After a while, in the royal wing of the palace, Jarasandha retired to his private chamber.
He stripped off his upper garment, the scars on his chest and arms catching the light as he moved, and sat on the edge of the bed, rubbing a hand over his face.
The defeat in the arena still lingered in his muscles, a dull ache that reminded him of the hour-long struggle, but it was not anger he felt. It was respect, sharp and unfamiliar, for the young king who had bested him.
The door opened quietly, and Queen Padmavati entered, her steps soft on the rug.
She carried a small tray with a cup of warm milk and a few pieces of fruit, a habit she had kept for decades. She set the tray on the table and sat beside him, her hand resting lightly on his arm.
"You fought well today," she said softly, her voice carrying the warmth of long familiarity. "Honestly, I didn't expect your pride to take defeat that lightly."
Jarasandha gave a low grunt, half-laugh. "Maharani, it depends on whether the opponent is worthy. Karna… he didn't use any tricks to defeat me. And Jarasandha is a worshipper of strength."
Padmavati nodded, her fingers tracing idle circles on his arm. "He is young, wise, and strong enough to defeat you in wrestling. And I also heard that he is actually an archer. Maharaj, there's something that I would like to say if you don't mind. It's about our Dhavani… I was thinking… perhaps it would be good for our kingdom if we marry her to him. What do you think?"
Jarasandha exhaled slowly, the sound heavy in the quiet room. "I already brought it to him."
"What?" Padmavati's heart skipped a beat. "What did he say?"
Jarasandha shook his head, a sigh escaping him. "Karna said he didn't intend to marry any woman, not just ours. He wanted to commit himself to one queen and one wife his whole life."
The queen's eyes widened, surprise flickering across her face. "But he is a king. It isn't that strange for a king to have multiple wives. Even his own father, Lord Suryanarayana, had two queens. Maybe… it's because he didn't know our daughter. He was worried about how to reject your proposal that came out of nowhere. How about you let him stay for a few days and get him to know Dhavani? If he gets to talk to her a few times, see what kind of qualities she has, I'm sure he will change his mind."
Jarasandha frowned, his expression hardening. "Padmavati."
The queen trembled a little at his serious tone, her hand withdrawing slightly.
Jarasandha turned to her fully, his voice low but firm. "Karna is now my friend and a valuable ally of the south. He clearly mentioned that he committed to one woman in his entire life, and also clearly stated that he didn't need a marriage alliance with Magadha to form an alliance. And if there was an alliance, he wouldn't hesitate to go against his own kin if they were against his values. I have no intentions to do anything that would disrespect his values. If he doesn't want to marry our daughter, that is fine. Our daughter is beautiful and talented enough to bring alliances from big kingdoms. You don't have to worry about it."
Padmavati became hesitant; the words she wanted to say, that their daughter was in love, caught in her throat. She couldn't speak it aloud. If Karna couldn't marry Dhavani, then it was better to break her feelings while they were still in the bud.
Taking a deep breath, she looked up at her husband, her voice soft but steady. "Maharaj, in that case… announce a swayamvara."
Jarasandha blinked, surprised. "What?"
The queen continued, her words measured. "Our Dhavani is of marriageable age anyway. Announce a swayamvara, and since Karna is already here, you can just casually mention it to him, in a way he doesn't feel like some scheme or something. If he accepts, then whatever reason he told you would be an excuse earlier, and if he rejects, then that's fine too. You can just ask him to stay and participate in our daughter's wedding celebrations as a friend."
Jarasandha stayed silent, the frown deepening on his face. He felt there was something off about his queen's suggestion, a subtle thread he couldn't quite grasp.
But there was logic in her words, a swayamvara would bring suitors from across Bharatvarsh, strengthen Magadha's alliances, and allow Karna to decide for himself without pressure.
He nodded slowly, the decision settling into place. "Alright. I will summon Rajguru right away and see the auspicious date."
Padmavati smiled, relief softening her features, though a quiet worry lingered in her eyes. She leaned forward and kissed his cheek lightly before rising. "Thank you, Maharaj. Good night."
Jarasandha watched her leave, the door closing softly behind her.
He sat alone in the lamplight, the weight of the day settling over him, the defeat in the arena, the unexpected friendship with Karna, the offer of alliance and marriage, and now this swayamvara. He rubbed a hand over his face, exhaling slowly.
*
The next morning broke clear and bright over Magadha.
Karna had risen early, as always. He had bathed and spent a quiet moment in prayer before deciding it was time. He needed to speak to Jarasandha before the morning assembly began—thank him properly, inform his departure, and leave on good terms.
He stepped out of his chamber, sandals soft against the floor, and started down the wide hallway toward the king's private wing.
Halfway along the corridor, he saw Jarasandha coming the other way. The older king moved with his usual heavy, unhurried stride, but today he carried something tucked under one arm—a long scroll wrapped in deep red cloth, the ends tied with gold thread.
Jarasandha spotted him first. His face split into a wide, easy smile.
"My friend," he called, voice warm.
Karna felt his own mouth curve in answer. "Maharaj."
They met in the middle of the corridor. Jarasandha clapped a hand on Karna's shoulder, firm and familiar.
"I was just coming to find you," he said. "Come. Let's talk somewhere quiet."
Karna nodded.
Jarasandha turned, gesturing for the soldiers and attendants hovering nearby to fall back.
They obeyed at once, melting into side passages until the two kings walked alone. Their footsteps echoed softly as they moved toward a small meeting chamber tucked away from the main halls.
Inside, morning light slanted through narrow windows, catching dust motes in the air. A low table waited with two cushions. No servants. No interruptions.
They sat. Jarasandha set the scroll between them on the table, then pushed it gently toward Karna.
Karna looked at it, curious. "What is this?"
Jarasandha leaned back, folding his thick arms across his chest. "An invitation for my daughter's swayamvara."
Karna blinked. "Eh?"
Jarasandha gave a short laugh, but there was no real humor in it this time. "Don't look so shocked, my friend. Yesterday, after you turned down my daughter's hand… I won't lie. It stung. I didn't expect a refusal. After all, my daughter is beautiful. Skilled—music, dance, painting, poetry. And she carries the name of Magadha behind her. Any king in Bharatvarsh would count it an honor."
He paused, eyes dropping to the red cloth for a moment.
"I felt this… heavy weight in my chest. So I decided to move forward and marry her off properly. Since you're already here, it saved me the trouble of sending a messenger all the way to Dakshina Kalinga. But then again, this is just the formal invitation. You don't have to attend as a participant. You can still stay as a guest in my palace, as my friend, and oversee my daughter's swayamvara with me."
Karna stared at the scroll. His fingers rested lightly on the edge of the table. For a moment, he felt conflict rising in his chest—guilt for disappointing a man who had shown him nothing but respect. However, his decision to consider a second marriage cannot be based solely on his feeling guilty for someone.
In the end, he met Jarasandha's gaze and said. "I apologize, Maharaj. But I cannot accept this invitation."
The words landed heavily on the listener.
Jarasandha's shoulders sagged just a fraction. Karna could see the lines around the King's mouth tighten. For a heartbeat, he didn't speak. Then he exhaled slowly and said. "Alright."
But in his mind, he felt slightly happy. Because if Karna accepted the invitation after speaking so much about having one marriage yesterday, Jarasandha would feel disappointed. He wasn't sure who liked tricks. Even if one blames him, he would like it if that person says it to his face rather than his back.
Karna then said, "Also, my friend, right now, my queen is alone in the palace. My children could be born at any time from now, and there are no close relatives there to stand by their side. I am everything she has in this world. If not for royal duty, I would never have left at a time like this. So, I hope you understand my predicament. I have to go back today."
Jarasandha stiffened again. His jaw worked once, twice. Rejection after rejection—first the alliance, then the marriage, now even the chance to stay a little longer.
Most men would have bristled, snapped, or at least let anger show. But Jarasandha only looked at Karna for a long moment, reading the truth in his eyes, hearing the quiet urgency behind the words.
Then he let out a rough breath.
"Alright," he said at last. "Stay one more day. Just today, so that I can properly entertain you as a royal guest. Leave tomorrow at first light if you must."
Karna hesitated. He thought of the long road ahead, of Roshini waiting, of the twins. But he also saw the sincerity in Jarasandha's face.
"I can do that," Karna said quietly. "One more day."
Jarasandha's smile returned, and he nodded. "Good."