The past should be buried (II)

Banou stands alone in the center, she feels like an animal in the cage. An animal on show. An animal who is waiting and seeing what it's fate is. Is she going to die or going to live another day. Will she get whipped? Or rewarded with good food? She watch the two men arguing. Finally after eunuch Liu advise them, they stop and obediently stand with their hands claps in front of their belly. She notice one of the men standing behind is holding a long scroll. She swallow her saliva, it looks like a canvas material from the edge of the scroll. She hopes it is not what she fear. 

Suddenly an eunuch announced that Prince Jun and his Consort is here seeking audience into the hall. The emperor allow and they walk in and stand beside Banou. 

"Long live your majesty!" Li Jun and Consort Wu chim loudly in the hall. He raise and look at Banou who is looking calm and serene. 

"Since my son is here. Let's talk more. I don't want any one to speak Arabic here in this court anymore. Everything have to be transparent and understood by all. By the end of the day, i hope there is a conclusion. That means it's final and we all have a closure. Understand?"

The whole hall is echo with understanding. 

"First, lets us address her identity. Envoy De Ri, You had mentioned before that you know Ban Nu. Now, please tell us where and how you know her." 

"Your majesty, I am Demir who is working in office of Persian under the Great Ottoman Empire. I am from the ministry of Affairs. I personally have never interact with Princess Banou. However on the month that she is supposed to be married off, i had presented her the wedding garments and accessories for the grand wedding." 

Mehmet look surprise as he hear this. He wanted to say something but he swallow everything back as not to anger the emperor and throw out of court. 

"When was this grand wedding?"

"Your majesty, It was many years ago. The weather is somewhere in beginning of summer." 

Everyone is looking at Banou. She remain quiet and stand there with a poker face. 

"Continue Envoy De Ri."

"Yes your majesty, for some reason, the wedding was stopped. Everyone in the wedding was arrested and thrown into jail."

Banou at this point she starting to shake. Li Jun notice it. He move closer to her and hold her trembling hands, 

"Soon the men are executed and the women and children are exiled. In this chaos, the Sultan had lost his daughter. He ordered the soldiers who brought the women and children to exiled to explained to him where did they place her. The soldiers apparently had sold all the exiled women and children without knowing one of them is the princess. Where the buyer gone to they do not know. After that, the soldiers are executed. Another batch of soldiers are sent out to find more clues. They return with nothing till they heard a man from China had been buying slaves to be sold in the black pearl city. They spend a long time searching." 

"My prime minster Hong, did you know that there is a market of this kind of trading happening in our country?!"

"Your majesty, i have heard rumours on this but it is never justify." 

"Li Jun have you encounter this while on the silk road?"

"In responding to your majesty, yes there is." 

The emperor doesn't look happy after hearing this. He ask the Envoy to continue. 

"Your majesty, we finally found the buyer in black pearl city after a year searching. He did not remember who is the buyer but he remember the beautiful red garments on a beautiful woman. That garment is the wedding dress! It must be her. She is bought by a scholar. That is all we know. The soldiers search through city by city finally we reached to Great Tang's capital. Pass years i keep encountering Princess Banou but she keep running away. I have no choice but to come to your majesty for help. The Sultan will be grateful for your assistance on this." He bow. 

"Li Jun, did you hear about her background from Ban Nu?"

"Your majesty, unfortunately no i did not."

Li Jun bow and turn his head a bit to look at Banou who is pale on her lips. The emperor look at Banou and wonder why a princess who refused to acknowledge her birth rights as a princess. What the Persian empire did to make her fear of returning to claim her rights. 

"Lady Ban Nu, do you have something to say about this."

Again she shake her head and refuse to say anything. Inside her, she is fill with all sorts of emotions. Anger, sadness, confusion and fear. Her trembling hands is trying to break free of her pinching. She must not lose composure at any cost. 

"How long have your princess been missing?"

"You majesty, it has been almost ten years now."

"Li Jun how long have Lady Ban Nu been with you?"

"Your majesty, She have been with me almost eleven years."

The emperor nod his head. The number is just right. She must be the missing princess.

"Do you have other evidence to present in court of the missing princess?"

"Your majesty, yes i do have. The sultan inform me that the day she is born, they had a crescent moon branded on her heel. Also i have a painting of her before the grand wedding. This is a copy of the original painting. The original painting is too huge to bring along thus the painter did a copy with a small scale painting. It s still the same as per original." Demir look at Banou with great interest and he know she cannot deny everything. His mission to bring back Princess Banou is coming to an end. He can return to Ottoman empire in full glory and his position as a minster will be higher and secure with richness.