Hesitantly
Juan said in a small voice, “Your Highness, I was rendered impotent for life, by
my Master at that forbidden shrine when I was escaping from there with Myara.”
The trio looked at him with astonishment, as if refusing to believe their ears.
With a
sharply drawn breath, the King expostulated, “If that was indeed the case, why
didn’t you inform any one of us about it before the marriage? Didn’t you
consider it a grave matter?”
“Your Highness!
I beg of you to listen to my explanation patiently. I was reluctant to marry
your daughter after returning from that shrine for two reasons. One was that I
was rendered impotent by the Master and the other was that I didn’t love her
any more. But all of you were hell-bent on our union. The Queen and your self
had experienced much anguish on account of my failure in accomplishing the task
set out for the Princess’ suitor, my incarceration at that shrine and the
Princess’ depression. My beloved mother had languished in starvation and
isolation for a long time after my setting out for the task and must have been
undoubtedly worrying about my safety and whereabouts.”
“On my return, all of you were happy
and relieved. The Princess too recovered and though fearful about my appearance
initially, gradually accepted me as her future husband. I just couldn’t bear
the thought of breaking everyone’s hearts all over again, by revealing the
truth. But last night, I felt that it was my moral duty to apprise her about
the truth. As you see, she took the news very badly and committed suicide.”
Suddenly,
The Queen rushed to him and started shaking his shoulders violently, “Did you
even tell her that you didn’t love her, Juan?” When he kept mum and lowered his
eyes, she knew his answer. She collapsed on the floor in a heap and fainted. “So
you did indeed take my daughter’s life! I should send you to the gallows for
this dastardly act, but now nothing in the world will ever bring my darling
daughter back. You have also suffered a lot in life. I can see the reason why
you chose to keep silent about the truth. However, can you promise on your
mother’s head that you didn’t desire Regina and her wealth, the prospect of
becoming a King and becoming powerful and rich overnight?”
He glanced at his mother who looked abashed
and kept his hand on her head, solemnly promising, “I promise on my mother’s
life that I have never desired the riches of Regina, power and prestige or
becoming a King. Even the first time when I accepted your challenge at the
congregation of suitors, I didn’t desire all this. I had fallen in love with
the beautiful Princess whom I had always heard about, but never seen, even
before that session was organized and announced by you. I had only wanted her
and nothing else.”
The King
appeared slightly appeased and said, “Well then, we must find a way out of this
impossible situation that Regina suddenly finds itself in. You must remarry at
least for companionship and to save face. We don’t want the whole Kingdom to be
speculating on your celibacy, do we? As you are the King, you can’t afford to
lose face and respect in their eyes as well as the eyes of our neighboring
kingdoms.”
“Knowing your condition now, it wouldn’t be
fair to expect any damsel to willingly accept being childless throughout her
life, for no fault of hers! Besides, Regina desperately needs a good King which
I’m sure you’ll undoubtedly be! I am getting old and infirm by the day, hence
have abdicated the throne. I wonder who will be ready to marry you!” He looked
despondent as he sat down heavily on a couch. Juan’s mother seized the golden
opportunity to clearly say, “Your Highness! May I make a suggestion, if you
promise not to be angry with me?”
Wildly
clutching at straws, he quickly replied, “Of course, go ahead by all means!”
Even as
Juan looked at her apprehensively, she told the King without looking at her
son, “Myara will make an excellent life-partner for Juan! In fact, under the
current circumstances only she can marry him as she will definitely know about
his impotence. As Juan just revealed, the Master had cursed him as he and Myara
were escaping from the shrine.”
The King
literally jumped up in joy. Then he looked doubtful as a sudden realization
struck him. Why hadn’t she warned anyone in the palace, most of all, her best
friend Sara, about the curse? The he consoled himself by offering a solution
himself. Maybe she might have reasoned like Juan and wisely decided to keep mum.
He even wondered whether Juan was in love with the brave Myara. Hmm, so that
was why he had fallen out of love with Sara! But the King decided to let
sleeping dogs lie, to save his Kingdom! He silently resolved to not question
the beleaguered Juan about it. But Myara had a lot to answer! He would question
her in private and make her take an oath to never reveal the truth to anyone
till she died.
Sara was
buried with full state honors. The ivory inlaid, solid teak-wood casket,
bearing the royal insignia was lowered into the earth in the garden behind the
palace. The mourners solemnly watched the proceedings with heavy hearts. The
King, Queen, Juan and the others were inconsolable. Only Myara was missing as
she had already left Regina the previous night, traveled the whole night and
reached the neighboring kingdom of Tiara, where she had put up at an inn.
The next
day, the King sent messengers to get Myara to the palace. When they returned
without her, he ordered his soldiers to fan out everywhere in and around the
Kingdom and find her at any cost. When they did locate her and informed her
about her best friend Sara’s suicide, she appeared wan and heartbroken and
flatly refused to return to Regina. She felt guilty thinking that she was
indirectly the reason for her friend’s fatal decision in some way.
To be continued....
The copyright of this novel is with Mrs. Priya Ramesh Swaminathan.
