At last, Vandiyathevan spoke: “Prince! If only one man would speak the truth, he could clear me of all blame and reveal what truly happened. That one man is none other than Periya Pazhuvetarayar. It must have been that valiant elder who, while I was hiding in the veena treasury of Kadambur Palace, suddenly seized me by the throat, dragged me down, and left me unconscious. I can only surmise it was him—no one else could have been there at that moment. That old lord, who harbored suspicions about Nandini Devi, must have disguised himself as a Kalamukha Saiva and come in secret to see what was happening. Idumbankari, who belongs to the Kalamukha Saiva sect, must have helped him find a secret way in. But from the very first time that great warrior set eyes on me, he has harbored a deep dislike for me. That hatred only grew stronger with each passing day. He will never come forward to speak the truth and save my life. In fact, if I die bearing this terrible accusation, it might even bring him satisfaction. Therefore, Prince, grant me leave to escape! If I can, I will go to Eezha Nadu and there seek out the Pandya dynasty’s royal crown and the jeweled necklace. Or else, here and now, let your sword end my life. Do not make me a scapegoat to be paraded and executed at the crossroads, bearing the blame for killing your beloved brother, who cherished me with boundless affection! Dying by your sword would bring me far more comfort! Or, if I must, let me die by poison from the hand of this Kodumbalur princess. She and your noble sister have shown such compassion to this orphan, bringing me back from the very doorstep of Yama’s realm to this world again. For that, I shall never be able to repay them with gratitude!”

When Vandiyathevan had spoken thus, Vanathi turned to the prince and said, “Listen, my lord! Just listen! This pure-hearted warrior has no wish to die a hero’s death on the battlefield before his foes! He is ready to perform penance to die by poison at the hands of women!”

“Prince! It seems that the reproaches of your noble sister and this lady will kill me with their words alone. Would it not be better to die by their hands, drinking poison, than to endure such scorn?” said the valiant scion of the Vana clan, Vandiyathevan.

Arulmozhi Varman listened to all these conversations with only half his attention. It seemed as though his mind was intensely occupied with some other matter. Suddenly, he sprang up and stood, exclaiming, “Aha! I have made my decision. I myself shall ascend the throne as the Emperor of Chola Nadu. Throughout the land and cities, the people are clamoring, ‘Let Arulmozhi Varman be crowned!’ The wish of the warriors is the same! I shall fulfill the desire of them all. Do you know why? Only so that I may declare