Labonno and Suborna were surprised to see the unknown young man in the King's Study. The moment they entered, Orco stood up and bowed them low. He knew Labonno very well and he had been briefed about Suborna and Jongol Mohol too. Guruji was in an excellent mood, 'He has more stories than you can listen to in a year' he said jovially, pointing at Orco. He then briefly introduced Orco and his adventures to his students. 'I was scripting his experiences' he added. Indeed, he and the cartographer had become very busy persons scribbling and sketching every detail from Orco's journey. Suddenly, their world had become vast beyond their imaginations. Suborna was stunned to know how far the Subornorekha extended. 'It must be dividing the world in half' she commented, 'I wonder what it's hiding on its other side' she murmured to herself. 'Have you seen the sea?' Labonno asked enthusiastically. She misunderstood the sombre shake of his head and offered her support, 'I haven't seen it either. But don't worry, I will take you when we visit the seafarer kingdom in the south.' But Suborna and Labonno would rarely meet Orco. Not only did he get busy with his original job, but he had also become a cog in the preparation against an impending invasion.
'There will be an invasion' the king had declared. Though they were not at war yet, the Shetango invaders and the Northern Empire were warily watching each other, giving him some precious time. But there was no escape, he will have to fight either of these behemoths. If they are successful in their campaign in the southwest, the invaders will turn their attention to the Northern Empire and arrive at his gate at some point. On the other hand, if the threat of the invaders dissipates or the Northern Empire manages to thwart them, then they will be tempted to conquer his land too. As Orco had briefed, the king knew that the invaders will not rush into attacking the Northern Empire. They will spend considerable time in preparing the newly conquered land as the launch-pad for the next campaign. 'Five years' the king had predicted 'till we have the enemy at our gate'. But he warned, 'It will be an enemy intent on sweeping us away in mere days.'
As much as the far-away invasion, something closer at home was troubling him too. It had been a year and the time had come for Suborna to return to her land. 'It would be such a cruel thing to tear them apart' the governess had said rather curtly. 'The palace is going to become a very quiet place' the ever so taciturn sochib had commented. 'Hmm, and I was thinking we will have a queen when the seafarer king visits' Hasi had said rather casually. Almost everyone seemed to have an opinion and each was as bleak as the previous one. The inseparable princesses didn't show any outward signs of agony, they didn't even talk about it during their solitude either, but they cried a lot. 'What does your heart desire, dear!' the queen asked after the crowd had dissipated and she and the king were enjoying the serenity of the gathering darkness. The journey was a subdued affair, Suborna and Labonno quietly enjoyed the fading moments of their togetherness. The king didn't speak, he had dived into the peaceful quietness. When he turned to her, only the soft flickering of the eyes was visible, eyes which had delved deep into his heart like the very first time they met. 'You know' the king softly mumbled. 'I want to hear though' she was coy. 'I want to return, with Suborna as my queen' he said calmly and clearly. 'Now, that wasn't so hard, was it!' the queen teased.
'You know, you two don't look even a bit out of place together' the queen said. She was sitting beside Suborna and stroking her hair while Labonno slept peacefully in the arms of Rani-ma. Suborna smiled in silence and caressed the little princess. 'You know, it's been a while since you slept in my arms' the queen said after a while. Suborna moved a bit while still holding on to Labonno and the queen slid into the space. 'Why do I have to go away, dadima' Suborna said mournfully after a while. The queen laughed softly. 'How else you could have seen those wonderful cities! How else you could have seen the Subornorekha! How else would Labonno see the sea someday!' Her voice was soft and calm and as if it kept ringing even after she had finished. 'You are like those audacious vines,' she whispered softly, 'reaching out for the Sun in joyous longing for life'. She whispered again 'This is your fate dear, life awaits you.'
The impending visit of the seafarer king was a momentous occasion itself, now with the inauguration of the new queen, activities reached a frenzied pace. Invitations were sent to the king of Omoraboti and the emperor of the north. Invitations were sent to the tribes in the Subornorekha and Jogini Pahar. The palace and Nogori (the city) soon became a chaotic congregation of motley races. The tribe from Jogini Pahar was determined to go all the way on foot or on their buffaloes until they reached the Matoggini. When they had finally reached the palace they viewed it with suspicion and refused to live there. Hurriedly, some thatched huts were set up for their accommodation. The tribe from the Subornorekha sedately rode all the way on their stocky horses, carrying their baggage on travois and accompanied by their pack of sheep-hounds. After a brief discussion with the king, they set up their tents on a field on the outskirts of Nogori. The king of Omoraboti rode on a gorgeously decorated elephant and he himself wore an unimaginable assortment of ornaments. The envoy of the Northern Empire arrived in a beautiful white carriage driven by eight white horses. The seafarer king rode a majestic black stallion and though he was an old man he rode erect and alert. The king had returned the courtesy and had sent an elephant for the queen of Jongol Mohol while other members of her entourage were presented with a horse.
Labonno wasted no time and went to explore the gathering of the world at her door. The envoy from the north seemed too aloof for any bonding and the king of Omoraboti was plain boring. The tribesmen from the Jogini Pahar seemed to be suspicious of her and the sheep-hounds from the Subornorekha were too intimidating. In any case, she was mostly curious about the people from the seafarer's land; she was watching them from a distance while mustering the courage to approach them. 'You look disappointed' the voice close behind startled her so much that she almost screamed.
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