Queen Without Crown

Chapter 137 Looking for the Princess

"So she's Aunt Widya's granddaughter? " A handsome man with a thick beard and sideburn looked at Princess Juwita closely.

The girl felt uneasy under the sharp gaze of the man. It was not due to her fierce face, but rather because the girl knew that the man was the supreme ruler of this land, King Badre.

"His name is Juwita, you don't scare him like that! From now on she will be with her mother. " Divya's grandmother scolded King Badre as if he was a child.

"Mother, are you sure she's Aunt Widya's descendant? He could just be similar. Or.don't he be a fraud? " King Badre's voice boomed as he uttered his last sentence.

"I'm not a fraud! " Princess Juwita's voice was low but firm. There is a prestige that only the nobility have in their cause.

"Then what evidence did you bring, little girl? " Ask King Badre.

"I didn't bring anything and I didn't try to prove anything." Reply Princess Juwita.

"Hmm, then what brings you here and claims to be the granddaughter of Princess Widya? " The look in King Badre's eyes seemed to swallow the girl.

Princess Juwita then raised her chin and looked into King Badre's eyes. For a moment, the leader of the Dewanata Kingdom was shocked by the girl's courage. So far no one has dared to look him in the eyes except for his family and those close to him.

"I was brought here without knowing for what purpose. I had no idea that there was Dewanata blood flowing in my body. " The girl's gaze was plain and revealed honesty.

King Badre opened his mouth for a moment before speaking. " I admit you're a brave girl. The Dewanata noble family is known to have a brave soul. But you need more than a semblance of face and a bold attitude to convince us that you are really a descendant of Princess Widya. "

"I don't know anymore. I don't have anything. I went to Dewanata Kingdom without bringing anything. " Answer Princess Juwita.

"Come, Badre! I told you not to be too hard on that girl. " Divya's grandmother got up from her seat and approached Princess Juwita.

"I recognize my own flesh and blood. He's exactly like my brother." The old woman's wrinkled hands held the chin of Princess Juwita.

Suddenly his eyes fell on the girl's neck. The necklace around the girl's neck looked familiar. The woman touched him and pulled him out.

"This is proof! " Shouted the old woman.

King Badre stood up, wanting to know what object his mother was holding.

"This necklace. Look, isn't this necklace exactly the same as the one you always wear? " Divya's grandmother showed one of the necklaces that were coiled around her neck.

Two identical gold necklaces. Both have water droplet-shaped pendants that look exactly the same.

"Let's see the carving behind the locket hook! " Divya's grandmother handed the two necklaces to a servant who immediately took them to King Badre.

"Both are engraved with ancient Dewanata letters. One says Divya and the other Widya. " Said King Badre. This time the man inevitably had to believe that the girl standing before him had the same blood as him.

"The necklace was deliberately ordered by our father when we had our birthday. Although I was two years older than him, our birth dates were the same. Juwita, you really are my sister Widya's granddaughter." Divya's grandmother hugged Princess Juwita's body.

"Alright, now I'm sure that you are the granddaughter of Princess Widya, my aunt. " Said King Badre.

Then Princess Juwita was escorted to a very beautiful room. Some servants came and started dressing her up like a princess of Dewanata Kingdom.

"I want to know where my brother is? " Ask Princess Juwita to a servant.

"Your brother's been taken away by some soldiers. It seems the Queen Mother wants your sister to take her family to the palace." Answer the waiter.

"Ah, I hope they don't mind." Said the girl while staring at her reflection in the mirror.

"You are beautiful, Princess. Just like the late Princess Widya. " Praise the waiter while putting some bracelets in Princess Juwita's hands.

"Sorry, but I'm not used to wearing this much jewelry. " Said Princess Juwita who felt uncomfortable with various jewelry that now adorn her body.

"This is the custom of the Dewanata, my cousin. " Suddenly a beautiful girl appeared behind them.

"Pertiwi Princess! " Daughter Juwita immediately bowed respectfully.

"Don't be like that, Juwita. We're related, you don't have to be that shy. " Princess Pertiwi's hand rubbed the clothes worn by Princess Juwita, making sure it did not tangle.

"Ehm, Pertiwi.. I wonder what about my brother? " Princess Juwita again asked about Bagas.

"Grandmother told her to pick up her father and sister. She told Grandma everything." Replied Puteri Pertiwi cheerfully.

"I feel bad about having them move to this palace. They really liked our new house in Kulm village." Said Princess Juwita with fret.

"Grandmother will not force them if they do not want to. Grandma is a very wise woman, don't worry. " Princess Pertiwi's speech sounded a relief.

"Come, I'll take you around this palace!" Pertiwi Princess pulled Princess Juwita's hand like Ningrum's custom. The noble girl showed every corner of the palace to her cousin.

*****

King Satria's entourage entered the gates of the Elfian palace. The cheers that greeted them along the way still continued in the palace.

"Welcome, Your Majesty! " Greet everyone.

King Satria nodded and got off his horse. The man stepped into the palace and went straight to his homestead.

In the room he saw his wife sleeping with their baby. The woman looked tired.

A smile bloomed on Queen Gita's lips as she looked at her husband's face. She did not even know if this was reality or just a dream because she too often dreamed of her husband's return.

"Ah, this dream is too real. " She complained sadly.

"It's not a dream, my dear. I really have come home. " The man lowered his face and kissed his wife's forehead.

A warm feeling spread across Queen Gita's chest. His eyes were glazed over as his feeling of longing was already so swollen.

"You're finally home. Look at our son was born. I haven't given him a name." The woman's voice shook holding haru.

"Finally Juwita has a sister. He would be happy to know." King Satria grabbed the sleeping red baby and hugged him.

"Jewith. I can't be happy if he hasn't come back. I feel guilty if I can be happy with this baby. " The defense that he had been holding back from earlier is now broken. Tears now wet both of the woman's cheeks.

"Don't feel that way. We should be happy to have this baby! "

"But Juwita, it's not fair to him. "

"Don't worry. Eldrige will take him home. " The king of Satria looked at his wife earnestly as he held her hand.

"Eldrige hasn't told you in a long time. " She complained Queen Gita.

"He's having a problem. But don't worry, Eldrige must have found Juwita. "

"So Juwita hasn't been found yet? " The woman's face grew more anxious.

"Listen, sweetheart. Whatever happens, Eldrige will bring our daughter home. He has promised. " King Satria kissed his wife's hand. "After all, Juwita is a smart girl. He can take care of himself. "

Then King Satria sat down next to his wife and looked at the baby in his cradle.

"How about we give it a name, Cielo." Said King Satria.

"Why did you give him that name? " Queen Gita smiled at her husband.

"During the war I often looked up at the sky and imagined the faces of those I loved. I want this baby to remember the people who loved him wherever he was. " King Satria kissed the cheek of her baby.

"Cielo's. Juwita will definitely like that name too. " Said Queen Gita. His heart's weakness is somewhat diminished.

*****

Eldrige drove his horse towards Alsatia through the forest. He avoided the crowd out of fear that the Alsatian soldiers were still chasing him. The goal was the ravine where he fell at that time. He'll be looking there once again.

Eldrige looked for a rather clever slope and carefully led his horse down the slope of the ravine. He had only realized how steep the abyss was. Surely Princess Juwita has trouble getting up.

Eldrige rode his horse back as soon as he reached the bottom of the abyss. There's mud there. Eldrige felt confident that the place had been passed by the flow of water some time ago.

He could not imagine how Princess Juwita could save herself from the torrential flow that he estimated reached a height of nearly two meters if he saw traces of mud on the walls of the gorge.

"Where are you, Juwita? " Sigh the man.

Eldrige drove his horse even tighter until he saw the crests of the cliffs getting lower.

"Did you go up there, Juwita? " Task the man at the void.

Eldrige's back down. He led his horse back up the cliff. When he got to the top Eldrige immediately saw the path.

Following the path, he arrived at a cottage. The man got off his horse and checked it. The cottage is uninhabited.

There was no sign of Princess Juwita. There was only an assortment of medicinal plants that were dried. Others empty.

Disappointed the man walked back towards his horse, but suddenly he saw something.

"This is Princess Juwita's shirt. " The prisoner's shirt worn by Princess Juwita was draped beside the hut.

"He's been here. But where is he now? " Eldrige was confused. Finally Eldrige decided to follow the path.

The path he walked led him out of the forest. Down there the expanse of farm fields looks green. The sheep grazing on the mountainside were seen clustered quietly watched by the shepherd boys.

Eldrige kept on driving his horse. Several villages passed by him by several times asking about Princess Juwita. But no one knows it.

"Where if anyone wants to sell medicinal plants? " Eldrige asked when for the umpteenth time she asked the person who passed her.

"To the Kevad market. There are all kinds of stuff there. " Said the man.

"Where is the market? "

"In the city of Otep. Just follow this road. "

Eldrige thanked him and resumed his journey.