"It's the public library," Tepi replied.
"You have public libraries?" I said with a surprised face.
"Of course, we do!" Tusita looked at me as if I was illiterate. "Queen Indradevi founded them to educate her subjects. She's a scholar and also our respected professor."
"You've got a queen as a teacher?" I said.
"What's the matter with that? Our Queens allows every child to go to school, girls and boys alike," Tepi said. "Both, Queen Indradevi and her older sister, Queen Jayarajadevi, are the King's advisers. They attend the state affairs in the royal court. They're not mere royal wives but co-architects and military strategists."
I remembered my father told me that the real powerhouse of this old kingdom was the women.
"Yes, and not to mention how divine they look," Tusita added with a goofy smile. "And their only daughter...O Meru gods bless my heart...don't even get me thinking of the blooming maiden, or I might swoon."
"What about their daughter?" I asked.
"You shall lie your eyes upon the princess yourself," she said with a mischievous grin. "I could spend days and nights describing her beauty but no word would do the princess justice."
Tepi gave Tusita a look.
"Is she that special?" I said.
"Rightly so! Princess Amarisa of Kumbujedesa was born from a scholar queen and a warrior king," Tusita said with a dreamy look on her face. "She smells like jasmines and looks like a delicate flower stem. Her body is as pliant as a lotus, and her skin as soft as petals."
"Whose daughter is she again?"
"She's a child of Queen Indradevi and King Jayavarman," Tepi said. "Her birth mother’s sister is Queen Jayara, who also adores her like her own daughter, because she couldn't bear any children herself."
"Oh, is she infertile or something?"
"No, she's still young and healthy," Tepi said.
"So is it because the King doesn't...you know..." I tried to ask.
"No, he loves them both equally," she said. "Queen Jayara is a great devotee of Shiva and Vishnu. The older Queen was given a boon that could summon the gods for wishes. When the Hora foretold of the great invasion of the Asuras, she prayed to the gods for their protection. The gods answered by sending us to defend the Holy City. All the avatars were born because of her sacrifice, but it always comes with a price."
"What is it?" I asked.
"The gods demanded that any child born in her bloodline would be sacrificed to compensate for the favor she had asked them," Tepi said. "That is why Queen Jayara remains chaste, so no child of hers shall be taken."
"But she adopted us all as her foster children," Tusita said. "As our godmother, she is always kind to us, and we all love her so."
Our conversation went on like that until we reached the walls of the city. The entrance called Angkor Thom was the main gate built out of massive stone blocks. Each stone could have weighed a ton.
My heart pounded like a tribal drum in my chest. A weird nostalgic sense washed over me. I had seen the gate before, but nothing compared to its original stunning form. Unlike what I remembered in my time, there was not a single stone missing.
I realized I was indeed reliving the past glory of this ancient civilization.
There were five city gates with multiple doorways. The outer area was surrounded by a wide water moat and reservoirs crossed by stone bridges.
On top of the main gate, the stone was shaped into the head of a four-faced god, facing all directions. The face at the center was covered in gold.
Our procession passed two rows of colossal stone figures lining up the pathway. They were sculptures of gods and demons pulling on a nine-headed Naga.
Tepi told me they represented the Birth of the Creation. The gods and demons churned the Ocean of Milk by holding onto the body of Vasuki, the Naga King.
"Why did they churn the Ocean of Milk?" I said, feeling amused.
"It's a metaphor," Tusita said. "The Ocean of Milk is actually our universe. They did it to retrieve the Amrita, the Elixir of Immortality."
Everything reminded me of my day walking around with my father. Things looked so different from the ruins of my time. I remembered the temples were aging and surrounded by jungle — but now they seemed to glow like pure gold.
The Gatekeepers waited with their spears and shields, guarding the entrance, making sure that no ordinary people were allowed to enter the inner sacred city.
Something was moving from the opposite direction towards us. It seemed as if a large mass of people were marching. As they got closer, I realized it was another procession.
The conch shells were blown.
"Look! The King and Queens are coming to receive us themselves!" Tusita said as she peered outside. Our carriages came to a halt. I heard everyone else talking in excitement.
Tepi and Tusita motioned for me to get off. After I jumped out of the carriage, I shaded my eyes against the glaring afternoon sun.
About two hundreds men came with golden flag banners and tall multi-tiered umbrellas. Another hundred women marched to the astral music. They held candles in their hands and walked in front of the troupe. Even in broad daylight, the candles were lit.
They came in rows. Each wore embroidered clothes and jewelry. Each bore royal paraphernalia made of gold, silver, and bronze. Some of the women even wore armors and carried swords and shields like the men. There were golden carts drawn by goats and horses.
Far behind were probably ministers or princes, all mounted on elephants, horses, or sitting on their litters and hammocks. Hundreds of red umbrellas shaded them from the baking sun. Concubines were either carried in palanquins, carriages, or elephants. Their innumerable sunshades flecked with glistening gold.
I saw a majestic man mounted atop one of the most elegant elephants in the parade. Without guessing, I knew he was the King.
"They must have known that we have returned to the city," Tepi said with a smile.
Issarak was already at the front with Morokot. They must be waiting for the public display of courtesy to the royalties. Atith appeared beside us again.
"Is she here, too?" he asked, eyeing the upcoming procession in eagerness.
"Don't get your hope up, Atith," Tusita said. "She is mine."
"Yours?" Atith said. "What about Vorac?"
Tusita frowned at him in annoyance.
"Mind your own love affair if you have any, sunshine," she said. Atith pouted.
"Who are you talking about?" I asked, noticing the desperate look on his face.
"The princess, of course," Tepi said with a bored sigh. "Each male avatar takes a liking to the King's daughter ever since they were toddlers."
"Well, you forgot me," Tusita said, sniffing shyly.
"Can you not be satisfied by your numerous maidens already?" Tepi scoffed back.
"You mustn't blame me for this divine attraction," she said. "The princess is the gem of the kingdom. Wherever her foot falls, flowers would bloom from the ground."
Tepi rolled her eyes.
The troupe stopped moving. The man who must be King Jayavarman dismounted his elephant. Two beautiful women also appeared by his sides.
Everyone kneeled to the ground with their heads bowed as they passed. The monarchs made their way towards us. They couldn't be past their late thirties.
King Jayavarman had a calm and impartial face. He was tall with broad chest and shoulders. He had jewelry all over his body and rings on every finger. Unlike other men, the king wore long golden sleeve shirt. In his hand was a long crested sword. Its sheath was encased with tiny diamond and rubies.
Both of the Queens looked equally exquisite. They had pointed crowns, which looked like peacock tiaras. The royal women wore multi-layer clothing, leaving folds of fishtail on the hems. Their black glossy silken lock had dangling jasmines.
It wasn't hard to tell the two of them apart. The younger Queen had a cleft chin, beautiful face with squarish jawlines, and a long small nose which set perfectly with her arched
brows. An unmistakable smile lingered on her lips.
The older Queen was just as strikingly beautiful. She had a lovely rounder face, lovely little nose, and curved lips that would smile with life. But something about her seemed too familiar to me.
My eyes stared at the older Queen a little longer. Then a realization jolted me with a shivering chill up my spine. I let out a shocked gasp. The older Queen looked too familiar that I was positive I had seen her before.
"Tepi, who is that woman on the right?" I whispered.
"That is Queen Jayarajadevi, the first wife and chaste queen," she said, turning back to look at my face. "What's wrong? You seem frighteningly pale."
"I...I don't know..." was all I could respond. The older Queen looked so much like my mother.
If I wiped out her heavily adorned jewelry and hallmark attire, she was just an exact replica of my birth mother. I could have sworn they were the same woman. How could it be possible?
"You look as if you have seen a ghost," Atith said, waving his hand in front of my eyes. "Are you all right?"
My heart dropped a notch downward. I felt weightless all of a sudden. A feather could have knocked me off my feet if Tepi hadn't grabbed my arms to steady me.
"Nikita? What's the matter?" she said. "Are you ill?"
"I'm...I'm fine," I managed to speak.
The Hora walked over to the King and Queens with the Brahmin priests tailing behind him. The Oracle bowed at the monarchs. The rest of the avatars followed. Tepi, Atith, and Tusita stayed with me as my feet seemed to be rooted in place.
"Blessed be, good Hora," King Jay's voice was low and deep like a male singer. "Compose yourselves, my dear avatars. My pleasure to see you all again."
"I presume you have brought us good news," Queen Indradevi said.
"My noble King and Queens." The Hora bowed at them. "My trip to Koh Ker was not in vain. However, I do have both of good and bad news."
"Oh, how is it so, my Hora?" the younger Queen said.
"It is by your wise judgment, Your Majesty, you shall see for yourselves," the Hora said and stepped aside. The three monarchs lifted their faces in my direction. It didn't take long for them to spot me for I looked different from the rest. I found myself fidgeting beside Tepi and Tusita.
The monarchs shared a quick look before they walked towards me. The two girls stepped back, leaving me alone. I felt the blood rush to my face. From the corner of my eyes, Issarak and Morokot glared with envy.
The three royals kept staring at me up and down. I was trying not to cower. Queen Jayarajadevi was the first to walk towards me in her graceful manner. She smiled. I stared back into those black, black eyes, wondering how it was possible for two people to look so much alike, even they were from different times.
My mother died of some mysterious illness when I was about seven, and all I had left of her were her pictures and vague memories. It was an overwhelming feeling to see her again. Tears burned from the back of my head, threatening to flood my eyes.
"Mom?" I blurted out in an airy voice. The Queen's eyebrows furrowed as she studied me with that curious look.
"Sweet child, you must be tired from the journey," she spoke with a gentle voice. "Shall we make haste to the palace before sundown and get you comfortable and needed rest?"
My throat tightened. Even her voice was so much the same. I could barely speak and only nodded back in response.
CHAPTER 10
Behind the stone walls of the sacred city, I felt as if I had stepped into another secret world — a world within another world. The area spanned across small plains and golden hills. A small river ran through a great lake nearby. The blue skies slowly turned gold.
It was beautiful beyond anything I could imagine. The sight of this seeming paradise made the hair stood on my arms. The whole scenery stretched as far and wide as the skyline.
Far into the city, I could see hills dotted with elegant golden temples. They stood erected in their most stunning forms. There were beautiful lotus ponds and blooming gardens. Stone bridges and causeways led us across the water-moats fed by the river.
Our carriages and the royal parade crawled through the central square. A familiar moat and walls came into view. Rising above the plain was another gigantic stone temple. Its meticulously carved towers gleamed in the sun like spires of a golden crown.
The largest religious temple on the planet, my father used to tell me. Angkor Wat stood like a majestic mountain that resembled the top of Mount Meru, the abode of the gods. If I hadn't seen the monument before, I would have thought I was in heavens.
"Impressive, is it not?" Tepi said as she saw me staring in awe. "This is the largest of all the temples. We call it Vrah Visnuloka, which means the ‘Sacred dwelling of Lord Visnu’."
"I have seen it," I said, "but in another time."
"You have been here before?" Tusita asked.
"Yes, where I came from this temple has a different name and is not in this perfect grandiose state. Actually it’s...it’s a ruin."
"What?" they looked at me curiously. Then we heard a chorus of flapping noises in the sky. I looked up and saw what looked like a flock of giant birds flying towards us.
And as they got closer, I realized they weren't normal birds. Their lower halves were covered with golden feathers. They had large golden wings and feet of a swan. Apart from their plume-covered hind legs, large wings, and long flowing tails, the creatures had the head and body of humans.
My mouth fell open.
"There they are!" Tusita said. "The Kennars are here at last."
"What are they again?" I asked.
"We call those beings, the Kennars," Tepi said. "A 'Kennari' if it's a female. A 'Kennara' if it's a male. They are the celestial musicians of Mount Kailasa, the abode of Lord Shiva."
I should've gotten used to all the craziness that surrounded me by now, but I was still shocked to see those half-human and half-bird people. I wished I could describe how strikingly beautiful they looked up there.
Then to my utter surprise, I spotted Kesar among the flock. She was trailing behind the rest with her golden wings extended in the air.
As soon as she looked down, our eyes met. The rest of the Kennars flew ahead of the procession. The familiar Kennari left the flock and descended, but she did not land. Kesar skimmed alongside our carriage.
"Kesar?" I called from the window. "Is that you?"
"My lady," she said, looking sheepishly back.
"You're a...a..." I couldn't finish the sentence. Maybe I just had to drag my jaw all the way from there.
Once we reached our destination, everyone got off the carriages.
The Royal Palace was at the north end of the golden bridge and the golden temple. It was built from wood and stone with the same style as the one I stayed, but more complex and in a massive scale. Some houses were three-storey tall.
I saw the Kennars landed, flicking their golden feathers and causing dirt to whirl in the air. Kesar folded her wings behind her small back then the wings shimmered and disappeared.
The Hora and the Brahmins walked with the monarchs. A dozen palace maids and royal guards followed them. Other elegant maidens with red and gold umbrellas escorted us inside.
Kesar appeared by my side again. I couldn't stop staring and checking over her back. She blushed as if I had seen her naked.
"So...you're half-bird?" was all I could think of to say. Kesar didn't answer. She just took my satchel to carry it for me.
Afterward, we were led through a gleaming stone path. Along the terrace through the overhanging trees of the garden, a majestic palace appeared into view. Soothing music drifted in the air as we entered.
Most of the Palace buildings had gold-gilded doors and large carved windows. The main pavilion had lead tiles while the other ones had red clay tiles. A few smaller houses were straw-roofed. Stone statues decorated each giant pillars. The royal guards stood sentinel along the corridors and entrances.
Once in a while, I would
find myself glancing at Queen Jayara as she spoke softly to the Hora and the high priests.
The fact that the Queen looked exactly like my mother still astonished me. I tried to convince myself that it was just a coincidence. They were simply two different people sharing similar features.
Then we were told by one of the elder priests to go to our chambers and get ready for the welcoming feast tonight.
We didn't linger long. I wished I could have another long bath and a change of clothes, but my mind was still fixed on my escape plan. Now it got harder since I was in yet another new setting. Maybe I could grab an opportunity when everyone got drunk during the feast.
Tepi and Tusita walked me through the garden towards another building. Tepi showed me all the places, which I mapped out inside my head.
"We shall get you to your chamber before dinner time," Tepi said as we walked along the corridor of the palace.
"And where do you girls stay?"
"We have our own houses," Tusita told me and pointed to a cluster of other buildings at the other side of the lotus pond. "You shall find your chamber twice as big as the one you stayed and with plenty of lovely maidens. But if you prefer your own handmaiden, that's fine, too."
She gave a mischievous grin as she looked at me and Kesar, whose face reddened like a ripe apricot.
A voice called us from behind. We turned around to see Morokot striding over. Her flowing red tunic sparkled as she moved. Her piercing eyes almost looked reddish under the lamplight.
"What do you want, Morokot?" Tusita said in distaste.
"Nothing," she said. "Just fancy a few words with the Prophesied Girl, do you mind?"
"Morokot," Tepi said with a warning tone.
"Relax your feeble heart," she said and turned her eyes to me. "After the feast tonight, we shall propose the game. This mortal girl won't worth your efforts. If you wish to change your mind, now is your last chance."
"Ha!" Tusita barked a laugh. "You ask us to bow down to your stinky fellow? Your dream is too big for your hollow head."
Morokot glared at her, causing Tusita to glare back.
"Morokot, we must first consult our Guru before deciding such a proposal," Tepi said.
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