Sovereign Servants - The Sending (VIRGIN EARTH Book 1)

by W. C. Jasper

  “Yes, My Lord,” said Kaveri and embraced him as General Thayman let out a soft and hearty laugh and replied, “I prefer ‘Uncle’ when we are alone.”

  When he drew away from the embrace, he held the right side of her head and spoke with a voice that carried a melancholy of a time in the past, “Your father would have been so proud to see you two today. And believe me, you are SO MUCH like your brother. Your brother was undoubtedly one of my greatest pupils… In a lot of things, he was on par with the King and Prince themselves! And soon enough, I started feeling inadequate training him…” He chuckled, reminiscing sweet memories and continued, “Eventually, I ended up suggesting to King Jahous that take him on as his personal pupil. And you, my dear… You are certainly his sister. Maomi is blessed to have you under her command. If your brother could see you right now…” He laughed softly and continued, “I can imagine him endlessly boasting about his younger sister’s greatness.” He kissed her hand and said, “Stay blessed,” and took his leave.

  Night fell quite early that day. The sky had already darkened before the 16 bells to welcome the seventeenth hour had tolled. With the darkened sky, arrived a sky-dance with yellow, red, and orange lights dancing violently across the sky. King Jeraash summoned everyone to the terrace to enjoy the sky-dance and called for honey-milk. The terrace was graced with many great warriors that night as the party included the King, Queen, Prince, General Thayman, General Hana, Thaymas, Akini, Yaakub, and every member of the Women of War. Prince Jared sat with Yaakub, Kaveri, Yuroichi, and Ribon; the King and Queen sat with General Thayman and General Hana; while Akini and Thaymas buzzed around the rest of the Women of War as Akini used the opportunity to get him acquainted with every member.

  Honey-milk and honey was brought as everyone started enjoying it with the utmost pleasure. Honey in Jerudia was something special, it was a delicacy that was sought after by other kingdoms with great envy. Most people preferred honey-milk, while King Jeraash and General Thayman downed jars of honey as if it were water. Thaymas noticed that Prince Jared’s party was the only one not indulging, and headed over to them with Akini to enquire. Prince Jared was sitting on Yaakub’s left-hand side with his hands around Yaakub’s shoulder, chatting jovially with everyone. Yaakub, whose demeanour could be seen as physically incapable of joking or laughing, was enjoying in his own way by simply watching everyone enjoy.

  Thaymas came over to them and asked, “Why are you all not drinking honey?”

  Yuroichi, sitting on the Prince’s left-hand side, replied at once with her cheerful tone, poking at the Prince with her index finger, “This one does not like honey.”

  “Do not hold me responsible,” said Prince Jared to Thaymas, putting up his hands, “I begged them to drink. Their stubbornness is not on my head.”

  Just then, King Jeraash who was sitting far away from them yelled out, “Drink at least one small cup of honey-milk on account of tradition.”

  At once, Prince Jared turned towards the entrance of the terrace and saw strawberry-milk and grape-flavoured curd being brought in and smiled as he put his head down. He got up as he pulled up Yaakub to his feet as well and everyone proceeded to drink honey-milk. After having consumed his nominal cup of honey-milk in the name of tradition, Prince Jared proceeded to devour strawberry milk and grape-flavoured curd as if it were the last of the kind on the planet.

  “What is that?” asked Thaymas, to which Ribon responded, “That is curd infused with grape and berry juice. One of the fruits of Prince Jared’s experiments. He often takes them to the snowy region inside the Andreas mountain range and eats them there. He claims it tastes better when it is cold, and they do.”

  Prince Jared continued reducing the milk and curd reserves of Jerudia when Yuroichi asked, “Why don’t we invite Jeniah as well?”

  “This is a pre-war tradition…” answered Prince Jared, “It is meant as—*gulp* preparation for warriors before they— *gulp* set out for battles. Appa always used to remind us that a warrior’s soul and spirit—*gulp* need to be just as prepared as their body. ‘Rest and rejuvenation are part of warfare’, he used to say. He said honey-milk is great for all three - body, soul, and spirit.”

  As Yuroichi joined in and helped Prince Jared deplete the milk and curd reserves of Jerudia, Thaymas inquired, “What are they doing?”

  “Oh…” answered Kaveri, “that is an involuntary action… Please don’t judge them, neither of them has any control over that. Their bodies do that on their own. When they eat something that brings them delight, they do this… dance… Well, that’s the best word we have come up with for it so far.”

  She added a little later after remembering something, “How have you not seen it even once? You’ve been with him for quite a while now…?”

  Thaymas shrugged and frowned, communicating his lack of awareness.

  Ignoring Thaymas’ ironic gaps in observation, Kaveri remarked jovially, “I see Yaakub has not changed a bit. His face muscles remain as incapable of laughter as ever.”

  Yaakub made no response and his face gave no reaction as usual, but Prince Jared announced in a loud voice, “Anyone who can make Yaakub laugh shall get a special—” His sentence was cut short when Akini slapped the back of Thaymas’ head with a great force. As Thaymas was thrust forward, making him spit out the curd he was eating, Yaakub burst into mellow laughter unwittingly. Everyone guffawed uproariously as Prince Jared buried his palm into his forehead.

  Akini asked without wasting any time, “So, what shall I get?”

  Prince Jared: “You never really let me finish my statement. So technically, I am not bound to give you anything whatsoever.”

  “That was chicanery!” Akini roared in anger and launched her cup of strawberry milk at his face as if with a slingshot. As the cup bounced off the Prince’s face, broadcasting a wince-worthy sound; the strawberry-milk painted his face deliciously pink. The two newest members of the Women of War who were not very familiar with the Prince, stood stunned and in terror while everyone else burst into laughter, watching the Prince wipe away the strawberry-milk from his face with a sheepish expression. He wiped off the strawberry-milk and proceeded to lick it from his hands as Yuroichi unleashed a barrage of slaps on his shoulder and everyone shouted and shrieked in disgust.

  Prince Jared proceeded to the western end of the terrace and washed his face where there was a drainage hole that was meant to drain out the water that accumulated during the rains. He walked over to the north-eastern part of the terrace where King Jeraash was sitting, and kissing him, said, “Thank you for the strawberry-milk and grape-curd.”

  King Jeraash patted his cheek as the Prince returned to his party. As he sat beside them, Ribon asked Yuroichi, “Why don’t you play us some music?”

  Yuroichi shook her head refusing, “I’m not in the mood.”

  Thaymas asked in surprise, “You play music too?”

  “Does she play music you ask,” chuckled Kaveri, “She is the best musician in Jerudia!”

  Thaymas responded in astonishment, “But— I thought Prince Jared was the greatest musician in Jerudia…”

  “Well,” said Kaveri, “In a sense, he is. No one can write songs or compose music like him. No one can even direct music the way he does. But he has serious limitations. Yuroichi here, on the other hand, at the age of 23, is proficient in all skills and techniques concerned with the guitar and the harp. There is not a single technique or component of music that she has not mastered. while Prince Jared is pretty much incapable of imitating any piece of music… which is quite an important part of being a musician. Again, when he sings, everyone is entranced, but he cannot imitate a single tune as is. And he is not technically very proficient either. Yuroichi is a more complete musician.”

  “Well,” said Yuroichi, clinging to Prince Jared, “I would not even be a musician if not for him.”

  Akini stood frowning still, maintaining that she was duped out of her reward for making Yaakub laugh. Kaveri walked over to her and emb
raced her from behind, “One hard-headed child is enough for us, Eevay. We have our hands full with Jared. Please do not turn into another troublesome child like him.” The party laughed softly as Akini continued to stare at the Prince trying to burn him down with her eyes. Kaveri dragged her away and tried to calm her down as the rest of the party carried on.

  As suppertime grew closer, everyone met Princess Jeniah and said their goodbyes and took their leave. Princess Jeniah was beloved by everyone without an exception and everyone found it difficult to leave her presence. After supper, General Thayman and Thaymas sat beside the pond and spent some quality time. When General Thayman came back into the royal residence, he noticed that the lights were still on in one of the living rooms and went to check up on it. He saw the King, Queen, Prince, and the Princess sitting in a circle and braiding each other’s hair. General Thayman said with a hearty and soft laughter, “Sathyam’s blessed anointing oil! What Prince Jared is doing to our dear Princess in the name of braiding is tantamount to abusive parenting!” Princess Jeniah responded with a smile, “I just like the feeling in my head!” and grinned, flashing all the stars in her mouth, “It is the same reason Appa is sitting here. Hee-hee! He likes the feeling in his head too! He thinks no one knows, but we AAALLLLLLL know it.” General Thayman calmed his huge laughter and said, “It’s quite late, do not stay up much longer. Have a blessed sleep!” and left them.

  As Prince Jared struggled to convince the Princess to sleep, she demanded, “Story!”

  Prince Jared: “Which story?”

  Princess Jeniah: “Made-up story!”

  Prince Jared animatedly acted surprised, “Whatever dost thou meanest, My, Fair, Lady!?”

  Princess Jeniah: “I want a story that you make up right now.”

  Prince Jared: “Whew! I thought she had realised that I tell her made-up stories everyday…”

  Princess Jeniah: “NOW!!!”

  Prince Jared: “YES!!! Yes, My Lady! Okay. So, there once lived a handsome prince. One day, when the Prince was taking a stroll outside the palace—”

  Princess Jeniah: “Why was he taking a stroll outside the palace?”

  The pitch of the Prince’s voice rose higher, “What? What kind of a question is that?! People take strolls! It’s what people do!”

  Princess Jeniah: “Okay… But my question was why was this prince taking a stroll? And why outside the palace?”

  Prince Jared sighed defeat, “Jeni-ma… can we please do this without your interrogations?”

  “Hmm… Okay. I’ll be merciful today,” the Princess graciously accommodated her father’s request.

  Prince Jared resumed, “As I was saying. One day, when the Prince was taking a stroll outside the palace, a HUGE, EVIL, FIRE-BREATHING DRAGON appeared! The dragon spoke in a terrifying voice, ‘I AM HERE TO STEAL YOUR FOOD AND YOUR TOYS!’ The Prince drew out his sword—”

  Princess Jeniah: “No one takes a stroll with their sword… And that too right outside their palace… Sounds like a very not-smart prince…”

  Prince Jared: “What did we just agree on?”

  Princess Jeniah: “You wanted no interrogations. I did not ask a question!”

  “Yea!” said the Prince, “Definitely going to be a lawyer…”

  Prince Jared pulled up her shirt and blew raspberry kisses on her stomach and tickled her waist as she squirmed wildly and her magical giggles filled the room. The fierce Princess retaliated by uprooting a sizable bunch of hair from her father’s forearm as he shrieked in pain, “Aaaaaaahh!!!!”

  Princess Jeniah extended the white flag, speaking through her laughter, “Okay! I won’t talk! I won’t talk!”

  Prince Jared: “And what about this hairless island on my forearm?”

  Princess Jeniah answered in overflowing excitement, “WE CAN BUILD A CASTLE FOR ME THERE!!!”

  Prince Jared’s eyes spoke very clearly, “The Prince is not amused.”

  Prince Jared resumed his story, “When the dragon spoke in a terrifying voice, ‘I AM HERE TO STEAL YOUR FOOD AND YOUR TOYS!’ The Prince drew out his sword and replied, ‘I am the protector of this land! And I will defeat you and drive you away from here!’ After a battle that lasted for three years, the Prince defeated the dragon and drove it out of the land. But the battle had destroyed the Prince’s country. His country and his palace had been destroyed. The Prince was now all alone. The Prince was very lonely and could not live in his palace anymore. So he ran away from the land. He wandered the Earth for years and years. He travelled through deserts, mangroves, volcanic mountains, pathways deep within the ground, caves within giant mountains, and even crossed the oceans! After eight years of gruelling travels, the Prince arrived at the Valley of Domb!—”

  The already half-asleep Princess interrupted, “There is no such valley… ab… Uh…”

  Prince Jared whispered, “Hey! Who’s the grownup here?”

  Princess Jeniah answered with her half-asleep speech once again, “There is no grownup in this room…”

  Lying on his side, patting her belly, Prince Jared sighed, “I don’t know what to do here…”

  The Princess climbed on her father, forcing him to lay on his back and took a comfortable position on top of his chest. Comfortable to her at least. Burying her head snugly in the space between his shoulder and neck, she asked in her infinitely adorably voice, “Appa… will you make a promise to me?”

  “Of course!” said the Prince, patting her back, “What is it?”

  Princess Jeniah added in her enchantingly lovely voice, “Never… Never become a story-writer… You’re terrible at it…”

  Prince Jared chuckled and closed his eyes and whispered with a smile, “As free as a slave am I…”

  “Slaves are not free, Appa…” corrected the Princess, speaking through her sleep.

  The Prince fell silent. Silent, as if something had taken over his mind… something that required far too much of his attention for him to be able to speak. A decision. A small decision, yet one that he deemed important. After many seconds of silence, he decided to speak, “It’s something Jeni-ma’s amma taught me. ‘Some slaves are free. Some slaves are freer than the birds of the air, freer than a wild hare, freer than the wild daffodils, and freer even than the air that moves as it wills… Some slaves… are free…’”

  He panicked, wondering how he would explain the meaning of it to her. He knew that now that she knew that her mother was the source of the saying, it would be impossible to contain her with a mere, “I’ll explain it to you when you are older.” He regretted listening to his instinct and deciding to speak. But fate decided to be kind to the Prince, for the Princess had fallen fully asleep and did not hear his words.

  The Prince was glad that fate had rescued him. He was gladder still that he had been bestowed with blessings undeserved and whispered as he fell asleep, “Thank you…”

  LOST CHAPTER

  Divine Difficulties

  And

  Mount Erphu’s Unspoken Warning

  On the sixth to last day of the year, on a perfect spring morning; Prince Jared, General Hana, Thaymas, and Akini waited outside a house in the residential district of Radaa. The King, Queen, and General Thayman were attending an important ceremony inside the house. It was the ceremony of ‘Final Blessings’. It included two parts - the ‘Firstborn Blessing’ and ‘Heavenly Adorning’. The Final Blessings was one of the most important customs of Jerudian culture. According to the custom, the father would pass on the foremost portion of inheritance to the firstborn son and bestow the other children with their rightful blessings and inheritance. In case of a king, the first son would become the next king; in case of a warrior, the first son would inherit the father’s weapons; in case of a businessman, the first son would inherit the business. While traditionally only the sons were supposed to be a partake in the firstborn blessings, King Jahous and Queen Gabriela had changed this practice and ordered for the daughters to be eligible for it as well.

  The King and Queen
did not attend every such ceremony in the land. But this was the household of a celebrated retired Captain of the Jerudian army, Lord Mansoor Likhan. Even though he was only a Captain, he had earned the title of ‘Lord’ on account of the great valour and exemplary virtue he demonstrated in his service in the military. Lord Mansoor was now 182 years old and was expected to pass away within the next two months. Lord Mansoor had only one son. But the ritual of the passing of the firstborn blessing was still an important one.

  The ritual would start with the sons offering gifts of their own choice and the father then praying over the sons by placing his hand on their heads. During the prayer, the father would declare blessing over each son and finally declare the firstborn blessing over the first son. The firstborn blessing ritual would end when the father declared - “I thank Sathyam’s grace for letting me pass on the skills of my right hand and the will of my soul to my sons.” The Heavenly Adorning ritual would begin next. The daughters would first kiss their father’s hand, after which the father would place his hand on their heads and pray over them and declare blessings. Next, the father would present each daughter with jewellery, gold coins, and one item of choice that each daughter would ask for. The heavenly adorning ritual would end with the father declaring - “Blessed be the name of Sathyam for blessing my house with his precious daughters. May his loving hands forever surround them and protect them.” The Final Blessings ritual would then end with the sons, daughters, and the mother standing in front of the father and him announcing - “Great is His grace that Sathyam blessed this house with a virtuous mother, brave sons, and graceful daughters.” The Final Blessings ended with no mention of a blessing for the father for it denoted that the father was meant to be a sacrificial person whose purpose was the well-being of the family.