When the nurse came running to tell them that the spy was being tied up and brought to the street, the hearts of all three were agitated. Kundavai's heart was very upset.
"Devi! Shall we go and see how that clever spy's face is?" said Nandhini.
Kundavai hesitantly asked, "What do we care about him?"
"All right then!" said Nandhini carelessly.
"I will go and see," said Kanthamaran and got up.
"Don't; You will not be able to walk, you will fall!" said Nandhini.
As if Kundavai had changed her mind, she said, "Why don't we see how his dear friend is? You can see it from the balcony of this palace, don't you?"
"I know very well; Come with me!" said Nandhini getting up and walking.
Kanthamaran said, "Devi! If he is my friend, he should tell my uncle and arrange for me to meet him!"
"How do we know if he is your friend?" asked Nandhini.
"In that case, I will also come!" said Kanthamaran, stumbling along.
The three of them went to the balcony of the palace. Seven or eight horses were approaching at a distance. Soldiers with spears were coming over them. A man was walking among the horses. His hands were tied to his back with rope. The two ends of the rope were held by horsemen on either side.
Not far from the soldiers came a mob of onlookers.
From the balcony of the palace the face of the man walking among the horses was not at first visible.
There was silence on the balcony of the palace until the procession drew nearer.
Kundavai's eyes were full of curiosity and concern and were absorbed in the approaching procession.
Nandhini was peeping into the street and immediately looking at Kundavai's face.
Kanthamaran broke the silence that was residing there.
"No; He is not Vandhiyathevan!"
Kundavai's face lit up.
At that moment the strange procession had arrived at the base of the palace dome. He walked among the horsemen, bound with a rope, and looked up. Kundavai came to know that he was the doctor's son.
Without expressing her happiness, Kundavai said, "What madness is this? Why are they dragging him along? Isn't he the son of a doctor from Pazhaiyarai?"
He looked up and opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something. By then the rope that had bound him on both sides had pushed him forward.
"Oh! Is it? My brotherinlaw's men are always like this. Instead of the real culprit, they will catch someone and harass them! Nandhini said.
Meanwhile, Kanthamaran asked, "Will Vandhiyathevan get caught by them so easily? Is my friend a great Indrajit? Will the one who deceived me fall into the hands of these people?"
"You still call him your friend!" said Nandhini.
"He has become a traitor. But my love for him hasn't changed!" said Kanthamaran.
"Perhaps they have killed your beautiful friend. I heard that these soldiers followed two spies to Kodikarai," said Nandhini and looked at Kundavai's face.
She understood that the word "could have killed" made Kundavai shudder. Hit the arrogant! I got a good weapon to take revenge on you! If I don't use it properly, I am not Pazhuvur Ilaiyarani! Wait! Wait!
Kundavai turned her anxiety into anger and said, "Spies are spies! Just nonsense! These old men have lost their senses! Anyone who is suspicious! Wasn't it I who had sent this doctor's son to Kodikarai to get herbs? Why have they taken him? I am going to go and ask your brother-in-law right now!"
"Oh! Is this the man you sent? Goddess! You said suspicious? Even I have a suspicion now. Did you just send him to fetch herbs? Did you send another person as well?" asked Nandhini.
"I sent another man with him. I asked one of the two to go to the island of Ilankai."
"Aha! Now I understand everything! It happened just as I suspected!"
"I don't understand anything. What did you suspect? What has happened?"
"There is no doubt anymore; Certainly, My Lady! Is the man you sent with him already known to you? A new man?"
Kundavai hesitated for a while and said, "A new man? An old man? He brought the letter from Kanchipuram; He came from my brother."
"That's him! It's him!"
"Who is it?"
"He is the spy! Here also he said that he had brought a letter to the emperor..."
"For what reason did they suspect him of being a spy?"
"What do I know about that? That's all about men! In fact, the spy had acted suspiciously. Otherwise, why flee secretly into the night? Why stab this sadhu man in the back?"
"I don't believe he stabbed him in the back. If he had been stabbed, why did he take him back and put him in that dumb man's house?"
"You are saying as if you were with me, Devi! You felt so much sympathy for that spy. He must have some magical power. Even he still calls him his friend, doesn't he? How, what? The life that is gone will not come back. If these soldiers had killed him..."
Sweat beaded on Kundavai's face. His eyes were red. His throat choked and his chest was pounding. "It won't happen! Never," she said to herself.
"If the spy is as clever as he says..." She said.
"Yes, Princess! Vandhiyathevan will never be caught by these people!" said Kanthamaran.
"If he is not caught now, he will be caught another day!" said Nandhini.
Kundavai clenched her teeth and said, "Who knows what will happen tomorrow?"
Then he said indignantly, "The emperor lay ill, but he lay down; The kingdom has been turned upside down! What right have they to seize the men I sent to fetch herbs? I'll go and ask my father."
"Devi! Why bother the emperor, who is emaciated with illness? Why don't you ask my brotherinlaw? Perhaps he did not know what they wanted. If informed, he acts accordingly. Who would dare to go against the wishes of the junior stateswoman in this Chola kingdom?" said Nandhini.
Nandhini won the battle between the two female tigers. Kundavai sustained several injuries on her chest. The princess had to make a great effort not to show them.