The Farang

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 Phing'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 Phing 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."

"Awwwmy love, don't think like that. There's still hope."