Ja Is Crowned, Then A Revelation

        The palace. Havila. 

      "I know that several of you are bitter and sad because this stranger had been crowned as your king."

      Lailah started, pointing at Ja Lia as a reference to the word 'stranger' she had mentioned. Ja didn't bat an eye. He knew he could trust her on such stance. He just stood beside her. His eyes occasionally leaving the converged citizens for Lailah. 

      "But there are few things you do not know that I'm very willing to let you know before I leave your midst for as long as possible."

    She continued, avoiding Ja Lia's gaze. Ja had shot an ogle at her because of the last phrase she had referenced. She hadn't told him that she would be leaving Havila, though he remembered her making some allusions several days back. 

     Plus twould be quite illogical of her to leave Havila after he had just been recently crowned. Like he was just crowned ten minutes ago and she was fashioning a bad news already?

     Ja allowed himself to ignore the detest swelling within him for the meantime. He allowed an audience as her words reeled on,

    "Your new King, Ja Lia had passed all his tests even though the hate and odds were so appalling."

     Ja didn't know why she was making the unnecessary pauses. As interested as the chiefs in what she was saying was he too. 

     He could see contempt in the faces of the citizens. They didn't even hide it, despite the fact that he was a crowned king. Their newly crowned king for that matter.

     Lailah's voice kicked him outta his thoughts again. 

      "Well majority of you would hold it to the fact that he's a stranger, isn't it?"

    There was an echo of affirmation to the question she had asked. Though the chorus was forced and had threat permeating it. 

     Lailah looked through the crowd. All she could see were trained brain. None of the men seemed to be thinking outta the box. They seemed to her as stereotyped masses screwed down in several cases. She smiled as usual and continued,

   "What if I say your new King, my husband, isn't a stranger."

     The murmur was swallowed by a strange wave of silence at that. Then almost immediately, the murmur found its life again, puked by the waves. 

    Ja tried to hold Lailah in his gaze to figure out if she was playing another trick with the people. But Lailah didn't look at him. To him, that was a punishment which he would bear for the meantime, since both of them lived together. 

      "How many of you all here know the history of your land?"

     The murmur which had been borne from one corner of the vast space to the other seemed to be strangled by an unseen force. 

    The men had their ego tucked at that. There faces wielding strange expressions. Their rude countenances fell. 

     "What a shame. How about the king behead you all?"

     Lailah threatened but none of the men would say a thing. Twas a wonder that they could be so quiet. But that was a just a charade. Immediately, one of the men from the crowd shouted, a vying vociferation,

       "Why should we believe a cunny Nymph."

    And that gave life to the rest who kept the noise growing and growing till it towered over all of them. Even over the great Lailah. 

    Ja Lia was tempted to remove his crown and hurl it at the annoying and stubborn citizens. He was frustrated. Didn't have a strength for the drama. But he kept his cool because of Lailah's recent tale. That's if she would be able to end it. 

    Lailah turned towards Ja and Ja sought that opportunity in making the facial advances but she looked past him and beckoned at one of the happy Chiefs. 

    As soon as the chief stepped forward, standing before Lailah, the noise knew a turn and began to dwindle. Till silence could wander around. At least for the meantime. 

      "Tell them the story of your land."

    Lailah ordered the chief. Though her voice was calm and reflective, but he had taken it as an order. 

     The chief hesitated for a while but the unusual silence gave him no choice. He started,

     "Our land was owned by the Chinese in the first place. But we seized it from them and subjected them."

    He paused, as though he was forced to tell the story. Though Lailah was smiling at him, yet he felt like a spear was put to his throat. A psychological pressure. 

     "Tell them about the first king."

     Lailah urged, seated in her face was a rich smile. The populace no longer took interest in Lailah, but the chief. They could eat him up with their curious gazes. 

    "The first king was a product of both one of our men and a Chinese woman. The child born to this couple is Jin, whose helmet we worship."

     Lailah nudged the Chief backwards and turned to the crowd. She took a glance at Ja and looked away. Her face was lit. 

     "Now my last question, people. The question is for the king."

    She turned to Ja and shot,

     "What is your surname, your highness?"

     Ja was trying to look through her face, probably he would get what she was trying to do. Even he was confused. He didn't know what his surname had to do with being a king. A king of the strange land. 

     "Jin."

     Ja muttered, looking away from Lailah to the crowd. Then suddenly, something seemed to occur to him. A new but deep thought. Why hadn't he had thought of it until then? 

    Trying to process the new thought, Lailah hopped on,

     "I'll leave you to process that."

   She said, scanning the group. Then she looked by her side to the chiefs and Tzu. Jim wasn't there. They hadn't heard anything from or about him since the other day. 

       "Sham!!!"

    One of the men called in protest. He continued, his large lips lagging behind the words,

     "It's a fake story. To lure us."

   But then one of the Chiefs stepped forward and called,

     "Guards!!! Seize him."

    The chief pointed at the citizen who had just protested. The guards were off to work. 

     "Who again is yet dumb to understand the urgency of this? Let me hear and the person be beheaded by the order of our king, Ja."

    The other chiefs looked in surprise at the sudden change of that chief. That chief who had been the hottest foe of Lailah and Ja. The emperor was the husband of his sister. 

      Since there was no more movement or call, the chief continued,

     "Even I loathe Lailah for all she had caused but then twas as if the gods allowed it. The information she had just given today about our land, everyone has been seeking to know it. But now the truth is here, yet your foolishness seals your eyes."

      There was rage in his eyes. Then finally he raised his voice as highly,

       "Now bow to your king at the call of the guards. Remain standing if your head is too heavy for the body to bear and we'll have it so."

    He signalled the guards and they blew the trumpets.

     There was murmur at first but then, one after the other the people began to bow before Ja Lia. 

     All the people bowed before Ja. Even the chiefs and Tzu. Ja only stood there wondering if he was in a trance. 

    Then he lost it, when Lailah walked to the front, and bowed to him. His heart missed a beat. A beat missed his heart... whatever...