He has been restless all day, the convoy was late, no word from them all day. And now, one of the soldiers, with his clothes all rags, drops at the city gates with no more of an explanation than ‘tigers’. The rage engulfed him.
“Bring some buckets with water” he shouted at his men. “I need this man to speak. Now! Faster.”
The men splash water over the soldier’s head and he slowly starts to open his eyes.
“Tell me, tell me know. What happened? Where is the princess?” he could hardly contain his anger.
“They came out of nowhere, two of them.” The poor man was sobbing. “The tigers were two fast, they tore us to pieces.”
“And what of you, you worthless little jungle rat, how are you not in pieces like your comrades?”
“I was very scared my Lord. When the carnage started I started runn…”
A slap from the fat man stopped his rambling. “You stupid coward, your duty was to protect the princess. What happened to her?”
“I don’t know my lord. I didn’t have the courage to turn back and look at what was happening. It was terrifying. I just ran as fast as….”
The fat fist came down hard on the man’s face, knocking him out again.
“Throw him to the crocodiles” he commanded.
******
“Lord Anantachai this is a big problem” said Ghao.
He is one of those very rare tall Thai men. With his long charcoal hair and his dark armor he is an intimidating figure that very few dare to look straight in the eyes.
Lord Anantachai is one of those few.
“Don’t you think that I know that? Do you think me stupid?”
“Listen to me carefully you fat pig. My masters only supported you because of your big promises. And now with the princess possibly gone for good, what happens with those promises.”
“I don’t care for that tone of voice. You talk to me like this in my own house. I am still a powerful man here and you better remember that.” He put on a brave face, but this man frightened him, he frightened him very much.
Regaining his composure, Anantachai continues with a softer voice. “My men will go to the attack site at first light. We will know then if all hope is lost. And if the worse comes to pass we will begin with the other plan. The heir to the throne is just a child of six, and you know how easy it is for children to have an accident.”
Ghao remained unaffected by all this. “My poor Lord, my masters are not very patient men. Take care of this. Take care of it fast. Or the Chinese flood will sweep down from the north and eat you alive.” And he left the fat man to contemplate his actions.
“Tuk.” He called for his second in command that had been standing guard at the door. “Gather a large search party and before dawn go and find out what really happened to the princess.”
Chapter 3
“Who are you?” asked the girl, without showing any fear at all.
“Calm down. Do you remember what happened? Remember the tiger. The one I killed to save you?”
“How do you know our language, you are not Thai?”
“You are welcome, for me saving your life I mean, you ungrateful little girl.”
“How dare you speak to me like this, I am twenty seven years old if you must know. And I am ….”
“Alright, alright. Let’s start from the beginning.” He said in a soft voice trying to calm the girl.
“My name is Miguel del Blans and I come from a land far far away. My adopted family here calls me Miki that might be easier for you. It’s nice to meet you.” Giving her the best smile he could.
She starts to get more at ease with this strange man. “Nice to meet you Miki, they call me Phing.”
“You see, it’s not that hard, we can be friends. I like your name it sounds cute”
The fearless creature from just moments ago had turned in to a shy girl and a beautiful one at that, he could not help noticing.
“Nice to meet you too Miki, your name sounds nice too.” She is no longer afraid of this strange man before her, she’s now curious to know more about him. She has never before seen someone like him. His shoulder length hair is the color of straw. He’s taller even than the wild tribes from the mountains in the far North. And his eyes, she still couldn’t guess if they were the color of emeralds or the color of the sky, like magic they seemed to change between the two. Looking at this white man makes her feel very curious indeed. “How did you come here, how did you learn to speak like us?”
“I will tell you my story, but first you must eat something, you must be exhausted from all that happened today.” He says bringing her the cooked rabbit he had caught while she was resting. She hadn’t realized this but she was very hungry, he was right. She grabbed the meat from his hands and started eating, and he started his story.
“I come from a distant land called Spain. Our king sent us on a trip to find a route to China, we are traders. I spent many moons traveling the open seas on the Esperanza that was our ship“.
“That sounds so strange, is that in your language?”
“Yes, that means hope.”
“Tell me something else in your language it sounds so strange to me.”
“Hola guapa.”
What does that mean?”
“It means ‘hello beautiful’.”
She slaps his wrist. “Hey I’m a lady and it’s rude to talk to a lady like that. I’m shy.” She hides his eyes from him and continues in a whisper “thank you that sound nice.”
“Oh and if you want to say it to me you say it with an o, you will say guapo. Sorry I’m just teasing you, I couldn’t help it. Don’t slap me again.”
“Hey I’m shy.” But she couldn’t stop her lips from forming a smile. She’s starting to like this strange man, this guapo. “But how did you learn to speak like us, was it hard for you?”
“It was very hard and it took me a long time. When the Esperanza was caught in a heavy storm and it hit a reef, I felt like I was going to die, that everything was lost. I was thrown in the water, floating around with all the broken pieces of our ship. I don’t know much time I spent like that, all I remember was thinking over and over, ‘do not let go of the plank’. When I finally came to my senses I saw an old man standing over me giving me fresh water to drink. His name was Klahan, he took me back to his home and he and his wife Kulap nursed me back to help. They took me in. They were not blessed with children of their own so they devoted all their attention to me. They became my second parent and I grew to love them very much. In a way it was like they had a baby on their hands, they had to teach me to speak just like you would do with a small child.”
“Our people here are good and helpful and very welcoming, and we like to smile all the time. I am not surprised that good people found you, and I am happy that they did. How are your adoptive Thai parents, where do they live?”
“I don’t like to talk about them now. It’s not an easy thing for me to do. I will need to be more comfortable with you before I talk about them.”
But Phing was already beginning to feel comfortable with this man. She liked the way he talks, his words are kind and she can feel that he’s a good man, a good heart.
“How long ago was this, how old are you?”
"Let me think. It was the year of our lord 1545 when we set sail from Spain and I was twenty six years old. About my time here I am not really that sure, it’s not easy counting the passage of the seasons here, it is hot all the time. But I think it has been around five years, so that makes me thirty or thirty one.”
“You’re lying, 1545 was a long time ago that is not possible.”
“Oh yes I always forget about that. Different cultures, different ways, you count the years from the time of your lord Buddha and we count them from the time of our lord Jesus. In Thai years you can say that I left home somewhere around the year 2000.”
She listened to him speak with great interest. She can’t stop smiling and thinks to herself ‘he has a w
ay with words, and he’s funny too’.
Chapter 4
It wasn’t normal for him to enter the royal palace in the middle of the night, but these were not normal circumstances. As he waited for the king to arrive from his bed chambers, Lord Anantachai is looking at the throne and can’t stop imagining the day when he will sit on it and he will finally be the complete master. He had worked on this plan for a long time. He had bought influence, he had threatened, he had imprisoned. He had even killed. It was the perfect plan. He would leave the king with no choice but to give him the princess’ hand in marriage. And now with princess Sasithorn’s fate unknown, nothing is so certain anymore.
King Rama comes into the throne room, the gold embroidered silk gown draped over his sleeping clothes because he hasn’t had time to dress in the full regalia.
“What news have you got for me, my Lord?”
“None have come as yet your highness. The men are preparing to head out as we speak. They will go before dawn to the location where the attack happened and they will search everywhere.”
“I knew it was a bad idea to send her on the pilgrimage, but my wife convinced me that it was very important for her destiny.” The king’s voice unsteady from the tears coming to his eyes. “Did I lose my precious girl Anantachai? Is it my fault that I lost her?”
“We mustn’t lose hope my king. She may still be alive. I for one do not want to believe in the worst. You yourself know how much Sasithorn means to me, I have told you of my intentions towards her many times before.”
“I know all this. And until we know more there is no reason to discuss this further.” King Rama put on the façade of a strong ruler and sent the Lord away with the words. “Tell the men to do whatever they can or I will throw them to the crocodiles myself.”
******
Lord Anantachai rushed straight to the square where the search party was preparing to depart.
“Tuk, are your men ready?”
“Yes my Lord, I sent for the best men in the city, none objected.”
“That’s good. And Tuk, remember, do all that is humanly possible, I don’t care if you have to turnover every single rock in the jungle or cut down all the trees, if there is the smallest chance that you can find the princess still alive you will do whatever it takes.”
“Yes my Lord, as you command so it shall be done.” Spoke Tuk, continuing the sentence in his head ‘you greedy pig’.
******
Rama returns to his bed where his wife lays wide awake with worry over her child. “Did we make a mistake my love, did we kill our daughter?”
Kanda embraces her husband gently. “We did what we thought was right. The holy sanctuary was to provide us with a solution for our troubles. I don’t want that discusting fat man to be her husband.”
“I know that my love, the thought of giving her to him is unbearable. I tried all I could to delay that but he is becoming stronger and stronger. A lot of influential people are in his pocket. I’m afraid that more people listen to him now there are that listen to me. I have disappointed you my love, I bring shame to you when I am so weak.”
Kanda understands her husband’s struggles. He is not to blame, he has always been good to his people, always supported the poor. His only mistake was that he didn’t see the true nature of that snake before. When they finally realized how evil that man really was it was too late to react. Being the strong woman that she is, ever since her childhood in her native land in the hills in the north, she’s always there to support her husband and give him strength when he needs it.
“I wish we weren’t so trusting of him in the beginning. If we knew of his true nature you could have given him three white elephants as a gift and that would that.”
Rama snorts at the thought. “If only it were that easy”.
“We must stay strong my love and think positive. I am sure that the universe will make things right and Karma will catch up to that snake and give him exactly what he deserves.”
“That’s what I am afraid of. What if the universe took her from us to save her, and sent her to the next life where she can truly be happy.”
“Awww my love, don’t think like that. There’s still hope.”
Chapter 5
Phing woke up to the sound of leaves to the sight of the tall strange man coming out of the trees leading a horse.
“I went to bring my horse, I only left you alone for a few moments, I made sure you were perfectly safe. The buffalos pulling your cart fell to the beasts too, so good old Jose is our only transportation. And he can’t pull that heavy contraption on his own.”
So it wasn’t a dream or a strange vision. Yesterday had really happened. And looking at this white man made her feel glad that it had happened and their paths had crossed. He looked more handsome in the morning light. She says “Good morning Miki.” giving him a sweet smile.
“Good morning Phing. Did you sleep well? God knows you needed it, after the day you’ve had.”
“Yes thank you.”
“How do you feel now?”
“It’s strange, I feel good. The men suffered a terrible death, but I feel happy to be still alive and to be safe. Thank you for saving me, yesterday I was too overwhelmed yesterday and confused from everything, I’m not sure if I thanked you.”
“You’re welcome. I understand. It’s all right. You had a very long day and too much excitement to handle.”
She caught herself again staring at him unconsciously. Some Thai people have white skin, but not like his, it is so exotic and strange. And his short beard, the color of the midday sun, the thought ‘wonder if it’s soft to the touch as it looks’ kept coming to her mind.
“Hey I have heard stories of men like you.”
“What do you mean men like me, there’s no one like me, I am unique.” He responds playfully.
“You know what I mean, people with skin and hair like yours. My father told me about your kind, he calls you Farang.”
He was still fascinated by the way how these people considered all Europeans the same. And even more refer to them by such an outdated term, the times of Charlemagne and the Franks long gone. But in these faraway lands the term first used by the Persians, is still in use. Still he couldn’t blame them there has been precious little contact between the two. Neither one didn’t really know anything about the other.
“Yes I have been called that before, but we are not all the same, not all white people are Farangs. Europe is full with many different people and many kingdoms. Those other Farangs that are on your southern shores are my enemies, they are Portuguese.”
Putting the soft blanket on the horse’s back he asks, ”are you ready to go?”
“Go where?”
“I was thinking that I’d take you home, your family must be worried about you. Or you have somewhere else in mind?” he said, flashing his cheeky smile again. “Hey, where exactly is home anyway? I never asked you.”
“Ayutthaya.”
Putting his arms together to form a makeshift stirrup to help her get on the horse, he points his heat to the west. “Home is that way.”
Being on a horse feels strange for her. Her father never allowed her to ride, everywhere she went, she was either in a carriage or in a porter chair, and on very special occasions on decorated elephants. As soon as she felt safe she declares: “Ready, let’s go.”
“Yes guapa, your wish is my command. Vamos.”
“Hey stop that.” She slaps him on his upper arm. “I told you I’m shy.”
“Sorry I couldn’t help myself, you are so cute when I tease you and you get all shy.”
“You really have no shame, do you, you crazy man.”
He just looks her in her eyes and smiles. She quickly turns her head away and tries to make frown. They continue in silence.
But she feels strange. She had always been taught to act like a lady, and no man before had ever dared speak to her like this. This is good. Hearing him
teasing her like this makes her feel special. She feels comfortable with this crazy man. And she wants to hear more, she wants to hear so much more. And the brief moment when she slapped him and her skin touched his, she felt warm inside, it felt good, it felt right.
******
Tuk and his men had reached the attack site.
“The poor coward wasn’t lying, this must have been horrifying Tarong.”
“Yes sir, I am not sure if I wouldn’t have run away too.” confessed the soldier.
There was no sign of the princess anywhere, the carriage empty. Tuk sent his men in to a wider circle to look for signs. A shout came from the distance. “Tracks, someone walked away from here, someone with very big feet.”
“Go quickly. She may still be alive. Hurry!” yelled Tuk.
******
“Miki, we have been traveling a long time, I feel guilty. I’m riding your horse and you’re walking. Let’s change places, it is your horse.”
“No I like walking better. It’s good exercise.”
“You’re right. I need exercise too. Get me down.”
She already flipped her left leg over the horse and sat sideways. He puts his hands on her waist and she places hers on his shoulders. He starts to bring her down slowly and when their eyes meet in midair he freezes. All reason escapes him, and acting on instinct, his head slowly tips forward and she does the same. She feels it too. He hadn’t misread the signals. It feels right, like they have done it before. It feels like it was in their nature all along, to kiss each other.
Exited shouting breaks the moment. “It’s her. The princess is alive. She’s here.”
He drops her to the ground. “What did he say? Princess! Did I hear him right?”
“It’s ok they are my father’s men.”