The New Queen
“If I have not grown so fond of your elder brother and his wife, I might have left you, you know,” said Chamundeswari, giving her husband a mock glare.
The two of them were lying in Adityan’s—Prince Vijayendra Aditya Chozhan, now crowned the King of Kongunadu—bed, in the bedchamber of the corner suite on the west wing the new Queen and King had chosen to live in. Both were clear that they did not want to live in separate chambers.
Vijayendran laughed. “Why, my love?”
“First of all, you never told me about your real identity,” she accused.
“I apologise for that, My Queen. But you know only too well that I did that for your protection.”
“How is that?” she asked, kissing his cheek.
“I had to know all about the plans your charming relatives and army commander had for you. If I had announced that I was the Maharaja’s brother, they would have been on their best behaviour. And we could not have caught them in their crimes.” He turned his head to capture her lips with his and silence reigned in the room for a long time to come.
But the new queen of Kongunadu was not done with her questioning. “You could have told me, if nobody else. How come Vishnu knew who you really were?”
He grinned. “That is because he chose me for your bodyguard only because he knew who I was. And I already apologised, my queen. Can you please forgive me?” He held the tip of a breast between his thumb and forefinger, pinching it lightly even as he watched the colour rush over her cheeks. “Did I tell you how beautiful you look today?”
“Please do not change the subject,” she ordered, glaring at him, or at least she tried too; her eyes refusing to cooperate as they glazed over when he leaned forward to capture the nipple in his mouth, drawing it deeply into its warmth. “Aditya…” she moaned.
“Forgive me?” he asked again, lifting his head to look down mischievously at her.
She pouted at him, shaking her head. Tracing the shape of the tattoo in the middle of his chest, she asked, “What do you think will happen to all of them?”
“I would have loved to choke the life out of your ex chief minister. And maybe even lashed the Senapati with a whip. It would have given me immense pleasure, actually.”
Chamundeswari laughed happily, reaching up to kiss her husband. After all, he was angry on her account, was he not?
Vijayendran continued to explain once she let go of his mouth. “But then, Anna has his own way of dealing with traitors. As we are talking, they must all of them—Naganandini, Marthanda Bhupathi, Pandiyan and Paranthaman—be on their way to the harbour. When they reach Poompuhar, they will be boarded on a ship which will take them to one of the islands in the Yavana Kingdom.”
“Are you serious?” Chamundeswari’s eyes were wide as she looked at Vijayendran.
After Adityan had been rescued from the prison, by none other than Pandiyan himself, it had not been long before Maharaja Rajendra Chozhan entered Azhagapuri on his elephant along with his wife Viramadevi and sister-in-law Chamundeswari.
Stepping into the throne room, he had quickly ordered the arrests of the four traitors to the kingdom. Not one to let grass grow under his feet, the emperor had immediately organised the coronation of Princess Chamundeswari, the very next morning.
After so many years of being subjugated and living under the thumb of the evil Naganandini, the eviller Bhupathi and the evillest Pandiyan, it was such a relief and a joy to be a free woman, to become the queen of the kingdom that had been built by her great grandfather.
Vishnurayan and Anagha had rejoiced the most. He could not help recalling how the little princess had been made an orphan when she was barely four. He was finally satisfied that the princess had received her rightful place as the Queen of Kongunadu. And as for Prince Vijayendran, he would make a wonderful King.
Much to Vishnurayan’s surprise and delight, the newly coronated queen declared him the chief minister of Kongunadu. And her husband, the king, had been all in favour of the decision.
All the citizens had arrived for the coronation that was conducted under the aegis of none other than the Chozha Maharaja.
They celebrated for a whole week, even after the Emperor and Empress had returned to their capital. Before leaving, Maharaja Rajendra Chozhan had ensured that the traitors had received their just deserts. They were escorted to the harbour at Poompuhar where they were to leave by ship to the faraway island which was a part of the Yavana Kingdom.
When Vijayendran nodded in answer to her question, Chamundeswari was extremely glad that she never had to see any of them ever again.
Leaning her forehead on his chin, she said, “I apologise that you were imprisoned by that stupid Senapati. They all treated you really badly…”
Vijayendran stopped her from speaking further with a hand over her mouth, giving her a naughty grin. “You know what was the best part of being in prison?”
She frowned at him. “What could be good about it?”
“My wife sent me a letter. I am going to treasure it for life.” He kissed her on her forehead.
Chamundeswari blushed on hearing his words. Unable to meet him, she had poured her heart in the letter, telling him how much she loved him. And how she could not wait to be in his arms once again. Feeling suddenly shy, she buried her face in his chest.
“Do not tell me that my rebellious queen is going all shy on me?” he asked, his voice shaking with laughter. “Chamundi?”
She refused to lift her face to him, burrowing deeper into his chest that continued to rumble with laughter. “Stop teasing me,” she protested, hitting him with a small fist.
“Never,” he said, pulling her up to kiss her deeply. “I want you, my love. See how my body craves you.” Taking her hand, he placed it on his rigid penis.
Caressing him with both her hands, Chamundeswari lifted her face to look into his dark eyes, her own golden gaze glowing. “Thank you for being my husband, Aditya. I love you so much.”
“I love you too, my rebel princess. I thank you for accepting me as your husband,” said Vijayendran as he buried himself deeply within her, an expression of ecstasy on his face that was equally reflected in Chamundeswari’s face.
THE END
