She glanced at Myara. She appeared rapt. She too was
staring unabashedly at her suitor!
Warning bells began to ring in the Princess’ head. What if she too was in love
with that Greek God? She fervently hoped that she was wrong! Then suddenly,
Myara looked her straight in the eye and gave her a thumbs-up. Boy, was she
relieved! As it was, she had to contend with her father’s ridiculous ‘test’ to
choose her life-partner; she wouldn’t have been able to withstand fighting for
the young man’s affections with her best friend.
Her
father, the King’s booming voice was asking her lone remaining suitor “Don’t
you want to see my daughter, the fair Princess Sara? Don’t you fear that she’ll
resemble a witch? Or worse, be bereft of sight or limbs?
At this
point, the young man broke into a laughter that echoed in the vast hall and
drove straight into the Princess’ willing heart. He scoffed at the King’s
suggestions and said politely but firmly, “I’ll accept her for what she is and
not for how she looks! As Your Majesty and everyone here, must be well aware,
the ravages of time spare none, and so will it, neither you nor me! If she
looks like a witch and that is my destiny, so be it. I’ll humbly accept her,
warts and all!”
Sara
was bowled over by his simple, yet winsome words that seemed to come straight
from his very soul. She desperately started praying that that lad passed the
test in flying colors and swept her into his strong and comforting arms at the
earliest.
“Then
maybe, it’s my wealth and the greed for becoming a King, that prompts you to be
fool-hardy enough to agree to this rigorous test!” persisted the wily King. “Even
if you don’t give me any of your riches nor your esteemed Kingdom, it doesn’t
matter. My wants are few and with time, my wife, the fair Princess Sara will
learn to cook, sew and work in my farm. We’ll live like honest and hard-working
subjects of Your Majesty in this charming kingdom of Regina, with no regrets at
all!”
The
Princess watched her handsome suitor, fearlessly talking to the King and felt
that he had already made her his wife! She felt so happy… Meanwhile the King
felt that he had tested the young man enough in this verbal duel. He now wanted
to test his physical and mental prowess. He secretly admitted that that fine
young man truly appeared to be worthy of marrying his beloved daughter. With
such strength of character, he’d surely make a just and noble King too!
“Well
then, in the evening today, as the sun sets in the West, you’ll get just a
glimpse of your prospective life partner, the fair Princess Sara. Be prepared.
Come here again in the evening. You may go home and rest now.” Then the King
realized that he didn’t quite remember the name of the suitor and the place
that he came from. He whispered to his Minister and got the details. He was
Juan and he came from a small hamlet on the outskirts of Regina.
The
Assembly dissolved for the day. At lunch, the King asked his daughter for her
fair opinion about her suitor. “Methinks, I quite like him, Dad. Let’s wait and
watch whether he gets to wear my garland!” she said, with a coy smile followed
by tinkling laughter. The King and Queen smiled at her indulgently. The King
wouldn’t let her know at any cost about how anxious he was, for that young man
to pass his test. Which father would want his only daughter to die a spinster?
“Myara, my dear friend, what did you think of
that handsome young man?” Sara playfully asked her friend, though she was dead
serious. “Well, he is handsome and appears to be serious about clearing the
test. I wonder why he is so insistent, though? I find it hard to believe that
an Adonis like him would be ready to marry even a witch or …" Sara too
started wondering about what could really be his motive. Then she excitedly
exclaimed, “Just wait and watch, today evening!” In spite of her best friend’s
pleading, she refused to reveal what she had up her beautiful sleeve.
Exactly when the horizon was being bathed in the glowing colors of a
glorious sunset, Princess Sara watched her suitor riding a horse, galloping
towards the palace, from her private balcony. She hastened to adjust her
make-up and costume. When she was summoned by the King, even he was momentarily
taken aback by the apparition that he saw, descending down from the grand
staircase to the Assembly hall. His daughter appeared to have aged by about 30
years and her face was covered by pock-marks. Her eyebrows were straggly and
her gait, shuffling and awkward. She had hidden one arm under her spacious gown
and her hair was pulled into a severe bun. She truly appeared like a modern-day
witch!
Juan, who had been keenly watching
her, ever since she started climbing down the stairs, had already seen through
her amateur disguise. He had seen her smooth ankles peeping out through her
moccasins and her twinkling blue eyes. He had even guessed that she wasn’t
one-armed, but pretending to be so. He didn’t give any inkling of his insight
from his indifferent demeanor. Two could play at the game!
As the Minister started gasping at the hideous sight of the fair
Princess, the King nudged him to be calm and composed. Almost at once, several
dozen maids materialized in the Assembly hall, bearing huge plates of rubies,
emeralds, sapphires, pearls, diamonds, gold coins, silver coins, silver swords
and scabbards and other dazzling items of immense value. All that display was
for the benefit of Juan who was supposed to be suitably overwhelmed, impressed
and motivated by the reward that awaited him on his triumph in the test.
************************************************************************************
To be continued.....
The copyright of this novel is with Mrs. Priya Ramesh Swaminathan.
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