An hour later, the audience session finally ended. Prince Tapriyasta asked his brother about the special reception that he had promised the eastern prince, but he just told him that he should invite Ayyali Ralinta. Therefore, the Crown Prince decided to pay her a call on her father's home office as well as having lunch with her.

Meanwhile, Prince Basandaya was scheduled to visit a clinic he had ordered to build under his name. As he was required to both mingle and make a speech, Renggi Nanta selected Amanji and Kinalu to take his place. The carriage took off after the departure of Prince Tapriyasta.

"Relax, you still have the Prince's face," replied Amanji. 

"I do?" Kinalu turned to the gold vase. It reflected the Prince Regent's face. "I do! Hah, you go ahead, mate. I'll catch up with you later." 

"Don't do anything stupid," said Amanji. "And don't take too long. He needs to get out of there." 

"I know, I know," Kinalu snuck up behind the Princess. As soon as Amanji disappeared into the apartment area, he shouted, "Tistara!" 

Princess Tistara was shaken hearing her name being blasted like that. She turned around to see her brother coming at her with an unusually angry face. 

"What did I do that deserve such demeaning call?" she asked, totally believing that this was the Prince Regent. 

"Confess to me," Kinalu bowed to stare her down. "What did you do to Kinalu?" 

Princess Tistara was dumbfounded, "Who?" 

"Kinalu! My favorite personal guard! Did you really order him to clean the statues until they're sparkling white?" 

She remembered. "Oh," she said. "Yes. Yes, I did. He broke the rule by staring at me. I had to punish him." 

"That's not true," replied Kinalu. "I was just... He just looked away and accidentally saw you in the eyes. That's what he told me." 

"So you believe in your guard over your own sister?" asked Princess Tistara. "Despite the fact that he's your favorite. Wait, I thought Gaptin Jantra Kawa is your favorite." 

"Well, I have a new one," replied Kinalu. "Why did you do that? Why do you seem to find happiness in his suffering?" 

"Because I am suffering. I will suffer as long as you don't let me marry Niwarna." 

Kinalu began to catch her train of thoughts. 

"Do you know why I will never let you marry that prince?" he put his hands on his hips. "So that you can marry the likes of him to set a precedent." 

 

It's like fire coming out of her mouth.

"Marry him?!" she yelled. "He's not even fit to empty my chamber pot!"

Kinalu was burnt to ashes. It was a reach, he knew. But still, he's not that low. Although he was wearing the Prince Regent's gold-threaded clothes, even if he were the prince's favorite personal guard, he was still a servant and nothing more.

"Not him," he replied. Calmly this time. "The likes of him."

"Why would I want to do that?"

"For love. Don't you want to marry anyone you want for love?"

Princess Tistara scoffed. "Father and Mother married each other for love."

"Well, your mother was lucky a crown prince was in love with her, and she was in love with him. Not everyone is blessed like that."

"Why wouldn't a crown prince be in love with me?"

"Hmmm... I'm not sure," Kinalu rubbed his chin. "Maybe because you like to punish an innocent guard and think that he's not even fit to empty your chamber pot. It's not a very loveable thing to do, don't you think?"

This time, Princess Tistara didn't bite back. Kinalu felt victorious. But then his nose itched. It's a sign that the potion would wear off. He quickly grunted, "Do not speak to him ever again. Do you hear me?" 

 

Without waiting for her reply, he turned away in dramatic fashion and stomped his way to his bedchamber, leaving Princess Tistara contemplating his words.

As he traversed the hallway, he passed an open room where he saw Maharahi was taking care of the Queen Dowager. The swerve of her body when she bent to help the Queen Dowager was very visible under her tight bikaya and nayin. Now that's a woman he wouldn't mind being a servant for. 

He smiled at the prince's grandmother while catching up to Amanji into the Prince Regent's apartment. The bedchamber was empty, but when he opened the secret room, Prince Basandaya was there with Darga and Jantra Kawa. The former blacksmith was carrying two books while the prince was adding another one on top of it.

"Your Highness," they both bowed.

"Welcome back," said the Prince. He looked back to Darga. "Read them all. It will help you understanding the economy in Ranundala for your next mission."

Darga sighed. "I'd rather take an arrow to the chest than read a book," murmured Darga. Prince Basandaya gave him his murderous glare. He quickly took two steps back. "But then I'm paid to do both. Thank you, Your Highness, I will read it." 

"You may go," said Prince Basandaya to Darga. He glanced at Kinalu and Amanji, "I understand that all of you will guard The Heavenly Garden during the reception. I expect your full report tomorrow, but for now you need to change and get some rest before we all go downstairs. Thank you."

"Your Highness, Gaptin Jantra," the two bowed at both of them. While Darga went straight to the body double's quarters, Kinalu went behind the changing screen where he had to take off the attire. He struck up a light conversation, "So, does anyone know if Maharahi is married or anything? If my term here is ended and His Highness would like to integrate me into her possession, I shall not object."

Prince Basandaya came out of the hiding room. "I'm sure if she cares so much about marriage, her husband would have died a long time ago," he sat on the bed. "She's 108 years old, you know." 

Two heads popped out from two different places. Kinalu from behind the screen while Hismar from behind the connecting door, even before Amanji nor Darga opened the door. The four of them gaped at the prince with mouths opened as wide. 

"Are you joking, Your Highness?" asked Hismar. 

"Pfftt... His Highness never jokes," replied Kinalu. "Although I hope this time he does." 

"Maharahi has been working for the royal family since my great grandmother's reign," explained Prince Basandaya. "You do know that she's not a common physician, don't you?" 

"So, her appearance..." 

"It's all a trick," Jantra Kawa cut off Kinalu. "Perhaps the same way we get to appear like the Prince Regent." 

"Well," Amanji turned to his colleagues. "It's going to make a challenging wank." 

Prince Basandaya choked on his own breathing, while Jantra Kawa's eyebrows shot up to the ceiling. 

"But not impossible," added Kinalu. 

"Alright, off to your quarters," Jantra Kawa shooed them away. "Get out of there, Kinalu. Move along, boys. Move along." 

The guard leader herded them back to their quarters. He closed the door behind him and proceeded with scolding them. It didn't stop them from asking more about Maharahi. 

Prince Basandaya just chuckled. He had the same reaction when he first found out about it. It's simply sensational knowing that the witch he used to read on storybooks actually worked for his family. 

A knock was heard on the door. After being let in, Saka Subarsang came in with his tray of bottles. 

"Ointment for your foot, Your Highness," he said. Prince Basandaya got his legs up on the bed and let him massage his foot again. 

The apprentice's gentle massage kept getting interrupted when the body doubles' voice blared through the wall. It was obvious that he was listening to their conversation as soon as he picked up his master's name. 

"They're even worse at night," commented the prince. "It's like they're having a cockfight there. Paid assassins would have been terrified of their sound." 

"I'm sure however she retains her beauty involves some kind of satanic ritual," chirped Amanji. 

"But what if it's not really her body?" asked Kinalu. "What if she comes into a possession of that body? Poor woman." 

"However it is, it's not the way that the gods intended," added Hismar. "She defies the rules that the gods have set for humans. I have no idea why the palace keeps a heretic like her." 

Saka Subarsang stopped doing his work. He bowed and apologized to the prince before storming into the body double's quarter. 

"Take that back!" he thundered. "You don't know anything about her, so you better keep your mouth shut. If it wasn't for her, you'd all still be in the street." 

"He's right, you know," said Jantra Kawa.

"Does that mean you know something about her?" Amanji squinted his eyes. 

"Tell us, Saka Subarsang," asked Darga. "We all want to know." 

Prince Basandaya slid in and closed the door behind him. Seeing the look on everyone's face, he said, "Well, go on, Saka Subarsang. I, too, am curious."