Pazhuvetarayar laughed. He laughed lightly, as though mocking Nandini’s words, but not so much as to seem openly derisive. Yet, the sound of his laughter made the chamber itself, and all the objects within it, tremble in fear. When he heard Nandini declare that she herself would take up a knife and slay those who had insulted him, a surge of pride welled up in his heart. To know that Nandini cared so deeply for the preservation of his honor filled Pazhuvetarayar with a sense of iron strength. In that same spirit, a desire arose within him to hear her speak further, to listen to her words. Yet, at the same time, another part of him wished to show that he did not approve of her speaking in such a manner.

“Why do you laugh, my lord? Do you laugh at my words out of disbelief?” she asked.

“Devi! I laughed to imagine how your hands, soft as the petals of the mandara flower, could ever wield a knife. And besides, while I am alive, with these two long arms of mine—”

“My lord! I know well the greatness and strength of your arms. Arms long as an elephant’s trunk, arms strong as Indra’s thunderbolt. Arms that have felled thousands of enemies on the battlefield, arms that have set the jeweled crown upon the heads of Chola emperors. But all that is of no consequence today. The time has come when children born just yesterday mock you as an ‘old man.’ You, who must now sit quietly, bound by your devotion to the Chola clan, like a serpent king held captive by a magician’s spell. My hands are but soft hands adorned with bangles. Yet, because I have taken the hand of a hero such as you, before the sacred fire, a little strength has come to my hands as well. If the need arises to protect my chastity or to uphold my husband’s honor, even my hands will find the strength to wield a knife. Look here…!” said Nandini.

With those words, she moved the chest that lay at the foot of the bed out into the open. She opened it and pushed aside the clothes that lay on top. From the bottom, she carelessly drew out a long sword, gleaming with a dazzling light, and held it aloft above her head with one hand.

Pazhuvetaraiyar stood for a moment, astonished by what he saw.

Then he asked, “How long has this sword been inside this chest? I thought you kept your clothes and ornaments here?”

Nandini placed the sword back into the chest and replied, “Yes; I do keep my clothes and ornaments in this chest. But among all my ornaments, this sword is the most important. It is meant to protect my chastity and my husband’s honor.”

“But there will never be a need for you to use this, as long as I am alive!”

“That is precisely why I never take this sword out. From Eezham to the land of Vengi, can you not protect your honor with the strength of your arms, which safeguard the Chola kingdom? Or is it that you cannot protect a foolish woman like me? Even so, you are often engaged in important affairs of state; you cannot always be by my side to guard me. In the times when I am separated from you, should I not be prepared to protect myself?”

“Devi! What need is there for that? Let the past be past; hereafter, I will never be separated from you…”

“Ayya! That is my wish as well; but just this once, you must leave me and go to Thanjavur…”

“What is this stubbornness? Why should I, just this time, leave you here and go?” Pazhuvetaraiyar asked, his brows knitting together.

“Swami! There are two reasons for that. If you take me with you now, these fools will mock us all the more. ‘The old lord has such faith in his young queen!’ they will say. The very thought of it makes my blood boil. The other reason is even more important. All these years, you have called and believed Sambhuvaraiyar to be your most trusted friend. But since the arrival of the prince, have you noticed the change in his words and actions? Even if you have not, I have been observing closely…”

“I too have noticed it. I am still wondering what could be the cause of that change…”

“You are a person of guileless heart; that is why you are surprised. But to me, there is nothing astonishing in this. Greed is the very nature of mankind—Sambuvaraiyar’s change of heart is only a result of that. There was once a rumor that Prince Aditya Karikalan would never even look upon women’s faces, that he would never marry. But since he arrived here, you must have noticed how he has been behaving quite the opposite. He often visits places where women are present, speaks to them in soft, affectionate tones. The reason for all this is that his heart has been captivated by Sambuvaraiyar’s daughter, Manimekalai. Did not Karikalan even ask, ‘Shall I take Manimekalai with me on a hunt?’ Sambuvaraiyar is well aware of this. That is why he has forgotten all his old arrangements. He has begun to dream that his precious daughter will soon be seated upon the golden throne of Thanjavur…”

“Yes, what you say must be the reason. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine Sambuvaraiyar to be a man of such base character. Only two months ago, in this very palace, we all gathered and swore an oath to place Madurantaka upon the throne of Thanjai. Fie! Can a man who so easily breaks his word even be called human?” thundered Pazhuvettaraiyar.

“Swami! That is precisely why I said I would not accompany you. In your absence, I shall keep watch over what schemes these people are plotting here. If they attempt any treachery, I shall find a way to