"It is Saudamini's Father. Jaivardan", Yuvraj answered Anamika.

Neighborhood Kings have started coming to the palace along with their queens after the invitations had been sent, for attending the Naming ceremony of the next yuvraj and the crowning ceremony of the next king, their king who won over them all.

Saudamini was dwelling in her own illusionary world, hallucinating Yuvraj and even Anamika at times and started self-loathing as she feels she is not able to get the love of her husband even after having six children and spending ten years of marriage.

The maids have started gossiping about her mental state and according to their gossips, it's because of Badi bahuranisa giving a heir that choti bahuranisa is upset and even fought with yuvraj as she lost her possible position of becoming a Rajmata(Empress Dowager).

Little did they know that the recent incidents were just a trigger to awake her long lost insecurities, instilled in her mind by her own mother. Her mother had always been a teacher who teaches princess etiquette to her and her sisters and nothing more. If they do a slight mistake like eating for the second time after they finished their served food, she would give punishments physically along with discriminating statements about their physique or behavior.

Now Saudamini has lost herself in her insecurities which were increased time and again, during yuvraj's marriage with Anamika and now when Anamika had her child. Just then a maid came to her hesitantly and informed about the arrival of her father.

Saudamini was really overwhelmed with happiness and went to meet her father whom she loved very dearly and the one who pampered her as his child unlike her mother who saw her as a potential bait to catch yuvraj of the big kingdom.

Saudamini's father Jaivardhan is a man of big dreams. He wanted to become an unbeatable king with the largest land to rule. That's the reason why he went for a war against Ranasa but he was defeated in the war and lost a part of his kingdom as a treaty. It had broken his self confidence and he never went for a war thereafter.

Jaivardan was given the guest room in the palace itself instead of the guest palace away from there, as he is the father of choti bahuranisa. Saudamini reached his chamber and entered the hall excitedly as she is meeting her father after so many years.

But her smile turned into a frown as she saw her father inspecting his sword. As per the invitation, only the king, queen and one of their ministers are allowed in the palace. So Jaivardan took his royal advisor along with him leaving the army general in charge. He expected to see his wife here in the palace but within a few hours, he came to know that she was not here since a few months. As per the maids, she left for their kingdom which she didn't reach. He connected the dots as the soldiers he sent to check their secret hideout in the kingdom also didn't return.

Saudamini asked her father, "What are you doing with the sword, babasa? ". Jaivardan looked in her direction and smiled, "No Greetings, no queries on health. This is how you welcome your father? ". "No Babasa. It's just that you were chucking your sword as if you are going to fight someone when it is a celebration. That's why I asked", Saudamini replied and took blessings from her father.

He blessed her and said, "I should be careful about my safety as no soldiers or weapons are not allowed inside the palace. That's why I checked it". "OK. You take rest Babasa. It is already past dinner time as the journey took you the entire day. I will send dinner with a Dasi for you and the minister", saying this Saudamini went away.

After sometime during the midnight, she came to check on her father whether he had his dinner or not and also to ask about her mother who didn't come as she knew that yuvraj wouldn't like her mother here. When she was about to enter the chamber, she heard her father talking with the minister.

"Have you checked whether everyone is asleep? Also Did you find out where the heir is kept?", Jaivardan asked. When his minister nodded, he continued, "Good. Since we don't have enough soldiers, we should be sneaky. Once we kill the heir and yuvraj, Ranasa wouldn't be able to do anything. We can easily get hold of the entire Hindustan which is under yuvraj", saying this he laughed maniacally.

Saudamini couldn't believe her ears. Was she hearing right? Or is it a dream? Or one of her hallucinations as her maids say? She never thought that her father also had ulterior motives behind her marriage. "Babasa! ", She called him.

Jaivardan turned to her and without any hesitation said, "Come inside Saudamini. Why are you standing outside?". Saudamini came inside and looked at him in the eye and said, "What are you planning, Babasa? This is my kingdom. Your daughter's home and the one you are planning to kill is my husband and his blood. Don't you care about my life and my happiness? "

"I care about your happiness which is why I wanted to do this without your knowledge. But now that you have come to know, I don't have to hide anything.", he sighed and continued, "I was waiting all these years to get a heir from you. Since I don't have a son, I will make my grandson as the king of Hindustan once I capture this kingdom. Everytime you went into labor I was waiting for the news of my grandson, so that I could attack the palace unannounced and kill yuvraj and capture the capital. Ranasa would have just died knowing the news of yuvraj's death. Then I will rule Hindustan until my grandson comes off age. Ah! I forgot, I will kill that Anamika as well. She could single-handedly get the kingdom back as all the ministers and even people of the kingdom respect her equal to yuvraj and Ranasa. But what can I do, you just put water into my dreams everytime you have a daughter. Still I waited for the next time but when recently I got the letter from your mother that, you cannot have a baby again, that was the last straw. Even if I don't get a heir, at least I will live as the king for sometime. That's why I sent some soldiers to attack the palace and kill Ranasa, yuvraj and that Anamika who could give the potential heir."

Hearing his words, Saudamini was shocked. She remembered about the attack and Ranasa's condition and everything that followed. He continued, "But that plan was not successful. Now when I got the news of the heir, I once again tried to send some soldiers to attack. But yuvraj is smart, he closed all secret paths and put soldiers on guard. In the pretense of attending the ceremony, I tried to take some soldiers inside the palace. But they put the restriction of no soldiers and now I have to do the deed myself. That's why I brought the sword which was dipped in poison so that with just one strike, yuvraj and the heir could be killed."

"No! I wouldn't allow you to do anything to yuvraj or the child. I will inform yuvraj immediately", she turned to go away. "Wouldn't you stop even when I say that your mother is in yuvraj's custody? She got caught but I don't know how. She does some things behind my back. Now I should finish the task before yuvraj trace back to me", He said the last part to himself. Saudamini though shocked for a moment, said without turning back, "I still stand by my decision babasa. She is my mother by name, not by actions".

Before she could take even two steps, she felt a sharp pain in her stomach. She looked down to see that her father's sword was protruding from her stomach. She looked at her father slightly turning back and started to run with her remaining energy. There were no maids in her eyesight. She started running towards Anamika's chamber as she knew that the baby was the main target than yuvraj.

Jaivardan said to his minister leisurely, seeing her running, "Seems the poison didn't get into the sword fully. She should have been dead by now. Let's get her before she inform anyone". Saying so he and his minister went behind her with the bloody sword.

But before he could catch her, yuvraj found her and jaivardan tried to attack him but got beheaded. The soldiers caught the minister and put him in prison.

Everyone was surrounding Saudamini's bed as she was slowly getting her consciousness. Yuvraj sent the maids out and only yuvraj, Ranisa and Anamika were left. Anamika gave her son to her mother as she didn't want him to be in such a sad environment. As per yuvraj's order, the other children were not informed about this as he didn't want them to have any trauma. Saudamini's last child is with the maids in the Childrens' chamber.

When Saudamini opened her eyes, she knew that she didn't have much time. Yuvraj was standing near her with blood red eyes and Ranisa and Anamika were standing at a distance. Everyone thought that she would talk some last words to yuvraj but she just smiled at him and pointed her finger towards Anamika asking her to come.

Though Surprised, Anamika went near her and took the place of Daima while yuvraj moved aside. Anamika doesn't feel anything right. She doesn't feel sad which is not wrong as she didn't have any cordial relationship with Saudamini at any point. But she does feel pity for Saudamini as she is having a painful death and wouldn't be able to see her daughters grow up and get married.

Saudamini looked at Anamika feeling ashamed of herself and said, "I'm sorry." Anamika said, "You don't have feel sorry for marrying yuvraj. It was his decision as well". Yuvraj couldn't feel anymore bad than what he is feeling right now, as he had wronged both women.

Saudamini shook her head at Anamika and said, "No. I'm sorry for hiding this secret from you. Hiding the truth is equal to doing the crime. I buried this truth for fifteen years now. This is my last chance so I want to say this".

All three of them were confused. Saudamini continued, "I'm sorry for hiding from you that you have lost your first child. " Anamika panicked at this and said, "No. My son is safe. He is with my mother". Saying this she looked at yuvraj who was also confused.

"I'm talking about your first child, Badi bahuranisa. Not your second. I don't have much time. I'm sorry. Please forgive me for hiding the truth", Saudamini breathed out her words. She was breathing heavily.

Both Yuvraj and Anamika were rooted to their place and couldn't bring their mind to understand anything. Ranisa immediately asked, "What are you saying? How is that possible? Tell us everything". Saudamini tried to say but her body doesn't comply with her so finally she just uttered, "Mala.. Mala.. She... ". Then her breathing stopped.

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The name of the baby as per the votes: Abhimanyu

Most of the readers voted for this name. And some people voted for "Shivaditya" and gave justification as well. But still going with the majority.

Do vote and comment if you like the chapter.

Thanks,

SM.