Sunlite could not sleep all night after that inhuman bond imposed by the Maharaja. The following evening, burdened by that insult and hatred, she decided she must leave her chamber. No matter how terrifying the blood-line bond was, she would not surrender.
She came out of the room with the maid, Lisa. The corridor was long and draped in royal silence. Sunlite walked without any specific destination. Her goal was to calm her mind and find a solution for the obscure part of Queen Alisa's diary.
Lisa walked timidly behind Sunlite, keeping a slight distance. After hearing about the Maharaja's wrath and the secret of his power, Lisa was now certain that helping the Queen meant jumping into the mouth of death. But in Sunlite's eyes, she saw not just a Queen, but a warrior desperate for freedom.
As Sunlite was passing by an old, nearly abandoned section of the palace, the surrounding silence was suddenly broken.
She heard...
It was a low, quick whispering. Though the voices were low, their words were very important. The two voices were male, coming from behind the wall.
Sunlite immediately stopped. She gestured to Lisa to remain absolutely silent.
The first voice from behind the wall said:
"...Maharaja Hirday has become very weak. The Nexus power is unstable now. This is the opportunity."
The second voice replied:
"...But Queen Sunlite? She publicly challenged his authority. The Supreme Law of the Nexus is now on her side."
First voice:
"No, you don't know. The Maharaja has bound her with a new bond. A blood-line bond. If the Queen strikes him, she will die herself. The Queen is now the biggest vulnerability of his power."
Sunlite's eyes widened. Her blood-line bond was being discussed outside! This meant Hirday had leaked this information to his trusted advisors.
Second voice:
"Then what is our plan? Whose side will we take—the Queen's or the Maharaja's?"
The first voice laughed—a cold, treacherous laugh.
First voice:
"We will take no one's side. We will go to the Royal Vault. Everyone is busy with the Queen and the Maharaja now. This is the time when there will be no obstacle. We will steal the Nexus Diamonds and leave the palace. Let the two of them die fighting for the Royal Throne."
Sunlite quickly looked at Lisa. Lisa's eyes were wide with fear. Lisa whispered, "They are the Maharaja's old advisors! They want to steal from the Royal Treasury!"
But Sunlite had other thoughts. The Royal Vault.
She heard the first voice again:
"We will use the Secret Passage. Just remove the stone behind that old statue. Hurry! We must go before the night guards arrive."
Sunlite quickly looked around at the walls. The whispering was coming from near a large, very old stone statue in that abandoned section.
Sunlite realized: this was not just a plot to steal, but it could be her path to freedom. Maharaja Hirday had bound her with the blood-line, but there must be a way to break that bond—something obscure in Alisa's diary. If she could go to the Royal Vault through this secret passage, she might find something valuable related to Queen Alisa's diary that would help her break this bond.
She approached the statue with determination. Although stunned by the discovery of the secret passage, Sunlite's mind began to race: should she tell Lisa? Lisa is loyal, but she might spill everything out of fear. Should she say anything to Lisa in this situation?
Sunlite couldn't decide. She just stared at Lisa, her eyes signalling a silent warning. Lisa understood that the Queen didn't want to say anything. She nodded, maintaining silence.
But before she could, Sunlite made an unexpected move.
Sunlite suddenly started walking quickly back down the corridor. She rapidly passed Lisa and ran towards the palace library. Her aim: Queen Alisa's diary! If there was a secret passage, the diary must mention it. The obscure sentence in the diary was now her main focus in fighting against the Maharaja's new weapon.
Before Lisa could comprehend, she saw Sunlite almost running towards the library. The Maharaja's Presence
As Sunlite reached the library door, she saw Maharaja Hirday right in front of it.
Hirday was sitting on a tall chair, holding an old leather-bound book. He was reading intently, his face bearing a cold composure. It was as if he knew Sunlite would come here.
Sunlite stopped short when she saw him. Her heart started pounding rapidly. The memory of the blood-line bond and the insult of the night before brought back a fresh wave of fear.
Sunlite quickly walked up to Hirday. She didn't want to give any reason for being in the library, so she stood directly in front of him.
Hirday raised his eyes from the book and looked at Sunlite. His eyes held a deep, calculating gaze.
"What is it, my Queen?" Hirday asked in a soft, calm voice. His tone carried a kind of cruel amusement. "Why did you run here so fast? Your breathing is rapid."
Sunlite was gasping for breath. She couldn't say anything.
Hirday then slowly rose from the chair. He took one step forward and gently placed his right hand on Sunlite's lips—not like the night before, but commanding, yet seemingly gentle touch.
"Why are your lips trembling so much?" Hirday whispered, his eyes fixed on Sunlite's blue ones.
Sunlite closed her eyes in humiliation. She was still gasping because she had run quickly, and Hirday's unexpected proximity was suffocating her. She knew she wouldn't be allowed to search for the diary now.
Hirday smiled faintly. He realized that the Queen had learned his secret and was now looking for the path to freedom in the diary.
"Your diary is under the trunk, isn't it, Queen?" Hirday said with a cold, mocking voice. "But remember, I already know the meaning of all the secret passages and all the diaries in this kingdom. You are a part of me."
Hirday removed his hand. Sunlite was still panting. When Maharaja Hirday reminded her with a mysterious smile that he knew all the secret paths and the meaning of the diaries in the kingdom, Sunlite realized that scheming would be futile. If she didn't know the truth, she would forever remain a prisoner of Hirday's blood-line bond.
Out of her fear and hatred, a fierce courage was born. Stopping her panting, she stood straight. Her blue eyes fixed on Hirday.
"You can bind me, Maharaja," Sunlite said in a calm but firm voice, "but you cannot bind my resolve."
Hirday raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
Sunlite no longer hid anything. She revealed all the truths, one after another, in front of him.
"I know why you are weak now. I crushed your authority in the Nexus Chamber, and I know the meaning of the sentence written in Queen Alisa's diary: 'The blood-line's choice is the supreme law of the Nexus.'"
The smile on Hirday's face grew wider. "Very good! You know half the truth. What next?"
"Next," Sunlite replied, "I also know the vile truth you whispered in my ear. You have mixed your blood-line with mine. If I hurt you, I will die myself. You haven't made me your captive, you have made me your death shield."
Hirday started laughing now—a loud, victorious laugh. The laughter echoed throughout the silent library.
"Exactly! You are my shield now! You are my Queen, and you will protect me. Because you want to protect yourself."
Sunlite now asked the final question. Her voice was trembling, but her eyes held an unyielding inquisitiveness.
"I also know," Sunlite said, "about your two advisors, who are at this very moment using a secret passage to go towards the Royal Vault."
Hirday's laughter stopped immediately. His eyes narrowed. This information he had not leaked!
"Secret passage? How did you know?" Hirday asked in a hushed voice. His composure instantly broke.
"I heard the whispers," Sunlite said. "They are trying to steal from the Royal Treasury, and you are sitting here reading a book. They are looting your empire, Maharaja."
Hirday's expression turned hard. His advisors had turned against him? But this opportunity could be exploited.
Sunlite stepped closer.
"If you want to tell me the truth about my blood-line bond," Sunlite said, "then I will also give you a truth. A sentence on the last page of Queen Alisa's diary is obscured. That must be the way to break this bond. If you want to keep me alive and maintain your claim over me, then tell me—what is the meaning of that obscure sentence?"
Hirday stared at Sunlite for a while. Rage, astonishment, and cunning were working together in his mind. Sunlite's courage had surprised him, but her offer was also extremely valuable. He had to secure the vault, and he also needed to keep this Queen calm.
Hirday brought back his old, calculating smile.
"Good, Queen," Hirday said. "You've made a good bargain. I will tell you the meaning of that obscure sentence. In return, you will help me catch those two advisors. You will give me the location of that secret passage."
"The truth first," Sunlite showed firmness. "Then I will."
Hirday sighed. He knew this woman would not submit easily.
Hirday looked around once. He leaned in and brought his mouth close to Sunlite's ear and said:
"The blood-line's choice is the supreme law of the Nexus. And the meaning of that obscure sentence is—the bond can only be severed when the binder willingly rejects the blood bond."
Sunlite was stunned. This meant that only if Hirday himself wished it could the bond be broken. But why would he ever want that?
Hirday smiled. "Now, where is the secret passage, Queen? Come, let us protect the vault."
When Sunlite was panting, Hirday's last words were still ringing in her ears—'the bond can only be severed when the binder willingly rejects the blood bond.' Her key to freedom was now completely in Hirday's hands.
But there was no time to think now. Hirday wanted to catch his two advisors.
Hirday turned towards Sunlite. There was no longer the smile of authority in his eyes, only hard, pure anger.
"Your information is very valuable, Queen," Hirday said in a cold voice. He said nothing more, just nodded. This was his gesture to bid farewell to Sunlite.
Then Hirday quickly left the library. His pace now carried the urgency of a terrifying hunter.
Sunlite remained standing still at the library door. She knew it was dangerous to go to the abandoned statue with Lisa now, because a bloody fight might be about to start there. But this chaos was her opportunity.Hirday quickly reached the old part of the palace where Sunlite had heard the whispering. As he walked down the corridor and came to the statue, his eyes looked like burning lava. His advisors had not only challenged his authority, but they were trying to loot his treasury. This was an unforgivable crime.
Hirday held a golden karkaj, like a staff, in his hand.
This 'Karkaj' was the ancient sceptre of the Nexus Empire, used only in war and final judgment. It was no ordinary staff—it was made entirely of gold, studded at the head with a small, sparking Nexus Crystal. In his hand, it was not just a weapon, but a symbol of his rage.
The two advisors were busy behind the statue. They were trying to remove an old stone slab. They were so focused that they didn't even notice Hirday's presence.
Advisor 1: "Hurry! The Maharaja doesn't look this way, but if Queen Sunlite..."
Advisor 2: "Be quiet! They are busy with their blood-line fight. We will steal the diamonds, and let this empire collapse."
Just then, a chilling voice was heard behind them.
"I haven't given you any permission to collapse my empire."
The advisors spun around in shock. They saw Maharaja Hirday. His face was distorted with rage, the Golden Karkaj glowed in his hand.
They had no weapons. They froze in fear.
"M-Maharaja!" the first advisor started stuttering. "We... we were just..."
"You were just betraying me," Hirday said. His voice sounded like stones rolling down a crushed mountain.
A dazzling golden light erupted from the Golden Karkaj in his hand. Hirday instantly channeled all his fury into the weapon. He knew these two were the rats inside his empire.
Raging with anger, Hirday raised the Golden Karkaj.
"Only death awaits you now," Hirday roared, "and my claim over my Queen Sunlite is eternal!"
The next moment, a golden surge of Nexus energy shot out from the Golden Karkaj, fiercely speeding towards the advisors. The corridor shook with the flash of the golden light and the advisors' screams.
Sunlite was still panting when Hirday's last words were ringing in her ears—'the bond can only be severed when the binder willingly rejects the blood bond.' Her key to freedom was now entirely in Hirday's hands.
But there was no time to think now. Hirday wanted to catch his two advisors.
Hirday turned towards Sunlite. There was no longer the smile of authority in his eyes, only hard, pure anger.
"Your information is very valuable, Queen," Hirday said in a cold voice. He said nothing more, just nodded. This was his gesture to bid farewell to Sunlite.
Then Hirday quickly left the library. His pace now carried the urgency of a terrifying hunter.
Sunlite remained standing still at the library door. She knew it was dangerous to go to the abandoned statue with Lisa now, because a bloody fight might be about to start there. But this chaos was her opportunity.