"what do you think about this Mahoday Karna?"
Karna look at duryodhana's face who is watching him with anticipation before glancing at Gandhar Raj who is watching him with a wicked smile.
"I will say my true opinion, Rajkumar Duryodhana. This is not right"
"what!" He can hear duryodhana exclaiming out loudly while shakuni stayed silent but still karna did not take his words as he repeat again.
"this is not right"
"but mitr-"
"just think about it duryodhana. What if someone kidnap dushala or Rajkumari Draupadi? How would you feel? They are your sisters and you know how much a woman should be respected, abducting a princess for a mere plan is not right"
Karna's answer made duryodhana rethink as he look at ceiling but before he could say anything, shakuni stepped forward.
"what do you mean? They openly threaten us while we just sit silently?"
This person...........Karna just can't help but to grit his teeth as be mutter out angrily "I didn't said anything like this"
Looking at duryodhana, he again said seriously, wanting duryodhana to understand his words properly before giving taking any decision.
"you are about to be King of Hastinapur but right now you are a warrior and a warrior does not use a woman, no matter what. You know what a warrior's valour is and you, yourself have a such a great valour, duryodhana. You are more than enough for him alone beside you also have so many people to bring that person on his knees in front of you, you don't have to do these low tricks"
Duryodhana listen karna's word carefully as he watch sincerity and seriousness spilling down from his eyes making duryodhana silent for a while before he nodded.
"you are right. This is not right mamashree, we will just defeat them directly"
Saying this duryodhana went out of the room as Karna also walk towards the exit before he hear a light bang from behind him with a sound of 'tsk', must be from Gandhar Raj.
-------------------------------------------------
"go, take this letter to ekalavya" Karna said as he released the eagle with cloth tied on it's leg while he himself lean against the window.
It is good that sending letters does not requires any strength or power nor astra. Beside getting to know about Gandhar Raj has become necessary, now. At first he let it go as he thought Gandhar Raj is just another elder inside the Palace but now it all feels different, he seems a cunning fox who wants something......but what? Karna don't know and that's why he asked ekalavya to find out everything about Gandhar Raj Shakuni.
"hmm?" Karna look at the another eagle that is coming towards him as he open the letter tied to the eagle's leg before the eagle fly away back fastly.
"don't tell me, it is ashwatthama again?" Opening the letter, karna sighed as he started reading ashwatthama's letter which is completely about how he does not want to get married while kripi kaki is forcing him and about dushala with some points on his busy schedule as King and the progress that happened till now in Northern Panchala.
At this point, karna has became messenger between dushala and ashwatthama......maybe he should suggest or hint Mata Gandhari about ashwatthama and dushala as she is finding groom for dushala who is just saying not to everyone and karna knows why she is doing that.
"you are so annoying, ashwatthama" he mumbled but small fond smile can be seen on his face as he burn the letter after reading before walking inside the palace again.
-----------------------------------------------
"where were you?"
Karna tilt his head in confusion look at Nakula who is glaring at with with his arms fold as he replies "was walking around. Why? Did something happened? Do you need anything?"
"yes" Nakula said as his cheeks puffs up making him look like he is sulking as Karna tries to control his laugh while asking "what?"
"your time. Are you free now?"
Karna frowned a little at this question. Aren't they all are asking for his time too much? Even Dushasana, Vikarna and Sahadeva also spend time with him but they aren't this much clingy, they spend time with themselves rather than their elder brothers who came finding karna everytime...........He need his personal space too but it seems no one in the palace wants to understand that.
"Sure" Karna sighed out as Nakula immediately dragged him towards the back of the Palace.
"why are we here?"
"look there" Nakulasaid pointing towards karna's left as Karna turn around only to see an beautiful sight of peacocks sitting together with some Swans in river and squirrels in the greenery.
"it is so........" Nakula grinned at karna's amazed yet speechless expression before he says "you can see more sceneries like this if you stay with me. I am the only one who knows every secret path of this palace except bhrata Vikarna, who find about those while hiding from bhrata dushasana"
"I see then-"
"Rajkumar Nakula!!" A yell from the front of Palace came as nakula frowned before sighing out as he look at karna.
"guess I should go now"
"I think so too" Karna nodded with pressed chuckle at Nakula glare at him but it definitely does not seem like a angry glare making karna chuckle openly this time as nakula left him there alone.
AT NIGHT
"I should check on them for one last time"
Muttering to himself, karna enter the palace in dark after his Puja as walk out of the bushes before some footsteps sound enter his ears as he turn around immediately to step back when a masked person tried to attack him with dragger.
Karna ran straight inside the palace, dodging the assassin's behind him, carefully. Luckily his senses, speed and intelligence are not gone otherwise, seriously there would be no chances of him being alive.
Karna turn around abruptly when he notice the silhouette of the assassin coming closer only to sighs when an arrow pierced through assassin's heart "Karna!! Are you okay?"
Vikarna worriedly asked from beside him as he sighs nodding before stepping back when all the Prince covered the area completely with their weapons in their hands.
"we need one of them alive for information" Both Duryodhana and Yudhishtir said simultaneously as all the younger brothers nodded before attacking the assassins.
Karna already realised that there are not less assassins by the footsteps sound in the bushes, stepped back more as he can't fight and does not want to become burden to prince. Until an arrow flying towards him but karna remained unruffled as a bright light came from his body making the arrow break in pieces when it touched his Kavach on his body.
He hurriedly look around if anyone has seen his Kavach because of the bright light but it seems they all were too much busy fighting, luckily........though karna forgot to check upwards.
-----------------------------------------------
"Ka...rna.......my son. He is.....He is.....a..alive"
"what happened kunti?" A voice from behind kunti pulled her out of trance as she look at Mata Gandhari "nothing jiji, nothing"
"are you sure? You look pale, rajmata?"
"I am okay, putri dushala" Dushala grinned out at that while hugging draupadi from sidewise as she mutter to draupadi.
"let's go inside jiji. My all brothers are excellent warriors"
"bhabhishree, Dushala" Mata Gandhari says, correcting Dushala as she pouted making draupadi chuckle lightly before she says "it's okay Maa, I like jiji too"
"see" Dushala says cheekily as Gandhari shake her head with a fond smile before she turn around to leave with draupadi, who just came out of dushala's grip.
"come Rajmata. They all are okay, don't worry" Dushala says as she watch kunti's eyes stuck downwards before she look at Dushala while biting her lips as she walk away with Dushala behind her.
-------------------------------------------------
"did we killed everyone?"
"no, bhratashree, here is the one who is alive" Bheem dragged the person in front as they all came forward towards him.
"who sent you here? Open your mouth"
"the assassin's mouth moved for a second making everyone confuse before they realise what he is about to do but they were late.
"he died"
"Dammit!" Duryodhana mutter out before his eyes caught karna standing in corner making others look at karna too before the all hurriedly went towards him.
"are you okay?" Seeing all the Prince surrounding him, karna raised his hand in surrender position before saying carefully.
"I am...completely fine"
All the prince sigh in relief before they all went to sleep after a little discussion while karna went to his servant room.
******************************