The next journey lasted nearly a week.
Compared to the powerful military atmosphere of Magadha, Uttara Kalinga felt softer and calmer. Green forests stretched endlessly beside the roads while rivers shimmered beneath sunlight and villages appeared lively with fishing communities, craftsmen, and farmers.
When Karna arrived there, his foster sister Bhanumati rushed toward him almost immediately.
Now fourteen years old, Bhanumati no longer looked like a child. Her features had begun maturing into graceful beauty, though traces of youthful curiosity still remained strongly visible in her expressions. The moment Karna stepped down from his chariot, she happily greeted him as her elder brother while immediately asking about the gifts he promised from Dvarika.
Karna handed her several carefully selected ornaments, seashell jewelry, colorful silk garments, perfumes, and small carved ivory decorations unique to western coastal markets.
Bhanumati's eyes sparkled brightly.
Meanwhile, it was there that Duryodhana met her for the first time.
But because she was still young, Duryodhana paid little attention beyond formal greetings. In his mind, she remained merely Karna's foster sister.
However…
Bhanumati herself became quietly curious about him.
Because before this, the only royal prince she truly knew closely was Karna.
And compared to Karna's calm, controlled demeanor, Duryodhana felt very different.
Louder.
More expressive.
More emotionally transparent.
Most importantly, he looked like a quite strong and muscled warrior.
She occasionally watched him from a distance during meals or military discussions, especially when he argued passionately about politics or warfare. Sometimes she even laughed quietly, listening to how dramatically he complained about the Pandavas.
And though Duryodhana barely noticed it…
Karna did.
After staying several days there, the massive journey resumed once more.
Now together with nearly 155000 cattle, nine thousand war horses, thousands of soldiers, chariots, elephants, and supply caravans…
They finally began the last great stretch toward Dakshina Kalinga.
Seven more exhausting days passed.
Then…
At long last…
Kanipura appeared.
The moment the city's outer silhouette emerged against the horizon beneath the golden evening sunlight, Duryodhana unconsciously slowed his horse.
And simply stared.
The city walls themselves already looked majestic beyond comparison.
Massive white stone fortifications layered with golden sun motifs stretched across an enormous distance while tall defensive towers reflected sunlight brilliantly.
Behind the walls rose multi-layered palaces, temples, market domes, water channels, and hanging gardens connected through elevated pathways and terraces.
The city did not merely look wealthy.
It looked alive.
Organized.
Powerful.
A dangerous mixture of prosperity and military discipline.
And for a brief moment… Greed appeared inside Duryodhana's eyes.
Not simple admiration.
But greed.
The kind of envy born when someone suddenly sees something they wish belonged to them.
Yet he quickly suppressed it.
As they entered the city itself, tens of thousands of citizens already filled both sides of the roads waiting for Karna's return. Flower petals continuously rained from balconies while children shouted excitedly and women waved lamps from windows.
"Maharaj Karna ki Jai!"
"Maharaj Karna ki Jai!"
The chants reverberated endlessly across the streets like rolling thunder.
Duryodhana watched all of it carefully.
The people were neither cheering out of fear nor obligation.
They genuinely loved Karna. He could see it.
And that realization affected him more deeply than he expected.
Because ruling through fear was common.
Ruling through dharma and gaining their respect was common. That's what Yudhisthira does.
But ruling through affection… Being loved by people is...
That was far rarer. Something they could only hear in the stories from Treta Yuga.
At last, they reached the royal palace.
The palace gates opened slowly while royal conches echoed through the courtyards. Servants lined both sides carrying golden lamps while flower garlands scented the entire entrance with jasmine and sandalwood.
Waiting there stood Karna's family.
At the front was Chief Queen Mrinalini.
Beside her stood Sumedha and Dhavani holding the hands of three small children, each around three years old.
Ratnaprabha quietly moved beside the other queens while observing everything nervously.
Mrinalini first stepped forward toward Karna, carrying the ceremonial aarti tray. The warm golden flames reflected gently across her calm face while bells softly chimed from nearby attendants. She placed a tilak upon Karna's forehead before circling the aarti respectfully.
Then without hesitation…
She turned toward Ratnaprabha.
And welcomed her warmly, too.
"Welcome home, younger sister," she said softly.
Ratnaprabha visibly relaxed slightly after hearing those words.
Afterward, Mrinalini performed the same welcome rituals for Duryodhana as an honored guest.
Karna then began introducing everyone.
"Prince Duryodhana," he said calmly, "this is the Chief Queen of Kanipura, Mrinalini, Princess of Kashi. She is your distant cousin by marriage."
Duryodhana blinked briefly before realization struck him.
Mrinalini smiled faintly and explained, "My paternal grandfather's sisters were Queen Ambika and Ambalika, who were your paternal grandmothers."
"Ah… yes," Duryodhana immediately replied. "I apologize."
Then Karna gently lifted a little girl into his arms.
"This is our daughter, Uruvi. Your niece by relation..."
The child stared curiously at Duryodhana before hiding her face against Karna's shoulder.
Karna then introduced Sumedha.
"This is Sumedha, Princess of Mathura, daughter of the late King Kamsa. And this…" He rested his hand over a small boy standing nearby. "This is our son, Vrishaketu."
Then he gestured toward Dhavani.
"And this is Dhavani, Princess of Magadha, daughter of Maharaj Jarasandha. This is our daughter, Vrishali."
Duryodhana looked toward Dhavani with interest.
"Rani Dhavani, I met your father during our stay in Magadha," he said with a smile. "For a moment, I almost became his disciple." He then looked at her and then at Sumedha, "Rani Dhavani, Rani Sumedha, both of you are also sisters of Cousin Mrinalini. Hence, both of you can also treat me as your elder brother, too."
He glanced at the naga princess, "Of course, it also includes you, Rani Ratnaprabha."
Dhavani laughed softly, hearing that while the atmosphere around them finally relaxed into something warmer.
And standing quietly nearby…
Ratnaprabha watched Karna surrounded by his family.
For the first time since leaving the underwater Naga kingdom…
She slowly began feeling that perhaps…
This strange human world could someday become her home too.
*
For the next entire week after arriving at Kanipura, Prince Duryodhana found himself observing far more than speaking.
Though he remained an honored royal guest inside the palace of Karna, the Kuru prince quickly realized that staying in Dakshina Kalinga was unlike visiting any other kingdom he had ever seen before. The rhythm of the kingdom itself felt different, almost as if the city breathed together with its people rather than standing above them like a ruler holding chains over subjects.
Every morning, after court assemblies concluded, Karna would personally leave the palace and tour the streets, markets, harbors, temples, military quarters, and even farming districts. At first, Duryodhana assumed these were ceremonial outings done merely for appearance before the public, the same way many kings occasionally showed themselves before citizens so people could praise them and fear them from afar.
But after the third day…
He realized something strange.
The people here were not afraid.
Not even slightly.
Forget about fear, when Karna walked through the streets, merchants openly greeted him without trembling.
An old woman stopped him to complain about drainage canals.
Children ran near his chariot without fear and even asked him to play with them.
Fishermen argued loudly about harbor taxes and requested more guards for sea routes.
A blacksmith even openly disagreed with one of Karna's decisions regarding iron distribution before bowing respectfully afterward.
And Karna listened.
Actually listened with a smile and spoke politely to them.
That part disturbed Duryodhana more than anything else.
One afternoon, while walking through a crowded spice market filled with the heavy smell of pepper, cardamom, sandalwood, fried fish, sweat, smoke, and wet earth from recently washed streets, Duryodhana finally could not hold his confusion anymore.
He leaned slightly toward Karna while both continued walking through the marketplace surrounded by guards and said in a low voice,
"Maharaj Karna… does this not trouble you?"
Karna glanced toward him calmly. "What troubles me, Prince Duryodhana?"
Duryodhana frowned slightly while watching a vegetable seller casually wave toward Karna from the roadside.
"This," he muttered. "The lack of fear. In Hastinapura, when people stand before the throne, they lower their heads carefully like deer standing before a tiger. They knew their place very well. But here…" He looked around once more. "The commoners speak to you as if you are on the same standing as them, here. Like they have a right over you or something..."