Underground Kingdom

By B. B. Sakiko

Chapter 9:  Meeting

    Ten days later, when Flan and Vido were unloading the fish in the castle kitchen, Koma came and grabbed Flan.  She said aloud to the people nearby that she needed somebody to help her move heavy furniture.  Leaving open-mouthed cooks behind, she dragged Flan out and led him into the Princess' ward.  As soon as they were inside the building, Koma took a cloak from a basket that she was carrying and handed it to Flan.
    "Put it on and hide your face with the hood.  You people stand out too much.  Now, follow me," said Koma.
    After she made sure that Flan pulled the hood forward so that no one could see his face, she went up the stairs, walked halfway down the hall, and opened the door to her room.  Flan was surprised to see the Princess and the old man attending her the other day were sitting on a couch in the parlor.  He was standing still by the door until Koma told him to greet the Princess.  He pulled back his hood, bowed clumsily, and said,
"Good day, your Highness.  Thank you for saving me the other day."
     Estes saw his golden hair and eyes just as rich and shiny as the other day, but she felt something different about him.  It was only ten days, but his demeanor had changed.  It was natural for him to be nervous and suspicious standing in front of the Princess without any warning, but that did not explain all.  Estes was feeling a sense of anger from him this time.  Irritation was filling him up, and that made him look older.  There were whip marks on his neck, and his eyes were showing his anguish.  Cautiously and quickly he was looking around Koma's room to grasp what was happening to him.  Estes did not miss seeing his look pause on the books in the bookcase for a brief second.  "It is true that the people of R can read," she thought.
     "Now sit down, Young man."
     Karuha offered Flan a chair.  Flan sat, facing Estes and Karuha.  Koma stood by the door as if she was a gate guard.
     "My name is Karuha.  I am a professor of Princess Estes.  Please excuse us for taking you here with no prior notice.  The reason we did so was the Princess would like to know about life in the district of R."
     "So, it is not to move furniture, then."
     Flan answered rather curtly.
     "Well, the Princess is very eager to learn things, but this sort of thing is..."
     "You don't want anyone to know that the Princess has met a man of R."
     Flan said cynically again.
    "Thank you for coming."
Estes said to Flan gently as if she was trying to break the chilly air.
"How is your neck?"
     "Is this the continuation of the investigation?"  Flan frowned.
     "No, no.  The Princess truly cares about you.  Please relax and feel comfortable," said Karuha.  Flan, however, looked even more irritated.  He said sharply,
    "Relax and feel comfortable?  You know, my sister was harassed, tried to escape, and was drowned, and I was punished for that.  Do you think I can ever relax and feel comfortable?"
     Estes' eyes darkened.  She already knew what had happened as she had read the investigation report after her talk with Karuha on the night of her birthday.  Yet still, listening to Flan, her heart sank low.
    "So, what would you like to know about our life?" asked Flan.
    "I would like to know..."
Estes began to talk and suddenly realized that she had no specific ideas about what to ask or how to start.  She wanted to know everything about them and him, but did not know what particular things that she was especially interested in.  She was confused and felt her face blush. "My, what to ask?  I feel stupid."
     When an embarrassing moment seized her, Karuha gave a cough, stood up, and talked to Flan.
"Young man, will you first tell us your name and describe the everyday life in your district?"
    "My name is Flan," answered Flan coolly.

I wake up early and go into the cold water to catch fish for you and your family. Because fish are the reminiscence of the old surface world and thus lowly creatures, we Rs are suited to deal with them.  When I don't go fishing, I do all kinds of things like weaving nets, repairing boats, making tools and many other things only to bring a little food to my table.  There is nothing special about our lives.  We are humble people and stay humble as we know that we are sinners as you people always say.   So, I don't understand why the Princess wants to know about us."
     "Do many of your people have shiny hair and darker skin like yours?"
     Estes asked rather hesitantly.  Her innocent question surprised Flan but then he thought, "Oh, she is interested in us because we look different.  Sure, she is encapsulated and spoiled in this castle.  There is no wonder that she has become so shallow."
     "Some."  He answered, "The sun in our area does that to some of us.  You people say that it is another reminder of our sin besides the letter R on our foreheads, and that we are proven inferior and are not entitled to be blessed, your Highness."
     Flan spoke as if spitting out his words and turned away from Estes.  His bitter talk hurt her.  "A Lie."  She thought.  She knew that Flan was proud enough that he had never considered himself inferior.  "He does not want to be honest with me."
     This time Estes turned away from him.  Flan noticed her stiff movement and her uneasiness.  "Hmm," he thought.  "How come this princess does not look happy?   After her engagement, this can be the most pleasant time for her, but her eyes are showing grief.  They resemble somebody else's, but who?  And why does she want to know about us?"
     Silence filled the room.  Suddenly, Estes stood up and looked straight at him.  Just naturally words began to pour out of her mouth.  She was not hesitant anymore.
"I want to know who you people are.  I want to know why you live up there closer to the ground where you can enjoy the sunlight while we are all here down and low.  Why do you have things that people here are not allowed to have?  Are you cursed or blessed?  What kind of hope do you have under the thousand-year suppression?  Or do you have some real exit from your fate?  You must have something to keep yourself going.  Tell me.  I want to know those things."
     Not knowing how to answer those abrupt questions, Flan kept silent, and so did Karuha and Koma.  Estes continued.
    "I know that the books in the case interested you.  You can read because you are educated.  I've heard that the old books from the ancient time still exist in your district. Surely, you have things that people here don't.  I would like to know what you people really have."
    Flan's face tightened.  He quickly answered,
    "We don't have anything special."
     Estes was not convinced.  She said,
"Is it true?  I have a feeling that the people of R have something secret.  If you had some deal with the Sacred King, or some special mission or some..."
     Flan cut her off sharply.
     "If we had a secret deal with the Sacred King, then, what will you do?  Are you going to prosecute all of us or what?"
     Estes remained silent, realizing that she was one of those who had been oppressing his kind and that he had good reasons to be cautious with her.  Downheartedly, she continued,
"Please excuse me.  I was just carried away.  I did not mean to cause you any trouble.  I hope you understand that I was just trying to find a hint."
     "A hint..."  Flan looked at her again.  This time he understood whom she resembled.  "My God," thought he.  "Why didn't I get this earlier?  This Princess looks like my mother.  Her eyes are just like my mother's when she was dying. Those are the eyes desperately looking for hope and the way out, but then, why the Princess?"
"A hint for what?"
Flan asked, but Estes just cast her eyes down.   Her cheek turned red and her fingers began to move nervously on her dress.  She was regretting the use of her words.
"So, she has a problem that she cannot discuss," thought Flan again.  Then, her words came back to him, "What kind of hope do you have?  Exit from your fate?"  "No, it can't be."  Flan shook his head as if to brush off his thought, "but.., come to think of it, she is cut off from the rest, too.  Yes, she may have the same problem as we do.  If so, how ironic.  That's maybe why her eyes look desperate."
Flan spoke with a little softer voice.
"There are no secret deals between the Sacred King and us.  On the contrary, we are losing our boys.  Most of the boys born in our area are not healthy these days.  This kingdom isolated us, and we can't intermingle with others even today.  Our blood has become dense and dull.  I myself would like to know how we can purify our turbid blood."
A subtle flicker appeared in her eyes.
"So, that was it."  Flan became certain about her problem.  After a heavy sigh, he continued,
"There is no hope for us and for me.  I lost my father, mother, and sister.  I am struggling every day just to keep myself going.  The only consolation that I have is the beauty of the sunlight reflecting on the water.  No one knows how beautiful that is unless one sees it.  The light is the hint of the world that we haven't seen for generations.  You will never know how warm the sunlight is unless you are exposed to it.  The warmth makes me feel as if I am alive, timeless, and I feel the surface world so close to me that I can reach there someday.  Yes, one day I will go there.  That is my hope.  You can call that a hopeless hope, yet, it makes me happy and gives me the strength to keep on living. That's all I have.  Nothing else."

Guided by Koma again, Flan went out of the room wrapped in the cloak.  Walking down the hall, Flan was remembering his mother's last day.  She called him to her death bed and handed him a pendant and a small granite box.  Gasping, she said to him,
     "These are the gifts from your father.  You see our family crest engraved on the pendant.  Open this box when you are alone.  Never show what's in to anybody including your uncle and aunt, not even to Miyu until she becomes a little older.  You came to this world to fulfill your destiny.  Your mission is still buried, and this box will help you find it.  You will find hope when you find the mission.  Your hope is our hope."
     His mother died young.  Even now Flan did not know how much hope she could have back then.
     "Hope."  Following Koma, he secretly sighed to himself.
  At the door to the yard, he gave the cloak back to her and walked towards the kitchen.  This time also no one noticed that there were eyes watching Flan from far above his head.