My guess was right that the gift from Lao Tse's country was different. Exactly at midnight, a group of gift-delivery personnel arrived at the palace. I heard the commotion and went out of the room to see. A beautiful princess stepped down from her litter. She walked into the hall beside me. It turned out that d was the contents of the gift presented by China to the new king of Majapahit.
The next morning, the news of the beautiful princess went viral and became the talk of the palace. A beautiful princess with skin as white and soft as cotton. She was the second daughter of the Yuan Dynasty King from the Empress, who of course was the king's favorite daughter and the Crown Prince's younger sister. She was the same age as King Hayam Wuruk.
By sending his daughter to be proposed to the new king of Majapahit, Yuan certainly wanted the relationship between the two kingdoms to improve. And by accepting the proposal long ago, the Queen must have calculated in detail for the glory of her son's future and the kingdom. Then what about the feelings of both of them, King Hayam Wuruk and the princess? Who knows whether 'feelings' are one of the considerations in political marriages... Even before he was appointed king, there had been several kingdoms that offered their daughters to be proposed to. Yes, even though Hayam Wuruk was still very young .
This time I was asked to accompany her, her name is Princess Meng Huan. Our joglo rooms are also next to each other. I hope I can help her feel closer to her future husband. On the other hand, hopefully Hayam Wuruk can be happy to accept it. So that their marriage will be happy, not just for political interests.
With a smile I walked to Princess Meng Huan's pavilion. Actually, my wide smile arose from the possibility that today I could meet and chat with Bara. Later there was an agenda for the King's visit to this pavilion, their first meeting. And Bara would definitely accompany the king. Well, since his new assignment, Bara had rarely rested in the same pavilion as me. He had no time other than to escort the king.
***
We chatted. The princess seemed curious about anything related to King Hayam Wuruk, sometimes her questioning style was like a normal teenager. I answered what I knew, and added a little spice.
I looked closely, Princess Meng Huan was indeed very beautiful. Her skin was really glowing. I wondered what kind of skincare could make her look so fresh even though she had just gone through a long journey of weeks. The scent of her perfume was not only fragrant, but also refreshing to the breath. My curiosity increased regarding the blend of Chinese fragrances. After answering her questions, I dared to ask. Understandably, after graduating from college, besides helping my grandfather, I also had a business mixing aromatherapy fragrances. A little knowledge of mixing herbal concoctions that I got from Grandma Surip before, I continued in my world.
Time flies by. Hopefully he will start to feel at home in a country far from his homeland.
"The king has arrived…" the servant informed.
The princess got up, straightened her hair and clothes.
Then, the King sat on the front chair of the joglo and told the princess to sit down too. For a moment, both of them were still silent. I watched their movements, like watching a romantic drama scene.
Before choosing his words , I could guess that young Hayam Wuruk was a little nervous. His Adam's apple swallowed his nervousness, "How are you, Princess, after the long journey?"
Meng Huan still tried to muster up the courage to look Hayam Wuruk in the eye to answer his greeting. "Indeed, a little tired, but now it's fine, Your Majesty," her gaze only lingered on the first three words. She lowered her head again. Hmm, what a gentle princess.
I stepped away, walking slowly towards the yard.
"How is your new job, do you like it?" I asked, wanting to know. his response that had to change his duty habits 180 degrees. The duty that usually demanded solitude, struggling without a single friend, now almost 24 hours had to be in a crowd.
"Getting used to it," he replied.
Wow, he responded to my question quite gently. Was today 's theme 'gentle'? Everyone I met was gentle. My eyes lit up at that, "good… You'll get used to it in time."
Fighting ..! I wanted to add that word out loud but I held it back because I didn't want to be too embarrassed. "Oh yeah, it seems like I won't be sleeping in the pavilion tonight. Princess Meng Huan wants me to accompany her. There are certain things we will discuss."
"Discussing 'certain things'?"
"It's not forbidden, hahaha..," I said awkwardly because I hadn't prepared an answer to his unexpected question.
***
There was another guest who entered Princess Meng Huan's hall. He waited a few moments in front of us before the king invited him to join.
"You're finally here, my little brother," he greeted, which was immediately greeted by Meng Huan's cheerful smile. He continued to speak to the king, "I will return to Yuan early tomorrow morning. Therefore, I would like to say goodbye to the king and also entrust my little brother to you. Although he is quite troublesome, please take good care of him, Your Majesty." The Crown Prince of the Yuan Dynasty bowed his head as a gesture of request.
"Of course I will take good care of it. You don't have to worry."
"40 days left Yuan will return to Majapahit with a larger entourage." He turned to look at his younger brother, "The King's father is coming, prepare yourself well, Meng Huan."
It seems like 40 days until their wedding day.
The Crown Prince took his leave and was escorted out of the courtyard by Princess Meng Huan, and King Hayam Wuruk followed him. Before leaving, Crown Prince Yuan asked, "This place seems quite far from the main palace hall, are there any guards here at night, Your Majesty? Considering that you are a young king who has not yet taken a wife, there must be many competitors who do not like my brother's presence…"
"This place is indeed far from my location, but the garden in this place is the most beautiful, so I thought maybe the princess would like it and feel at home here. Forgive me for not paying attention to the thing you are worried about," said the King while looking around. "Alright, then at night for this month I will place my best guard. He is number one," King Hayam Wuruk pointed at Bara.
"Thank you, King. You are very wise."
Whether it was a wise decision or just a reflex. How could a king give his best guard to someone else? Bara's expression looked a bit shocked to hear his decision. It was not easy for him to just leave his main task of guarding the king. However, the appointment was included in the agreement between the two countries, Bara had to obey it. Hmm, indeed he still needed a lot of guidance from the queen - now her nickname is the Queen Mother - and Gajah Mada in making decisions.
***
After Maghrib, Princess Meng Huan and I walked in the park. She told me her first impression of King Hayam Wuruk. Physically, Hayam Wuruk was tall, had a high nose, straight black hair, wide eyes, was a handsome composition according to Meng Huan. As a Javanese, his skin was also quite white. It was inherited from his yellow-skinned mother. "Handsome," said Meng Huan shyly. " Wow, do I need to mention it, two weeks ago Hayam Wuruk cried hysterically when the queen fainted," my brain spontaneously came up with the idea of bringing down people's images. In my world, such things were a mandatory spice in every gossip. Oops, moreover, this was not gossip, this was a fact that Hayam Wuruk cried hysterically. Finally, I revealed the secret to Meng Huan.
"Is that so?? He cried? I can guess his heart is soft. That is a sign that he is sensitive to sadness," Meng Huan's expression looked fascinated by Hayam Wuruk's attitude. Wow, I even raised the image others. Okay It would be good if it turned out to fascinate Meng Huan.
Two women gossiping usually forget to pay attention to time. Without realizing it, the night was getting late. Bara paused our conversation, " It 's time to rest, Putri."
His eyes that glanced at me – or rather glared at me – made me have to support his sentence, "Yes, Princess, aren't you tired today because you woke up too early even though you didn't have enough time to rest last night?"
"It seems like my tiredness has disappeared. Thank you for accompanying me today. You may go in first. I still want to see the moon. It is so beautiful ..," he said softly, making me want to side with him.
"Indeed, from this park the view of the sky can be observed perfectly. I can also sit here until early morning looking at them," I said moving towards the bench, and deliberately avoiding Bara's gaze which would certainly be even more glaring.
Princess also sat down. We both enjoyed the night sky. The dry breeze made her arms hug her tiny body. It seemed she was a bit cold. " I'll get a cloth inside. Wait a minute, Princess, " I thought. But my eyes accidentally collided with hers. I was confused and immediately said to her, " Can you get a blanket for the Princess?" Her expression became increasingly scary, so I used a powerful move, " Hurry up..! Can't you see the Princess is cold?!"
He had no choice but to step into the pavilion. Huufft, I could breathe a sigh of relief. "Thank God," I muttered.
A small object flew past as fast as a bullet. Landing on Princess Meng Huan's neck. Without taking long, he fell! I had no predictions about this event. I didn't know what to do. Bara's two friends who were guarding the courtyard door ran after the source of the weapon.
"Princess, Princess..!," I shook her body. She didn't react. I saw the part of her neck that was hit by the weapon. I was about to touch it, but Bara shouted in the middle of his run, "Do n't touch that!" He immediately carried Meng Huan. We walked quickly to the treatment room.
I hurriedly opened the door of the familiar room. The doctor was standing by inside.
"He was hit by a poisoned weapon. I think the poison is very strong," Bara put Meng Huan on the treatment bed.
Oh, because the weapon is poisonous, it should not be touched carelessly. His bad way of communicating made me afraid that he would be very angry with me. But he did deserve to be angry with me. I should have invited Putri into the pavilion a long time ago…
I sat weakly on the waiting chair. Then Bara sat beside me. Time passed without any words. I felt so shocked I didn't know what to say to start.
"I'm sorry..," I finally dared to look at him.
As usual he didn't answer. I saw a small piece of black cloth in his hand. "What is that cloth?" I asked.
"The perpetrator's face covering," he answered with a sharp, straight gaze as if the criminal was right in front of him.
"Still no news about who he is?"
His silence indicated that the criminal had still not been caught, and he was still a big puzzle as to who it was.
Finally, the palace group arrived, first the Queen Mother and Gajah Mada. A few moments later the King followed. There had been no orders to inform big brother Meng Huan but he came running.
The doctors were still trying hard to treat her. However, I don't know why I felt a different aura from when they were treating the queen. Their anxiety was more obvious now. Even the two doctor's assistants looked very panicked. They were sweating.
And finally… the chief physician reported that Princess Meng Huan's life was beyond saving. The Crown Prince of Yuan Dynasty shouted, "Who killed Meng Huan?!! I will not forgive you!!!"
The atmosphere is tense.
"Guards, we are returning to Yuan right now!" The Crown Prince's emotions were at their peak. His guards prepared to carry Princess Meng Huan's body.
king's mother hurriedly intervened, "Crown Prince, please calm yourself. I know this is a serious shock for you. Please be patient until the sun rises."
The Queen Mother and all her staff certainly knew that the death of Princess Yuan in the Majapahit realm was also a disaster for all corners of Majapahit. The harmony of the two kingdoms was threatened.
"Our peace efforts have apparently failed, Empress Dowager. You can probably guess how Yuan will face this," Crown Prince Yuan's flat and firm words silenced everyone. He added, "It seems that the entourage that will arrive in 40 days will not be a procession welcoming a party. But welcoming a battle."
A few seconds later, from a distance Bara interrupted their cold conversation. He stepped forward and bent his knees, "You know that I am the one responsible for guarding Princess Meng Huan's safety at night. For that, allow me to replace Princess Meng Huan's life."
I am sure that my heart stopped beating for a few seconds. The others were silent and focused their attention on the kneeling figure. Until finally the Empress Dowager sighed and said, "Watch your words, Bara!" Then she turned to Crown Prince Yuan, "Do you know who he is?"
Before answering the question he thought for a moment, "Okay, since I know who he is, then… I accept his request."
Everyone was stunned by his statement. That meant Bara's life was in danger! Bara gave his life to Yuan!
A figure who had been silent all this time also spoke, "You already know that he is my son. Please consider, Crown Prince…" He also knelt down and begged.
"If you don't want a great Yuan-Majapahit war to happen, tomorrow when the sun is directly above your head, cut off his head in the middle of the field!" and he rushed out of the room.
The Yuan guards and several Majapahit soldiers took Bara to the detention room.
***
I was lost in thought in my room. Sitting while leaning against the wall, looking at the black cloth that had fallen from Bara's hand earlier. There was a scent that I had once recognized whether it was the scent of my aromatherapy in the other world, or the scent in this world. What was clear was that I had smelled this scent before.
"Oh my God, what should I do..," I was speechless, unable to do anything.
I have thought hard but I have not found a single solution. Time is passing, the sky is no longer dark, the sunlight is starting to brighten. I move slowly. I have no energy to move my feet.
I arrived at the basement. A base that remained dark even though the sun was about to rise above the crown. I lobbied as best I could, begging to see Bara's cell. Out of pity or because they were too lazy to argue with me, they allowed me.
Even though I was allowed, I was still lethargic and had no enthusiasm at all. I didn't know what to say in front of him.
I saw him sitting in the corner of the room. His eyes were closed. Either he was sleeping or thinking about something. Then I greeted him softly, "Bara, I'm sorry..."
He opened his eyes, but they were silent. His gaze was blankly fixed on the floor.
It seems like more than 10 minutes have passed. There is no conversation between us. I was only given 15 minutes, they will kick me out soon.
"Jiteng will pick you up tomorrow. Grandpa Surip has found a way for you to return to your world."
Hearing him speak, my tears flowed. They became more and more uncontrollable. Maybe this was his last sentence that I could hear…
At the last second, a thought crossed my mind, "Bara, you can escape with me to that world, right??!" My hands tried to reach through the cell bars, "Bara, please…"
Instead, he smiled wryly and said, "You want me to run away and let Yuan attack Majapahit and lose millions of lives?"
Until the prison guards came and forced me out.
***
Three hours before noon, people had crowded around him in the field. The palace gates were deliberately opened so that the people could witness this event. News spread that 'the leader of the Bhayangkara troops will be executed.'
Apparently, my tears had dried up. They couldn't come out anymore. I stared at him since he was taken to the middle of the field.
This time I want the sun to stop moving. I don't want to see it rotate.
"Kiran, hey, hey..," I heard someone calling my name but I couldn't shift my focus to anything other than Bara. I ignored the call. In the middle of the crowd, the person reached for my arm, "Let it go… There's nothing we can do."
I didn't respond to his sentence. He stood beside me. Then he patted my shoulder gently, intending to calm me down. He was Jiteng who had just arrived.
Several executioners came. My heart grew tense. Followed by the palace entourage in procession. The time had come.
Without planning, my feet suddenly ran towards the King's entourage. Jiteng tried to stop me but I didn't want to lose to him. I knelt down in front of the King's entourage. I begged him and Crown Prince Yuan to forgive Bara even though I knew my stupid attempt might be in vain. Jiteng then pulled me forcibly.
The last time I begged them, at least not to have Bara executed by beheading. I showed the Galaxy Keris to Crown Prince Yuan, begging for his generosity to allow Bara to be executed using this keris.
Crown Prince Yuan nodded his head towards the executioner. He accepted my last request…
***
The Galaksi Keris stabbed through, penetrating the back of Bara's stomach. The butcher's strength was not half-hearted in stabbing the keris. I wanted to run towards him but the soldiers blocked me. Jiteng then pulled my arm. He forced me to go home to Grandpa Surip's house, to follow Bara's last message.
If only I could replace him stabbed by the Keris Galaksi, I will not die, only feel dying and then move to my world. However, my life is not worth enough to be exchanged for his… Yuan wants Bara more than me. ***
Lord,
I understand it's over…
But there is no end to me still hoping in You, Lord
I hope there is another miracle that You can give
Haven't you been the Giver of Miracles...
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