Mokabe's tea was delivered to his room, as he requested. Amiya brought it and also told him that she was pregnant with his child.
Amiya expressed her intention to keep the baby. How? She does not know yet.
Mokabe was silent for a moment. He already thought of what to do if Amiya decided to keep the baby. Besides, he did not have any intention to abort the pregnancy as well. He loved Amiya. His only worry now was if Amiya would not agree to the solution he thought.
"I said I would like to have the baby. I won't abort it." Amiya spoke again. This time, her voice was louder. She was starting to get anxious at the silence of Mokabe. She doesn't know what was going in his mind. The least that she expected from him was to be quiet and do nothing.
Mokabe nodded. "I understand. Let's keep the baby then as you wish."
Amiya's head rose and looked at his face, shocked at the same time hopeful. 'Will he take responsibility for the baby? Is he going to marry me? Will he leave his position in the palace for me?'
Mokabe saw these hopeful eyes, and he couldn't help but feel guilty. He knew that Amiya somehow hoped that he would give up his position in the palace for her and for the child she was carrying. He let out another sigh.
He took Amiya's hand and lifted her face so their eyes would meet. "If you want to keep the baby, then I will let you so. Of course, for me, I would like to see my child alive and grow. But unfortunately, the law of this land does not allow us to do so. And also, I am not leaving my position in the palace."
Amiya's beautiful face was covered with sadness, disappointment, and confusion. She tried not to let her tears fall but to no avail. Fresh hot tears rolled down her cheeks. "B-but how will you keep the baby if you don't want to..." she stopped. A sudden thought crossed her mind. 'Is he thinking of hiding the baby and me?'
"Yes, Amiya. What you were thinking is the only solution I thought." He read what she was thinking in those eyes. "I know a place where you and the baby can stay. I will bring you there the day after tomorrow."
Hiding the baby was the only solution he thought, like his father hiding their mother in a cave for thirteen years. If he wanted to keep Amiya and his child alive, he would have to protect them. It is not an easy decision for him to do, but like his father did, he will have to do it instead of losing his Amiya and now, their child.
Amiya was shocked at Mokabe's suggestion. Aren't they were already hiding? First, their relationship, and now their child. She thought of what will be the future of the child when he grows up? Would she let the child in hiding until he grows up? What will be the child's future then?
Amiya couldn't help but to cry silently in pain, thinking of their situation. If only they were born the same species, if only she did not become a pitiful servant, she would not have to suffer like this. And now, her child will have to suffer too.
Mokabe couldn't say a word. He just pulled Amiya in his arms and let her cry silently. He knew very well how it feels. He was most worried about what will be his child's feelings also when he grows up. His father had already suffered from being separated from his mother, and now he will have to go through the same fate as his parents.
"Can we not just stay together?" Amiya asked him in a quiet voice. She was still hoping that he would change his mind and not send her away. Although sometimes, she feels hurt due to their situation, but she also wanted to support him in his service to the king. She saw how happy he was and dedicated to his duties in the palace. But, this time, was it wrong for her to be greedy and take Mokabe for herself and for the child she was carrying?
Mokabe caressed her back. Comforting her as she cried. "How I wish we could do that." He sighed. "We have to endure the pain Amiya for the sake of our love and our child. I hope you understand."
More than anyone else, he was the person who hurts the most. When he learned about her mother that was hidden for thirteen years, he said to himself that the woman he will marry will be proud and would not have to hide and freely express her happiness being married to him. But, in the end, he was doing the other way. He was giving the woman he loves pain.
Amiya did not answer. She doesn't have any choice anyway. Mokabe was still her master. It's either she will have to leave his house and look for a place for her to stay or stay at the place Mokabe was suggesting.
They stayed quiet for a few minutes. It was Amiya who broke the silence. "I am willing to hide, but can you promise me one thing about our child." She did not care if she goes in hiding; what is crucial for her is the future of her child. However it is, she has to make sure that the child will grow healthy and live a normal life.
He creased his brows. "What is it?"
"Can you promise me that our child will grow normally in this kingdom. Not in hiding. He will experience to go out and play, and have friends."
He looked at her serious face. In a split second, he saw the face of her sister, Viis, whom he haven't seen for eleven years. Her sister, who chose to stay hidden for twenty-four years now. Did he want to make his child, like her sister?
"What do you want to do then?" he asked.
"I do not have any idea how you will do it, but I don't want him to be hidden all his life. I want our child to live a normal life. Free to explore this beautiful kingdom. I need you to promise me that."
Her eyes were pleading as she looked at him. Amiya never asked anything from him since they started their relationship. She was always submissive to him. This was the first time that she asked a favor from him, and it's hard for him not to say yes. He realized how much she has to endure for him.
He let out a sigh before answering. "Alright then, for the sake of our child, I will do as you say. I will think of ways how to do it. What is more important right now is for you to be healthy. Don't worry too much now. We'll endure this together." She brought her small body to his embrace.
Amiya stayed in his room a little longer, then left. He let out a sigh when she left out the room. His thought went to his mother. He can not think how much pain does his mother will have to endure just to make his life normal. Not able to see her child grow up and take care of him while he was still young. She was pretending not to exist while silently enduring her longingness in that cave for thirteen years. Now, Amiya is about to face the same fate just to make her child live a normal life. He can now understand how great a mother's love is. They can sacrifice their own happiness for the happiness of their child.
His heart was aching for Amiya for what she was about to endure in the future, and he can not do anything about it.
-----
Viis' sleep was disturbed by the loud sound of the wind chime hanging in her living room. Someone was trying to enter the forest in Budi mountain. She hurriedly got up from her bed and put on her robe. The wind chime was wildly making noise even if there is no wind blowing inside the cave.
The wind chime serves as her indication that someone was trying to enter the sacred forest where she is. The spell that her mother cast in the forest protects her from intruders. No one has succeeded in entering the forest unless she lifts the spell. But she needs to see first who was the brave intruder who dared to enter her territory.
She looked at the silver mirror hanging by the wall and saw two individuals riding a horse. The one holding the reign was wearing a nobleman's robe, but its head is covered with a veil, so as the other one behind him. She could not see their faces.
She was about to cast a spell to drive the intruders away when she noticed the horses' breast collar[1]. She recognized the round silver crest attached to the middle of the breast collar the horse was wearing. That symbol belongs to her father.
Viis creased her brows. Her father died four years ago. If that horse was wearing her father's symbol, there was only one who can use it. It was her brother, Mokabe. 'What is he doing here? And who is the other one riding the horse with him?'
She lifted the spell and let them cross the boundaries, then she cast the spell back, once they had entered within the limits of the forest. She waited for them while she eats her breakfast.
"Where are we?" Amiya asked Mokabe while they were traveling up the Budi mountain. They left the center of the kingdom very early morning, and now they were entering a dense forest. The sun was already up, and the sun rays can barely go through the dense forest. However, the horse that carries them just continue to go straight following an unseen path.
"We are meeting my sister." Mokabe simply answered.
"You have a sister?" Amiya was genuinely shocked. She did not know that Mokabe has a sister. She knew that he was the only son, and he never mentioned having a sister to her.
"I do." He said in a low voice. "Like you, my mother has to hide after giving birth to my sister and me. She brought my sister with her in hiding not to feel too lonely and let me have a normal life in the kingdom." His voice was laced with sadness remembering his mother.
Amiya was shocked. She did not know what to say. She never heard anything from him or in the household about his mother. Nobody mentioned in the house, even from the older servants about his mother.
So his mother was into hiding too because of their social status? She did not know about it, and she felt ashamed of Mokabe. It must be painful for him to come with his decision now. If only she knew about his mother, she should have been so careful not to get pregnant. She should not have asked him about their child having a normal life away from her someday.
"I am sorry." She whispered. She could not find any words to comfort him. She knew now, more than her, he was the one who is hurting more.
"You do not need to say sorry. It's not your fault. We choose this path. We have to take responsibility." He doesn't know to whom he was speaking with those words that just came out from his mouth. Is he saying it to Amiya, or is he saying it himself to ease his pain?
Amiya just rested her head to his broad shoulders and tightened her embrace to his back. She was not in the position to complain about the pain she was feeling now. Both of them were hurting but as he said, they need to do it for the sake of their unborn child.
They continued on their journey quietly. No one dared to say a word. Both of them were making themselves ready to say their goodbyes with each other. They were trying to convince themselves that this was the best decision for them not to lose each other and to keep their child. They will have to be strong and support each other. In their situation, there was no one that they can depend on. They can only depend on each other.
Footnote:
[1] The breast collar, or breastplate, is a piece of tack used on horses in a variety of disciplines. The purpose of the breast collar is to keep the saddle or harness from sliding back.