One of the rivers that inundates the lands of Thirumunaipadi is Kedilam. Thiruvadihai Veeratanam (where Saint Appar got salvation by Lord Shiva) is on this river's bank. Thirunavalur, where Saint Sundaramoorthy was born, is also in the vicinity of this river. In the middle of these two towns was the highway that connected Thondainadu with Nadunadu and Chozhanadu. Where the highway crossed the Kedilam River, there was always a lot of activity. This is where travelers typically took a break for food.
It was the Tamizh month of Aipassi (mid-October in the Gregorian calendar), and the river's waterflow was higher than usual that year. There was sudden commotion. People saw a procession. There were horses, elephants, and soldiers. As the procession neared, the announcer could be heard announcing the arrival of the Chozha Crown Prince Aditya Karikalan. People rushed to get a view of the great warrior. After the announcers, the insignia bearers, and some of the soldiers, came three young men on horses. The people watching began to identify and whisper among themselves about the warriors.
"The one in the middle is the Crown Prince. You can identify him by the gold crown that he is wearing."
People whispered about him being the Crown Prince and about the Emperor Sundar Chozhan. They spoke about the emperor's suffering, and who would succeed him, when he was gone. They spoke about how good a ruler he was. Some in the crowd spoke about the disappearance and rumored drowning of the younger Prince Arulmozhi. Some gossiped in hushed tones about an internal feud between the Pazhuvettarayars and the Kodumbalur clans. One of them whispered that he had heard that the prince was on the way to Kadambur for a meeting of the vassal kings to settle this dispute between the two clans.
"Shush. The horses are coming near. Look at how distraught the prince looks."
"Of course, the prince would be sad. He loves his younger brother so much, and there is no news about him."
"That is not the reason for the prince's sadness. He wanted to raise an army and attack the Irattaimandalam forces, but he has not been able to."
"Who stopped the prince from attacking them?"
"Apparently the Pazhuvettarayars would not allocate the required money and resources."
"These are all not the real reasons for his sadness. Apparently, Prince Karikalan loved a Pandiyan girl when he was young. When he had gone off to fight the Pandiyan war, the Pazhuvettarayar wedded this girl, it seems. She is now the Pazhuvoor Ilayarani, Nandini. It seems, ever since, the prince has been like this."
"Highly possible," said another.
Another rejected this theory saying, "How can the old Pazhuvettarayar marry such a young girl, whom the prince had once loved? This theory is utter nonsense."
The one who had first talked about this said, "Then, please explain why the prince has not wedded anyone yet?"
The three horsemen came nearer.
"On the left of the prince is Parthibendra Pallavan. Who is that on the right? Is that the Vaanarkula warrior?"
"No. He is Kadambur Sambuvarayar's son. Sambuvarayar has sent his son himself, instead of sending just a scroll through a messenger, to ensure that the prince comes to the gathering."
"It does look like an important meeting then. This could either be an official meeting, or it could very well be a matchmaking effort. As long as the prince is not wedded, the Chozha vassal kings would keep trying their best to get their daughters wedded to him. The first girl whom the prince marries would be the queen, wouldn't she?"
The horses came to a halt at the water's edge. The chariot that had been coming behind the horses stopped a little earlier under the shade of a large tree. On the chariot was the 80-year-old king, Thirukoviloor Malayamaan. Karikalan looked back in the direction of his grandfather.