He had visited the great cities of Thanjavur, Pazhayarai and Anuradhapuram. He had befriended the love of this land, Prince Arulmozhi, and assisted him. Above all, he had found a place in the heart of the Princess of this land. How lucky was he? Yet, for some unexplainable reason, he was sad.
“Whether you succeed or fail, you will forever be a prisoner of my heart.”
Akka, the four warriors and the palanquin bearers who brought me here, have been resting here for years. They can take me back. No one would dare touch Vanathi of Kodumbalur in this kingdom, especially since everyone knows that I am the Princess’ favourite.
“I have a thousand eyes and ears, spread across the kingdom, and even outside. I have my men even inside the Pazhuvoor palace. One of them told me about Vandhiyathevan’s actions. I also have people like Alwarkadiyan, who roam around the kingdom to get me information. So, I would think, I have enough capacity to know a lot about what is happening in the kingdom.”
She thought about Vandhiyathevan and momentarily became incensed at him. While she had no doubts about his bravery, she now doubted his ability to do secretive missions.
“You are mistaking Chozhanaadu to be our kingdom. I consider Bharatha Nadu as my kingdom. If there is no space for me in Chozhanaadu, I will go to Kasi, or to Kashmiram, and then Kailasam. I have been wanting to go on that pilgrimage for a while.”
“We are sure that the Prince was killed by the Pazhuvettarayars. The Emperor is also kept as a prisoner in the Thanjavur palace. We are all ready to march to Thanjavur and rebel. We will kill those Pazhuvettarayar brothers, if required.” The crowd was getting noisier.
“Ammani, perhaps the Prince might listen to everything else that you might advise him on, but on this matter, I think not. He was also telling me that he would never want to sit on a throne, even if you tell him to. He refused the Lankan throne right in front of me.”
She saw kings of distant lands coming and paying their respects to her son. She saw crowds of citizens looking at him lovingly. She saw him at the helm of large ships going off on rough seas to conquer lands. She heard him attribute all his success to her. As time passed, she realised that she needed to wed someone to be able to bear such a son.
“I brought vibrant flowers from the gardens of the Devas, and you said, these are no comparison to the simple jasmine flowers that bloom in our backyards. I brought back Indra’s jewels, and you rejected them refusing to wear someone else’s jewels. I did severe penance to Lord Shiva, and got you Goddess Parvathi’s anklets. You said that it would be a sin to wear Jaganmaatha’s anklets and asked me to return them back to her.”
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