If love had prevailed (Ponniyin Selvan AU)

Annavin manam inge illai

Translation: My elder brother's thoughts aren't here

It had been 15 minutes since Aditha's painful descent by ladder, back to the temple, when the Chola soldiers arrived with Nambi to arrest the assassin.

Now, as a prince of the kingdom, Karikalan's focus should have been on the issue at hand. How had they got through the guards? Where were they from? Was anyone powerful or influential a spy? And how did they know the prince would be there?

However, something entirely different had taken up all the space in his mind, rent free. 

Her enchanting voice. Her beautiful, moon-like face. Her triumphant smile. 

Her catching him as he fell. Her hands on him. He was pretty sure sparks had erupted under his skin in those seconds.

And now with Nandini sitting mere millimeters away from, he couldn't even remember his own name. All his energy was being put into not blatantly staring at her.

His brother right beside him was surprisingly having similar issues. Poonguzhali was tending to his sister right now and he couldn't keep his eyes off her. In her red sari and under the light of the temple deepams, she looked like Parvati herself.

But if anyone asked, he could say he was looking at his sister, worried for her, which he was. So he just kept staring.

Nambi, on the other hand, was devastated that the bhakthi-filled Krishna puja had been interrupted by those barbarians. Who would dare attack a temple! A Vishnu one at that! Now the usually peace giving temple was flooded with soldiers, some arresting the assassin (whom Nambi had punched quite a few times), some checking the forests and a few who had the audacity to flirt with the young women there. 

Nambi saw red. 'The nerve these people have, to display their romances in the presence of the Maha Vishnu!'

He immediately started (politely) shooing the extra soldiers out of the temple. "I told you we only need ten soldiers here, why are there almost 30?"

"No, we thought extra support would be needed-"

"No, no need for that, my good man, you may leave. Oh and take the royal children with you, their wounds must be properly tended to", he replied, with a sugary smile on his face.

"But the princess is still unconscious, Nambiyaare, how can we take her?" they asked, trying their best to stay there.

"Take the other 2, its almost sunrise, they have been up all night! Half the palace will be searching for them! Only if you go can you send a stretcher for the princess."

The soldiers, now having given up their attempts, called to the princes. Arulmozhi responded and got up immediately, but Aditha Karikalan was lost in a world of his own. 

We already know who that world consists of.

"Anna come we must leave", said Arulmozhi, but gained no response.

"Anna, come on, get up, we must leave, appa will scold the hell out of us", Arulmozhi insisted a little more powerfully, but no avail. The soldiers waiting for them were getting curious. Why weren't the princes coming?

Now, even as an eleven year old, Arulmozhi was very observant. He noticed small changes, minute details, things that not everyone saw. So, he had picked up his Anna's feelings towards the girl sitting near them quite fast. 

"Anna, the girl who healed you, that akka is staring at you", he whispered in his elder brother's ear.

Without missing a beat, the crown prince's eyes shot up and looked in her direction, and when he saw her staring not at him but the twinkling stars, he turned to his brother and gave him a glare containing enough venom to even poison a snake.