Page 101 of The Burning Mountain
“Yes, and I’ve thought of a way around that too. Before falling unconscious to the illness, I’ll ask Bhupathi to go in search of a cure. He won’t be here, either, when the time of Meru’s eruptions comes. Rajgarh will be left floundering,” he said, sounding satisfied.
Guruji felt his own temper rise in response, but he tamped it down.
“And what of Chandrasena? You tied her to Rajgarh. This is going to affect her.”
Chandraketu faltered for a minute but then rallied. “True, but she is a woman. And this is a matter between men. She won’t be affected.”
“So your mind is made. You will offer no help to Rajgarh?” Guruji’s voice was stern with admonishment.
Chandraketu swallowed hard, his eyes slipping away, but his mouth was set. “Rajgarh abandoned my daughter. Why shouldn’t we do the same to them?”
“Raja Chandraketu,” said Guruji with exaggerated patience, as if explaining things to a young student. “Meru’s eruption is a disaster for the land of Saptavarsha. Please come out of your petty concerns and look at the bigger picture. Amaravathi’s rulers have always shouldered this responsibility. You know that better than anyone. You can’t shrink this duty.”
“Please,” Chandraketu scoffed. “There is no rule that says wemusthelp Rajgarh. My decision is final, Guruji. We shall see where the chips fall after I wake up. Please take care of the kingdom in my absence.”
He gestured to the royal physician, who nodded and carefully measured a few drops of poison and added it to the wine. The physician then set out two more copper vials on the table.
“As per your wishes, Your Majesty, I chose thepaushapiflower poison. The flower is common enough around these parts that no one will bat an eye if people discover you’ve been poisoned. Everyone will assume it was by mistake. But the antidote is the rareneelakurinji,a blue flower that grows in the shola grasslands of the Ghat hills in Thianvelli. It’s not easy to obtain, Prince Bhupathi will have to go through an arduous journey to obtain it. But in case he doesn’t come back in time, I have the antidote ready in these two vials.”
“Good,” said Chandraketu. “I wish you to carry one.” He then glanced at Guruji, who hastily wiped his face of the dismay he felt. “The other one shall be with you, Guruji, as a fail-safe. Only the three of us are to know about this.”
Chandraketu gave Guruji a belligerent look. “Last time I trusted your judgment, my daughter ended up a pariah. This time, I shall not make the same mistake. Even if you don’tlike it, this is my plan, and as your king, I command your acquiescence.”
Guruji fingeredthe small hollow pendant he wore on hisrudrakshabead necklace as he came back to the present. It contained the copper vial with the antidote made from theneelakurinjiflowers. The very same flower Prince Bhupathi had left in search of, close to a year now.
He wished he could delay giving Chandraketu the antidote, even if it meant he would have to spend more days locking horns with his queen, Rathi Devi.
In the past year, he had held on to the hope that maybe he could change Chandraketu’s mind when he woke up. And his stratagem—to use Sameera to divulge secret information about war schemes—wouldn’t be necessary to set in motion. It was why he had asked her to stay on, even after Chandrasena had left Amaravathi.
But he received word the other day that even though the king was still unconscious, the general had already received his instructions to mobilize the army. It seemed Chandraketu didn’t want to waste any time once he woke up and had left prior instructions.
And perhaps, Raja Chandraketu had also anticipated Guruji’s thoughts regarding delays, because he left the antidote with the royal physician, too, who was sure to use it as instructed.
But Guruji had other ways. He just hoped that what he had done would be enough to get Amaravathi out of danger once Rajgarh realized their betrayal.
49
AN UNEXPECTED HELP
Chandra woke to the sound of footsteps. She had fallen asleep while crouched against the wall and had a crick in her neck as a result.What time is it?She blearily rubbed her eyes, then glanced toward the window and found it still dark outside.
Why was anyone coming at this time of night? Was King Pourava finally going to make good on his promise and kill her?
She listened to the footsteps, light and furtive, not like Pourava’s usual heavier tread. Perhaps it wasn’t him, but who could it be then?
When the person finally appeared in the short corridor in front of her prison, she was disappointed to find King Pourava.
“You again. I’m tired of seeing you,” she said brusquely, closing her eyes and laying her head back down again.
Silence.
She cracked open an eye. “Are you just going to stand there and say nothing? Is this a new way you’ve discovered to get me to agree to your terms? Kill me with silence?”
“Oh. Is this how you speak to my father? No wonder he’s always in a bad mood after he visits the prison tower.” Pouravafished out a bunch of keys and went about setting one by one into the lock. “You do realize he is a king and can have you beheaded?”
Father? Chandra sat up confused and moved closer. It was definitely Pourava. Then why did he sound like…
“Revathi?”
