The Monastery

Chapter 6: A Royal Visit

Susant's smile curved. "Yes, Your Highness."

"Will these manage for climbing mountains?" Tashi asked, holding up a dark leather boot.

Susant walked over and held it, feeling the soft velvet that lined the outside. It was a pretty boot, and undoubtedly, the Princess could wear it better than most, but . . . 

Susant shook his head and put the shoe back on the rack. Walking over to the side, he picked up a simple leather boot. There was nothing intricate or fancy about it. He held it up to her. "The first one looks pretty as a boot, but it wouldn't hold up in any type of harsh conditions. We typically don't make shoes for rough walking, but these would hold up nicely. I actually have been working on a pair of my own in a similar sty—"

Susant stopped midsentence. Tashi's face said it all. The shoes he had simply would not do. The Queen laughed as she watched the interaction between them. Just as she did, the front doors of the shop opened, and the regal form of the King entered. He glanced over at the Princess, then the Queen, before his eyes stopped on Susant, who bowed respectfully to the tall man.

"No need for formalities," the King grumbled. He walked over toward Susant, giving him a once-over. "It's good to see you, my boy. It seems you've grown a bit since we last met eyes."

"He has grown," said the voice of the Cobbler as he appeared from behind the curtains. His voice was soft and kind and turned the eyes of everyone in the shop. "And not just in height. He will be a full-fledged cobbler at a far younger age than I could have ever hoped to become."

Susant felt a bit of warmth from his father's words, but deep down in his heart, something didn't feel quite right. He pushed the feeling away, choosing instead to smile and bow his head to his father.

"The young princess would like a decorative shoe that can hold up on mountain treks," said Susant. He held up the shoe he was holding, and he could tell his father was holding back a smile. 

"Something a bit more fashionable, I imagine?" the Cobbler answered. "Do you plan on going to the mountains anytime soon?"

"One day, I will go to see the mountains, the desert and the ocean," said Tashi. "I'm just getting prepared for when the time comes."

Susant smiled in his heart upon hearing the girl's words. Despite the fact that she was a princess, she had the same dream as him and his friends. She comes from a completely different world, he thought. Despite that, she still has the restless spirit of someone who wants more than what they have, to see what they have not seen.

The Cobbler paused and raised a finger, looking over at the Queen. "I believe I have what you have come for," he said, then disappeared behind the folds of the curtain. Not more than a few moments later, he returned with a decorative black box.

The Queen sat down and removed her shoes. The Cobbler handled her feet as gently as could be. "It's good to see you haven't lost your tough skin. I believe that many people who came from where you did might have lost it after becoming a part of the royal family." The Cobbler let out a faint smile. "It is good to see you haven't lost your connection to your roots."

The King placed his hand softly on the Queen's shoulder. "She isn't one to forget where she comes from. She loves all of Nyima, whether she is wearing mud-covered rags or the robes of a Queen." He looked her in the eyes, smiling as all do whom are truly in love. "She is beautiful beyond words."

"Here we go," said Tashi, eyeing them with all the embarrassment of a teenage girl. "I'll be across the street trying some of the baker's desserts." She turned to look at Susant. "And try to make something that you think I would like," she said before leaving, "something I could wear in the mountains. Thanks!" The door closed behind her.

"I think I'll go and make sure she doesn't eat the entire shop," teased the King. He thanked the Cobbler heartily, then gave Susant a firm, solid shake of the hand. "Take care of your old man," said the King, "but don't ever forget that it's a person's obligation to follow their dreams." A flash of the mountain and the lightning came unto Susant's mind as he released the King's hand.

Susant sat and watched as the Queen tried on her boots and made small talk with the Cobbler. Every so often, she would glance over at Susant, and he would smile, but ever since he'd heard the last words of the King, he couldn't stop thinking about the mountain in his dream and what it meant.

Before he knew it, the Cobbler had thanked the Queen and had disappeared behind the curtains. Susant looked up in the same way one does after realizing they've been daydreaming. The Queen stood before him, elegant and regal and beautiful, smiling in all her radiance.

"Thank you for all your help," she said. "I wish you and your father happiness, health and strength." She turned to leave, then stopped and looked Susant in the eyes. She lifted her thumb and pushed it to his forehead. Surprised, but not wanting to be rude, Susant didn't move. He felt her make a little circle, then run her thumb up and off the top of his forehead.

"And may all your dreams come true." 

Susant watched her blankly as she turned and walked out the door of the shop. A few moments later, he remembered his etiquette. "Many thanks for coming by our shop, your highness!" Susant called out, bowing his head.

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