The Jasmine Throne

Priya emerged from the deathless waters as a second-born, but she is now suffering from the aftereffects. Though Malini is exhausted, she helps guide Priya toward safety. Malini questions Priya about her magic, and Priya explains how the ritual of the deathless waters works; she also tells her about how the temple children became too powerful and the rot started. Priya tells Malini to leave her, but the princess refuses. She insists that she needs Priya and asks how she can save her. Priya says that she senses a presence in the forest that can help her and guides Malini using markings on the trees.

Rao and Prem wait at the bower of bones for Malini, but she does not arrive by morning. As they debate whether to stay or leave, Parijati soldiers arrive with Lord Santosh; they are led by one of Prem’s men who was captured. Santosh demands to know why Prem and Rao are in Ahiranya and accuses them of plotting against the emperor. Prem responds by belittling Santosh, who in turn orders the execution of Prem’s man. Rao convinces Prem to retreat into the forest, where they can use the unfamiliar terrain to their advantage. They flee deeper into the woods as Santosh and his soldiers give chase.

In the aftermath of the battle, an injured Vikram is brought to the rose palace. He tells Bhumika that he will appeal to the emperor for aid. Bhumika says that she won’t leave Ahiranya. He argues with her, and when she refuses to help him, he realizes that she was one of the temple children. She locks him in a room and returns to the survivors in the rose palace. She tells them that both she and Priya were temple children and that Priya holds the key to Ahiranya’s restoration. Some volunteer to help Bhumika look for Priya, while others remain behind to defend the palace. Rukh insists on going with Bhumika, as well.

Priya is feverish and trapped in the sangam. She encounters a yaksa who looks like her and says that they will meet again before she kisses her. Priya has a vision of the world being overwhelmed with the rot.

She wakes up in a small house with Malini anxiously watching her. The princess explains that Elder Chandni, who is one of the surviving members of the temple council responsible for the massacre of the temple children, brought them to safety. Chandni explains that the elders acted out of fear, believing that the thrice-born had caused the rot. Despite this, she saved Priya out of sentimentality and a belief that Priya was somehow special. She takes Priya to the back of the house, where a grotesque tree stands, displaying the faces of the dead temple elders. Chandni says that the rot affected them, too, and now only she and Elder Sendhil remain. Priya condemns the elders for murdering the children, who could have been the cure to the rot. Chandni, tired and resigned, urges Priya to leave.

As Vikram lies in his room, injured and reeling from Bhumika’s betrayal, Jeevan arrives. Vikram at first believes that he has come to help him escape. However, he soon realizes that Jeevan is loyal to Bhumika and has come to ensure his demise. The young guard accompanying Jeevan pins Vikram down, and they strangle him with a noose.

Rao and Prem’s group plan an ambush on Santosh’s men as they pursue them through the forest. They use Rao’s knowledge of Santosh’s purist approach to warfare. The ambush is successful, and the two groups fight. During the skirmish, Prem is injured, which reveals that he’s infected with the rot. Prem continues to fight Santosh, but Santosh succeeds in impaling him with a saber. Rao kills Santosh in retaliation. Before Prem dies, he tells Rao that the rot is spreading beyond Ahiranya into Saketa, and he urges him to convince Aditya to return. Finally, he asks Rao to reveal his name to him, which Rao does. After Prem dies, the group buries him and journeys on to Srugna to find Aditya.

Chandni and Sendhil sit together in their hut; both are ravaged by the rot that is slowly killing them. Ashok arrives at the house with his followers and demands to know where Priya went, but Chandni refuses to tell him. Ashok threatens Chandni and accuses her of being Priya’s birth mother, but she dismisses the importance of biological ties. She says that she treated Priya as her own but that she sees that as a mistake. Ashok orders his men to tie Chandni and Sendhil to the rot-infested tree.

Priya and Malini attempt to catch up with Rao. Malini tries to urge Priya to stop and rest. They reach a waterfall, where Priya finally opens up to Malini about her feelings of hurt and rejection: She confesses that her elders saw her as monstrous and that she fears Malini might feel the same way. Malini responds by confessing that she, too, is seen as monstrous because she refuses to submit to societal expectations and is attracted to women. Priya wades into the water, and Malini follows, offering to help untangle her hair. Malini admits to Priya that she has always desired her, and they kiss.

Rao arrives at the monasteries of the lacquer gardens in Srugna, where he is reunited with Aditya. Rao fills him in on all that has happened, including Prem’s death and Malini’s uncertain fate. In private, Aditya tells Rao that he received a vision from the nameless god showing an impending, monstrous sickness threatening the entire empire. This vision explains why Aditya has hesitated to take the throne—he is torn between his duty to Parijatdvipa and the larger threat. He presses Rao for his true name, which Rao refuses to tell him. They remain at an impasse, with Rao feeling that Aditya’s indecision will jeopardize their cause. When he leaves, Aditya tells him that he has men watching for Malini’s arrival.

As Priya and Malini lay together beside the pool, they discuss what it means to be monstrous. Priya says that she only wanted to reclaim her identity, but Malini’s ambitions are to remake the world, though the princess insists that she only wants to dethrone Chandra. When Malini says that she no longer needs to take needle-flower, Priya touches the pendant containing the tincture and transforms it into a living flower.

The moment is interrupted when Priya senses Ashok and his followers closing in. She and Malini attempt to flee, but they are surrounded. Ashok tries to coerce Priya into submission, believing that he has the right to lead Ahiranya. Priya and Malini fight back against the rebels, but they are outnumbered. Malini grabs one of the rebels’ sacred wood daggers and holds the blade to Priya.

Surrounded by rebels made stronger by the deathless waters, Malini, in a desperate attempt to protect Priya, threatens to kill Priya rather than let Ashok take her. Ashok, however, doubts that she will harm Priya. When the situation is at a breaking point, Bhumika arrives with her band of soldiers and servants, and she surrounds the rebels. As Ashok and Bhumika argue, Priya gently convinces Malini to let her go. Together, Priya and Bhumika unleash their combined powers to overpower Ashok’s rebels. Ashok coughs up blood and water and is forced to retreat with his remaining followers. Bhumika orders her forces to let them go and then she turns to speak to Priya.

While Priya tells Bhumika that she’s fine, she is dazed after the confrontation. Malini is guilty about threatening Priya, but Priya reassures her. After Bhumika checks Priya’s injuries, the three of them step away to speak about the political future of Ahiranya. While Priya and Malini explain their plan for its freedom, Bhumika says that the region is weakened and will rely on the empire regardless of its status. Bhumika asks to speak privately with Malini, and Priya reunites with the palace household, including Sima and Rukh. Sima expresses relief at seeing Priya alive, and they share a heartfelt reunion. Priya is then led to Rukh, who has physically changed due to the rot. As Rukh and Sima explain what happened in Hiranaprastha, Priya wonders if her powers could be used to cure the rot.

Ashok’s followers die one by one, succumbing to the effects of the deathless waters. Ashok continues to deteriorate and senses that he has little time left. Kritika offers him the last vial of deathless water, but he refuses, admitting that he no longer has the strength to continue. He asks her to carry on the fight in his place. However, Kritika only takes a drop before leaving the rest of the vial with him.

Malini travels with Bhumika’s retinue, haunted by the fact that she nearly killed Priya. Despite her guilt, Malini maintains her composure. Bhumika agreed to their pact, promising to bring Malini to Aditya before Priya and Bhumika return to protect Ahiranya. As they travel, Bhumika probes Malini about her life at court, politics, and her brothers. Later, Malini slips away to find privacy, and Priya joins her. They talk about all the things they’ve done to survive and the heavy prices they’ve paid. Despite Malini’s fear that she will hurt Priya, Priya says that she is too powerful for that to happen.

The next day, Bhumika goes into labor, and they pause their journey. Malini, feeling out of place, retreats from the scene. Soon, she runs into Jeevan, who tells her that Parijati soldiers are approaching. When a fight breaks out between the two groups, Malini recognizes Rao among the soldiers and calls out to him, halting the conflict. Rao apologizes for not being able to free her, but he says that he can take her to Aditya.