Just days ago, she was the daughter of starry skies and endless pastures. Before fate played this cruel trick on her, before her world was swept up from underneath her feet, she was a cheerful little girl. No, she wasn't a woman no matter what her mother said. She wasn't ready to bear the responsibility that was practically forced on her shoulders with the marriage proposal. But, she soon realized her loyalty lied with her subjects and if she had to sacrifice her happiness to spare innocent lives, if her destruction was what it took to save the great kingdom of Amer then, she would do it all over again in a heartbeat. The roof on her head was different tonight. As she scanned her surroundings, a giant dome covered in geometric patterns stared back at her. The extravagance of the room's layout was eating on her insides. Sure she did not come from a humble abode but, she was not used to the sharp edges, the erect columns that adorned every nook and cranny. Where were the delicate flowers, the birds, the sunshine? The ambience was too bright for the eyes, the light burning her dusky skin. The Rajput princess sat in the center of a king sized bed, the train of her wedding dress taking up most of the space. Her fingers were clenched into a fist holding on to dear life. Hidden under her right knuckle was a small brass jar of poison that her mother offered as her wedding gift. She had stared at the queen dumbfounded. What kind of mother would rather have her daughter dead than married to the enemy? Her mother.
Jodha rationalized and justified her mother's actions. For the Rajput royals, honour of the kingdom came before the bloodline. Maybe her mother was worried about her being converted, wedding a Mughal and leaving her deities at Amer's footstep. But not her, if she was going to live this life, she would live it with a head on her shoulders. She wouldn't kill herself out of fear or intimidation. But when the time came to pick her dignity or a dishonourable life, she would rather die than let a Mughal rule her body. What she would submit, she would do willingly. And no, not even the Shehanshah-e-Hind could tell her otherwise.
Jalal had gotten what he wanted. No, he didn't doubt his greed for a second. Lust, that is what it was, he convinced his conscious and moved eagerly to the chamber of his new wife. He could see a glimpse of her glistening skin from behind the flower curtain and the ohrni hugging her curves. Too many clothes hid her beauty from his eyes but that would not be a problem as soon as he had access to her. She sat with her head down, looking off into another dimension. Her toes peeked through the awfully long dress. They were beautiful, the most gorgeous thing he had laid his eyes on. That is, if you didn't count the woman herself. He took off his crown and lay it on the nightstand to her left. His eyes still focused on her features, she grimaced a little as the gaze pierced into her skin. He remembered what his birth mother had told him: a true ruler is one that rules the hearts. But the overwhelming lust pooling in his gut was telling him he couldn't wait. Within seconds, she would be pinned down underneath him and he would play out his fantasies.
As his fingers reached for her veil, she forced her neck to the other direction. He tried once more, if only to confirm what he saw was real. She did it again, this time almost pushing him off the bed. The next minute, she had a metal jar in her hand and she was trying to uncap the contents. His mind quickly comprehended what it was, he had seen this happen one too many times. Loyal informants would rather die than betray their master. She was going to...kill herself? No, he would not let this happen. He did not put in all this effort in to the war only to have it go to waste. She was his and even her life and death were his to decide.
His sword flung in the air and with one hit, the jar was down. He caught her in the nick of time. The poison spilled on the floor and Jodha was visibly okay for the time being. He didn't see the next move coming. She had a knife tucked into her waist belt. The same one she had put to his throat the one time he trespassed into the Rajput palace. Except, this time, it was pointing at her neck.
"Come any closer and I will kill myself", she roared.
He took a moment to absorb the beauty of the scene. This was the woman he fell in love with. No, that wasn't quite right. He wasn't capable of love. So, this strange tingly feeling at the pit of his stomach would tentatively be named attraction. This was the woman he was drawn to. He let out a hearty laugh and then, with a raised eyebrow he began. "Fierce and proud, I like it. And thank your stars that I like you too woman. No one rejects Jalal and gets away with it. But, you...I will make an exception for you Princess. Remember, it is not hard to get on my bad books so the sooner you learn to love your new life, the better".
She had now lowered the knife to her gut. Her weapon was still in a death grip fearing the emperor would snatch it away when she was distracted. But he didn't. Instead, he excused himself out of her chambers hoping he would get some from Rukaiya's tonight.
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