated on her bed with her ghagra fanned out and covering her red-painted soles and toes.

Her face was hidden from his sight as she stared down at the floor but he could tell she was acutely aware of his presence as she slowly lifted her head, her eyes meeting his.

It was then he noticed a raised outline underneath her ghagra and that almost brought a smile to his lips - the fact she still considered him a threat.

It was a moment of seconds before he stood in front of her, close enough to observe the features of her face - the way a strand of her hair peeked out of her veil or how the kohl highlighted her eyes.

Oh, how much he could get lost in those brown eyes.

Brown eyes.

What was special about them? He had seen so many of them, gazed into many as their owners batted their eyelashes at him with the hope that he'd grace them with his presence.

Yet, her brown eyes which stared at him with fiery passion seemed to enthrall him for reasons unknown to him.

His fingers reached out to touch her face when she turned her head to the side to avoid his touch just the same way she had hesitated in placing her hand in his during the wedding ceremony.

Playing hard to get, are we, Jodha Begum?

He made another attempt when she struck like lightning, a dagger pressed against his neck and he chuckled at the fact that she'd do this again.

It brought back that memory of her withdrawing Suryabhan's sword and holding it to his neck back in the prison.

He stared down at her with an unspoken dare for her to do her worst and her worst was what she did with the dagger pressed hard enough for it to break skin.

That was going to leave another scar for him to deal with.

"You seem to have a thing for my neck these days, Jodha Begum," he taunted, watching the moment where her eyes hardened.

"How else will I have your head on a platter?" She taunted back.

He scoffed, his hand going for the blade of the dagger. He barely reacted to the pain which resulted from him tightening his hold on the sharp weapon. It was in fact sharper than that rusty blade that Ameri trader had tried to sell to him.

Now that the dagger was in his hand, he glanced down to observe the design. He could deduce it was created by Amer's best blacksmiths and artists, making it of a better quality.

While Agra's craftsmen could make a run for their money, this was more impressive in the eyes of the Badshah.

"Such good quality," he muttered his observation, taking out a piece of handkerchief as he started to clean his blood off of the weapon. "Where did you get this?"

"F-from," she looked away momentarily before looking back at him. "Bhagwan Das Bhaisa gave this to me as a wedding gift."

"Hmm," he hummed in appreciation as he handed the dagger over to her. "Looks functional."

He then stood to his full height, looking down at her and he could still recognize her hardened glare at him.

"But you will not need that dagger, Jodha Begum," he started. "For I will be there to protect you from every danger that presents itself before you."

Suspicion seemed to join her list of expressions as she took the dagger from him.

"But no one, Jodha, no one will save you from me."

He watched with satisfaction as her face fell, those previously fiery eyes losing their spark as she looked away.

He smiled to himself at a mission well-accomplished. That was no threat, it was a promise - a promise of what was to come the moment they'd step foot into the soils of Agra.

Chittor, Mewar

Today marked the beginning of a dark page in the history of Rajputana - the day a Rajput kingdom would bend their knees to their enemies, the Mughals.

This was a disgrace, a slap to the face of everything Rajputana was meant to represent. An innocent Rajput woman had to pay the price for the selfish choices of the men who were to protect her honour.

One of such men laid on the floor before Maharana Pratap - his face fixed into a scowl as he looked down at the traitor before him. If it was left to him, Kunwar Sujamal's head would be placed on a pike as a cautionary tale for the others but death would be a merciful exit for him and traitors did not deserve such mercy.

"You must be so bold to show your face in Rajputana," the young prince said as he stared down at Sujamal, "after the sin of betrayal you have committed."

The disgraced prince's clothes were tattered and his face muddy - both visible signs of his struggle with the soldiers who dragged him into the courtyard. Pratap could tell that the man was too ashamed to even face him.

While it was way too easy to fault Raja Bharmal of Amer for bowing to the Mughals, Pratap chose to see the nuance of a desperate king who had to do what he felt was right for his kingdom - a step he would never have taken had someone not made the foolish decision of making alliances with Rajputana's enemy.

Now, stooping to Sujamal's level, Pratap grabbed the former by his chin, the man wincing in pain.

"I should kill you right where you lie," he hissed, his voice barely a whisper. "Because of you, Rajkumari Jodha had to make the ultimate sacrifice for the good of Amer. She paid the price for your ambitions to gain the throne of Amer, Kunwar Sujamal."

A groan escaped Sujamal, his voice strained as he struggled to let out some words, "I-I ne-ver meant-."

"Silence, traitor!" Pratap's grip tightened, the courtyard now silent. "You do not get the opportunity to say a word, not even a syllable or a letter from you. A man like you does not deserve that kind of luxury here. Have you any idea what your actions have brought to Rajputana?"

A flash of regret crossed Sujamal's face which was good enough for Pratap. The man ought to feel shame for his actions, shame and worse than that.

A deadly grin now lit up Pratap's face, "Death would be too generous, too merciful for you, Kunwar Sujamal. You do not deserve any ounce of mercy from me."

Standing to his full height, the prince signaled two of his soldiers, the men ready to take action as they were at Sujamal's side.

"Seize him," he commanded, watching as the men pulled up Sujamal by his arms. "Take him outside, throw him to the streets. Let the people of Mewar and Rajputana gaze into the face of the man who chose to betrayed his homeland. Let history witness what happens to people like him. Let this day serve as a reminder that Rajputana would suffer no traitor."

On his command, Kunwar Sujamal was dragged out of the courtyard of Mewar and out the fort of Chittor. With a smile of satisfaction, Maharana Pratap could hold his head high, his eyes settled on the horizon.

Today might have been recorded as a bleak chapter in Rajputana's history, yet it also signified the moment of retribution against the man responsible, and he had ensured this outcome.

closing note: I did not want to include this final part with Maharana Pratap because I did not know how I was going to write him in a way that would do his character a lot of justice. I spent some days trying to read more on Maharana Pratap and it led to this final part being written. I was not really a fan of his portrayal in the serial and this is no hate to the actor (Anurag Sharma did nail his role well in Pavitra Rishta after all) but the way he portrayed Maharana Pratap was stiff af. now, I do not know if I did justice to this portrayal and I am still trying to figure out how I will write in Maharana Pratap in forthcoming chapters but I hope I did well with this one. this might also be the shortest chapter in this whole fanfic, lol.