At the deserted temple,
Nachiyar woke up from her stupor. She raised herself to a sitting position. Six pairs of eyes were peering at her earnestly. Aparaajitha said, "It wasn't poison. Just anaesthetic."

Nachiyar understood what must have happened. She silently thanked the gods above. Aparaajitha told Nachiyar, "I promised to leave them safely in their village."

The girls walked in the center while Nachiyar and Aparaajitha rode on either side flanking them. Aparaajitha occasionally brushed off a tiny little tear that trickled down her face. Her eyes were red and swollen. She blew her nose from time to time.
Her eyes were trained on the distant edge of the horizon.

They rode on in silence till they reached Kada. They bid goodbye to the girls just near the outskirts of their village. When they were alone, Aparaajitha said at last, "Everything just appears meaningless. I am tired."

"Good philosophical realization this! But why exactly did you come to that now?" Nachiyar asked.

Aparaajitha did not choose to elaborate upon it. She let that question and remark pass. Nachiyar opened up about her own life, "My father was the chieftain of our clan. My mother passed away during child birth. He never remarried. I was his only and pampered child. He taught me everything that I know, even the Urumi. Everyone used to taunt him what is the use of teaching a girl Urumi. She should learn cooking. He used to say, 'I am teaching her Urumi because she loves it. If she loves cooking, I will teach her that also. It was the day of my marriage. I was marrying my childhood sweetheart. Vijayapuri fell. I lost my father and husband the very same day. Everyone thought I would sit in a corner and mourn for them. I picked up the Urumi instead. I have flirted with death and danger since then. Sometimes I ask myself how long? I hear only my echo. I keep at what I am doing."

Aparaajitha hugged Nachiyar and shed silent tears over her shoulder. Nachiyar comforted her, "I won't ask you what went wrong. I will just pray that this experience will teach you to be stronger and tougher."

"I am really lucky to have a friend like you", she said.
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At the camp,

Everyone had been searching for Nachiyar and Aparaajitha since morning. Nachiyar asked everyone to assemble. A lot of time had already been lost. They had to regroup themselves and prepare for the battle that lay ahead.

She addressed everyone, "We were ambushed the previous night near our camp. So we had to seek refuge elsewhere. Both of us are safe. Our queen Shodasi Devi has declared war on Vijayamarthanda. Three of the major clans in Vijayapuri are with our queen. The children, aged and infirm will be moved to safer locations. The rest will start preparing for war."

Everyone dispersed from there. Jangamaiyya followed behind Nachiyar and Aparaajitha saying, "It must be Vallabha Nayaka. It must be his handiwork."

Nachiyar turned back and patiently tried to reason out, "Aiyya, just because he asked for time, we cannot blame him for the ambush. There is no evidence."

"Evidence, my foot! He asked for time so that he could lace the food and prepare for that ambush", Jangamaiyya said.

Nachiyar and Aparaajitha stopped in their tracks. Jangamaiyya continued with his allegations, "Power, ambition and money. That is all he wants..."

Nachiyar faltered a step as she continued hearing his words. Aparaajitha held her back strongly. Nachiyar halted him and asked, "Why?"

She held him in an icy glare. Jangamaiyya did not understand for a moment what she was asking. Nachiyar pulled him by his shawl and asked, "Why? How did you know that the food was laced?"

Realizing that his game was up, Jangamaiyya showed his true colors, "Oh! So you know it at last. I had become tired of acting."

"My father was your closest friend. I treated you like my own father. Why?" Nachiyar flung him down. She broke down crying.

"How long do you expect me to play second fiddle? When at last your father and my dearest friend died and your husband too, I hoped to become the chieftain of this clan. But what did you do? Instead of mourning and crying over your fate, you took over the reins of this clan. And foolish folk! They worshipped you like a goddess", Jangamaiyya sucked his own blood.

Nachiyar's fingers scraped the canopied baulstrade beneath which all three of them were standing. Hearing his words, realization suddenly stuck her, "You betrayed my father and husband?"

"Yes, I tried to get you out of the way many times. I spied and passed information to the Suras. I tried to instigate you against Vallabha Nayaka. I put the blame on the Marar clan chieftain. But you have such damned good luck. You escaped like always."

Nachiyar had been holding herself back with great effort. Emboldened by her vulnerability, he attacked her with a knife hidden within the folds of his dress. In a flash of lightening, Aparaajitha pierced him from behind with her sword.

Nachiyar stepped back as he collapsed. She beheld his lifeless form with apathy. Her white knuckles and red eyes alone betrayed how she was feeling. Nachiyar turned back into her cottage and shut her door. Her clan members quietly whispered among themselves as they removed Jangamaiyya's body, "One would have never thought he was the traitor."
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At the fortress of Sagara Durga,
The army was preparing to advance under Shodasi Devi's leadership. Aslam Khan who had served as the go-between and negotiator between Shodasi Devi and Emperor Sharyar of Persia had accompanied the Persian regiments. The use of Persian war tactics had played a major role in the capture of Sagara Durga. The commander of the fortress had been confused and befuddled about how to deal with them. Before he realized what was happening and came up with an alternate war strategy, he had lost two-thirds of his men and the rest were injured. He had to unwillingly raise the flag of truce. He and his men were held captive and the news of its capture had been suppressed.

A messenger had arrived with information from inland. Shodasi Devi carefully perused the contents of the sealed message before she burnt it. Her eyes sparkled as she announced, "Three of the major clans in Vijayapuri are on our side. We can begin advancing tomorrow morning."

Aslam Khan hailed the significance of this news, "Excellent! Now nothing can stop us."

"I realize that", she said. "I am greatly indebted to you for helping us. But I would rest easy if I knew what Emperor Sharyar is expecting in return for this help."

"You need not thank me. I would have helped anyways for Kattappa's sake. I wanted to wait till we won the war to discuss these things. Emperor Sharyar expects two things: one, military help from your side in times of war, two, the licence and permission to engage in trade in the territories under your control. These are the kind of terms and conditions usually agreed upon between allies. I found nothing unreasonable or worth troubling you with at the present moment about either of these conditions, your Highness", Aslam Khan explained.

"Things aren't so simple between two kingdoms, Aslam Khan. What we ignore now, might come back to bite us. What if we are forced to break either of the clauses due to circumstances? Has the Emperor mentioned anything about this?"

"Emperor Sharyar expects five times the money spent on this campaign along with interest in case you do not wish to further associate in military or trading ties with his kingdom", Aslam Khan revealed.

Shodasi Devi realized the crunch in the situation. Five times the money along with interest would be a huge sum, a huge burden to impose on a newly-won kingdom. She excused herself, "I wish to be alone to ponder over tomorrow's campaign."

Aslam Khan bowed and retired to his chambers. Shodasi Devi lit the lamp and began writing to Aparaajitha, "Dear daughter........"

After Shodasi Devi had completed writing, she sealed the letter and summoned the messenger, "You will deliver this message to Aparaajitha."
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