Rudra was painting , finishing which was pending .
The sun was giving orange shade into that room .
" princess , a servant girl wants to see you " a guard said without entering the room .
" let her in " she said .
A girl peeped into the room , afraid if she could enter or not .
Rudra imitated her . She also peeped her head .
The girl smiled seeing rudra .
" come in , pretty girl " .
" princess , i brought something for you , but i don't know if you will like it. "
She took a small cloth bag , that was tied by her waist . She opened and stretched before Rudra .
Rudra saw , green bangles , not costly yet it was beautiful in her eyes .
Rudra smiled .
" just pretty like you " .
" you like it ? "
" i do . "
She walked towards dressing table and removed her gold bangles and wore the glass bangles .
" how is it ? " she asked the girl .
" it suits you princess ." She said and left the room after smiling at rudra .
Rudra again sat to complete her painting .
The orange light was fading, turning the room into a study of amber and deep shadow. Rudra didn't stop her brush, even as the heavy, familiar weight of Aarush's presence filled the doorway.
The rhythmic tink-tink of the glass against her wrist was loud in the quiet room.
"The girl you saved from the Minister... she came to see me today," Rudra said, her voice calm, eyes fixed on the canvas. "She brought me these. She said she wanted me to have them because I am your wife."
Aarush walked over, stopping beside her. He didn't look at the painting; he looked at the vibrant green glass on her arm. He didn't sneer, but his face remained a mask of cold, hard logic.
"She is a child who doesn't understand the nature of this house," Aarush said, his voice flat and clinical. "She thinks she is giving you a token of affection. In reality, she has given you a weapon that will break against the first stone you lean on."
"She gave them because she admires us, majesty," Rudra said, finally setting her brush down. "She thinks the man who saved her is someone to be honored. She gave these to me out of a simple, honest liking."
Aarush reached out, his fingers catching the edge of one bangle. He didn't pull her arm, but his grip was firm, turning her wrist to catch the light. His eyes remained empty of any sentimental warmth.
"Everything is a shield or a sword," Aarush said, releasing her wrist as if the matter were settled. "If it is neither, it is a weakness. The girl is safe, my debt to order is paid, and that should have been the end of it. Wearing these doesn't make you one of them; it only makes you a Queen who is easier to hurt."
He turned away, walking toward the balcony to watch the final sliver of sun disappear. He wasn't insulting the girl's status—he simply had no room in his mind for a gesture that didn't provide security. To him, the heart was just another target, and he had spent too long making sure his own was impossible to find.
"Take them off before the Council sees you," he added, his back to her. "I have no desire to explain to my generals why my wife is decorated in the toys of a village market."
Rudra didn't take it into her heart because no matter if it was gold or sand , it was her first gift . She was happy for that and since he was the reason behind that , she didn't complain.
" I told her to keep secret" aarush said .
" It's not her fault majesty. I accidentally met her . "
" Atleast do you know to keep secret? "
" I will majesty" .
The night came soon. Rudra removed her jewels, placing them away before adjusting the lamps to dim the chamber into a quiet twilight. Outside, the promised storm broke, lashing heavy rain against the stone walls.
After a few hours, Aarush woke due to the piercing chill creeping through the room. Shivering slightly, he pulled his blanket tighter around himself to block out the cold. Then, suddenly, he remembered Rudra.
He raised himself up slightly and looked across the dark room. She was lying on the hard floor, curled tightly like a cocoon, her lips muttering silent, restless words. His first instinct was to leave his enemy to suffer the consequences of her own stubborn choice, but something deep inside wouldn't allow him to turn away.
Defeated by a rare urge of reluctance, he walked toward the cupboard, pulled out a thick blanket, and stepped over to her. As he draped the heavy fabric over her shivering frame, Rudra instinctively pulled it close, seeking its warmth.
But as he turned to leave, her hand shot out from beneath the wool and caught his foot.
Aarush crouched down, his jaw tight, reaching to pry her fingers away from his ankle. Just as he touched her hand, a soft, broken whisper escaped her lips: "Mom... where are you?"
The words froze him. Slowly, he removed her fingers from his skin and stood up, walking back toward his bed. But after a few paces, he stopped dead in his tracks. His hands slowly folded into tight fists as the memory of her voice fought against his hardened mind.
Turning back around, he strode purposefully toward her huddled form. He pulled the blanket off her, knelt down, and swept her up into his arms. For the first time since they had met, he was touching her not out of anger, duty, or political force, but out of a raw, silent necessity. He carried her across the room and laid her gently onto the plush sofa, draping the blanket back over her.
The night slept on, eventually waking to the touch of the morning sun.
Rudra woke up first, blinking against the new light. As she cleared the sleep from her eyes, she looked around in confusion, realizing instantly that she was not lying in her usual place on the cold stone floor.