Author's Note
The Thread of Two Souls is a fantasy story centered around an arranged marriage, a male-male romance, and a touch of mystery. The book features Indian-inspired names and themes, but all characters and events are purely fictional, born from my imagination.
Before diving in, please take a moment to read the trigger warnings. The story contains mature content, including:
Suicidal themes
Strong language
Descriptions of abuse
Isolation
If you choose to proceed, I recommend checking out the kingdoms' flowchart first. The narrative includes a wide range of characters, and the flowchart will help you keep track of them.
Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoy The Thread of Two Souls!
DAKSHANA KINGDOM AND UTTARA KINGDOM FAMILY FLOWCHART
Dakshana Kingdom
Formal King and Queen: Ashoka and Lalitha
Ashoka ── Lalitha
│
├── Udaya (Present King)
│ │
│ └── Kamala (Present Queen)
│ │
│ └── Ragu
│
├── Shankara
│ │
│ └── Sumati (Wife)
│ │
│ └── Roshan
│
├── Harivara (Unmarried)
│
└── Dharunya ── Kumara
(Uttara Kingdom)
Uttara Kingdom
Formal King: Kumara
First Wife: Lakshmi (Formal Queen)
Second Wife: Pushpa
Kumara
│
├── Vijaya (Present King)
│ ├── Koushalya (Present Queen)
│ │ ├── Abhimanya (Crown Prince)
│ │ └── Keerthana
│ │
│ ├── Nandhitha
│ │ └── Mohana (Son)
│ │
│ └── Pratyusha
│ └── Pavani (Daughter)
│
├── Kashya (Deceased)
│
├── Midhuna
│
├── Mukunth
│ │
│ └── Poojita (Wife)
│ ├── Sheersha
│ └── Sujana
│
└── Adithya
└── Married to Abhimanya
You can find the picture of the flowchart in Instagram [@aarvi_nilli]
ADITHYA
The world looks so beautiful when seen through the palace window. The palace garden is filled with flowers, and everything seems perfect—except for my life. I am the prince, feared by all, the Prince of Darkness, Adithya Senju. My mother died the day I was born, and no one knows who my father is. Today marks my 20th birthday. In all my twenty years, I've never left the palace. After all, I am the child of a monster—someone who commands the vast, unknown darkness. At least, that's how the palace gossip portrays me.
A knock on my door pulls me back to reality.
"My lord?" a servant calls, snapping me out of my thoughts.
I clear my mind and say, "Enter."
"Your highness is waiting for you in his chamber, my lord," the servant says, her face pale with fear.
It's the same look everyone gives me. But why?
"Uh… my… my lord," the servant stutters.
I wave him off. "You can go."
Without another glance, she disappears.
A little later, I make my way to my uncle, King Udhaya Rai's chamber. He's sitting in a chair, holding a letter in his hand, staring into space with a troubled look on his face, his brows furrowed as if he's lost in some dark thought. The king is in his late forties, but he looks much younger—nothing like his age.
My uncle and I are nothing alike. He has dark, muscular build, while I am pale and thin. The only thing we share is our brown hair.
I clear my throat and say, "Uncle."
Looking up, my uncle smiles and taps the chair beside him. "Come, sit, my boy."