Shakuni lifted his hand calmly, cutting him off as if Bhishma's anger was meaningless.
"As I mentioned earlier," Shakuni said smoothly, "and as Maharaj also mentioned… You can place rules. Restrictions. Rules that will eliminate your worries."
Dhritarashtra, who had remained silent during the rising tension, finally spoke again.
His voice was calm, but it carried authority.
"Uncle," the blind king said, "I have decided."
Bhishma's expression tightened.
Dhritarashtra straightened on the throne, his tone becoming firm, final, and kingly. "I declare," Dhritarashtra said, "that this tournament is no longer merely a display of our princes' abilities."
He paused, letting the hall absorb the shift.
"It will be a competition among everyone."
The word everyone echoed through the hall like a bell.
Dhritarashtra's face held pride, almost excitement. "With this event, Hastinapura will choose its Crown Prince."
Bhishma's gaze sharpened, but he said nothing.
Dhritarashtra lifted his chin slightly, as if the decision had already been blessed by destiny itself.
"The rules… Mahamahim Bhishma will decide. How the tournament will be conducted... Guru Drona will decide."
Then the king's voice became colder. "What I need is the result."
Bhishma stood stiffly, his face dark with restrained fury and deep worry.
Vidura's eyes lowered, as if already seeing the future that would be born from this decision.
Drona remained silent, but his pride had been stirred, and he could not deny the thrill of shaping the competition himself.
Shakuni simply smiled.
For a while, no one spoke.
Then Dhritarashtra spoke again, as if remembering something important only now.
"By the way…" the blind king said, tilting his head slightly. "Vidura."
Vidura's gaze lifted.
"Yes, Maharaj?"
Dhritarashtra's tone was casual, but there was impatience beneath it.
"Did you receive any response from Dakshina Kalinga?" he asked. "Has Karna left Kanipura or not?"
Vidura shook his head slowly.
"So far, no such news has come, Maharaj," he replied.
Dhritarashtra frowned, the lines on his face deepening.
The silence stretched again for a moment.
Then the king spoke, his voice filled with suspicion. "Do you think he doesn't want to come… because of Maharaj Jarasandha?" Dhritarashtra asked.
Before Vidura could answer, Bhishma spoke. "I highly doubt it, Maharaj," Bhishma said firmly.
His voice carried certainty, but also warning.
"Karna is indeed Jarasandha's son-in-law and also a close friend of his," Bhishma continued, "But Dakshina Kalinga has never formed a military alliance with Magadha."
Bhishma's gaze sharpened, as if he were dissecting the matter like a battlefield strategy. "It has alliances with Kashi, Uttara Kalinga, and Mathura," he said. "But not Magadha. That alone shows his personality"
Dhritarashtra's brows furrowed deeper.
Bhishma continued, his tone growing colder. "Moreover, with his celestial chariot, it would not take him much time to reach Hastinapura. But if he does not intend to come and does not even send a letter explaining his reasons… then it will be humiliation to the throne of Hastinapura."
The words fell heavily.
Even Drona's expression stiffened.
Vidura's eyes lowered slightly.
Shakuni's smile remained faint, but his eyes gleamed.
Bhishma straightened further, his voice firm and full of authority. "If that happens, Maharaj, I myself will visit him and demand an apology. After all, it was I who suggested we invite him. If an insult comes to Hastinapura because of this, I will bear responsibility. I will deal with that junior disciple of mine myself if he crosses the line."
The hall fell silent again.
Shakuni sat back in his seat, his fingers tapping lightly against the armrest, slow and rhythmic. His face looked calm, almost bored, but his mind was moving like a snake through tall grass.
So Karna has not replied, he thought.
Interesting.
He had heard enough about Dakshina Kalinga's king. Too calm. Too disciplined. Too difficult to shake. Not like Yudhishthira, who could be dragged into a trap simply by whispering the word dharma into his ears.
No.
Karna was not a man who would fall for cheap tricks.
Shakuni's smile sharpened slightly.
But he is still a man, and every man has a weakness. Some have the weakness of following this self-righteousness, some have the weakness of pride, some have the weakness of women, some have the weakness of greed, and some crave war.
He glanced at Bhishma, then at Dhritarashtra, then at Vidura, as if measuring the pieces on the board.
If Karna supports Duryodhana… Yudhishthira will not be able sit on the throne.
That was the truth.
Shakuni couldn't help but wonder what Karna's weakness, that he can use it to benefit Duryodhana.
Shakuni's fingers stopped tapping.
His eyes narrowed, thoughtful.
Dharma will not bind him.
Threats will not bend him.
Gold will not tempt him.
Then what will?
Shakuni's gaze darkened slightly, and his smile returned, slow and sly.
Maybe women?
Hmm… he does have three queens, and adding the one who died, he had four queens. Of those four, the one who passed away was known to be a Gandharva princess who came with him to the earth before establishing the kingdom. As for the other three, one was the daughter of a defeated king, one was known to be a warrior princess, and one was the daughter of a close friend. Surprisingly, all three marriages happened in the same year, and right after the death of King Kamsa.
So… what is the pattern here? The King of Gandhara was filled with various thoughts.
*
The next day, Hastinapura awakened as if the city itself had become drunk on celebration.
The streets were filled with the smell of incense, sweetened milk, and roasted grains.
Flower garlands hung from balconies.
Flags of the Kuru dynasty fluttered above the palace walls, bright and proud, and drums thundered from every corner of the capital as if the earth was being reminded who ruled it.
Merchants sold sweets and colored cloth, children ran through crowds shouting excitedly, and old men sat near temple steps speaking about one thing only.
The princes were finally returning.
The princes were finally going to show their might.
The grand arena inside the palace complex had been prepared like a sacred ground. Its stone floors had been washed until they shone. Tall wooden barricades were placed around the fighting ground, strong enough to stop any stray weapon. The royal platforms were decorated with silk curtains and gold trim. Priests lit ceremonial lamps, and the flame smoke rose gently into the air as if even the gods were invited to witness the spectacle.
Thousands of spectators filled the stands. Nobles sat in the higher tiers. Merchants and citizens filled the middle. Soldiers stood at every entrance, alert but proud, because today was not a day of fear.
Today was a day of glory.
And at the center platform sat the elders of Hastinapura, watching like judges of fate itself.
Dhritarashtra sat upon his royal seat, blind eyes staring forward.
Beside him sat Bhishma, stern and unmoving, his presence alone enough to silence reckless excitement.
Drona sat with calm discipline, his teacher's gaze sharp with Ashwattama standing behind him.
Vidura sat quietly, his mind heavy with worry. And Shakuni sat comfortably, his expression relaxed, as if he had already seen the end of the story.
With Bhishma and Drona working together on the rules and the format of the tournament, after their discussion, the event was divided into two phases.
In the first phase, the princes would showcase their abilities. Only their abilities.
Archery, swordsmanship, mace combat, spear techniques, chariot skill, and even hand-to-hand combat. Each prince would display what he had learned under Dronacharya's training. This was what the original tournament was designed for.
But due to shakuni's intervention, the second phase was created. The Battle Rounds.
However, to make sure there won't be too much blood spilling and chaos, Bhishma made a rule that after the first phase was over, through a voting procedure, Bhishma, Vidura, Drona, Kripacharya, and Shakuni, the five of them would select the best four princes of the 106 princes who displayed their abilities.
The four princes who were qualified to become the Crown Prince.
Those four would then battle in structured matches, and from those battles, one would rise as the champion.
And that champion would be declared as the Crown Prince of Hastinapura and the future King of the Kuru Dynasty.
The crowd did not realize it yet, but this was not just a tournament.
It was the beginning of a war that would not need swords.