Dhruva Nakshathra - The Game of Alliance ✔

T W E N T Y - E I G H T

How did the princes of Kavish have their perspective changed completely? What made them disregard the king of Kavish's anger towards Durja? Dhruva had asked to Parthiban, who in return smiled and gazed at a distant.

"My sister, Madhuvahini, Nathan's twin." Parthiban announced gloriously, his head held high with pride.

"When we were young, we were often reminded about the eruption that took place in Mount Gaja and how Durja had badly treated us without hearing our side of the story. The enmity was fed since young by the ministers, by the caretakers, by the king and queen and even senior soldiers. Our ten-year-old Madhu was the first to think otherwise. Whenever, we, the brothers talk about the atrocities done by Durja, Madhu would politely request us to think of better ways to solve the problem instead of choosing violence. We disregarded her for she knew nothing about it ..." Parthiban paused, he heard a faint sound of drums beating from a far.

"What made you change your mind?" asked Dhruva, fascinated at how the princess of Kavish, Madhuvahini, did her magic. He would lie to himself if he did not anticipate Parthiban to mention of Nakshathra, he wanted to know more about her too. Nevertheless, the conversation gave a glimpse of the princess he never got to meet.

"Madhu persisted her preach on peace subtly influencing us to see beyond the surface of revenge. In the earlier years after the Mount Gaja incident, invasion of Durja army in villages of Kavish frequented. Our ten-year-old Madhu insisted we go see the people and perhaps help them physically instead of sending aids alone. It was then she made us see the horror, the pain, the lost and the destruction which were left behind after the onslaught." Her point of view had channelled their anger to empathy towards the common innocent people.

Parthiban quoted Madhuvahini's statement which started to make sense as he encountered the scenario again and again. 'Why should the poor people pay the price for a fault done by the rulers? Grandfather may or may not have intentionally thrown the sword to kill the Royal Advisor Dilipan but what we are doing is an intentional harm to the innocent people. Tell father, he would listen to you. If you want to settle this, do it in the battle ground and not in the villages of both the countries. It will be even better if it's done without bloodshed.'

"That's a wise sister you've got," smiled Dhruva.

Privileged were the Heramba brothers to have such a thoughtful, kind sister and it made him a little envy of them. He wished his siblings too were as loving as the Herambas. His unfortunate fate, not one of his three half-siblings were close to him.

Parthiban caught a glance of Dhruva staring far into the distant wearing a sad smile. He wondered, what had bothered the prince of Durja? But before Parthiban could say a word, the sound of the drums grew louder and closer. From a distant they spotted an elaborated procession moving towards Kavish. A decorated elephant with a howdah on it, surrounded with men on horseback and soldiers on foot. Soldiers on foot carried trunk boxes covered in royal blue silks, the men on horsebacks adorn in shades of blue, Parthiban instantly recognised the party.

It did not take long for Dhruva to guess whose procession was moving towards the border gate of Kavish. The blue flag with an image of an alligator clearly paraded the royal procession of Pareen but who exactly sat on the elephant, he knew not until Parthiban's guard came in with the news.

"Your Excellency, crown prince of Pareen, Prince Abhimanyu's procession is passing the settlement as we speak," the guard informed.

"Very well. Have you sent a message to the guard at the gate to halt the prince?"

"Yes, Your Highness. I have sent a word to hold the prince's procession to wait for your arrival."

Parthiban assents the guard and ordered to prepare his horse along with the twelve Kavishians for their departure. He had estimated Abhimanyu's procession to arrive at the border at the same time as him.