From the beginning, Parthiban had listened to Karikalan’s story without much sympathy. But now, his heart melted. He wiped away the tears that had welled up in his eyes.

“Sire! I never imagined, even in my dreams, that such suffering could befall someone because of love for a woman! None of us knew that you had such an experience on the day of the prince’s coronation. That is why we were surprised to see you so despondent. We tried to cheer you up with all sorts of jesting words. Now, I recall all those attempts to make you happy!” he said.

“Yes, you spoke in jest. You tried to encourage me. You spoke of the great deeds I would accomplish during my reign. That very day, you expanded the Chola Empire from Lanka to the Himalayas! Not only that, you even crossed the seas and conquered distant kingdoms. I still remember all those words. I also remember how much pain those words caused me.

Then, one day, Nandini sent an invitation for me to come to the fortress at Pazhuvoor. A battle raged within my heart—should I go, or should I not? In the end, I decided to go. I wanted to ask her about the doubts that had arisen in my mind regarding many matters. I wanted to know the truth of her birth. I even wondered if there was some connection between my father’s sudden fainting in the women’s quarters and his unexpected encounter with Nandini there. You may recall that although the Emperor soon recovered from his fainting spell that day, he never regained his former health.

I thought that by speaking with Nandini, some mystery that had eluded me until then might be revealed. I kept all this as a pretense, but in truth, the real reason I went was the magnetic force she exerted over me. I deceived myself with other excuses, but it was her attraction that drew me there. The Elder Pazhuvettaraiyar was not in town. No one in his palace would stop me; nor were there any who knew of the old friendship that existed between Nandini and me. They all thought that the prince, newly crowned, had come to the Pazhuvoor palace to receive the blessings of the queens.

I met Nandini in the Latha Mandapam within the palace gardens.

Parthiba! You must have heard tales of those who journey by sea, haven’t you? They say that in certain places in the ocean, there are currents of immense force and speed. If a ship is caught in those currents, it will be swept away in an instant, whirled and spun without hope. When I stood before Nandini, I felt as though I had met the fate of a ship caught in such a current. My body, my mind, my very heart—all seemed to be torn into a thousand fragments. The words that came from my mouth astonished even me! “Oh! What is this I am saying?” I wondered in one corner