The Crown Prince and His Love

Chapter 53|Alai Payuthey|

Flowing waves

Arulmozhi looked at himself in the mirror, making sure the disguise was perfect. If someone identifies him it would be chaotic. Periya Velar entered his tent, looking confused, why was the prince dressed like that? Was he planning to sneak out?

"Ilavarase?" He called out, The look on Arulmozhi's face confirmed his suspicion.

"Mama?" Arulmozhi called, trying to sound innocent.

"Where were you planning to go?" Periya Velar asked, raising a brow.

"To Lanka.." He mumbled, looking down. Periya Velar looked at him incredulously, was this boy insane? How will he go to Lanka all alone?

"Now? Alone?" Periya Velar asked in disbelief. "Are you hearing yourself right now? if something happens to you, who will answer your family?"

Arulmozhi smiled charmingly. "Nothing will happen to me, I fell in the Kaveri River when I was a baby, I survived didn't I?" He said. "Mama, please! I never got to do anything alone ever, let me do this," Periya Velar's silence scared Arulmozhi. "I can also gain intel on Mahindan's forces on the island. It would be the smartest thing to do before landing our troops on unfamiliar grounds,"

Periya Velar shook his head, sighing. "Not until I know who you are going with,"

Arulmozhi smiled as he recollected everything that happened the other night. "With the most skilled sailor in all of Chozha Nadu,"

**********

As far as Arulmozhi was concerned, he had no idea how he had just managed to convince Periya Velar to let him go to Ilankai alone before the troops arrived there. He wasn't going to complain at his good fortune. But convincing the girl proved to be much harder later.

"Why wouldn't she sail with me to Ilankai," He asked Amudhan, the boy who accompanied her last night. Sendhan Amudhan shrugged. She was always picky with whom she traveled usually.

"Well it wouldn't hurt to try, I guess," He said, leading him to the girl's hut, Sendhan told the prince to wait outside and entered the house. The girl he met the other day walked out a few seconds later.

Arulmozhi waited nervously outside, he heard bits and pieces of their conversation. "Amudha, tell him no," He heard her sweet voice echo out of the tiny hut.

"You go and tell him na,"

He heard footsteps marching their way up to the door, and before he knew it, the girl stood in front of the doorsteps.

"I'm sorry, I can't sail to Ilankai--" She paused as soon as she saw his face. Her eyebrows knitted themselves together in intense concentration, Arulmozhi was scared that she might identify him.

"Have we met before?" She asked, he looked suspiciously like the boy her Aunt drew in those caves in Lanka. Maybe she was just overthinking it.

"No...but...I saw you yesterday....sailing through those rough waters, I must say I'm really impressed," Arulmozhi complimented, but her mind was elsewhere, in those caves. "Penne?" He called out, shaking the girl from her thoughts. "Can you please sail with me to Ilankai?"

"I have work, and I don't usually sail with men alone," She said. "Past experiences," She had grown to never trust men after the cruel things that happened to her aunt.

"Which fool would think about hurting you while in the middle of the ocean?" Arulmozhi chuckled. "I do not even know how to swim, I promise I'm not going to hurt you, I just want to reach Lanka safely,"

"Just find someone else,"

"No--I...please?" Arulmozhi asked desperately. "I-I don't trust anyone else," Damn it, why was he stuttering.