The events of that day had left Periya Pazhuvettaraiyar seething with irritation. Had it not become an occasion for the people to openly display the trust they held in the Emperor and his family? “People! Mere people! Mindless sheep and cattle! If four men take one path, four thousand will follow behind them! How many among them know to use their own judgment?” he muttered to himself again and again, trying to contain his anger.

“It seems the Emperor will ruin the empire before he departs for heaven! ‘Waive the taxes for this town!’ ‘Make that village a tax-free settlement!’—he keeps issuing such orders! Soon, there won’t be a single village left to pay taxes. Yet, for the battlefield, money for expenses and grain for food must continue to be sent. From where are we to send them?” he lamented, his voice rising in anguish, so much so that even his servants grew a little fearful.

“Anna! What is the use of making such a commotion? We must wait for the right time and act then!” Chinna Pazhuvettaraiyar had to counsel him to patience.

When he learned that Kundavai was coming to the palace, the elder’s irritation knew no bounds. He went to Nandini and asked, “What is this I hear? Why should that wretch come here? Did you invite her? Have you forgotten all the insults she heaped upon you?”

“I do not forget the good someone has done me, nor do I forget the harm another has caused me. Do you not yet know this nature of mine?” replied Nandini.

“Then why is she coming here?”

“It is her wish—she is coming! She comes with the pride of being the Emperor’s daughter!”

“Why did you invite her?”

“I did not invite her; she invited herself. She said, ‘Is not the son of Sambuvaraiyar staying in your house? I wish to see him!’ Could I say, ‘Do not come’? The day will come when I can say so. Until then, I must bear all insults in silence.”

“I cannot bear it any longer. I cannot remain in this palace when she arrives. I cannot even stay in this city. There is some business to attend to in Mazhapadi. I shall go and return.”

“Do as you wish, my lord! I was about to suggest it myself. Leave that venomous serpent to me. I know well how to draw out her poison. When you return, if you happen to hear some astonishing news, do not be surprised…”

“What sort of astonishing news?”

“You may hear that Princess Kundavai is to wed Kandanmaran, or that Aditya Karikalan is to marry Kandanmaran’s sister…”

“Heavens! What are you saying? If such things come to pass, what will become of all our plans?”

“Just because there is talk, does it mean the deed will be done? You go about telling your friends that Madurantaka Devar will be crowned next, do you not? Do you truly believe that will happen? Are we to endure all this hardship only to see the timid, bashful Madurantakan crowned king?” said Nandini, fixing her dark, piercing eyes upon Periya Pazhuvettaraiyar. Unable to withstand the force of that gaze, the old warrior bowed his head, took her hand, pressed it to his eyes, and said, “My beloved! The day is not far when you will ascend the throne of the Chola Empire as its Empress!”

* * *

From the moment Kandanmaran learned that Princess Kundavai herself was coming to see him, he had been in a state of restless agitation. Was not the whole land aware of Kundavai’s wisdom, beauty, and other noble qualities? What a great honor it was that such a princess was coming to visit him! For this, he would gladly have suffered many more wounds and lain ill for even longer. Ah! Would it not have been far more glorious if he had received such wounds upon his chest in the battlefield and lain stricken there? If, at that moment, Princess Kundavai had come to see him, what an honor it would have been! Instead, now he must recount to her, as to so many others, the tale of a friend’s treachery.

From time to time, the memory of his secret involvement in plots against the royal family of that noble princess pricked his conscience and troubled him. Kandanmaran was an upright youth, unversed in cunning schemes and devious intrigues.

Even though Nandini’s enchanting beauty had intoxicated him, he had built a fortress around his heart with the thought that she was another man’s wife. But Princess Kundavai was unmarried. How should he conduct himself with her? How should he speak? Could he speak sweetly while harboring deceit in his heart? Or would he, overcome by her beauty, falter in his resolve and abandon his oath? He must never allow even a single day for such a thing to happen… Ah! Why should the princess come here to see him? Let her come! Let her come! He could speak harshly and send her away, so that she would never return.

But the moment Kandanmaran saw Princess Kundavai, all these resolutions melted away and vanished without a trace. Her enchanting form, the radiance of her face, her nobility, her restraint, and the sweetness brimming in her compassionate words made Kandanmaran lose all self-control. His imagination surged and overflowed. He acted as if he did not wish to boast of his own greatness, yet at the same time, he spoke of his heroic deeds as though compelled by her insistence. He displayed his shoulders and chest, and the wounds he had received on the battlefield, as if reluctant to show them, yet unable to resist.

“That treacherous friend Vandiyathevan—if he had stabbed me in the chest and killed me, I would not have minded. But it pains me that he stabbed me in the back and fled. That is why I am compelled to speak of his betrayal. Otherwise, would it not be a disgrace to have