It had been a few days since the wedding, and life had slowly begun to settle into its rhythm. The palace no longer felt like a maze of endless corridors and whispering courtyards—it was beginning to feel like home. Rudra spent most of his mornings in the royal court, listening to the petitions of villagers, solving disputes, tending to matters of the kingdom. And me? I found myself spending my hours between the women’s quarters, the temple within the palace, and of course, with Meera.

That afternoon, winter’s chill had already begun to creep into the air, and Meera and I decided it was time to change the quilt in my chamber. She tugged at the old one, muttering under her breath.