Our handsome gold-ornate mount was escorted by horse-ridden guards through the palace gate. Fire torches lit the avenue as we went towards the vast city outside. The armed guards walked in two rows. The maids held candles to lead the path at the front. I could see Malis trotting ahead of us.
We went passing random shrines and public buildings. People's wooden houses were lit by lanterns and torches. The elephant ride was exhilarating, daring, and even amusing to my foreign mind. With our arms around each other, Amarisa and I swayed to the heavy steps of the massive mammal.
I smiled at her. A small hint of lovely blush rushed to her cheeks. Then Amarisa leaned gently into me and rested her head on the curve of my neck.
"Are we going afield still farther?" I asked.
"No, of course not," she said. "King Father would never allow me to wander off a distance longer than the City's front."
"Oh, then how could the outing tonight be alright?" I asked and turned to look at her.
"The festival is celebrated near the palace," she said. "We could reach there in a blink of an eye."
"So, you have never been anywhere farther than that?" I asked again.
"Indeed, I have, but not without the company of my parents and handmaidens," she said.
"Are you not curious to see bigger oceans and higher mountains?" I asked, "Somewhere far and wide?"
"Yes, I am," she said with a low sigh. "There is nothing I would want to have than a glimpse of the outside world, Nikita. I am always confined inside the palace walls, but I'm not the same as the women I surround myself with. They never wish to break the cocoons of their ordinary lives but I do. See? I'm not a caged Sarika bird."
I smiled, feeling proud of the princess. She had just shown me a little of her rebellious side. Amarisa smiled back rather sheepishly. I tightened my embrace around her. Her head leaned back into my shoulder again. We stayed like that in relative silence until the elephant let out a wailing sound.
I finally looked up and realized there was a public gathering not far away in the crowded town. Music and drums came drifting through the fire-lit night.
There were about sixteen sanctuaries scattered around a very large field. Each had a silk enclosure like a fortress. The structures were built from bamboos and wood. Each post held white and gold patterned fabric like a wall.
We were led towards a tall doorless gate. The field seemed to be flocked with people of all ages and classes. The women dressed in fancy silk with flowers in their hairs. The men escorted their wives and children.
In the middle of the enclosed field sat a bonfire. As our little procession approached the entrance, people nearby would stop their activities and kneel on the ground. I was uncomfortable with such an act of extreme worshiping, but it was their custom.
We entered the festival ground, which hosted various activities. There were people selling hand-made goods on the straw mats. Children ran around with tiny paper lanterns. The smell of delicious food and strong rice wine brushed my nose here and there. The cheery noises echoed with chaotic delight.
I was so absorbed in the festivity that I hadn't noticed some young ladies, who dressed in their glittery best, inclined their heads at me and flipped their hair. They whispered among themselves, asking each other who I was and where I had been hiding in gods know where.
"O the gods, bless my soul, she is as beautiful as Rama was handsome!" one of them said loudly.
"Yes! And as fair as Krishna was blue!" the other added.
They stared at me with eyes filled with longing surprise. I smiled back just to be polite, but they swooned. Then I felt a soft delicate hand cupped my cheek and turned my head back from those young maidens. For a moment, I was face to face with a frowning Amarisa, whose disapproving eyes worried me.
Then she wrapped her arms around my waist from the side and said nothing. It took me a second to realize that the look she bore was of jealousy! I felt my heart bloom with pride at this new discovery.
I saw a handful of people consisted of jugglers, monkey trainers, fire-throwers, fire-breathers, and other magicians. One of the men was balancing himself on a rope. Another smaller man stood on his head while two more clung to his sides.
The acrobats flipped themselves around like a spinning cartwheel. The fire-breathers swallowed the blazing flame and spit it out again in a great burst of fiery clouds.
"Oh wow! That is amazing!" I gasped at the unexpected sight, pointing at an activity ahead of us. "Is that the famous Angkorian circus? I've seen their bas-relief in the temple!"
Amarisa giggled and nodded.
"Indeed, this is the best circus we have in the kingdom," she said. "King Father favors them so much that he ordered the artisans to carve images of the circus so that they would always be remembered."
"Wonderful!" I exclaimed again. My eyes still gazed at their bizarre skills. Amarisa giggled at my childish excitement.
A magician performed his art of illusions while the other displayed his courage of walking through burning embers.
"I'm glad that the start of our date has already brought you joy."
"Oh Amarisa, if the start is already this gleeful, then I wish the night will never end!" I said, making Amarisa giggle.
We stopped at one of the pavilions, which had a roofed porch. It faced the direction of the bonfire and the view where we could see the circus performed.
The procession finally came to a halt. The elephant laid its enormous body onto the ground by the mahout's order. I swiftly got off first and held my hands out to Amarisa. Although several maids had come to her aid, she waved them away.
I helped Amarisa get down with my hands around her small waist. She leaned into me and I held her before swinging her around. Amarisa let out a joyous laugh.
"You're quite stronger than I expected," she commented. "Are you sure you're not a boy?"
I laughed.
"My father said I was supposed to be a boy, and I would be less of a pain in the butt," I said. "Besides all the laborious training with the avatars did that to me."
Amarisa stroked my face as if to show her sympathy. She pulled me gently by the hand then we walked towards the pavilion. Malis already jumped ahead over the wooden stairs. With her natural cat-like reflex, she took only one leap.
Up in the resting place, I found the prepared seats on the portico's floor with comfortable cushions. There were sheer curtains hanging around as if to provide us with some privacy.
It felt like a theater of some sort once we all settled down.
The palace maidens quickly readied their necessary items to serve the princess's needs. Malis had found her relaxing spot in front of our tea table. Fruit and drinks were brought to us instantly.
"You had planned all these?" I asked, gesturing to the whole enclosed field.
Amarisa waved her hand at the palace maids, who then exited the pavilion.
"After I visited you, I had told the palace officers to set up a private place for me here," she said and held a golden goblet up to me. "You might like to try this Sura. It helps ease the internal pain and injuries."
I smiled and took a gulp of the drink she offered, but the taste of the strong liquor burned my throat. I spewed half of the drink out of my mouth.
"Oh holy mother, what in Hindu god's name is that?" I cried and coughed.
Amarisa brought her handkerchief to wipe my lips. She rubbed my back with her tender hand apologetically.
After my coughing fit died down, Amarisa handed me a cup of tea to soothe my burned throat.
But then she let out a giggle as she stared at my face, which was now burning hot.
"Your face is so red! You look redder than a blooming lotus!" she said.
"Are you laughing at my misery, Amarisa?" I said then started to tickle her. Amarisa half-laughed and half-screamed, twisting herself in my arms and trying to cover her exposed belly.
"Nikita, stop!" the princess cried in a giggly voice. I stopped and held her still.
"Say you love me," I commanded.
"Such words so precious shall never be spoken so easily," Amarisa said and pressed her lips together.
"Hmmm, is that right?" I said and leaned my face to her throat. My nose touched the sensitive spot of her neck.
Amarisa squirmed and wriggled herself away. I wrapped my arms around her body like an octopus catching its prey and gathered her back onto my lap.
"How about a kiss then?" I whispered against her goose-bumped skin. My breath must have tickled her that she let out a little yelp. Her voice alerted Malis. The tiger sprinted forward and wedged her head between us, parting our bodies from each other.
"Hey!" I said, frowning at the beast. Amarisa laughed some more and scooted back to her seat again with an amused look.
"Good girl, Malis," she said to her pet. The wildcat rolled onto her stomach and took a nap right between us. Her enormous head rested on our tea table casually.
Malis's large striped yellow body almost reached the height of my shoulder. I looked over at Amarisa for help, but she only gave me a mischievous beam.
"Well played," I muttered, glaring at the sleeping tiger. Amarisa snickered into her hand.
Then we saw a group of men moving around by the bonfire. They began setting up a stage with two wooden posts. The bonfire blazed behind the set. Then they unrolled a white square cloth and tied each end to the posts.
"What are they doing?" I asked Amarisa. She was stroking the ears of her tiger lovingly. I felt a little jealous of the animal and reached out to grab her hand in mine.
"They are setting up a theater," she told me with a smile.
"A theater?"
"Yes, they're going to play the shadow puppet soon," she said brightly. "It's one of our sacred performances left by our ancestors."
A wide grin stitched across my delightful face.
"Oh, I see," I said. "And what will they show us tonight?"
"The epic tale of Lord Rama and Sita," Amarisa said with a hint of excitement herself. It made me eager to see the ancient love story even more.
The theater crews brought out puppets made from a single piece of thick harden leather. Each piece was carved into a character figure. Amarisa told me the performances only took place at night in the open air and only when the royals attended. It was to honor the gods as well.
The large cloth backdrop acted as a white screen in front of a burning fire. The puppet's silhouette would cast shadows onto the canvas, bringing the character to life.
Then the show started. The puppeteers brought the characters on stage with precise and specific dance steps.
They produced a range of movements with the shadows. The singers narrated the story in beautiful verses accompanied by an orchestra. They sang a song that conjured up a story of a young prince. He was banished from his palace and into the forest by his stepmother, a jealous queen.
The shadows danced on the lit background. People gathered before the stage to watch the exciting scenes.
"This is a wonderful art, Amarisa," I said in admiration. "I have never seen anything like this in my world."
Amarisa smiled in response. We followed the story as the singers sang of a princess whose sight was so pleasing that even the birds gossiped about it.
A puppeteer raised a feminine shadow figure.
"That is Sita, right?" I asked.
"Yes, that is she, the princess Rama fell in love with at first sight." Amarisa nodded. She told me that words of her beauty reached the gloomy realm of Lanka, where a dark demon king Ravana lived. He heard about her peerless beauty from his envious sister and plotted to abduct her.
"How cruel!" I said.
Then we saw a very large shadow of the fierce ogre-king emerge. The roaring drums intensified the puppet's manners. The singer's voice turned mean and full of angry notes, speaking in the voice of a giant.
I watched as Ravana abducted Sita from the earthen dwelling of her beloved husband.
They narrated how Rama was grieving over his lost love, and my heart was gripped by the same flowing despair.
Then I heard Amarisa sniffing softly by my side and knew right away that she felt the same.
The thought of losing someone you hold dear is terrible tearing grief. If anything like that ever happened to me, I would have done the exact same thing. I would do whatever it takes even if it meant to slay a great demon-king thousand times over.
I reached over to touch Amarisa's cheek. She smiled back and took my hand in hers, bringing my palm to her lips lovingly.
"Nikita, my fair beloved Nikita," she said with a sigh. "Please do me one favor. Please do stay here and let me adore you forever and ever."
She need not asking for where else would I be while she was here? Besides, I couldn't go back to my old world anymore, and there must be a special connection that bound me here.
"Yes," I whispered. "I promise you with my heart and soul that I shall remain with you and keep you ever by my side, forever and always."
Then I moved across Malis and took her chin in my hand and brought her soft lips to mine. The soothing kiss was all it needed to seal my oath.