by W. C. Jasper
Hanging by his neck, peering into his eyes, she said, “I’ll be alone Appa…”
“Well,” said the Prince, “I’m going to take a bite of my favourite mango so that I can always have a piece of you with me,” and playfully bit her left cheek as if he were taking out a chunk of her flesh.
She giggled melodically with her enchantingly sweet voice and then suddenly stopped, “Hmm…” she said with a very deep and thoughtful voice. All of a sudden, her eyes lit up like a flash of lightning, “I know! I’ll take a chunk of my favourite brush too!”
Before the Prince could do anything about it, she had already plucked out a patch of his beard from his left cheek with one swift strike like a viper’s.
Half of the party stood stunned at the suddenness of the Princess’ barbarism and the other half guffawed thunderously as General Hana spoke over her uncontrollable laughter, “Great job, My Princess! I can see that your speed is increasing steadily. And great execution of the element of surprise as well - sublime timing!” and communicated her appreciation with a thumbs-up. Princess Jeniah responded by flashing all the bright stars in her mouth as her cheeks tightened to the point of exploding. As Prince Jared stared at the Princess, she spoke with her enchantingly melodic voice with a shrug, “It’s the law! I studied just last month that justice in trade is marked by an equivalent substitution and justice otherwise is facilitated by equivalent restitution.” Prince Jared’s face was overcome with a flood of confusion, “Why are you studying about the laws of trade? You’re five years old!” As the Princess grinned at her father in self-satisfaction, he thought to himself once again, “E-yup! Definitely a lawyer…”
As General Hana’s laughter continued to roar, Thaymas was once again noticing her absolute lack of filters. He was realising with every moment spent around her that she was a woman who did not care about keeping up appearances. As far away from diplomacy as a human being could possibly be. Laughing unapologetically at even the Prince of Jerudia writhing in pain with zero attempt to sanitise any of her facial expressions was the epitome of boldness.
Prince Jared’s cheek was now burning in pain, but of course his hands did not move as he was holding the Princess. Princess Jeniah now looked at her father with a very innocent expression and kissed the cheek that she had assaulted. As she drew away from the long kiss, she said with a dignified voice, “Don’t be a baby.” As the party broke out into laughter once again, Prince Jared’s lips curled into a soft smile as he gazed into the Princess’ eyes, contemplating his unjust blessings.
Princess Jeniah spoke, staring at the patch of beard in her hands, “Don’t go…” Prince Jared’s heart crumbled like a sand castle that was holding itself together with its very last ounce of magical force and had now finally run out of its magic potency. As the tears broke out from his eyes, he hugged her tightly so that she wouldn’t see the tears. While she had already seen his tears, he did not want her to know that her words were the cause of this particular breakdown. After sneakingly wiping his tears while hugging her, he drew away and put his forehead on hers. Rubbing his nose on hers, he said, “I won’t be gone. I will always be right with you. Because I am your home, right? Never forget where you belong.” She rubbed her nose on his in response as she nodded yes. He placed her on the ground in front of himself, sat on his knees and asked, “Where do you belong?” And as they had done it numerous times before, she jumped into his arms and embraced him so tightly as if she were trying to phase through him and responded, “Right here!” As she smothered him, he whispered, “How long?” “Forever + Eternity!!!” she yelled in her inescapably enchanting voice that bound him in its spell. Prince Jared responded in perfect rhythm with a voice that was fading into twilight, “That’s the deal.”
After a terribly long farewell, Prince Jared agreed to part with her and embraced Kareema and told her, stifling his crying, “Make sure she eats a lot.” For his love language was the same as a grandmother’s - physical affection and food.
The party stepped outside the gate into the seven feet wide path running parallel to the wall. Beyond that seven feet wide path, lay a dense forest stretching quite far. The party looked back into the Kingdom as the gate closed behind them and waved goodbye to the Princess and Miss Kareema. Once the gate closed, Prince Jared dropped his head in sorrow as the King and Queen consoled him. On the other side, as soon as the gate closed, something collapsed inside Princess Jeniah and she broke into loud wailing and Kareema tried to console her. Hearing her wailing, Prince Jared fell to the ground and started weeping as his eyelids almost erupted, holding back the tears pouring out like waters from a dam that burst. King Jeraash sat on the ground with him, holding him. After a while, when Kareema had taken Princess back into the village, and they could not hear her anymore, Prince Jared finally calmed himself.
As Queen Maomi held her beloved child, consoling him; King Jeraash stood up straight, and looking up at the sky, spoke a blessing, “Now, we leave our land and venture into the outside world to ensure the safety of our people. May Sathyam’s favour forever be with us and protect us on this journey and his land in our absence. Today, our land sends us out to secure its future. We venture as unblemished sheep among vicious vipers, make us gentle as doves and grant us the cunning of serpents. We take up this mantle, we bear this burden. We accept this honour, we carry this privilege. Today… we are sent.”
EPILOGUE
The End And The Beginning
As the procession entered the Forest of Ferianoy, only the Royal Family remained. The sound of their grieving feet marching through Ferianoy forest’s downcast visage echoed through the mournful air like the sombre, choppy notes of a weeping violin.
The Forest of Ferianoy - The most glorious forest, whose countenance looked magical even from the outside. The forest that was known worldwide to be the most beautiful forest on all the Earth since the beginning of time. A forest that contained within it every type of subsystem including swamps, woods, humongous grassy mountains, giant rocky hills, rainforests, cascading waterfalls, thorny plains, thickets, grassy fields, sandy ponds, rocky canyons, babbling brooks, muddy, moaning marshes, laughing lakes, caves that quickened curiosity, and even boulevards with beeches on both sides designed by mother nature herself. With only a few subsystems such as deserts and snowy areas lacking, the Forest of Ferianoy was like a miniature body containing almost all the goodness the Earth had to offer, condensed in a single forest for Jerudia. This enchanting forest that housed almost every possible shade of green under the sun, flowers and fruits of every colour, and the most melodious birds of every colour, shape, and size could cheer up the most depressed soul with a single glance at its beauty. But today, even the Forest of Ferianoy was downcast, and even the birds sang no songs.
The wolves and lions had now arrived to carry the body of their King the rest of the way. King Jahous’ magnificent white and brown horse, Edward, had also been allowed to accompany them. While Lady Hesaai had joined in the burial ceremony, Thaymas was still not allowed to come in contact with the Royal Family. General Thayman, Lady Hesaai, and the young princes had dressed in traditional clothes of mourning in white and grey. The four of them lifted the vessel and placed it on the backs of the wolves and lions.
General Thayman carried a massive burden as he was not only King Jahous’ best friend and brother, but also his most trusted confidante within the very small circle of confidantes that the King maintained. He was now operating as the proxy for the King as per King Jahous’ last wish, but he had no intention of ever holding the sceptre or sitting on the throne even once. He was planning to execute his rule for the required period by assuming the position of a ‘stand-in king’ who continued to sit in the seat of and don the title of only a General.
He knew that despite the King’s explicit orders for General Thayman to man the helm until Prince Jeraash took the throne, there would be tremendous opposition that he would have to strive against. But those thoughts were not the ones on his mind now. The thoug
hts most painful to him were the two princes in front of him who had lost both their mother and their father now. He knew that these kids that he loved as his own sons would have to struggle with much more than just loss and sorrow in the coming years.
Lady Hesaai was still extremely angry about her daughter deserting the kingdom, but she was wise and kind enough to understand the pain and burden that General Thayman was carrying. She held onto General Thayman’s arm and lent him her strength in his hour of sorrow and despair. As Prince Jared walked with his face buried in his brother’s chest, Prince Jeraash’s posture and countenance stayed as firm as the giant sequoia tree.
Unbeknownst to even General Thayman, the princes carried their own secrets. Secrets that would become heavier with every passing day. While King Jahous had hidden the three portions of the scroll of Delian in three different places, the two princes already knew the contents of the first two pieces. King Jahous had maintained a certain departmentalisation of information. The safe-keeping of the first piece of the scroll he had entrusted with himself. But he also believed that the contents of the first piece was fit to be shared with the most trusted confidantes of Jerudia. The contents of the second piece he had entrusted with his wife, Queen Gabriela Gibor. The contents of this were passed down only to Prince Jared. As Queen Gabriela had passed away while giving birth to Prince Jared, she had written the contents on a note and entrusted it to the King to reveal it to Prince Jared on his seventh birth anniversary. After revealing it to him on his seventh birth anniversary, King Jahous burnt the note to ash. As such, apart from the current holder/holders of the second piece of the scroll, the only person alive to know its contents was Prince Jared.
The burdens and secrets that the princes carried were cruelly heavy for their young shoulders. But such were the fates of those destined for greatness. Such were the fates of noble rulers. For no righteous person ever escapes pain and sorrow. And despite what the little cry-baby Prince believed, the shoulders of these young princes were well-equipped to bear the weight they were entrusted with. Perhaps he ought to have believed what the holy scriptures of Jerudia said - “No vessel is ever poured into with more than it can hold. No shoulders are ever burdened with more than they can carry.”
The princes and General Thayman wanted to perform the entire burial ceremony themselves. As such, the necessary equipment was already set out for them at the burial site. As the moon relieved the sun of its duty and lit up the surface of the Earth with its powerful, pure white light; the Royal Family relieved the wolves and lions of the vessel and placed it ever so gently on the ground.
They were now at the Royal Family’s burial site - a beautiful, luscious, luxurious grassy plain with many gravestones set forth in white marbles. The spot next to the gravestone of the Great Queen Gabriela Gibor was marked out and had the digging equipment lying on it. The princes knelt down in front of their mother’s grave and dropped their heads as Prince Jared once again broke into tears and Prince Jeraash, kneeling beside him, caressed the top of his head. The princes shared their words of sorrow with their mother. Barely intelligible words broke through the younger Prince’s sobbing as his eyes failed to remain open, containing the raging sea of tears, “I always struggled with understanding why Sathyam never allowed me to see my own mother even once. And now he has taken my father too…” Prince Jeraash gently slapped the back of his brother’s head and then pulled him into his coiling embrace. Prince Jeraash too, offered his words of grief, “I’ve missed you greatly. And now I shall miss Appa too. But I promise to care for Jared to the best of my ability. I will imitate your motherhood and Appa’s fatherhood to the best of my ability.”
As Prince Jared walked away from his mother’s gravestone, weeping loudly once again, held up by his brother; the mature wolves and lions comforted him with their kisses. But no amount of licking could nurse the bleeding wounds in his heart. The younger wolves and lions whimpered near Prince Jeraash as he caressed and comforted them.
Lady Hesaai cried softly as General Thayman got down on one knee and held Prince Jeraash’s hands, “Son, I am immensely proud of you for maintaining your strength for the sake of your little brother. But you too need to mourn.” Prince Jeraash’s eyes wavered ever so slightly after which he shook his head with thoughtful eyes, “It’s alright. Jared needs me now. I assure you I will visit the temple and submit myself to Lady Heidi Cordiam’s spiritual therapy. But for now, Jared needs me.” General Thayman’s heart crumbled like a mud castle made by a child at the sight of the Prince’s broken and thoughtful eyes sitting on young cheeks that were being violently pulled down by the Earth.
“Brother,” said the little Prince’s voice breaking through his weeping, “can—*sniffle* we—*sniffle* start—*sniffle* digging—*sniffle* after a—*sniffle* while.” Prince Jeraash wiped away his tears like a mother, “Of course. Come, let us sit down with the pride and the pack. They need to be comforted too, right?” He took him under his arm and sat down on a rock and called over the wolves and lions. After they had spent about half an hour with them, Prince Jeraash hugged him tightly, “We should let Uncle Thayman pray now. Come. Let’s go.” Prince Jared nodded as one more short burst of sob escaped his mouth.
As they all stood around the vessel that housed the King’s body, General Thayman prayed, “Blessed be Sathyam’s name for blessing us with the King of Kings. Blessed be the land that housed the great King Jahous Ehbed of the House of Rash-Yaph. Blessed be the first in line of the restorers. We thank Sathyam for the King that set forth the progeny that will bring about the deliverance of the world. I thank your great name for blessing me with my noble brother who brought forth my most precious nephews. Blessed be the firstborn who will carry forth the legacy of greatness and sacrifice; and blessed be the younger Prince who will be… the mighty sword and shield of Jerudia. I surrender today, the soul, spirit, and body of the great King Jahous Ehbed, 23rd King of Jerudia, and the first king of the House of Rash-Yaph into your hands. May your wings protect and your staff comfort and guide the sons and daughters of this house. I submit every member of this Royal Household into your hands.”
A few seconds into the digging of the grave, Prince Jeraash spoke with a stony voice while his eyes remained set on the grave, “Uncle. Would you please allow us to do this on our own? It would be greatly helpful to us in our grieving… I think it will be… cathartic…” An imperceptible shadow of a smile ran across the flesh of General Thayman’s face upon witnessing the wisdom of his future King. He nodded and joined his wife on the side as they sat on a rock and watched the young princes prepare the resting place for their father’s earthly vessel. Every once in a while, Prince Jared would run his forearm through his face and wipe his tears to help him see better as he dug. As they prepared the grave, they both recited, “Blessed be the name of Sathyam. All praise and glory be unto his name. Great is his love for blessing us with our father, and great is his grace for blessing us with our mother. May his love and grace forever endure in the House of Rash-Yaph.”
King Jahous’ casket was even more beautiful than the vessel that had carried his body in the procession. Prince Jeraash had designed the casket to be made with a blend of the rarest and most expensive woods. The surface had the texture similar to that of a curtain of moon-rays on a dark night. An arched canal ran along the borders within a two-inch margin, which was filled with rose gold. The midsection of the top of the casket had a circular plate made of yellow gold, upon which rested the family signet of the House of Rash-Yaph drawn with shining white gold. The circular frame was surrounded by 23 diamonds sitting on bases made of red gold.
As the four of them lowered the casket into the grave, silent tears finally streamed down Prince Jeraash’s face. As soon as the casket touched the bottom of the grave, Prince Jared embraced his brother with all his strength. Prince Jared was on his last reserve of tears, which was saying a lot given that he was a bona fide cry-baby. But even though he would soon be running out of tears and was in a state of ut
ter emotional exhaustion, his instinct had instantly picked up on his brother’s need for support. He coiled around his brother and hugged him tighter and tighter as Prince Jeraash caressed the top of his brother’s head. Even at such a moment, the future King refused to cry for his brother’s sake.
The grave was filled up with the help of everyone, including the wolves and the lions. Once the grave was completely filled up, deep into the night, a powerful wind passed them. The little Prince’s powerful bloodhound-like nose picked up a familiar scent in the wind. He quickly looked towards the direction the wind came from, “Brother! Aleph!” Aleph’s indigo eyes, like silent oceans on strange planets, were faintly visible standing atop a hill nearby with the outline of his body visible from the moonlight breaking off of his glorious grey fur.
Jiraai - the alpha of the pack, howled in mourning, thereby signalling the rest of the pack to join in. As the rest of the pack joined in mourning, the pride roared in grief in honour of their King. Edward, too, let out his grieving cries. The mournful howling and grief-filled roaring of the majestic beasts could have pulled the moon down to Earth.
