At Mahishmati,
All the prisoners of war, the previous General of Mahishmati, Senapathi Bhairava Varma and the soldiers were tied and herded like animals in the town square. Subahu sneeringly asked, "What do you choose? To join my army, reinforce my strength and serve under me or an ignoble death?"

General Gomukha spoke, "For generations our ancestors and entire family served Maharaj Mahendra and his family as slaves to the throne. I was Sarvasainyadhipathi Katappa's right hand man when he was alive. After his death, I assumed this charge. It is my greatest regret that I was unable to fulfil the trust reposed in me by Maharaj Mahendra when he left leaving Mahishmati in my care. Maharaj Mahendra freed all of us and our future generations from the yoke of slavery. My hands and legs are tied. But I am a free man today. I would rather die a free man than remain alive by accepting the yoke of servitude under you."

"If that is your wish, then I can have nothing more to say. So be it!" Subahu agreed.

He signaled the Kalakeyas to leave the General in an arena with two wild elephants. Gomukha's hands and legs were bound so he was not able to move even an inch. What happened in that arena was such a gruesome sight none could forget! As the General was mowed down by the elephants and drops of blood splashed all around on everyone's faces, the spirit of most of the other soldiers and prisoners of war broke.

They agreed to join the army of the Kalakeyas and serve Subahu. These soldiers were inducted into the army of the Kalakeyas. The few soldiers who were still vacillating whether to join Subahu's army or not and Senapathi Bhairava Varma who firmly refused to join Subahu's army were sent to a newly established war concentration camp in the Gauri Parvat.

This huge and looming mountain of the Sapthagiris was depeopled and evacuated of all the people for whom it had been the home for generations together. These people were exiled to distant corners of Mahishmati's subordinate kingdoms. When the center, Mahishmati itself fell, all the subordinate kingdoms including Kunthala had deemed it wise to follow the diktats of the new center, the Kalakeyas under Subahu.

"Does anybody have anything else to say?" Subahu thundered. "Now proceed with the formal coronation ceremony, Raj Guru."

The Raj Guru of Mahishmati read out the proceedings of the coronation of Subahu in a dead and lifeless voice, "With the Udayagiri Mountains as the eastern borders, the Malava Islands as its western borders, hemmed in by Kunthala and the other subordinate kingdoms to its north, and with the dense and fierce forests of Kathari, Surani and Kalakeya to the south stands the strong and mighty kingdom of Mahishmati."

"The kingdom of Mahishmati,
Indefeatable and indestructible,
Resplendent like the Sun, Moon and Stars,
May your glory flourish forever!

Strong and impenetrable,
Feared by enemies,
Possessing four divisions of army including horse cavalry,
May you be victorious in all your endeavors!"

Subahu smirked as he said in an aside audible only to his mother, Kamaroopi, "Strong and impenetrable....That which cannot fall apart before external enemies falls apart from within....."

Kamaroopi nodded in agreement, "True....Subahu....Where we Kalakeyas have been failing since generations, you have won by doing precisely this. I bore you just to see this day. You are the pride of the Kalakeyas. You reinstated our position."

"Didn't Eiravati come to attend the ceremony?" Subahu asked, eagerness and anticipation filling the dark outlines of his contours.

Kamaroopi replied, "No. She will not be able to come to such huge gatherings for a few more days. It has been only a few days since her childbirth. It is not good for either her or your son." She continued with a bit of irritation, "Anyways, she is too chicken-hearted for such things. I wish you had chosen a Kalakeyan lady as your wife instead of Eiravati. Your son has inherited her fair complexion. He does not look one bit like you or any of us. I just hope he has not inherited her meekness too. She has christened him as Narasimha without consulting any of us. But all the same, the name is not bad. It does befit a scion of our Kalakeyan race."

Subahu, his hardened features softening a little bit while talking about Eiravati, "Eira is very beautiful mother....very..." Pausing for a second before continuing, "Moreover, my marriage to her was a compromise....a political compromise....We have benefitted a lot from that compromise, haven't we? You know she is Vijayamarthanda's only sister. We wouldn't have won Mahishmati today without his support and help."

Kamaroopi agreed, "I know....I know....You have to tolerate certain things to gain certain things....I too did the same....Your father was Bhallaladeva, a Mahishmatian himself. Okay let's talk about all this later. Looks like the priest is done with his mumbling jumbling. It's time for your oath."

Subahu took his oath as the king, "I Subahu, son of Bhallaladeva and Kamaroopi take charge as the Sovereign King of Mahishmati and Kalakeyas. I will work for the unity, welfare and sovereignty of all the citizens of my kingdom."

Kamaroopi placed the crown given to her by the Raj Guru on Subahu's head. It seemed as though the voices of all the Mahishmatians had been muted. Nobody clapped or cheered for their new king. There was only helpless resignation and pin drop silence. They knew the price they would have to pay if they opposed. So they kept quiet. They let the things happen.
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Eiravati was fidgeting about in her room. Looking at Trinetrini, she said, "I wish I too could attend the ceremony!"

"Why? So that everyone gets to know that you did not bear this child? And that you merely picked him up near a forest stream? Anybody looking at you now would be able to tell that you did not bear a child!" Trinetrini remonstrated.

Eira spoke, "I am sorry, Trinetrini. I will take care in future. I wonder how the ceremony must be proceeding....."

Trinetrini cheekily, "Who knows?.....I heard two maids gossiping in the corridor. If ever there was a description of the Ravana Pattabhishekam in the  scriptures....this one would verily resemble that!"

Eira looking as though to expostulate Trinetrini, "Trinetrini....what pleasure do you get by tormenting me with such words?.....Subahu......is really not so bad.....You wouldn't say that if you knew him the way I did...."

Trinetrini continuing in the same vein, "Don't I know him?......Subahu is good.....but only to you......Can't you see his wickedness and sadism to the others? Why do you pretend as though you do not see all this though it is right before your eyes? I have been your doctor, your friend and companion for years together....How many were the times, I had wished you chose to marry somebody like us and not a Kalakeyan! But he was your choice. You loved him....and loved him so much that you were going to commit suicide if I hadn't stopped you."

"I got really scared....I was afraid Subahu would abandon me according to the law of the Kalakeyas.....If we hadn't got this child.....if you hadn't stopped me that day.....I would may be have died..." agreed Eiravati.

Trinetrini looking at the golden-hued and blue-eyed boy in her lap, "Well....whatever you say about Subahu, I care the least. I merely tolerate him as your friend and companion.....But this child is a darling sweetheart....What a sweet smile.....One can never stop looking at him.....or fondling him....You'd better take care that.....that obnoxious husband of yours leaves him alone and lets him be the way he is and does not tamper with him..."

Trinetrini began fondling little Narasimha in her lap.
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Maharaj Subahu, the new King of Mahishmati commissioned a famed historian, "Write about the famed history of the Kalakeyas and their mighty achievements in the history of Mahishmati. Write about how the noble Kalakeyas who waged three consecutive wars against the evil Kings of Mahishmati, Amarendra, Bhallaladeva, and Mahendra and overthrew them reinstating truth and justice."

The historian demmured, "But that is not the true history....The Kalakeyas lost the previous two times they attacked Mahishmati....Though Maharaj Bhallaladeva was evil, Amarendra and Mahendra were very noble..."

Kamaroopi shook her head saying, "These learned men and their eccentric quirks!......History is what the victors write! All this truth will be forgotten in a few years. What will remain then is your written word of what happened. Who has the time to verify these versions and sift for the truth?......Write a nice story the way Maharaj Subahu wants you to write....The Victor is always Right!"
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At Kardalivan
The Raktabijas who had been unconscious because of getting hurt by Aparaajitha's boomerang (From now on Bhagiradhi is going to be called Aparaajitha by everyone) now became conscious. They accepted Aparaajitha as their leader and agreed to follow whatever she ordered.

Shodasi Devi spoke for the first time, "From now on, Princess Bhagiradhi will be called Aparaajitha. I will also assume the new name and identity of Annapoorna. Everyone will call us by our newly assumed names for the sake of security. All of us have to go incognito and regroup and strengthen ourselves militarily in order to take on Subahu. But we have to do all this very carefully. Both Mahishmati and Vijayapuri have fallen into the hands of the Kalakeyas. We need a safe haven from where we can operate with impunity. Does anybody have any suggestions?"

Samarth, the aide-de-camp of Senapathi Bhairava Varma suggested, "We are so many in number. It would be impossible for us to hide anywhere in the mainland of Mahishmati or the subordinate kingdoms of Mahishmati, Ashwakootam or Vijayapuri without being discovered. I suggest the Malava Islands...."

Everyone unanimously echoed in surprise, "Malava Islands......"

"Technically speaking, the Malava islands are a part of the kingdom of Mahishmati. But they are completely uninhabited. Nobody goes over there or lives there. To tell the truth, nobody bothers about what is happening in those islands. After several of our merchant ships got shipwrecked in the vicinity of the dangerous waters surrounding the islands, all ships were banned from going anywhere near those islands" said Samarth.

Annapoorna (Shodasi's name from now on) inquired, "If those islands are so dangerous for navigating vessels, are they not dangerous for us too?"

Samarth replied, "Not exactly. I was part of a reconnaissance team deputed by Senapathi Bhairava Varma to map these islands and its waterways. All those details are etched in my memory. I will be able to safely lead all of you there through these tricky waterways. But for that, we have to build our own ships and boats right from the scratch."

Aparaajitha proclaimed, "Then it is agreed. The Malava islands will be our new homeland. A kingdom is from its people. Where we live is our new Mahishmati and Vijayapuri. What we make out of our own lives today is history for the future generations. We will create our own kingdom and history."

THUS WAS BORN A KINGDOM WITHOUT A HISTORY!
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End of Book Three: A Kingdom without a History.