A Suitor for the Princess - Chapter 15

       When Martha woke up at 8 a.m., the next day, she felt like crying when she realized that she was all alone in Shanghai.  All of Norman’s belongings were gone.  It was as if he had deserted her!  She started crying.  Through her tears, she saw the note propped up against a vase on the bed-side table.  There was a red rose on the note. 

        She smelled it deeply, inhaling its rich fragrance, with her love for Norman, coursing through her body and opened the note to read it.  It simply said, “Sweet Martha! I love you darling.  Hope to be with you soon.  Promise me, you’ll take care of yourself.  For me! Only yours, Norman.”

        She kissed the hand-writing on the note over and over again, clasped it against her bosom and cried her heart out.  Now she knew and felt what Sara was going through.  Her empathy was complete!

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        Back in her cottage, restless and sad by turns, she decided to stop wallowing in self-pity and return to her unfinished tragic novel. She winced at the thought of the two love-birds whom she had deserted!  After a frugal lunch of bread and jam, she sat down expectantly at her desk. At once, she could feel the presence of Sara around her. Now Martha was curious to know what would happen to Sara! Would the King punish her for daring to over-step her boundaries? Would she try to end her miserable life? How would she continue living, when her heart was in shreds? Her pen would answer her shortly, she knew and started writing.   

         In Regina, the King was a very harassed soul. He agonized endlessly over how close he had come to losing his only daughter, the apple of his eyes. He regretted his plan to find a suitor for her and the fact that a bright young man had vanished into the shrine, just because of him. He couldn’t bear to see the anguish in his daughter’s eyes, the accusing looks that she gave him whenever she happened to face him at meal-time. He dreaded that she would again attempt to climb that forbidden hill and meet her suitor. How could he prevent that without antagonizing her? He deliberated on his future course of action with his faithful Minister.  

          Sara, at her wits’ end, was having other plans. One day, she simply announced to her stunned father and mother, “Daddy, Mummy, I wish to devote my remaining life to the betterment of our Kingdom. I request you to involve me in its day-to-day affairs. The King was secretly very pleased by the unexpected turn of events. Trust his daughter to make a wise decision! After all, wasn’t she his daughter?  He wholeheartedly agreed to her request. From that day onwards, Sara was in charge of the inspection of all the services offered by the King to his subjects in the kingdom.

          She pulled up the corrupt officials and streamlined the services. She lent a patient ear to those who were needy and devised newer, efficient means of administration. Over the next 3 years, she had established herself as an able and just officer of the Kingdom of Regina. Everyone praised her and the King. Sara was relieved of the pain of thinking non-stop about the plight of her handsome suitor and his whereabouts, by immersing herself fully in her task. The King was having full faith in Sara’s ability by then and didn’t interfere in her work at all!

           She took great pains to hide her real agenda. She wanted to go again to that shrine and try to meet her beloved Juan. Hence she had devised this ruse to take matters into her own hands. Only if she had some State Authority, could she go unhindered to that shrine and seek an end to her misery. So what if she ended up forever in that mysterious shrine? She’d have her beloved for company. For the rest of her life!  She just couldn’t wait!

           One day, when the King and his Minister had gone to another neighboring kingdom, for attending a meeting, she set off for the shrine on horseback. As she rode confidently towards that deserted hill, she could feel the wind blowing through her mane and the cool breeze caressing her cheeks. She was wearing a rugged, olive trouser and top ensemble, with a maroon cape bearing the royal insignia embroidered in gold, a hat and knee-length boots. She looked beautiful, but felt oddly vulnerable and shy. Soon she’d be coming face to face with Juan. Would he recognize her after all those years? Would he even care about her? What if he had totally forgotten about her and the King’s Herculean task, in his daily religious routine?    

            She shrugged determinedly and decided to cross the bridge when she came to it. After all, no one could ever predict one’s fate! Still, she wanted to be optimistic and started looking forward to that moment when she would set her eyes on her beloved suitor. She lovingly egged her mount to gallop faster towards her goal. As she rode, she fingered the ring that was kept in her breast pocket. She felt as if she was going in quest of her suitor, just as he had done, three years ago. She was highly amused at the role-reversal.             

               Suddenly, she felt huge gusts of wind blowing all around her. The sky had become dark with ominous-looking clouds that looked hell-bent on venting their fury on the hapless earth and wreaking havoc on her mission. A storm was about to break. Even as she urged her steed to go faster, huge sheets of rain drenched her, as the skies opened benevolently. She looked around her, hoping to find some shelter. She was surprised to see that she had reached the tiny hut at the base of the mountain that had the shrine at its peak. Pleased as punch, with herself, she tied the horse behind the hut, in the shelter of its gabled roof and hastened inside. 

To be continued..... 

The copyright of this novel is with Mrs. Priya Ramesh Swaminathan.