The Jasmine Throne

Rao escorts Malini to a plain tent in Aditya’s encampment, where she finally reunites with her brother. Aditya embraces her and says that he’s relieved she’s safe, but Malini senses a disconnect between them. When she questions why he isn’t with the army she gathered for him, he is evasive. Malini tells him that he has a duty to save the empire from Chandra, regardless of what he personally wants. She tells him that the Ahiranyi will help them in exchange for their independence. Although Aditya agrees to her terms, his casual responses and lack of commitment unsettle Malini.

Priya goes with Kritika to speak with Ashok, who is close to death. Priya agrees to save him, but only if he and his followers support Bhumika as leader of Ahiranya. Ashok reluctantly agrees to her terms.

By the time Priya returns to the camp, Bhumika has given birth to a baby girl whom she names Padma. Bhumika asks what Ashok wanted, and Priya explains. Afterward, Priya sneaks away to visit Malini one last time. Despite her fear of becoming too hardened by power, Malini allows herself a moment of vulnerability with Priya, and they part with a promise that their connection isn’t over.

After Priya leaves, Malini learns that the entire Ahiranyi retinue has also left. She then joins Rao and the rest of their forces as they go to the Srugna monastery. As they cross the precarious bridge into the valley, Malini notes the ease with which it could be destroyed by fire. As she worries about this, she is interrupted by Lata, her former teacher. Lata briefs her on the situation, revealing that the bulk of forces supporting Aditya are stationed along the path to Dwarali, while the highborn lords are gathered in the lacquer gardens. After preparing herself, Malini goes to make her presence known among the gathered lords, offering her condolences for the losses they’ve suffered and reminding them of the promises that Aditya can fulfill once he is emperor. However, one of the lords, Khalil, implies that Malini, not Aditya, holds the actual political power.

A messenger arrives at the monastery, delivering news that a battalion sent by Emperor Chandra is on its way. As chaos spreads, Aditya retreats into the monastery, prompting Rao to follow him in frustration. While Rao once believed that Aditya’s reluctance to embrace war and his thoughtfulness were admirable qualities, Aditya’s inaction with Chandra’s forces closing in forces Rao to realize Aditya is unprepared to face the harsh realities of leadership. Rao confronts Aditya and demands that he act before it’s too late, but the prince says that he needs more time to decide what is right. When Rao protests, Aditya says that if he is to be emperor, his word is law.

At the monastery, the lords and Rao debate strategy, but Aditya does not engage. As they bicker, Malini takes matters into her own hands. She confronts her brother while he meditates, saying that he needs to lead or risk their destruction. Aditya asks her to understand the possibility of a fate they cannot control, but Malini rejects this idea. She accuses Aditya of allowing their suffering and says that she is willing to destroy Chandra by any means necessary. She comes up with a plan for their survival, and when Aditya says that he won’t allow her to do it, she says they don’t have a choice.

Malini returns to the lords and tells them how the first mother followed the nameless god, positioning Aditya as the rightful ruler who embodies the legacy of their empire. Then, Aditya steps forward and says that he has a plan.

Priya, the rebels, and Bhumika’s retinue head back through the forest to Hiranaprastha. Priya walks with Sima, who is caring for Padma while Bhumika rests in her palanquin. Sima is hurt that Priya didn’t reveal who she really was even though they were friends, and Priya lies and says that this was because she never wanted to return to her former life. Rukh’s condition worsens, and one of the rebels steps in to help carry the boy, saying that he hopes a future that is free of imperial control will allow them to protect their children rather than use them as weapons.

The group finally arrives at the bower of bones. They receive news from Khalida and Jeevan about the dangerous state of Hiranaprastha, where the soldiers continue to cause chaos. As they approach the city, Priya and Bhumika use their magic to create the illusion that they all have the rot, allowing them to pass through unhindered. Bhumika is relieved to find that her people managed to hold the rose palace. Once inside, Bhumika hands Padma off to Jeevan and instructs him to find a wet nurse in case she doesn’t return. She then leads a group that includes Priya and a weakened Ashok to the Hirana.

Rao, Aditya, Malini, and others escape the lacquer gardens through the water-filled sewers underneath. They leave behind a few men and priests at the gardens to make it appear occupied, but the main force sneaks out under cover of darkness. As Chandra’s soldiers arrive, Rao becomes increasingly uneasy over the cruelty of the plan. When he questions Malini about it, she tells him that his moral misgivings are a weakness. As they prepare to attack, Rao believes that Aditya, though reluctant, will forgo the plan and lead a charge into a battle. Then, Malini steps forward and commands the men to prepare flaming arrows. She fires the first shot, setting the lacquer garden ablaze. The priests and Chandra’s men are burned along with the monastery. Rao, though horrified, realizes that this ruthless act was fated to happen.

On their way to the Hirana, Priya carries Ashok. He confesses that he killed Chandni. She struggles with her emotions over the news, but she ultimately chooses to focus on the mission. When they arrive at the temple, Priya uses her connection with it to open a passage in its side rather than forcing everyone to climb. She then leads the group down to the deathless waters. Priya takes Bhumika’s and Ashok’s hands; together, the three of them step into the water.

Within the waters, Priya sees a yaksa that appears in the form of Malini. The yaksa gives her a knife made from its own finger, and Priya cuts herself open, hollowing out her heart and soul to embrace the magic. This act changes her, making her something other than human. However, the waters aren’t able to entirely remake her, as she gave part of her heart to Malini when she gave her the needle-flower necklace. When Priya emerges, she finds Bhumika and some of the other rebels waiting; however, Ashok drowned in the waters.

Despite the toxic air, Malini insists on going down to the charred remains of the lacquer gardens to see the destruction for herself. As she walks among the dead, she feels nothing. That night, Malini dreams of her ladies-in-waiting again. They talk about fate and remind her that they loved her despite the path she chose.

The next morning, the group begins their trek toward Dwarali, hoping to meet their waiting army. Rao becomes increasingly tense, and after several days, he kneels before Malini and says that he is ready to reveal his name to her.

Bhumika and Priya ascend to their roles as elders of Ahiranya in a ceremony at the Hirana. Kritika presents them with a crown mask, which Priya places on Bhumika. Since she is thrice-born, the wood doesn’t burn her. They stand together, linked by their clasped hands and the power of Ahiranya’s land and waters. The gathered once-born and palace servants cheer for them as the new elders.

Rao reveals that his true name is the prophecy over who will rule: “the hand that lit the pyre” (521). Malini realizes that since she was the one who burned the monastery, he’s talking about her. While Aditya rejected power every time she tried to hand him, she did what was necessary. Despite knowing that women like her are only traditionally crowned in death, she refuses to let the opportunity slip away. Malini embraces the prophecy and claims the throne; she is willing to become a ruler shaped by fire, blood, and poison. As the lords and soldiers around her accept her as their empress, Malini vows to make Chandra kneel before her and burn for his actions.

Priya goes to Rukh and uses her magic to try and help him. Though she cannot fully cure him, she halts the spread of the rot. Rukh breaks down in tears, and Priya comforts him.

Afterward, Priya meets with Bhumika, who is drinking by a window in the damaged mahal. Bhumika asks if Priya cares more about Malini than them, and Priya answers that her loyalty is to Ahiranya. Bhumika doesn’t fully believe her and says that if the princess ever becomes a threat, Priya must stop her. Priya agrees, and she also says that she will use her power to destroy the rot once and for all.

Chandra kneels in the abandoned remains of his mother’s garden. He had the trees cut down and used the wood to build pyres to burn more women. As he watches the last pyre smolder, a single ember flares to life. Chandra, filled with a twisted sense of joy, laughs and thinks of Malini.