Karikalan: Saviour of the Cholas

Chapter 64: The Proposal

As soon as Vikraman left, Valavan scowled at Chezhiyan. "Here I was, thinking of colourful ways to kill him. There you go pleading with him to stay! Why on Earth would you do that? He betrayed you!"

Chezhiyan had only a single response to offer. "I had to try."

Valavan looked at Parthiban and Ilanchezhiyan at that. "Are you both alright?", he asked cautiously.

Parthiban eyed him. "No. Are you?"

Valavan shrugged. "Never been better." 

Catching sight of Chezhiyan's expression, he amended. "Well, there were better times obviously but I think the sentiment is clear. I told that things like these don't surprise me anymore." 

It really didn't.

He attempted for a joke. "So, unless you, or Alli for that matter, decide to abandon me, I think I'm good."

Chezhiyan stared at him. "How? I thought you were close?"

Valavan made a face. "Close? Please! Sure, he gave me funny nicknames and joked around. But, we weren't close, Chezhiya. If anyone is close, it's us." He shot Parthiban a sideways look. "No offense." 

Parthiban shook his head. "None taken."

Valavan shot Chezhiyan a grim smile. "If I'm mad about anything, it is only over the fact that I couldn't rip his tongue out before he said those things to you." 

Parthiban sighed. "I cannot believe that he would do something like this! I did know that he wanted to become the Commander from our training days. I thought he was over it." He clenched his eyes shut. "And, yes, he was particularly attached to Irungovel. I should have realized."

Ilanchezhiyan placed both his hands on his head and shook it hard. After a minute, he dropped his hands and turned to face them, a smile pasted on his face. "Alright. I'm feeling good now."

Valavan shot him a look. "No, you are not."

Ilanchezhiyan shrugged. "No, I'm not", he agreed. "But, that is what I choose to believe. I'm okay and everything is perfectly fine. Did my friend betray me and is possibly going to die soon?" He scoffed. "Pfft. Who cares."

Valavan and Parthiban exchanged a look. Chezhiyan caught that and sighed. "Fine, yes. I do care. But, that's just it. I can not care. And if the only way to do it is to live in denial, then I'm up for it. Until the grief hits after the war that is."

Valavan looked at him for a long moment. "If that is what works for you."

Ilanchezhiyan nodded. "It does." He smiled slightly. "You were the one who asked me to not think after all."

Valavan scowled. "You know that is not what I meant." He cut Chezhiyan off as he began to protest. "But, no. Let's move on. What is the status of... everything?"

Both Parthiban and Valavan could visibly see the change that took place in him at that.

Chezhiyan had donned his Commander mode on.

"Everything is going smoothly, with the exception of what had just happened." No one commented. He continued. "All the fishermen and every other able-bodied men we could muster up from Azhundur, Nangur, and Urayur are all well trained by now."

Valavan nodded with satisfaction. Ilanchezhiyan nodded back. "Good thing we brought them in, Prince. The fishermen, although sizable in number, were not enough to form the whole of the right wing. This definitely proved to be a boon. The extras were scattered to cover the chinks in the Vyuham." He gave them a genuine smile, no doubt pleased. "I would say that we are ready."