Three days passed after the message arrived from Hastinapur.
The palace of Ang had grown unusually active.
Soldiers stood guard along every wall.
Servants rushed through corridors preparing guest chambers.
Messengers came and went from the city gates.
The arrival of a royal prince was not a small matter.
Especially not a prince of Hastinapur, the greatest kingdom in Aryavarta.
Inside the palace courtyard, the Solar Guard continued their training.
Steel clashed repeatedly as warriors sparred in organized formations.
But today, their focus was sharper than usual.
Because everyone knew an important guest would soon arrive.
At the center of the field, Asha of Kalinga stood with her arms crossed.
Her sharp gaze watched the soldiers carefully.
"Hold your stance!"
One soldier stepped forward and thrust his spear.
The opponent parried too slowly.
Asha immediately struck the ground with the wooden staff in her hand.
"Too slow."
The two soldiers straightened nervously.
Asha sighed.
"If the prince of Hastinapur sees you fight like that, he will think Ang trains farmers."
A few soldiers shifted awkwardly.
From the balcony above, Vrinda watched the training while leaning against the stone railing.
She had spent the past days studying reports about the surrounding kingdoms.
Political alliances.
Military strength.
Trade routes.
The arrival of Prince Duryodhana was not simply a friendly visit.
It was politics.
Behind her, footsteps approached.
"You seem busy."
Karna's voice was calm as always.
Vrinda turned slightly.
"I'm preparing."
"For what?"
She gestured toward the road leading north.
"For the man who made you King of Ang."
Karna said nothing.
But her words carried truth.
Years ago in the royal arena of Hastinapur, when Karna had been mocked for his birth…
It was Duryodhana who stood beside him.
Duryodhana who crowned him King of Ang.
And Duryodhana who called him friend.
Vrinda watched Karna carefully.
"Do you trust him?"
Karna looked toward the distant horizon.
"Yes."
The answer came without hesitation.
Vrinda nodded slowly.
Then she said quietly,
"Then I want to meet him."
By midday, horns sounded from the northern gates of the capital.
A signal echoed through the city.
Visitors had arrived.
From the palace balcony, Karna and the others looked down toward the road.
A small but impressive procession entered the city.
At the front rode several heavily armored cavalry soldiers.
Behind them came a royal chariot bearing the banner of the Kuru dynasty.
The banner of Hastinapur fluttered proudly in the wind.
Golden embroidery gleamed beneath the sun.
Citizens gathered along the streets, whispering excitedly.
The chariot slowly approached the palace gates.
When it stopped, a tall warrior stepped down from it.
His posture carried natural authority.
His armor was dark but finely crafted.
His expression confident.
This was Prince Duryodhana of Hastinapur.
He looked up toward the palace balcony.
For a brief moment, his eyes met Karna's.
Then a wide smile appeared on his face.
Minutes later, the prince entered the royal hall of Ang.
The doors opened with a deep echo.
Duryodhana walked forward confidently.
Behind him stood a few trusted warriors of Hastinapur.
Among them was the towering figure of Dushasana.
But Duryodhana's attention focused only on one man.
Karna stood at the center of the hall.
The two warriors faced each other.
For a moment, neither spoke.
Then Duryodhana laughed loudly.
"Karna!"
The tension in the hall instantly broke.
Duryodhana walked forward and gripped Karna's shoulder firmly.
"So the rumors are true."
He stepped back slightly, studying him.
"The Sun King of Ang."
Karna smiled faintly.
"You always enjoyed dramatic titles."
Duryodhana crossed his arms.
"And you always pretended you didn't deserve them."
Their conversation carried the ease of old friendship.
Even the soldiers watching nearby relaxed slightly.
Then Duryodhana's expression became more serious.
"I heard about the battle in the valley."
His eyes sharpened.
"You burned an entire battlefield."
Karna shrugged slightly.
"Enemies sometimes require strong responses."
Duryodhana laughed again.
"That is exactly why I came."
He glanced around the hall.
His gaze briefly paused on Asha and Vrinda.
Then he turned back toward Karna.
"The world is beginning to move, my friend."
His voice lowered slightly.
"Kingdoms are forming alliances."
"Armies are gathering."
"And everyone is asking the same question."
He leaned closer.
"Which side will the King of Ang stand on?"
Silence filled the hall.
The Solar Guard watched carefully.
Vrinda studied Duryodhana's expression.
He was not only a warrior.
He was a politician.
Karna remained calm.
"I stand where I always have."
Duryodhana raised an eyebrow.
"And where is that?"
Karna looked directly at him.
"Beside the man who believed in me when no one else did."
For a moment, Duryodhana said nothing.
Then his smile slowly returned.
"I knew you would say that."
He extended his hand.
"Then let the world watch carefully."
His voice carried quiet power.
"Because the alliance of Hastinapur and Ang will shake every kingdom in Aryavarta."
Across the hall, Asha whispered quietly to Vrinda.
"That man is dangerous."
Vrinda nodded slowly.
"Yes."
Her eyes remained on the two warriors.
"But he is also loyal."
At the center of the hall, Karna clasped Duryodhana's hand firmly.
Outside the palace walls, the winds of destiny were beginning to shift.
And soon…
The entire world would feel the power of the Sun King and the Prince of Hastinapur.