Thursday, 16 July 2015

A Suitor for the Princess - Chapter 26



        She saw a pitcher of water and splashed the water liberally on that lady’s face.  She stirred slightly and moaned, “Who, who is it?”
        “I’m Myara from the Kingdom of Regina.  I’ve come to take you to your son Juan,” said Myara gently and clearly.  On hearing her beloved son’s name, a spark of recognition came into that old lady’s eyes.  Her eye-balls moved sideways to see Myara, who could feel the heat of her gaze.
        “I can’t move, my child.  My body has stopped supporting me.  When Juan didn’t return even after a year, I lost all interest in life, became listless and slowly even my limbs wasted.  Nowadays, some sympathetic ladies come and tend to my needs, whenever they can!  Otherwise, I’m left here all alone, craving for my son, my only son Juan!”  A tear rolled down the corner of her eye.
        Myara could feel the tears rolling down her own cheeks.  But now was not the time to feel sorry about her.  Time was short and her task was incomplete.  She had only 5 hours left to take Juan’s mother to the king.  She hired a horse-carriage, got her lifted onto its seat and instructed the carriage driver to follow her to Regina.  Throughout the long journey, Juan’s mother moaned and cried.  Myara kept consoling her and feeding her rice gruel.  Her own horse had been reined to the carriage instead of one of its original horses, to ensure speed.  They reached Regina exactly at 6 p.m.
        “Get down mother.  We’ll first meet the King and then go to meet your son, Juan.” The carriage driver lifted her bodily from her seat and carefully placed her on a bench in the garden in front of the palace.
        Myara knew that Juan’s mother wouldn’t have been able to walk into the Assembly hence she told the carriage man to wait beside the ailing lady and hastened into the Assembly Hall where everyone had just gathered for further deliberations.
        “I’m sorry to walk in unannounced, your Honor, but I’ll have to request you to come out in the garden and personally confer with Juan’s mother, who is ailing and unable to walk!” Myara announced in a clear tone.
        Everyone in the Assembly looked at each other, awe and happiness reflected in their eyes.  All of them admired that spunky young lady who, true to her words, had succeeded in bringing Juan’s mother to Regina, as promised the very next day itself.  They wondered how she had located her from the multitude of villages that dotted the outskirts of their vast Kingdom.
        The King exchanged a loaded glance with his Minister and both of them got up and briskly walked outside.  As they neared Juan’s mother, lying on the garden bench, their hearts sank.  How would that ailing and incapable lady be of any help to them!  How could she climb to that shrine, over its steep steps and meet Juan, if at all he emerged from his hiding-hole?
        “Greetings to you, Juan’s mother!  I’m the King of Regina and this is my Minister.  We’re sorry about your son….”
           Juan’s mother slowly opened her eyes and haplessly stared at the two men. She knew that she was supposed to get up and pay obeisance before them, but her body wouldn’t pay heed to her commands! She closed her eyes, feeling wretched and then opened them once again. Finding her voice, she asked almost in a hoarse whisper, “Where is my dear son, Juan? Please call him and tell him that I am here to see him.” The King, his Minister and Myara looked at one another guiltily. What could they tell her? That he had lost an eye and had been imprisoned forever in a forbidden shrine, from where none returned? That no one from this world could see or speak to him even if they wanted to?
        The King began solemnly “Mother, your son is living in a shrine since the past 3 years.  He…” The Minister interrupted his narration saying “I’m sorry to intervene, Your Majesty!  But, as we are seeing, her condition is too bad.”  Then addressing Juan’s mother, he said reassuringly, “Mother, Juan is safe and sound.  He’ll soon be with you.  The King has sent him on an urgent mission there.  Since the matter is highly confidential, you had not been informed earlier.  But now since he’ll soon be reporting back, we’ve got you here so that he’ll be overjoyed on seeing you and both of you can have a happy reunion.”
        Taking his cue, Myara said, “Let’s put up mother in our special visitors quarters!”
        The King understood that belaboring the ailing mother with the sad news of her imprisoned son would break her heart and hence his trusted Minister and the faithful Myara were intervening before he put his foot in his mouth!  He looked at them gratefully.  They’d saved him the unpleasant task of briefing a mother about the misfortune that had befallen her only son.
        Later the Minister begged for forgiveness from the King and stated simply “As we saw, she is not in fit condition and cannot make the arduous trek up to that shrine.  Hence there was no point in telling her the truth and making her more sorrowful.  We’ll have to find some other way of rescuing Juan from there.”
        Just then Myara politely knocked on the door of the secret conference room and entered when the King said “Come in, my child!”
        “Your Majesty, I’ve an idea which I can execute if you’ll permit me.”
        Intrigued, both the King and his Minister looked at her questioningly.  “I’ll disguise myself as an old lady, pose as Juan’s mother and try to speak to Juan and help him to escape out of that shrine.”
        The King and the Minister threw back their heads and laughed loudly in unison. “Why, you foolish girl, where did you get that preposterous idea from?”
        “We admit that you’ve gone out of your way in getting Juan’s mother here and applying your mind to this problem.  But what you’ve just suggested is way too preposterous!  Improbable too!  Thanks, but we suggest that you take rest and leave us to think over this problem.”
        Undaunted, Myara persisted, “Please Sirs, this will be my last chance.  If I don’t succeed, I’ll leave this matter, but please, please give me an opportunity to prove myself and help my dear Sara.  I just want her to recover as quickly as possible!”
        Seeing her earnestness and impressed by her perseverance, the King couldn’t help giving the ‘Go ahead’ to her.

To be continued.... 

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

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