By B. B. Sakiko
Princess Estes was worried. This morning her father, the King, suddenly summoned her to his office. "Did he find out that I sneaked out of the castle and went to see the town last night? If so, how did he figure that out? Did somebody tell him? I sometimes have feelings that someone is watching me, but who can it be?" Estes walked through the front yard where servants and maids were putting out tables and chairs for Estes's birthday party that would be happening in two days. She cast her eyes to the side so that she did not have to see the party preparation scene.
When she
went into his executive office, the King was sitting behind a large granite
table, surrounded by eleven Ministers. He stood up and welcomed her.
"Now, come
closer, my daughter. How are you this morning?"
"I am
fine. Thank you. And you, your Majesty?"
"Fine.
Very fine." The King pointed to a chair for her to sit down. "You did not come
for breakfast this morning. Koma said you were sick."
"Did he
already talk to Koma? Then, I am sure that he knows that I sneaked out." Estes
made herself ready to be scolded. However, on the contrary, the king seemed
delighted.
"Now you
are feeling fine. Is that right?"
Estes
decided to give him a safe answer.
"Yes, your
Majesty. I had a headache this morning but it's gone now. I am sorry that I
could not have breakfast with you."
The King
answered:
"Don't
worry about such a trivial thing. As long as you are well, everything is well."
Estes
looked at the King, wondering "Why was I called here?" The King continued,
"As you
know, the important day is approaching. Take good care of yourself and be ready
for that day. I assume that you know what I am talking about."
"You are
talking about my birthday, aren't you father?"
The King
nodded.
"Yes. That
is right. Now, as you will be seventeen, I have decided to announce your
engagement at your birthday party. Aren't you glad that the party will be
grand?"
Estes was
now feeling uncomfortable. She said to the King with her indifferent voice,
trying to hide her feelings.
"Engagement? What a surprise. With whom?"
Her
question surprised the King. His face immediately turned stern.
"What kind
of question is that? Everyone in this castle knows that you will be married to
Rije of the Emy's. Rije is the healthiest man among the candidates and thus the
most qualified. You know that. You and I talked many times about this. Because
the seventeenth birthday is the day of becoming an adult, the Book allows a
princess to be married after that day."
"Your
Majesty, allow me to remind you that a princess does not have to marry at the
age of seventeen. Even though Rije is considered the healthiest man, he is my
cousin. It is not easy to accept my cousin as my husband."
The smile
on the King's face disappeared completely. Estes heard a low groan from the
Ministers. The King said to Estes as calmly as he could.
"I know
that you are worried. Yet, the scholars" study shows that the risk is still low.
I myself have two children alive. One is you. Look at yourself. You are
perfectly healthy."
The King
showed a peaceful smile, which Estes did not believe in. She was thinking,
"Then, why is he always concerned about my health? Why is he so eager to find
the healthiest man for me?"
Estes
looked straight at the King and said,
"It is
time to have new blood. I would like to ask you to find my partner from outside
of my bloodline."
The King's
face turned pale this time, and a louder groan was heard from the Ministers
again. The King said decisively:
"That's
not possible. The Book tells us to find a partner for a royal successor within
the royal family to keep our blood sacred and superior. Finding a groom who is
not our kin is absolutely impossible. That's a violation of the Book."
Seeing her
father's stoic face like a piece of rock, Estes felt a sense of resignation as
usual. She wondered if he had already forgotten his wife who died in agony
twelve years ago. "How could he say that the scholars' study shows that the risk
is still low?" Then, suddenly anger stirred up in her. "My mother tried to
deliver six babies with great suffering. Only two were successful. Among those
two, one is crippled and unable to walk today. I am the only healthy one. How
dare he say that the risk is still low?" Estes
looked straight at the King and said clearly,
"The Book
was written more than 1000 years ago. It is out-dated. Its rules may not be
relevant to our lives anymore."
This time
the King and the Ministers were all stunned. Not even a groan was heard but the
whole executive office fell into silence. After a minute or so, the King broke
the silence.
"What made
you say such a thing? Remember, the Book is absolute. If you disregard the
rules that the Book stipulates, even you, a royal member, will face the ultimate
punishment, death. I believe that you have forgotten how divine the Book is."
"When the
opening to the underground was closed," Estes indifferently recited the
scripture, "the King led the people to the plateau deep underground. The land
was filled with Megumi trees. The flowers were blooming and they were shedding
light everywhere. The land was surrounded with a river whose water came down
from a lake near the ceiling ground. The river split in two like a fork at the
beginning of the plateau, merged again at the other end of the plateau, and fell
down into the bottomless abyss where the dead would go. The King declared that
the land was the Promised Land and told people to build a castle and town."
"The
descendants of Rupa, who are now called "the people of R," were not allowed to
live on the plateau. They were chased back to the lake near the ceiling ground
and told to keep fish for the kings to come. While the castle was being built,
the King locked himself in a cave. For a month, without food or water, the King
wrote the Book that contained 53,200 commandments. The Book ordained the
absolute monarchy and defined how the throne would be succeeded. It also
stipulated social systems in details such as food and commodity ration systems,
education, patrimony of occupation, and so on. When the King finished writing
the last article, his hand suddenly stopped moving, and he fell into eternal
sleep. Since then, people called him the Sacred King to praise him. He was the
Savior."
The King
raised his hand and stopped Estes.
"You
remember well. I would like to think you know the divinity of the Sacred King.
It is simply impossible not to follow his holy words written in the Book. This
kingdom was established based on the Book. Our prosperity is protected by the
Book. Negation of the words of the Sacred King means high treason. It also means
the denial of the divinity of our own royal blood. Do you wish to degrade
yourself, Princess Estes?"
"However
divine, the blood is now at the risk of becoming weak." Estes did not give in,
although she knew that the King would not change his mind. Her deep anger only
urged her to say what she needed to say.
"Your
Majesty, things are different from 1000 years ago. Our longevity is different
from then, too. For some reason our life span has doubled that of the Sacred
King's in time. I do not understand why I must marry at the age of seventeen."
Her words
made the King's face become deep red. He stood up, shaking. He finally yelled at
her.
"Are you
trying to embarrass your own royal blood? Your birthday party has been all
planned and preparation is taking place. Your preference is not an issue. What
made you think you are great enough to criticize the Book? Spend a whole day in
the punishment room. There you will study history again with Karuha. I will tell
Professor Karuha to make sure that you understand the superiority of the Sacred
King. I cannot believe that you are seventeen and still need to be punished like
a small child."
Estes
bowed to the King coldly and went back towards the door with no word. "What did
I expect? She Thought. I knew that nothing would change his mind,"
When Estes
touched the doorknob, she heard the King ordering the Ministers to prepare for
the engagement announcement.
"Hang the
Emy's crest flag at the entrance. Yes. The one with a lion standing at the
center of a shield."
Estes took
her hand from the knob in surprise. She turned towards the King and asked,
"Did you
say that a lion is standing in the Emy's crest?"
"Certainly
I did. Is there anything wrong?" the King answered her questioningly:
"No,
nothing. Thank you, your Majesty." Estes left the room.
|
2009 B. B. Sakiko |