The second in the series, the story is based on the premise that it is inner beauty and not physical beauty that must be adored and respected of a person. In the first chapter ‘The Unfortunate Princess’, four characters are introduced.
King Adirath, who loved beauty so much so that he married his Queen Sumalatha bitten by her charming looks despite knowing that she had a life-threatening heart ailment! However, the ugliness of his love for beauty was that he hated his daughter, Padmini, only because she was not beautiful!
Queen Sumalatha, who was now in her deathbed owing to her ailment. She loved her daughter all the more because she knew that the King was ignoring Padmini. However, she could not muster the courage to talk to him regarding this for she was grateful to the King for his decision to marry her despite being aware of her illness. She did not want to hurt him.
Maanavendra, the veteran minister of the King who had a soft corner for Padmini for he was deeply hurt to see the injustice meted out to her by the King.
Padmini, the twelve year old Princess is the focal character of this story. She silenty bore her father’s unruly behaviour and thus apparently drew all the more close to her loving mother. Evidently, the Queen’s illness filled the little Princess with immense mental grief and sorrow.