Mystical Diamond : Chapter-7
–by Suresh Iyer
–Reading Time – 10 min Approx
When you lose sense, you kill yourself by baying for others’ blood.
A pall of gloom descended on the Empire of Tanjore. Krishnan Raman remained a sad witness to the last rites performed on Mutharaiyar. He was there during the last rites of Elangovathiarayan too. The Court poet Bhalanetra sang and wept.
“Why did not you take my life? O Lord Shiva and give them my years of life!” Bhalanetra was hundred years old. The kings and Emperors of the neighboring kingdoms and from as far as South East of Asia paid their last respects to the soul of Emperor Mutharaiyar. Krishnan Raman knew very well that many within them must be feeling happy with the developments and happened to be there to see if they can sniff any weaknesses and seize opportunities.
He was equally wary of the bickering within the Royal family.
The death of Mutharaiyar created a huge void. He was also worried about the missing of the Mystical Diamond and hoped no one knows its secrets.
“We have to find out the Diamond soon. It was the last wish of the Emperor. ” uttered Krishnan Raman.
“Is this the time to be talking of the Diamond, you fool? Don’t you know, the Emperor is dead.” shouted Hiranya. Krishnan Raman felt very sad. Atleast, Hiranya could have addressed the Emperor respectfully. He was after all his son. Hiranya was not happy with the way the events had shaped out as he did not want to be taking the orders of Kulothunga who was more of a gambler and power hungry kind but was touted to be the successor to the throne. His bitterness towards his father grew due to the wayward ways of Kulothunga.
Krishnan Raman knew about this but he was deeply worried about the imminent danger to the fifty year old glorious reign of Emperor Mutharaiyar. It was only he and the Emperor who knew that the Diamond held the secret to the invincibility of the Empire.
Valli Mayil hated Emperor Mutharaiyar’s first wife Kundavai as she could not reign in Kulothunga and ignored him. She did not like the importance that the Emperor gave to Krishnan Raman. She nursed the ambition of hoisting Hiranya to the throne as the heir to Emperor Mutharaiyar as she did not want her sons to suffer if anything adverse happened to their father. Krishnan Raman was aware of the bickering within the Royal family. He was certain that the Diamond could have been stolen by an insider who was closely related. Who could it be?
Kundavai was avoiding him and not on speaking terms with him though she had issued orders through her aides that Krishnan Raman take over the charge of the Empire.
Krishnan Raman started thinking who could be behind the missing of the Diamond.
Kulothunga was the successor to the throne. He could not have stolen it. Even if Kulothunga had come to know of the secret from his father he could have asserted himself with the diamond.
Hiranmaya the second son of Valli Mayil, much to her displeasure was more into spirituality and Grandfather Elangovathiarayan was his inspiration. He had already set off for Mount Kailas the abode of Lord Shiva after listening to the stories of his grandfather by the court poets.
Hiranya was the most valorous among the sons of Mutharaiyar and Emperor Mutharaiyar loved him more than his first son Kulothunga. But Hiranya was not happy with the Godly status of his step mother Kundavai and wanted his mother Valli Mayil to occupy center stage in the Empire. He was averse to the vices of his step brother and rightful heir Kulothunga had and hated his father for not keeping Kulothunga under tight leash. Is there any chance that Hiranya had done it? He hoped it was not.
Krishnan Raman was aware that owner of the diamond held the control of the Empire. He spread the news around the Empire that the diamond was a part of the family tradition and needs to be restored as it was the last wish of Emperor Mutharaiyar.
His efforts were of no consequence as no one paid heed to him. Queen Valli Mayil was running the kingdom on her own terms. There were two power centers emerging. The palace had already got divided into two camps, one of Kundavai and the other of Valli Mayil. Valli Mayil also sent feelers to the Sinhala kingdom to stage a coup and hoist Hiranya to the throne. Krishnan Raman tried his best to bring a truce between the two Queens but his efforts were thwarted by Hiranya. There seemed to be an imminent war building up between Kundavai led by Krishnan Raman and Valli Mayil led by Hiranya. Kundavai kept silent and kept him out of reach.
Krishnan Raman had no choice but to act. He was probably grasping at straws in search for some way out.
Fiercely loyal to the Emperor Mutharaiyar, Krishnan Raman summoned his troops and waged a battle with Hiranya. Krishnan Raman’s trusted soldiers and Hiranya’s army drew their weapons and took up battle positions as their soldiers charged in for a bitter and bloody battle. Hiranyas army was bigger and stronger as they were backed by the Sinhala Army. The battle raged on for a week. Each time Krishnan Raman appeared to be winning the battle but Hiranya emerged with much bigger army. The rest of the kingdoms in the South and even some from the North sensed an opportunity to share the loot of the Tanjore Empire. The powerful naval forces of the Tanjore Empire did not participate in the war and remained neutral. There was confusion within the ranks regarding whose orders to follow?
The vultures hovering around the skies to devour on the dead could not even fly. Their stomachs were so full. The citizens who lived so happily under Emperor Mutharaiyar got entangled in this bloody battle among the sons. Women and children no longer felt secured women and children no longer felt secured. The seemingly endless war was interrupted abruptly with the news of the death of Valli Mayil which sent shockwaves across the Empire.
–by Suresh Iyer
To be continued..
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