Chapter 5: The Palace’s Shadow

Amit excelled in the palace exam—fourth in the second tier. I could already see his bright future: maybe a local officer, doing good for people. But who could have guessed Priya would name Amit as the princess’s tutor at the Raj Mahal Banquet?

When Amit told me, I nearly dropped the diya in my hand. How could this be? Why can’t I escape her?

I remembered the intricate jharokhas, the sharp scent of sandalwood, and Priya’s laughter in the courtyards I once called home. Old wounds tugged at me like an unhealed scar.

The Maharani was never favoured. To protect the Crown Prince and her daughter, she secretly brought me into the palace. Since I was a child, she shared her troubles. The Crown Prince knew I wasn’t his real sister and treated me coldly. The Maharani saw me as a substitute.

She would stroke my hair and sigh, her eyes flickering to the distant gate, as if waiting for someone else. I learned to read her silences, to offer comfort with no expectation.

Back then, I didn’t know my real identity. I just thought my brother was distant and my mother was sad. So I tried everything—taking blame for my brother, being the Maharani’s pawn, standing up for my brother in crisis, even drinking poisoned milk for him.

I remember the cold taste of poison, the weight of responsibility in my hands. The night it took effect, my royal brother clung to me, begging me not to die. That usually cold person showed his weakness for the first time. In that moment, I thought he cared for me, and that made me forget the pain deep in my bones.

Looking back, maybe he was only afraid of losing his tool. No matter how much warmth he showed later, it was only to keep me loyal.

Sometimes, alone at night, I wonder if any of it was real—or if I was always just a piece in someone else’s game.