The Crown Prince and His Love

Chapter 54|Rumours|

Battle camp

Karikalan massaged his temples while reading one of Kundavai's olais. Why was his little brother suddenly going to war? That too in a faraway island like Eezham. He inhaled sharply, placing the letter aside carefully.

All this felt so wrong to him suddenly. He got up and paced around the room impatiently. It all started the moment Nandini stepped inside Thanjai, Arulmozhi was sent out to Ilankai, leaving the emperor alone. Is Nandini planning to get revenge? Isn't that why she married that old man in the first place?

Adithan pulled back his hair frustratedly, the mere thought of her brought him disgust and pain. "That darn old man," He hissed, slamming his fists against a table. Unknowingly, Karikalan began channeling all his anger towards his grandfather, the man who raised him and his siblings, none of that mattered to Karikalan now, he didn't see a loving grandfather in him anymore. He only saw an old man, clouded with lust so much so that he could marry a girl who could be his granddaughter without any remorse.

Truth be told Adithan never cared for the ladies his Pazhuvettaraiyer married, they were all way younger than him, he never felt disgusted about it, and he never thought it was wrong either. They married him willingly for his wealth and status. They dug their own graves.

But this time it was different, it was not just any ordinary girl. It was his Nandini.

She ruined her life for what? just to spite him.

I am the ninth and favored wife of Periya Pazhuvettarayar now, She said with a straight face. I love him, and he loves me. She lied, straight through her teeth. What did he take him for? some kind of fool?

The scenes from that forbidden day kept playing inside his head repeatedly, he kept recollecting the painful words she said. The more he thought about it, the more his heart ached. She was haunting him, slowly eating his soul away from the inside.

Sometimes, Karikalan childishly thought sleeping would help him. But that witch seeped into his dreams too, her blood-covered hands, her red eyes, her wailing and begging for Veera Pandiyan, all kept him awake.

He kicked away a stool but what good does channeling your anger on an inanimate object do?

Before he could break anything more Parthibendran stepped in, looking as confused as usual.

"What are you doing here?" Karikalan asked, taking a seat to calm himself down.

"I heard noises," Parthibendran replied, eyeing the broken stool. "Are you drunk?"

"No, what do you take for me? Some kind of drunkard?" Karikalan scoffed, shifting his attention to Kundavai's letter.

"Right..." Parthibendran chuckled slightly. "I knew taking you to Thanjai would clear up your head, now look at you, acting all responsible, reading the messages--"

"Uh huh, really cleared my head," Adithan intervened to make him stop talking. It did the exact fucking opposite.

Parthibendran stayed quiet, trying to read the Prince's expression. It was unreadable as usual but he knew something was bothering him. He has been zoning out a lot ever since he left Thanjai.

"Have you met Pazhuvettaraiyer's new wife?" Parthibendran asked, breaking the silence. He heard Karikalan inhale sharply, his grip tightening on the letter. "Such a shame that such a beautiful girl decided to marry someone like him, Well I mean he is rich but--'

He shot a quick glare at Parthibendran and jolted up. "That is none of your business, is it?" Jealousy began bubbling deep inside Adithan's heart. She was meant to be his.

"I'm just speaking my mind," He shrugged.

Karikalan rolled his eyes and decided it was best to ignore him for now, he couldn't risk having a mental breakdown in front of him.

"I heard she is poor too. Man, did she hit a jackpot by marrying him?" Pallavan muttered.

"He's a lucky man. Do you know how many men were vying for her at the coronation?" He asked, leaning against a table. "Wasn't she a beauty,"

Karikalan felt thorns pricking his throat, he fisted his hands in anger.

Adithan's patience and sanity were held together by a mere string. "Uh-huh? Were you vying for her too along with those disgusting men?"

Parthibendran laughed. "Well, can you blame them?"

Karikalan looked at him, absolutely disgusted. "Some people make me sick,"

"What's so sick about it? Being a whore she is I'm pretty sure she enjoyed it a lot more,"

Karikalan furrowed his brows. "What do you mean?"

"Well...She married an old man for his money...you know what it makes her?" Parthibendran asked, he rolled his eyes at Adithan's clueless expression. "A whore! They love attention,"

That did it, Karikalan threw Pallavan onto a nearby wall and pinned him down on it harshly.

"I swear Pallava, if you talk ill about my Nandini one more fucking time your head will not be yours," Karikalan warned in a dangerously low voice. Parthibendran felt his heart stopping for a moment. "Understood?" Karikalan barked. Pallavan gulped, beads of sweat forming over his forehead. He had never seen him this furious, for a second there he thought Adithan was going to murder him.

"Ye-yes-" He nodded hurriedly, scared out of his wits. What has gotten into the Prince? "I'm sorry--" Why did he care if he talked about the Ilaya Rani? He had a thousand questions in his mind but Parthibendran was not going to stick around and find out. What did he mean by his Nandini?

Karikalan sighed and let go of him, "D-do yourself a favor and get out," He muttered, turning away, he heard Parthibendran shuffling away. He sat down and buried his face in his hands.

No matter how much Adithan tried to make himself hate Nandini, he couldn't. He could never hate her. "Why did you do this to yourself, Nandini?" He whimpered.

**************

A/N

Bit of a short chapter sorry about that lol. Some bitter fucking things are going to happen in the upcoming chapters. Brace yourselves.