Three weeks later, the roads leading toward Kanipura became crowded with royal caravans, decorated chariots, mounted escorts, priests, merchants, musicians, and messengers carrying the banners of different kingdoms from across Aryavarta.
The wedding of Karna and Subhadra had become far more than a simple royal marriage now. After the dramatic events at Dvarika, many wished to see with their own eyes what kind of ruler this Suryaputra truly was — the same man who had challenged an entire fortified kingdom alone and then walked away with its princess while still gaining the blessings of her father.
The guests who arrived for the first time found themselves stunned long before they even reached the palace. Especially the ministers sent from Kashi and Mathura.
They had heard stories. They had heard merchants exaggerate. They had heard wandering bards sing praises. But hearing about Kanipura and witnessing it with one's own eyes were completely different things.
The city itself almost looked unreal beneath the golden afternoon sunlight. Wide stone roads stretched clean and orderly throughout the capital like polished rivers of marble. Water channels ran neatly beside the streets, carrying fresh flowing water while workers continuously maintained cleanliness without delay. Flowering trees lined the roads symmetrically, their branches decorated with hanging lamps and orange banners bearing the radiant emblem of the Sun.
The markets bustled with activity, yet not even amidst thousands of citizens could chaos be seen. No screaming tax collectors. No drunken soldiers harassing merchants. No starving beggars lying forgotten near temples. And perhaps most shocking of all… no fear upon the faces of the people.
The ministers from Mathura exchanged uncertain glances repeatedly while moving through the streets. One of them eventually whispered quietly,
"This does not look like a kingdom ruled through fear."
The other answered in disbelief, "That is exactly why it feels dangerous."
Because kingdoms where citizens loved their ruler willingly were far more stable than kingdoms maintained solely through force.
Meanwhile, the entire city glowed with celebration. Fresh mango leaves swayed above doorways while orange and golden flags danced continuously beneath the sea breeze flowing inward from the eastern coast. Lamps had been lit even during the daytime inside temples and public squares while groups of women sang auspicious wedding songs throughout the neighborhoods. Children ran joyfully through the streets carrying small banners with the Surya symbol. Even common households distributed sweets freely to travelers and guests.
The entire kingdom celebrated as though their own son was being married.
Since Karna's marriages with his three queens had taken place in simple ceremonies in their own kingdoms — and at a time when Dakshina Kalinga had not yet developed so much — and since the marriage with Ratnaprabha had been conducted in her underwater city-kingdom as well… this wedding was the first one the citizens of Dakshina Kalinga could celebrate in person and watch with their own eyes. As a result, the celebrations could be seen in every corner of the city, in every household.
At the grand southern gate of Kanipura, the delegation from Hastinapura finally arrived.
At the front rode Yudhishthira upon a decorated royal chariot, calm and dignified as always. Beside him rode Arjuna, his sharp eyes continuously observing the surroundings carefully out of habit. Behind them came the royal palanquin carrying Kunti, while farther back rode Duryodhana and Shakuni along with the rest of the Kuru escorts.
The moment they crossed the city gates… even they could not hide their surprise.
The roads looked spotless. The buildings appeared planned rather than randomly constructed over generations. Every few hundred meters, soldiers stood in disciplined formations wearing polished armor beneath the blazing Surya banners.
But what truly shocked them… were the women.
Entire battalions of women soldiers patrolled the city with complete seriousness. Some carried spears. Some bows. Some shields. And not one among them looked ornamental. Their steps moved in rhythm. Their eyes remained sharp. Their discipline rivaled elite palace guards. Even the people around them behaved naturally, as though this sight had long become ordinary.
Arjuna unconsciously slowed his horse slightly while observing a passing female cavalry patrol. Yudhishthira himself looked visibly thoughtful. Meanwhile, Duryodhana smirked proudly after noticing their reactions.
"What did I tell you, Uncle?" he said toward Shakuni. "This is still nothing. Wait until you see the Sun Palace."
Shakuni's eyes wandered slowly through the city while calculating thoughts hid behind his smile.
"My nephew," he murmured honestly, "I heard rumors about Dakshina Kalinga's prosperity many times… but hearing about gold and actually seeing gold are different matters."
As they moved deeper toward the palace district, even Yudhishthira's composed expression changed slightly. The gigantic Surya Palace rose ahead like a mountain of gold and white stone beneath the sunlight. Its domes reflected brilliant radiance while massive pillars engraved with solar patterns towered across the enormous complex. Waterfalls flowed beside elevated gardens, and enormous statues of Surya stood at the entrances like divine guardians watching over the kingdom.
But amidst all that beauty… Yudhishthira's thoughts remained stuck elsewhere. His eyes once again drifted toward another female patrol unit marching nearby.
After a pause, he finally spoke thoughtfully.
"It feels strange."
Everyone looked toward him.
Yudhishthira continued slowly,
"Karna himself is a Maharathi. A warrior capable of raiding even Dvarika alone. I heard about the powerful Suryasena and their stories of how they often fight against Rakshasa tribes, making sure they will not get out of their territories." His brows narrowed slightly in confusion. "Why does he rely on women to protect the city?"
Even Arjuna quietly wondered the same thing. To them, this was entirely outside normal royal customs.
Before anyone else could answer, the royal envoy escorting them smiled respectfully.
"Our Maharaj believes," the envoy said proudly, "that land is not only for men to protect. Protection of the kingdom is the duty of every citizen."
The Kuru princes looked toward him.
The envoy continued while guiding their procession through the streets.
"To be truthful," he admitted, "even we citizens struggled to understand Maharaj's thoughts in the beginning." He laughed lightly at the memory. "We too believed women should remain inside homes, raise children, manage households, and stay away from warfare. Making women protect the land often made us feel weak…"
Then his face brightened with admiration.
"But two years ago…" his voice gained excitement, "everything changed."
Duryodhana already knew the story. But the others listened carefully.
"Our Maharani Mrinalini challenged those who questioned Maharaj's decision to implement them to protect the city," the envoy continued proudly. Then he grinned. "Then Maharani entered the arena."
Even Arjuna became more interested now.
"She fought one hundred soldiers alone," the envoy declared. "And defeated them with ease. All of them were Rathi-class warriors. A hundred of them could not defeat our Maharani."
Shakuni raised one eyebrow slightly.
The envoy continued enthusiastically,
"People across Aryavarta praise Panchala Princess Shikandini for her battle skills, but compared to our Maharani…" He shook his head proudly. "Princess Shikandini would not even qualify as a proper battlefield commander here."
Yudhishthira listened silently.
"Afterward," the envoy continued, "Maharaj gradually opened schools for girls. Then education for common-born daughters too. They study in the city rather than outside in gurukuls."
That finally startled them more than the army itself.
"Education for all girls?" Arjuna asked.
The envoy nodded.
"Our Maharaj says a mother is the first guru of every child." His tone grew thoughtful now. "Before a child reaches gurukul, it learns speech, behavior, values, and thought from its mother. Then how can an ignorant mother raise a wise generation?"
Yudhishthira's eyes widened faintly.
"That…" he admitted honestly, "is something worthy of praise."
The Crown Prince looked toward the female battalions again with entirely new thoughts forming inside his mind.
"The personification of knowledge herself is Devi Saraswati," he said slowly, "yet we deny knowledge to women. And even when we do, it is given in the homes, privately to their daughters… I too agree that education should not be a luxury that can be restricted by caste, gender, or prosperity. It is a right of every single human." He paused thoughtfully. "Still… such sudden changes can also create instability within a kingdom."
The envoy immediately answered before Yudhishthira could continue further.
"Our Maharaj does not act by fearing consequences."
Yudhishthira looked toward him curiously.
The envoy smiled faintly.
"He says dharma is like planting a tree." His voice remained simple yet firm. "When planting the seed, if a man spends all his time worrying whether storms may come one day, whether birds may eat the fruit, whether travelers may break branches… then he will never plant the tree at all. And neither will he ever see a tree that bears fruit."
The streets around them remained lively with celebration as the envoy continued.
"Maharaj always says," he added, "'Do what is right first. Leave the result to Parameshwara.'"
Then, after a pause, the envoy looked directly toward Yudhishthira respectfully and said,
"When a person focuses only upon the destination and not the path… eventually, he loses the road itself."