The Farang

Chapter 9

Waiting for the convoy to travel the long processional route, Lord Anantachai takes his place at the king's right hand side.

"My king, I am pleased that her highness the most venerated princess Phing is safely with us again."

"Yes Lord we are all very pleased, this is truly a happy occasion, for the next twenty days we will have the largest celebration our kingdom has ever seen."

Anantachai leans a little closer to the king so that he's not overheard. "My king I feel that now is a perfect time for you to contemplate my offer. When we will be married, nothing like this will happen to her again, I will always keep her safe."

Rama tries not to show his true feelings. "Yes Lord I am fully aware of your intentions. You have declared them on many occasions." He despises this man from the bottom of his heart. "Her destiny is yet to be determined, for that was the reason for her trip, was it not."

Anantachai leans even closer to the king's ear. "All of the nobles agree that this is the best thing for our kingdom. And i am certain that you fully understand that in these troubling times the man that controls the army is the best choice for your daughter's hand. After all we don't want hard times to fall upon us." –he says with the most menacing voice he can produce, not even trying to mask this most violent threat.

"I will consider your offer at the end of all the festivities in twenty days. This is a time to rejoice, and we will deal with the harsh facts of reality after."

Rama, still keeping up his strong façade, starts to descend the stairs to greet his first born child who is about to step out of the carriage.

"Father!" shouts Phing as she runs to her father's embrace.

"My sweet dear daughter, I am so happy you are still with us. I could never forgive myself if I lost you." Rama hugs his daughter like he doesn't want to let her go. "Are you all right my child, how do you feel?"

Tears start to cover her cheeks again. "I am good father, but he is not. He saved me. He killed the tiger. And they put him in a cage like an animal. They beat him." She had been choosing her words along the long trip, and now they came out all at once. "Stop them. Tell them to let him go. He did nothing wrong. He's a hero." She buries her head in her father's shoulder still sobbing.

Rama calls his wife to comfort the girl and raises his hand to signal Tuk to come forward. "Explain soldier. Who is this man she speaks of?"

Always the honorable man, Tuk tells the truth, knowing that the Lord will not be very happy with this. "Your royal highness, when we found them he had his arms around her waist. This Farang was disrespecting her highness. If we had come a little later who knows what he would have done."

"Farang you say! Bring him to me." He commands.

Soldiers take Miguel out of his cage and bring him in front of The King.

"So what do you have to say for yourself? Speak now!" says the King loud enough for the crowd to hear.

Miguel takes his time thinking his words through carefully.

"I was on the road, I heard screams. Ran as fast as I could and when I reached there and I put my sword through the tiger. Only a girl was left alive. I did not know that she is a princess, she never told me. I let her rest and recover from the shock and then we went on the road to here to bring her home. And that is when your soldiers found us."

"You speak out tongue very well for a stranger. We've never seen that here before." The King enquires further: "and what of the disrespect? Did you dare put your hands on her royal highness the princess?"

Miguel stays silent. He looks up and catches Pinky looking at him intensely with her eyes wide open, still in her mother's embrace. He can see that she is upset and afraid for him and tries to give her a smile. Not caring who is watching.

"Very well then, for killing the tiger and saving her royal highness' life we are grateful. You will be harmed by no one until the end of the festivities. After that you will be brought back before me so that I can decide your destiny. I will grant my daughter's wish for now."

Facing the crowd Rama proclaims: "this man is under my protection and while he's in prison he will not be harmed. If someone disobeys my order he will answer directly to me."

The soldiers take Miguel away. His eyes still locked on Pinky, and hers on him. Until they drag him out of sight.