The people cheered and showered the young prince with flowers as his horse roared past the streets of Thanjai. His small cavalry followed him closely. They exited Thanjai in no time.

The sun was beating down like a hammer that day, but that didn't bother the young prince. His mind was on only one thing. To win the war. This intention made Adithan forget hunger, thirst, and sleep.

A smile was fixated on Adithan's face but in the smile lingered a tinge of dissatisfaction.

Karikalan saw Kundavai and Nandini talking about something along the pond when he was leaving.

The more he thought about it, his unsatisfaction turned into concern.

God knows what poisonous thorns Kundavai hurled out. How would've Nandini's little heart taken it?

'Aditha...You're going to war, focus on that alone,' Adithan's inner voice said.

He agreed to himself and shook off any other thought out of his head.

***

"Stay away from my Brother,"

Kundavai's threat echoed around Nandini's head as she rested her head against the Perumal statue. She wanted to share her dilemma with Adithan and cry on his lap.

"Is this one of your games Swami?" She asked the statue, a tear formed at the corner of her eye and fell down her rosy red cheeks.

'Are you scared of her Childish threats? She's just a Child,' Adithan would console her always by saying that she was a child and that she would understand later. But no child would speak with that much poison in her tongue. How she treats her just because she's not a royal? The more she thought about her, the more she hated Kundavai. She turned away from the god, wiped her tears, and sniffled. Everything will get better with time, Adithan used to say. But everything always goes downhill in her case, Ever since she was born nothing went in her way, nor she wished for any specific thing, but Adithan was different, she needed him, and he needed her.

***

Arulmozhi and Kundavai went on a boat ride through the Kaveri River to clear their mind and get some fresh air. The swan-shaped boat slowly sailed through the river occasionally rocking back and forth.

"Akka, why did you scold Nandini Akka like that?" Arulmozhi asked as he swayed his hands in the water. Kundavai sat alongside Arulmozhi and rested her head on her palm.

"You won't understand, Thambi," Kundavai said.

"Why?" Arulmozhi turned back to his sister.

"I just--" Kundavai shrugged, not knowing what to say.

"You don't like Anna talking to Nandini Akka?" Arulmozhi asked.

Yes came the reply instantly.

"But you don't scold me when I talk to Vanathi," Arulmozhi said, his cheeks blushing a little as he said her name.

"Vanathi is different," Kundavai said. "She's our relative, Nandini is not," She said sternly.

"But--"

Kundavai raised her arm, her golden bangles jingled down to her elbow. "Arulmozhi, enough with the questions," Kundavai said. "You'll understand when you grow up," Kundavai said. But she herself didn't know the reason behind her hatred towards Nandini.

"But Nandini Akka reminds me of someone," Arulmozhi said looking down at the clear waters of the Ponni River.

"Who?" Kundavai asked arching her eyebrows.

"I don't know," He muttered. His eyes roamed around trying to find the goddess which had saved him from drowning when he was little and bought him the name "Ponniyin Selvan". He wished to see her face one more time more clearly and formally thank her for saving him. But he never got the chance.

***

The climate changed in a blink of an eye.

Dark-bellied rain clouds began forming overhead and wrapped the land in darkness. The ground started rumbling with the thunder. Soon, the winds started howling, bending the trees according to its will.

"Ilavarese!" One of the soldiers shouted through the wind.

Adithan turned back. "Yes, Senatipathi?"

"It's going to rai--" Before he could finish his sentence the rain started to pour. Quiet heavily actually. Their clothes stuck to their body as if they were dipped in resin.

They were all drenched. The Senatipathi led the cavalry to an old mandapam where the travelers used to rest.

It was a big stone structure, large enough the accommodate hundreds of people. Sundara Chozhan passed an order for shelters to be built across the empire for the travelers or for the less fortunate people who had no place to live.

The soldiers tied their horses to the nearby stone pillars.

There were only two other people except for his tiny army, they looked like travelers from afar. One of them walked up to the Prince and started talking in a foreign language.

Neither they understood his language nor he understood theirs.

"He's asking if you're the Prince," The Senatipathi interrupted. He handed over a towel to the Prince to dry his hair.

"Oh, Yes," Adithan nodded to the man, He mumbled something to himself and returned back to where he came from.

"What did he say?" Adithan asked as he dried off his hair.

The Senatipathi shrugged.

"Okay, leave it, Make our soldiers eat their dinner," Adithan ordered.

"Aren't you coming, Prince?" The Senatipathi asked.

"I'll come later," He said. The Senatipathi nodded and called out to everyone for dinner.

The soldiers gathered around and sat at the center of the mandapam and ate their Puli Soru which was bought from Thanjai.

Has Nandini eaten her dinner? Adithan thought to himself as he stared at the raindrops.

He sighed and shook his head. Nandini, Nandini. All he could think of was Nandini, he couldn't think of anyone or anything else.

The magic in her eyes hypnotized the Prince. Kundavai doesn't call her a Maya Mohini for no reason.

Maya Mohini.

***

No one felt like sleeping after dinner. Some soldiers chatted among themselves while the others were flexing their sword-fighting skills.

Adithan was shaken awake from his daydream by the roars of the soldiers who were fighting.

"I'll smash your skull open, I won fair and square," Someone shouted.

"Ah right, You won by tripping and falling on the floor," The others laughed.

Adithan stepped forwards to the crowd and peeked in. One of the soldiers who was turned back, as soon as he saw Adithan his laugh faded, and he nudged the other guy's shoulders.

"Ilavaraser," He whispered. Soon everyone fell quiet. They were all drenched and muddy since they were fighting in the rain.

"Why did you guys fall quiet?" Adithan asked in confusion.

The guys looked at each other and shuffled their feet.

"C'mon guys, I'm not gonna eat you,"

"No...You're the Prince so..." One of the soldiers trailed off.

"So what? Your blood is red, my blood is red, the blood coursing through our bodies are the same," Adithan said. The soldiers looked at each other. "Please don't alienate me just because I'm the Prince, to God we are all equal," He announced.

"Haan," The soldiers nodded.

"So, what were you guys doing?" Karikalan asked keeping his hands on his hips.

"We were sword-fighting,"

"Can I join?" Adithan asked. The soldiers looked at each other, Karikalan raised his eyebrows and they nodded reluctantly. A smile appeared on Adithan's face. "Great!" He drew out his sword and stepped outside in the rain. "Who among you is the best swordsman," Adithan asked.

"Pallava! You were bullying me saying that I'm a coward no!? Show the Prince your bravery now,"

The crowd agreed and pushed a fellow into the center of the crowd. He looked back at them and snarled. He looked about Adithan's age, maybe a little older than him, he didn't look half bad either.

He had a royal look on his face.

"What's your name?" Adithan asked.

"Parthibendra Pallavan," He spoke in a bold voice.

"Pallavan?" Adithan whispered to himself. "Are you the famed Pallavan prince?" Adithan asked with his eyebrows raised.

"I don't know about fame and all, ilavarase, but yes, I'm the Pallavan Prince," Parthibendran introduced himself humbly.

"I've heard a lot about the Pallavan clan's bravery," Adithan span his sword. "Let's see if you live up to the hype," Adithan said.

"As you wish, My Prince" Parthibendran drew out his own sword and stepped into position.

They both circled each other, waiting for one of them to attack.

Finally, Parthibendran lost his patience and dived forwards aiming for the Prince. Adithan expertly curled in his stomach and dodged his attack.

Karikalan slashed his sword but Parthibendra blocked his blow the last second.

Clank, Clank.

The clashing of their swords rang around the mandapam like temple bells.

Parthibendran proved he was no less of a warrior than Karikalan as he expertly blocked the Prince's attack.

"Not bad," Adithan smirked. Parthibendran returned the compliment with a strong blow which Adithan flicked away.

Their swords continued to clash and spark, each strike becoming more and more fierce as they fought harder. Sweat dripped down their foreheads, but neither of them showed any signs of tiring. They were both determined to come out on top.

The people watching felt exhausted as they watched them duel out.

Finally, after what felt like hours, Adithan saw another opening and took it. With a quick feint, he distracted Parthibendran and then struck with all his might. Parthibendran tried to block the blow, but it was too powerful, and his sword was knocked out of their hand and fell on the ground along with his pride.

"What I heard was not wrong," Adithan said as he slipped his sword into his sheath.

Parthibendran picked up his sword and bowed to the Prince. "Good fight," He said curtly. Adithan patted Parthibendran's shoulders and turned to the crowd.

"Go sleep now, we have a war on our hands, we need all the rest we can get," Adithan told them.

They agreed and dispersed according to the Prince's wish.

**********