Princess: Nuance Of Love Book 1

by Evida Suntoyo

  "Good morning my little Puteri, how did you sleep last night?" Mak Noor entered her bedroom with coffee.

  "Good morning, Mak. I slept so well, I didn't even want to wake up this morning." She responded cheerfully, "Eh, Mak. I think I am ready to go jogging today, I haven't exercised in a long time, my body is getting weak, and my muscles are softening." She said while bending her arm up to show her biceps.

  "Puteri, why would a woman need muscles for? It's very unfeminine. That will scare men away."

  "Mak, do you think if I was born pretty, petite, thin and feminine, I would be more attractive to men?" She asked.

  "Puteri, now is not appropriate for you to think about something like that. You're already engaged and you're getting married soon."

  "I know, I was just thinking..." she frowned remembering the pretty and petite Dewi.

  There was a knock on the door, "Puteri, your mother is has arrived, she's here to see you."

  "My mother?" She and Mak Noor looked at each other. "But isn't she supposed to arrive this weekend? Why is she already here?"

  "Ran, can you please show Your Highness Puteri's mother up here." Mak Noor said to the Palace staff.

  "Yes, Mam."

  "Puteri, come on hurry up and get dressed, I want your mother to see how beautiful you are."

  "Alright, I'm coming."

  Paramita had barely put her clothes on when Soraya appeared at the door, she had her handbag in one hand and a thick roll of newspaper in the other. "So you are too high and noble to greet your mother now?"

  "Mama, how are you? Of course I wanted to greet you down stairs, but it's just that I haven't finished getting dressed."

  "How have you been doing?" Soraya asked.

  "I'm fine, Mama."

  "Noor, can you please leave us, I need to talk to my daughter." Soraya said in a serious tone.

  Mak Noor hesitated for a while, she knew quite well that when Soraya speaks that way, it means that she was going to scold her daughter. On top of that she could smell the alcohol from her mistress’ body. She walked out of the room, closed the door a little bit, and stood there, listening in to the conversation.

  "Mita, tell me how have you been doing?" She asked, putting her purse on the bed.

  "I'm doing well Mama." She answered nervously.

  "From what I hear, you have been getting along well with your fiancée?" She asked her daughter sharply.

  "Well, Abang is a nice person and he treats me will." Paramita answered.

  "Is that why you went and spent the night with him, even though you're not legally married yet?" She said while throwing the roll of newspapers that she was holding to the bed.

  "But mama, I didn't spend the night with him, I don't know what you're saying..." Paramita answered, quickly scanning through them. There were pictures of her and Ali on the front page, the headlines reported that they had spent the night together in the forest. It didn't mention about the attempts on their lives.

  "You liar! Is this how I educated you? You were here just for a few months and you're already doing things to embarrass me."

  "Mama, I swear I didn't go to spend the night with him. What happened was I had an accident, and he helped me...and..."Paramita was too nervous to speak. Suddenly she felt a sting on her cheek from a slap by Soraya.

  "So you did spend the night with him, and you said told me that you didn't." She said while grabbing a handful of her daughter's hair. "How is he going to appreciate you after you are married, if you don't know how to protect your dignity? Don't you know how men are? Haven't I taught you enough? If a man had a woman before marriage, he will easily get tired of her, and find another woman."

  "Nothing happened between us, mama." Paramita said, "It's not like that between us. Besides, he already loves somebody else, he..."

  "He already loves somebody else? What is wrong with you?" She shook Paramita harshly, "Stupid girl...stupid...stupid." Soraya picked up the coffee cup and threw it at her daughter.

  The coffee cup hit Paramita on the forehead, she stood up while holding her forehead, "Mother, calm down, listen to me first, let me explain..."

  Soraya was beginning to become hysterical, she picked up Paramita's belt that was lying on the bed, and began to whip her daughter with it. Paramita curled to the ground, holding her hand up in a defensive position. "Mama. Please stop, please stop, you're hurting me..."

  "Madam...Madam...stop it, please, you're hurting my Puteri. Stop it." Mak Noor came running into the room, and tried to hold Soraya back.

  "Move! She's my Puteri[2], my daughter. It's my responsibility to educate her. Look what happened when I entrusted you to take care of her for a few months, look, what she's done."

  "Madam, Puteri didn't do anything wrong, it was an accident, she was injured, you should be grateful that she is safe and well."

  "You know, it's still not too late, you're lucky that your Mama is smart, I have a medicine here that can prevent you from becoming pregnant!" She said ignoring Mak Noor and taking a bottle from her purse.

  "Mama...no.....how can I be pregnant, I've done nothing, I don't want to...."

  "Drink it you stupid girl, if you become pregnant before your wedding, your child will be a bastard, and It will be against the law for the father to recognize it, and you'll be so sad that you'll get a miscarriage, and it's going to hurt you, it's going to make you bleed for days, making you feel like you're going to die."

  "Mama, what are you saying?"

  "Drink it!" She yelled. Soraya grabbed her daughter's jaw and poured the content of the bottle in her daughter's mouth, she grabbed the glass of orange juice that was on the table and forced her to drink it.

  Paramita coughed and spat out as much of the bitter tasting liquid as she can. This only angered Soraya more, she pulled Paramita by the hair and banged her head on the side of the bed. "All your life I taught you to be a good woman, and now, you throw mud into my face by acting like a loose woman!"

  Paramita felt something hot trickling down her face. Mak Noor looked in shock as she saw blood flowing from the wound on her head. Paramita stood up abruptly, she grabbed Soraya, lifted her up in the air like she weighed nothing, and threw her on to the bed.

  Mak Noor screamed "Puteri....Puteri..... God....help us...."

  "How dare you hurt your mother? You sinner, you'll burn in hell! Your life will be damn! I'm the person who gave you your life, I put my life in danger to give birth to you. How dare you do this to me! I curse you! I curse you!" Soraya screamed.

  Paramita, turned around and ran out of the room, her vision became blurry because of the blood and tears covering her eyes. She ran barefooted, only dressed in a skirt and bra. But she didn't care, she was becoming detached. She ran and she ran, out of the residence, into the garden, she just kept running without knowing where to go, her mind was blank, and all she could see was darkness.

  [12] Puteri also means daughter

  Chapter Nineteen

  Ali was in the Sultan's office attending the monthly progress report meeting delivered by the Ministry of Agriculture. The Sultan had ordered him to attend and be an observer at every meeting, to be familiar with the government officials, their responsibilities and matters that they are handling.

  There was a knock on the door, and an attendant entered. "Your Majesty, Pardon me for interrupting. There was a call from Her Highness Puteri Paramita's residence, there seem to be a problem there. The staff reported that Her Highness Puteri ran out of the residence undressed and bleeding from the head."

  Ali turned pale imagining the worst, he stood up in reflex, "How could something like that happen? Where were the guards?"

  "Pardon me Your Excellency, according to the staff, she had a fight with her biological mother, Madam Soraya."

  Ali became confused, "What?"

  "Ananda Raden Ali, please go and see what happened with Ananda Puteri," The Sultan ordered him, he paused for a minute continued, "I am trusting my daughter to you, please take care of her. Do what
ever you need to do, but please make sure she's alright."

  "I understand, Paduka." He replied.

  "Ananda...." He said approaching closer to Ali, "Make sure you treat the matter with caution, don't let a word of this spread out."

  "I, Your Majesty" He replied.

  Ali hurriedly left the office and ran towards the East Wing Residence. The chief of staff was in the front garden with a radio. "What happened here?" Ali asked.

  "Your Excellency, we don't dare to go and search for Her Highness Puteri, we think that she is possessed. We know that she hasn't left the grounds and that she's somewhere in the garden."

  "What a stupid thing to say, I heard that she was injured, are you going to wait until she bleeds to death?"

  "Your Excellency, when Her Highness ran out of the building, she was, umm....sorry, not properly dressed. She was growling like a wild beast, the main door was closed, and she broke it with a kick, you can go and see it for yourself. It was like she was possessed by a tiger demon. No normal woman can have that kind of strength."

  "Puteri practices martial arts, she doesn't need to be possessed by demons to break your bones with her bare hands." He said out of spite. "Tell everybody to stand back. I will search for her myself, give me a radio! If anybody sees her, make sure to inform me!" He ordered.

  "Yes Your Excellency." The Chief of Staff nodded.

  Ali looked at the ground and saw a trail of blood, he followed it carefully feeling anguished and worried. The distance of the splatter shows that she was running as fast as she can. He quickly followed it, he began to build pace and started running. The blood trail lead him to some trees and shrubs that grew tightly together, he saw the blood stains leading into the bush. He followed it carefully.

  The surrounding area was a mess, plants and small trees pulled out by the roots thrown around, the soil had been dug at by bare fingers, and large river stones that were placed there for decoration were thrown in different directions. Ali was surprised to see her condition, she was curled up against a tree and her hair was stained with blood and dirt. Her hands were bleeding and covered in mud. He could see several belt marks on her arm and back, welted, red and bruised. She was almost naked, her skirt was ripped and torn in many places. She was hiding her face between her arms, she didn't even notice that he was standing there. He gently reached out and touched her shoulder.

  "No....Please forgive me Mama...please forgive me....please forgive me... forgive me.....Mama." Her bloodshot eyes staring at him with dilated pupils like that of a wild animal.

  Suddenly she jumped up and punched him. Ali was caught off guard, he was hit on the jaw line causing him to fall backward. He was surprised at the extent of her strength, he shook his head to get rid of the pounding feeling caused by the impact of her fist. She launched at him again, he quickly rolled his body sideways to escape her attack. Ali rapidly jumped up and opened his legs putting stance anticipating her next attack. She twirled her body in a chain kick for his head, he barely managed to deflect the attack. Paramita started to growl and sneer seeing her assaults were not hitting the target, she moved forward with a series of punches alternating between his face, chest, and stomach.

  Ali felt frustrated, he didn't want to attack back, but she was not giving him an option. Suddenly he saw his chance, he grabbed her wrist and twisted it behind her back. She struggled to free herself, making brisk harsh movements. Ali felt a sharp blow to his stomach as her other elbow landed on it. Instinctively he let go of her wrist, she jumped forward freeing herself. He didn't know when she had moved forward, suddenly she was in front of him, he felt her hand clasping his neck, he tried to pry off her fingers, but she clenched tighter. He was gasping for air as he felt her strangling his consciousness away, he grabbed her wrist and tried to pull her hand off with no luck. He had no other choice but to slap her across the face. She didn't flinch, it was as if his slap didn't affect her one bit. Instead, she pushed forward, throwing his body backward. He felt a hard smash on his back as he landed against a tree, dropping to the ground like a piece of cloth. His whole body was hurting, and his head was spinning profusely.

  He lifted his arm in a block anticipating another blow from her, when suddenly she stopped moving, and dropped to the ground curling up again, and hid her head between her arms.

  He quickly moved forward and pulled her into his arms and whispered, "Mita, it's okay......it's okay now. I won't let her hurt you anymore. I won't allow anyone to hurt you anymore, I promise." He said while holding her tightly, his tears were rolling down his cheeks.

  She didn't say anything, she curled up tighter and cried covering her head with her arms.

  Suddenly he felt her becoming limp and almost fell sideways to the ground. "Mita, Mita... are you alright, Mita, can you hear me?"

  He took off his jacket to cover her body, and lifted her up. He carried her out of the bushes, and quickly made his way across the lawn. The staff was standing at the front of the residence. Ali was about to enter the building, when he decided that it wouldn't be such a good idea. "Get me a car." He ordered them.

  "Over here, Your Excellency." The chief of staff opened the door to a car.

  Another man ran towards the driver's side, opened the door and went in. "Where to Your Excellency?"

  "My residence." He answered.

  "Chief, please call the doctor and have her meet me there."

  "Yes sir." He replied.

  As the car drove out of the Sultan's Palace, Ali held Paramita in the back seat, she was breathing calmly as if she were sleeping. The wound on her forehead had stopped bleeding, he removed the strands of hair from her face. He bit his bottom lip to ease the pain from seeing her like this, she barely recovered from the injury that happened before in the forest, and now she's hurt again, in her own home, by her own mother.

  The car pulled up in front of the gate of his residence. A staff ran quickly to open the gate, peering through the windshield to see who had arrived. Ali waved from the back seat, when the staff saw him, he opened the rest of the gate to let the car in. The car drove into the driveway and stopped at the main door. The driver got down and opened the door for Ali. He stepped down from the car carrying Paramita. A maid opened the front door, she gasped in surprise seeing him carry a dirty unconscious woman in his arms.

  Ali quickly entered, "Is my mother home?" He asked.

  "Yes she is Raden."

  "Please ask her to quickly come up to my room, and get me a big bowl of warm water and a towel. A doctor will be coming soon, make sure you bring her to my room too."

  He ran up the stairs, gently kicking open the door to his room, he laid Paramita gently on the bed.

  Raden Nabilla showed up at the door, "What's going on? Who is this woman?" She asked.

  He turned his head to face her, "Mother, please help me clean her up. The doctor is coming, she has an opened wound in the head.

  Raden Nabilla came closer. "But this is Ananda Puteri," she cried, "What happened to her? How did she end up like this?"

  "Mother.” He said while taking her hand, "Thank you very much for all the love you gave me, for all your kindness, for educating me, and for taking care of me." He kissed her hand.

  "But you're my son, of course, I love you, and I will always love you and take care of you."

  "I love you mother!" He said while crying.

  "Ali, what happened? Who did this to Ananda Puteri?"

  "We don't know yet, the only thing, I heard, was that she had a fight with Madam Soraya, she ran out of her residence bleeding, and euphoric."

  "Oh, my poor child." She said softly. She sat on the bed. The maid entered the room with the bowl of water and a small towel. "Help me take off her clothes, so I can clean her properly." She said to the maid, looking at Ali she said. "Why are you standing there? Wait outside!"

  "Okay."

  He heard noises downstairs and went to take a look. Captain Bagas was with a man dressed in a lab coat. He saw Ali, and quickly approached he was breat
hing heavily in anxiety. "Your Excellency, this is Major Doctor Johan, he is the physician for the Royal Guards."

  "Your Excellency, I need to see the Princess immediately, the guards on duty told me about her condition, and what she did. I've seen those symptoms before. I suspect that Her Highness Puteri has been exposed to a high dosage of military test drugs." Said the doctor.

  Ali carefully studied his credentials, "She's upstairs in my room. My mother is cleaning her up and dressing her."

  "We have to hurry. My colleague Doctor Mariani is treating Madam Soraya now, we think that she was under the influence too, but not at the same high level of dosage as Her Highness Puteri." He explained.

  "How can this happen?" Ali said, he knocked gently at the door before opening it. "Mother the doctor is here, he needs to see Mita immediately."

  "Yes, tell him to come in." Raden Nabilla responded from inside the room.

  The doctor entered accompanied by Ali. "She's burning up, we would need to put a cold compress on her to stabilize her body temperature."

  "I'll go and get some ice," Raden Nabilla said.

  "Not ice, water at room temperature that would be better." The doctor explained. "I'm going to put her on a drip with an antipsychotic medicine to control any further episodes. Also, I'm going to take a blood sample to find what exactly was the drug that she consumed. Right now the only thing, we can do, is give supportive care, you need to monitor her breathing and her body temperature. If there are any abnormalities or if she has another psychotic rampage, you need to call me immediately. I will leave you my cell phone number."

  * * *

  "The injury to her head didn't affect her skull, but it is a deep flesh wound. I will have to stitch it so it doesn't leave a horrible scar on your beautiful bride."

  "Doctor, I know that you'll need the blood test results to accurately identify the drug, but do you have any suspicions about what it could be?" Ali asked.

  Doctor Johan sighed. "I'm not completely sure, but one thing I'm certain of, is that one component contained in it is PCP."