Chapter 1✨
THE CROWN BETWEEN US
Chapter One — The Stranger in Crimson
Rajgarh, 1787
The first rain of the monsoon arrived with thunder.
Dark clouds gathered over the mountains surrounding Rajgarh, turning the evening sky almost black. Rain struck the palace windows, while hundreds of oil lamps flickered along the marble corridors.
Tonight, Rajgarh Palace was alive.
Nobles had arrived from distant provinces. Ministers whispered behind silk curtains. Soldiers stood along every entrance. Servants hurried through the halls carrying silver trays and crystal glasses.
Because tonight, after twelve years of silence...
Devgarh had returned.
Princess Meher Rajnandini stood before the tall mirror in her chambers as her maid carefully arranged the final folds of her crimson silk sari.
"Too tight," Meher said.
The maid immediately loosened it.
Meher examined her reflection.
Crimson silk.
Gold embroidery.
A necklace of old Rajgarh rubies.
She looked exactly like a princess should.
Yet she felt nothing like one.
"Why must I attend this gathering?" she asked.
Her maid smiled nervously.
"Because you are the princess."
Meher sighed.
"That answer explains nothing."
"It explains everything in a palace."
Meher almost laughed.
Almost.
She turned toward the window.
Beyond the gardens, soldiers stood beneath the rain.
Too many soldiers.
Her smile disappeared.
"Why are there so many guards?"
The maid lowered her voice.
"The Devgarh delegation arrived this afternoon."
"I know."
"They brought twice as many soldiers as expected."
Meher's eyes narrowed.
"Interesting."
Before she could say anything more, three knocks sounded.
A palace guard entered and bowed.
"Princess Meher. His Majesty requests your presence in the Royal Hall."
Meher looked at herself once more.
Then she quietly said,
"Of course he does."
---
The Royal Hall was magnificent.
A hundred golden lamps illuminated the enormous chamber. Rajgarh's royal emblem hung above the throne, while musicians played softly near the marble pillars.
Meher entered.
The conversations immediately grew quieter.
She walked forward without acknowledging the watching nobles.
Her father, Maharaj Rudraveer Rajnand, sat upon the throne.
Beside him sat the King of Devgarh.
And behind the Devgarh king...
stood his son.
The Crown Prince.
Meher slowed.
She had heard his name many times.
Aarav Devraj.
He was dressed in black embroidered with dark gold.
No excessive ornaments.
No smile.
His posture was perfectly straight, his expression unreadable.
He didn't look like someone attending a celebration.
He looked like someone attending a battlefield.
Then his eyes found hers.
For a moment, the entire hall seemed strangely quiet.
Meher looked away first.
Not because she was nervous.
She simply refused to let a stranger believe he had intimidated her.
She approached her father.
"Forgive me for being late."
"You are not late," the Maharaj replied.
"Then why does everyone look as though I've interrupted something?"
A few ministers suddenly found the floor very interesting.
Her father gave her a warning glance.
"Sit beside your mother."
Meher obeyed.
But as she sat, she noticed something.
Aarav was still looking at her.
She turned her head slightly.
Their eyes met again.
This time, Meher raised one eyebrow.
Aarav's expression barely changed.
But there was the faintest hint of amusement in his eyes.
Meher immediately looked away.
Arrogant.
---
The meeting continued.
Trade routes.
Border security.
Old treaties.
Military patrols.
Meher listened carefully.
Something about the conversation felt wrong.
Too formal.
Too carefully prepared.
Then her father finally spoke.
"There is one final matter."
The hall fell silent.
Maharaj Rudraveer looked toward the King of Devgarh.
"Both our kingdoms have suffered because of the hostility between our families."
The Devgarh king nodded.
"Then perhaps it is time for that hostility to end."
Meher's fingers tightened around the edge of her sari.
Her father continued.
"There will be a marriage."
Her heart stopped.
She looked toward him.
"A marriage?"
Her father's gaze settled on her.
"Princess Meher Rajnandini will marry Crown Prince Aarav Devraj."
Silence.
No one moved.
Meher slowly turned toward Aarav.
For the first time that evening, his controlled expression disappeared.
Shock flashed across his face.
Then anger.
He stepped forward.
"Father."
The King of Devgarh looked at him.
Aarav's voice was calm, but firm.
"I was not informed of this."
"Nor was I," Meher said.
Their eyes met.
For one brief moment, they were united.
Neither had agreed to this.
Meher stood.
"Father, I will not marry a stranger simply because our kingdoms require a treaty."
Aarav spoke immediately.
"Neither will I."
Whispers spread through the hall.
The Maharaj struck his hand against the armrest.
"Enough."
The room fell silent.
"This marriage is not merely about the two of you."
His gaze moved between them.
"It is about the future of two kingdoms."
Meher's voice softened, but her determination did not.
"And what about our future?"
No one answered.
Outside, thunder shook the palace.
---
Hours later, Meher stood alone on the palace terrace.
The rain had stopped.
Moonlight reflected across the wet gardens.
She leaned against the stone railing.
"Thirty days..."
A voice came from behind her.
"Twenty-nine now."
She turned.
Aarav stood near the entrance.
Meher frowned.
"You have a habit of appearing without being invited."
"And you have a habit of speaking without considering who might be listening."
She folded her arms.
"Are you threatening me?"
"No."
"Good."
"I was warning you."
"About what?"
Aarav stepped closer, but stopped several feet away.
His voice lowered.
"This marriage isn't only about peace."
Meher's expression changed.
"What do you mean?"
"I don't know yet."
"Then why tell me?"
He looked toward the palace.
"Because something about tonight was planned long before either of us arrived."
Meher stared at him.
"You think our fathers are hiding something?"
"I think everyone is hiding something."
For the first time, Meher saw something different in his eyes.
Not arrogance.
Not coldness.
Caution.
Before she could respond, a distant bell echoed through the palace.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
Aarav immediately turned toward the sound.
His expression hardened.
Meher noticed.
"What happened?"
Aarav didn't answer.
A moment later, a palace guard came running through the corridor.
"Your Highness!"
Aarav stepped forward.
"What is it?"
The guard was breathing heavily.
"Someone has entered the old west wing."
Meher's heart sank.
The west wing had been sealed for years.
Aarav looked at her.
She looked back at him.
Neither spoke.
Then, together, they walked toward the dark corridor.
Neither knew it yet...
but the stranger who had entered the palace that night had just awakened a secret that had been buried for generations.
And their unwanted marriage was only the beginning.
To be continued...
✨ AUTHOR’S NOTE
Dear Reader,
The Crown Between Us is more than a story of two royals falling in love.
It is a story about two people caught between duty and desire, tradition and choice, and a past that refuses to stay buried.
Meher and Aarav's journey will be slow, emotional, and full of secrets. Their love won't happen overnight—it will be built through trust, understanding, sacrifice, and countless little moments.
So, as you enter Rajgarh and Devgarh, remember:
Every crown has a story.
Every silence hides a secret.
And sometimes, the person standing opposite you is the one who was meant to stand beside you.
Thank you for entering their world. ❤️
— The Author
