Compared to the storms, battles, politics, and endless travels of the previous year, these two months almost felt unreal in their calmness.
Karna spent most of his days between court assemblies, military inspections, temple visits, and private evenings with his family.
The palace gardens once again became filled with children's laughter while musicians played softly during the evenings and the scent of sandalwood lamps drifted endlessly through the royal corridors after sunset.
And during these two months…
His relationship with his young queen, Ratnaprabha, deepened greatly.
The shy Naga Princess, who once could barely speak more than a few hesitant words outside Karna's presence, slowly began opening herself to the other queens, too.
Though her serpent-like violet eyes and unusual mannerisms still occasionally startled palace servants, the fear around her gradually faded.
Mrinalini treated her gently like a younger sister, while Sumedha often patiently explained court customs and human etiquette to her whenever Ratnaprabha became confused about palace traditions.
Only Dhavani…
Remained entirely different.
Because the moment Dhavani discovered that Ratnaprabha was an exceptionally talented cook…
War began.
A completely one-sided war.
And unfortunately for Karna…
He became the battlefield.
One evening, Karna returned exhausted from court only to find the royal dining chamber filled with unusual tension. Multiple dishes had been arranged across the long, polished table while Ratnaprabha and Dhavani sat opposite each other with strangely calm expressions that looked far more dangerous than open hostility.
Karna immediately sensed danger.
"What happened?" he asked carefully while sitting down.
Dhavani smiled sweetly.
"Nothing, Maharaj," she said. "We merely prepared dinner together."
Ratnaprabha quietly nodded beside her.
But Karna noticed Sumedha hiding her smile behind a cup while Mrinalini suspiciously avoided eye contact altogether.
That alone confirmed disaster.
The first dish Karna tasted belonged to Ratnaprabha.
The flavors were balanced perfectly. The kheer practically melted apart with the softness of butter, while the spices carried warmth without overpowering the natural sweetness of the meat. Even the fragrance itself felt calming.
Karna nodded honestly.
"This is excellent."
Ratnaprabha's face brightened slightly.
Then came Dhavani's turn.
The moment Karna placed the food into his mouth…
His soul nearly departed his body.
The dish that looks both soupy yet like a porridge, somehow managed to taste simultaneously burnt, overly sweet, painfully salty, and strangely bitter all at once. His throat tightened while his eyes watered slightly from the sheer confusion of flavors assaulting him.
Karna didn't even have to ask who made it.
Yet Dhavani stared at him expectantly with sparkling eyes.
"How is it?"
Karna sat completely still.
For a long moment, the great warrior who faced celestial weapons without fear genuinely struggled to answer.
Then finally he swallowed with visible effort and replied carefully, "It is… memorable." After a pause, he put on a smile, "As always. I'm sure you made this Halwa, right?"
Dhavani's face lit up in happiness. "I knew that Maharaj loves me the most."
"Ye… Yeah… I do..." Karna forced to keep a strained smile on his face, the veins visible around his neck. "By the way, Dear, I just had a small doubt. What did you make it with?"
Dhavani delightfully replied, "Maharaj, you still haven't recognized it? I combined two of your favorite dishes to create such a masterpiece, though."
Karna's face stiffened at once, "My favorite." But then, taking a breath, he asked, "I love a lot of foods, Dear. There are so many that I couldn't keep count. Can you tell me what it is made of?"
Dhavani replied, "Jungle Jadoo Khichdi, Maharaj. It has Kathal Ke Dande (Jackfruit) and Kaddu ke Moon (Pumpkin roots). I made a fusion of Kathal ke Dande ka Shorba (jackfruit stem broth) and Kaddu ke Mool ka Bharta (Earthy pumpkin root mash) with lots of spices you brought from Kuru, Matsya, and Dwaraka, to create this dish, Maharaj."
Karna, for a few moments, just stared at his wife. He cannot lie, and yet, he cannot tell the truth to Dhavani's face either. Not knowing how to react or what to say about this artist who is filled with a lot of creative ideas in her head and leading to disastrous dishes every time, he could only put on a strained smile and took another spoon to consume it.
Watching this, Sumedha and Mrinalini glanced at one another, trying to best hide their smiles. Meanwhile, Ratnaprabha looked at Karna with a pitiful gaze.
She couldn't imagine how a great warrior like her husband, the one who ended her father's tyranny, the one who defeated Narakasura, one who ended Kamsa, one who defeated the mighty Jarasandha just become this pathetic when it comes to Dhavani's cooking.
Meanwhile, Karna continuously swallowed the food, trying his best to eat the dishes made by Dhavani while enjoying the delicacies made by Ratnaprabha.
Thus…
Karna lived through both heaven and hell during meals for the next several weeks.
Still…
The happiness inside the palace remained genuine.
For the first time in years, Karna himself felt life settling peacefully around him.
Meanwhile, outside the palace walls, the trade agreement with Dvarika also reached completion.
The payment of 18 lakh gold coins arrived officially through Dvarika's envoys along with signed agreements bearing the royal seals of King Vasudeva and Crown Prince Balarama. The twenty large cargo vessels promised in the agreement had already begun their round-trip journey along the coastline of Bharatvarsha and were expected to reach Kanipura within another four months.
But true to his nature…
Karna honored his side of the agreement even before receiving the ships themselves.
The weapon consignments had already departed weeks earlier.
Thousands of swords, spears, armors, maces, and shields forged from Dakshina Kalinga's renowned ironworks traveled westward alongside merchant caravans and royal escorts carrying Karna's seal.
Everything proceeded smoothly.
Or at least…
Until another arrival came from Dvarika.
One afternoon, Karna rested quietly inside his chamber after court.
Warm sea breeze entered gently through the carved stone windows while faint temple bells echoed distantly from the city outside.
He sat cross-legged beside the open balcony, slowly playing the veena with calm concentration while sunlight reflected softly across the polished wood of the instrument.
The melody remained peaceful.
Steady.
Almost meditative.
Then a palace servant arrived, announcing the arrival of one of Dvarika's messengers.
Karna stopped playing.
The messenger who entered was not unfamiliar to him. Karna immediately recognized him as one of Dvarika's scouts. More specifically…
The brother of Princess Subhadra's personal servant.
That alone already told Karna enough.
The messenger respectfully lowered his head and presented a sealed letter.
Karna accepted it quietly.
The moment he recognized the handwriting…
His expression changed slightly.
Slowly, he opened the letter.
Inside…
Subhadra's emotions poured forth without restraint.
She wrote how she originally believed her feelings toward him were merely admiration born after he saved her life from Narakasura. She wrote how she tried convincing herself that it was a temporary fascination, the same way someone admires the moon while knowing the moon cannot belong to them.
But the more time passed…
The worse it became.
She confessed that she found herself searching for him everywhere.
During nights, she stared at the moon and remembered him playing the veena near Somnath Mandir.
During festivals, she compared every warrior to him and found them lacking. She admitted that even hearing his name from merchants passing through Dvarika made her heart race uncontrollably.
One line especially lingered in Karna's thoughts.
"When the ocean waves strike the shores of Dvarika during the night, I feel as if they carry your name toward me again and again."
At the end…
She directly confessed her love.
And expressed her wish to marry him.
Karna remained silent long after finishing the letter.
The sea breeze continued moving gently through the room while the unfinished veena melody lingered faintly inside the silence around him.
He thought about Dvarika.
About Subhadra.
About the day at Somnath Mandir.
About the cliff battle against Narakasura.
And finally…
About the Syamantakamani itself.
Though the jewel had been given as dowry by the Samudra Naga Clan, Karna understood one undeniable truth clearly.
If Subhadra had not been abducted…
If he had not chased Narakasura…
If fate had not intertwined their paths…
The Syamantakamani would never have entered his hands.
Their destinies had crossed for a reason.
At least…
That was what Karna felt.
After a long silence, he finally prepared a reply.
The messenger departed immediately afterward, carrying Karna's sealed response back toward Dvarika.
Several days later, after finally arriving at the western city, the messenger secretly passed the letter to his sister so she could discreetly deliver it to Princess Subhadra.
But fate…
Rarely allowed secrecy to remain hidden for long.
While hurrying through the palace corridors carrying the letter hidden carefully inside her cloth folds, the servant accidentally collided with someone turning around the corner.
The impact knocked her balance away instantly.
She fell onto the polished floor with a startled cry while the folded letter slipped loose and slid several feet away across the corridor stones.
And unfortunately…
The person she collided with was none other than Revati, Balaram's wife. She frowned immediately.
Before the terrified servant could react, Revati calmly bent down and picked up the letter herself.
The servant's face turned pale.
"Rajkumari…" she whispered fearfully.
But Revati had already unfolded the letter.
As her eyes moved across the contents…
Her expression slowly hardened.
Not with anger alone.
But with concern.
Deep concern.
After finishing the letter completely, Revati folded it back carefully and looked toward the trembling servant.
"You were taking this to Subhadra?"
The servant lowered her head helplessly.
Revati exhaled slowly.
Then without another word…
She turned around and walked directly toward the chambers of Balarama, carrying Karna's letter in her hands.