PRINCE IN EXILE

ESCAPED

"You must be out of your mind. What if you got stuck in there? They might have killed you Prince" Karthik yelled.

"Oh come on! What do I do if the golden beauty chose me?" Prince rolled his eyes as they slowed down after a few kilometres in the desert.

"Chose you? You must be blind" Raaha joked.

"Did you find him?" Prince asked making Karthik shake his head.

"So master is really gone?" Shatru asked.

"We can't loose hope big oaf" Raaha consoled.

"Stop calling me that. I have a name. Shatru. If not I'm going to kill you" Shatru warned.

"You've grown horns huh. I don't think your master will be happy if you unnecessarily kill someone in his group" Raaha reminded him.

"You are no one to them. I'm the protector of the king. He saved me and gave me family. But you? What did you do?" Shatru questioned making her think looking at the sky.

"You're right! I'm no one" Raaha concluded as she held the pendent around her neck when Kali sat on her shoulder nuzzling her cheek.

"Which direction now?" Prince asked making Karthik lift some sand in the air and threw it.

"This direction" Karthik pointed to the North West making them climb upon the horses and continued their journey.

The moon rose high in the sky and the group stopped "We'll rest tonight and resume our journey tomorrow" making everyone sigh and get down the horses stretching their legs.

The night in the desert is cold. Too cold for their liking. They set up a bonfire and sat around it wearing the hoodies which were bought by Prince in the market.

"Is Princess not coming back?" Raaha asked.

"I don't think so. Now that Raja vare is not alive. We don't have any use of the Princess" Mutu said.

"No we need her too" Prince said making everyone look at him.

"If we need the Princess why aren't we going back then? Shouldn't we kidnap her again?" Shatru asked confused.

"Or someone is bringing her back" Raaha guessed looking at Karthik.

Shatru frowned scratching the back of his head as Mutu asked "Why would we need Princess Nandika? Now that Raja vare is not with us she's of no use. The betrothal is not valid".

"Betrothal?" Raaha asked making Prince nod once.

"The first Princess of the Pandiyan family will marry the Prince of the Chola family. It was betrothed eons back. It happened once and they decided to do it again during my father's rein" Prince explained.

"So the Pandiyans and you are basically relatives. Then why would you kidnap her? You could just go and talk to them right?" Raaha asked.

"You ask too many questions chota packet" Prince said making her roll her eyes.

"Well I've come this far and also killed people for your so called family. I think I have right to know what the real story is don't you think" Raaha shrugged making Prince and Karthik look at each other.

Karthik sighed with a proud look and thought back to the actual story of Chola empire and the Kings which was completely opposite of what they heard and said and portrayed in the news.