Nanda: I am going to be the worst ruler in the history of Salandh and you are going to be the reason for it.

Aditya: I agree to the first part but why are you holding me responsible for it?

Nanda: That is because you are late and now I am going to be late for meeting the dignitaries from our neighboring countries.

Aditya: Why did you even wait for me? Why couldn’t you leave with the peacekeepers.

Nanda kept quiet for some time and then she sat down suddenly. Aditya was shocked, and he sat next to her.

Aditya: What happened Nanda? Tell me.

Nanda: The king of Shinyun is going to talk peace for Salandh to the king of Hadhara and I am scared that the Hadharans are going to disagree. I am scared that they might initiate a war upon us.

Nanda was lost in thoughts and her eyes teared up and the drops fell without her knowledge and Aditya’s heart broke. He touched her shoulder softly and she woke from her thoughts. Nanda looked at Aditya with expressionless eyes.

Nanda: Stand with me Aditya. Please don’t leave me. I want you to be with me. I will break without you.

Aditya: I am here. I will be there every day, every moment, till the very end.

Nanda: Let’s go.

Nanda got up and adjusted her clothes and walked towards the meeting hall and Aditya followed her.

*******

Aaryaan: I am not going, Nihil. I can’t face her. I hate her so much that my head is aching beyond my control. And this is not a good sign. I might end up killing everyone in that room.

Aaryaan was furious and was burning with anger.

Nihil: We can’t disrespect the king of Shinyun. We must go and meet him. Please try to control your anger your majesty.

Aaryaan: I wish I had never come.

Aaryaan hit his hand on the wall many times and then he started walking out of the chamber.

******

Aditya waited in front of the meeting room. He wasn’t allowed inside. Aditya was tensed. Nanda was alone, and he didn’t trust anyone to protect her other than him, with Nanda, he only trusted himself. No one cared about her more than Aditya did, and no one would ever be able to protect her better than him. Aditya was lost in thoughts when he heard heavy footsteps coming towards him. They were angry and restless. Aditya watched the person walking towards the meeting room and his heart started beating faster. It was the king of Hadhara, Aaryaan. He was wearing the royal emblem and was carrying the Hadharan water sword without a scabbard even though it was prohibited to show weapons in public. The water sword looked as though a flowing river though it was made of steel. Aditya controlled himself from going inside the room and pulling Nanda out of there and running in to some far-off land where no one could ever find them.

Aditya watched Aaryaan going inside the room and Aaryaan threw a disgusted look at Aditya while spotting the royal emblem of Salandh on his armor.

*******

Aaryaan sat down on the chair without looking at anyone except for the King of Shinyun, Jiyag. He nodded in respect and the king nodded back.

Jiyag: The king of the great Hadhara is here.

Everyone looked at Aaryaan is fear and he watched them with contempt. Then his eyes fell on Nanda, her eyelids were closing and opening at lightning speed and he couldn’t stop himself from looking at her for a few moments. She was afraid and there was disbelief in her eyes and her mouth was partially open. Aaryaan smiled without his knowledge and then he controlled himself.

Nanda watched the man who had helped her from the crowd the other day and he was none other than her enemy. She wanted to call out for Aditya, but she tried her best to keep calm and then he smiled, the same smile he had given her before and she was confused.

Jiyag: The kings and queens of twenty-two neighboring counties have assembled here in a common interest and that is Hadhara’s war politics. I would like to request the King of Hadhara on behalf of everyone to show some restraint and to stop wars and let your neighbors live in peace, especially Salandh.

Aaryaan got angry when he heard the mention of Salandh and he looked at the king of Shinyun and then at Nanda with bloodshot eyes. Nanda was scared to core, and she was trembling, but she had to gather courage and talk to him, for her people. Nanda slowly got up from her place and walked towards Aaryaan, astonishing him. Nanda stood in front of him and found his hand on the bare sword on his cloth. She folded her hands and spoke.

Nanda: Your majesty, I know that we have hurt your family, your friends and your people and we do not deserve your forgiveness, still I am asking for it on behalf my people. I am standing here with folded hands, please do not kill innocent citizens. They don’t deserve to die. I have nothing to offer and nothing else to say. Please consider peace.

Nanda looked in to his eyes with fear and pain. Folding her hands before him made her feel as though she was sinking in to deep earth. Her self-respect was at stake and she was hurt, but for her people, she had to do it. She could feel everyone’s eyes on her, but none had contempt in them, all of them needed peace and stability in the region.

Aaryaan didn’t say anything. His eyes were expressionless. He slowly got up and nodded to everyone in the room and walked away and before walking out of the room, he looked at Nanda and spoke.

Aaryaan: There will be no more war. I declare peace in the region. Hadhara won’t fight any country unless we are attacked.

Nanda watched Aaryaan walk away in disbelief.

******

Aditya: I do not believe him. He won’t agree to something like that so easily. He has something in mind.

Nanda: What Aditya? He declared peace in the region, not just for us.

Aditya: Aaryaan is a cruel hearted monster. He won’t melt in a moment by your words. I saw his water sword. He was ready to murder us.

Nanda: He had saved me from the crowd, Aditya. He is not a bad person. He is a just revengeful king.

Aditya: What’s the difference Nanda?

Nanda: I want to believe him. We will see if his words are true in coming days.

Aditya: I am waiting.

Aditya’s heart was beating as though he was fighting a war. He could sense that something was not right. He held his sword close to his heart and closed his eyes.

******

Nihil: Why did you say that? It was a lie, right?

Aaryaan: It was not. I do not lie Nihil.

Nihil: How did that princess convince you to find peace when all of us couldn’t in the past ten years.

Aaryaan: She is my peace.

Nihil: I don’t understand.

Aaryaan: Even do I. I will figure it out myself Nihil, don’t burn your mind thinking about it. I have seen worse in my life. A confused mind is not even close.

Aaryaan watched the moonlit sky through the window. There were a few more days for the full moon and still the sky looked beyond beautiful.

******

Aditya looked at the people of forest relocating while he was leading the princess back to the palace. They were already late, and they had only four days’ time to prepare for their wedding. He looked at the horse cart and smiled to himself. Nanda stayed inside the cart and watched everything. There were about forty people in the group. Something bad has happened to their place and that is why they are moving out to another. Then she saw the woman, the one who had saved her from the wolves and Nanda couldn’t but stop the cart and get down from it.

Nanda: Lady, where are you going?

The woman didn’t say anything at first then she spoke.

Mihara: The power of Shinyun has reached our lands as well. We can’t sustain there anymore. So, we are leaving to a farther area.

Nanda: Why would the power of Shinyun trouble you?

Mihara: That is something beyond you, Princess. We will be over the Shankana mountains. Before we part, an advice to you. Trust no one with your safety and do not decide anything on your own.

Mihara looked at Aditya.

Mihara: Commander, do not be late.

Aditya didn’t understand what the woman was saying and asked Nanda to get inside the cart. The sky was getting darker and it was stormy. They had to reach the palace before the rain. Salandh city was only a few hours away. The city would be full of decorations today. Aditya will be marrying Nanda in a few days and the entire country will be celebrating. Aditya smiled to himself. Twelve years of their love will be fulfilled. Nanda caught Aditya looking at her and all her fears and doubts disappeared. The war has ended. Now there will be peace at last. She felt as though she would be a good queen to her people. Nanda smiled.

******

What Aditya and Nanda saw when they reached the palace shocked them. The road to the palace was full of Hadharan army. The black and silver amours and flags. Aditya and his men held on to their swords. Aditya signaled Nanda to stay inside the cart and asked the man controlling the horses to stay alert and to move the cart if there was a threat. Aditya walked towards the palace and he saw his soldiers coming out with Hadharan men. The Hadharan men looked happy but his men were visibly sad, but none had their weapons out and that meant that it was a friendly visit. Aditya thought that there were peace talks and went and conversed with his men. They informed that the situation is peaceful, and he let Nanda out. He led her to her chamber and went to meet the king and what he saw there shook him to core. Aditya trembled when he saw the king of Hadhara and his advisers there in the Palace. They were talking to the king of Salandh and the room was full of gifts, gold, jewels and clothes. King Naren didn’t look happy even after all of these.

Naren: Aditya, you have come. I was waiting for you. Where is Princess Alakananda? I have to talk to her. Before that, I have to talk to you in person. Let king Aaryaan rest for now.

Naren nodded to Aaryaan and walked out of the room. Aditya followed Naren without speaking a word. Naren moved towards the garden and stopped near the fountain.

Naren: Aditya, it’s better that I speak to you about this now itself.

Aditya: What is it?

Naren: The king of Hadhara has asked for Nanda’s hand in marriage.

Aditya: You should say no.

Aditya was expressionless.

Naren: I can’t Aditya. I know that I am doing injustice to both you and Nanda. But this is something I can’t reject. Our Nation’s safety is at stake.

Aditya: I won’t let you get her hurt. Trust me, he will hurt her, and I know it. I will not let this happen even if I have to go for war for the sake of it.

Naren: Aditya, you are the future King of Salandh.

Aditya: I don’t want any position. All I want is Nanda safety. She is your daughter.

Naren: A king’s first child is his country. Everything else comes afterwards and Aaryaan has promised me her safety.

Aditya: Do you trust him?

Naren: I have to. He has promised unending peace as a reward because he has fallen in love with her.

Aditya’s eyes became reddish and tears started falling from them. He didn’t say a word. He realized that it was out of his hands and he went numb.

******

Nanda: I won’t agree to it even if I have to give up my life for it. I can’t do it.

Nanda cried loudly. Her maids stayed silent. They were close to tears. Nanda took out her battle knife and walked towards the door of her chamber.

Nanda: I will end it all today. I will kill him.

Nanda was about to get out when she found Aaryaan standing in front of her. He was confused, and his eyes were sad. Nanda stopped.

Nanda: I am betrothed to Aditya. I am in love with him. I can’t marry you.

Nanda looked straight in to his eyes while speaking and she saw a tear drop falling from his eye.

Aaryaan: I know. I know everything. I fell in love without knowing who you were and when I came to know about you, I tried to hate you, but I can’t anymore. I can’t stop loving you and your presence gives me peace. I don’t want to go to war any longer. I don’t want to hurt anyone. I just want to stay with you.

Nanda: You are lying.

Aaryaan looked in to Nanda’s eyes. It was getting tougher for him. He loved her beyond his control and he would do anything to take her with him, but he couldn’t shout at her, he couldn’t hurt her. He could only beg. He felt pity on what he had become. A man who wanted to avenge his family to a man who is begging for his enemy’s love.

Aaryaan: I am in love with you and I am not lying. I never lie. I will never hurt you or your kingdom, I will never lay my hands on you to hurt you, I promise. You asked for peace for your nation, now I am asking peace for my heart.

Aaryaan folded his hands in front of Nanda. His eyes where full of tears.

Aaryaan: I have never known peace in my life before. Please don’t take it away. I have no one. I am hurt, and none can see it. Please, stay with me.

Aaryaan took out his water sword from the scabbard and sat on his knees and offered it to Nanda.

Aaryaan: I offer peace in exchange of peace. If you don’t want it, kill me now. I am tired of living.

Aaryaan looked Nanda in the eye and she stood there watching him trembling and lost.