Later that day, Prince Abuvaya met with the Maharaja. He wanted to speak to him about Princess Marianetta's feelings for the commoner. He would try to draw His Majesty's approval to his daughter's predicament. Her love for the commoner has her bleeding in her heart.
"Father, I am here to speak about Marianetta."
"Well, what has happened, my son? Is she hurt in any way?" The King asked, his voice tinged with concern.
"Yes, Father. She is hurt deeply. She has fallen headlong in love with the commoner, Harinder. She speaks of him with such passion and cries that she is far above him as royalty. She wants him as a husband and says he is the only man who would ever make her happy."
The king laughed. He knew love to be an intricate emotion, painful if unreciprocated. His granddaughter had a heart of gold, and she is not to be crushed in any way.
"Does he feel the same way about her?" The king asked, serious now. He worried that the peasant might not feel the same way about his precious Marianetta.
"Yes, she says he does, Father. Only, he is afraid of the consequences of loving a princess.
"Then, make haste with a wedding. He is a commoner who has excelled and made a mark in the Kingdom. The people speak about his victory over the barren land like he has fought a war and won without any bloodshed.
"That was quite a feat he had undertaken and championed. I shall knight him and make him worthy of my grandaughter's hand."
Prince Abuvaya was exhilarated to know that he had the Maharaja of Hintrupate's approval and his decision. He was glad that Harinder would be knighted too. The news would make the princess so happy, and he couldn't wait to relay the good news to her.
He ordered his trusted advisor to prepare for a ceremonial initiation into knighthood for Harinder.
The prince asked his guards to summon Harinder to the palace for an audience with the Maharaja in his presence.
The guards hurried to Harinder's place. There was no time to waste. They wondered why the Crown Prince had summoned the peasant at such short notice. They had heard of his feat and knew of his victory over the barren land.
When Harinder saw the guards approaching, he ran out to meet them.
"Harinder," the guards called out. "Go and get dressed quickly. The Maharaja and the Crown Prince seek an audience with you immediately."
Harinder got dressed as quickly as he could. He left for the palace with the two guards, his heart beating erratically in his chest. "Was it due to the compromising incident with the princess earlier," he wondered. Did the aide make a complaint against him? Harinder was jittery all of a sudden. What was he to say if the Maharaja asked him to explain his conduct with the princess?
When he stood before the Maharaja and the Crown Prince, Harinder willed himself to be brave.
"Ah, Harinder. I have decided to knight you," the King announced proudly. You have done well, and a knighthood benefits you.
Now, my son, The Crown Prince, Abuvaya, has something important to tell you.
Harinder was overjoyed with the news that he was to be knighted. He waited to hear what the Crown Prince had to say next.
"Harinder, my daughter, The Royal Princess Marianetta, has fallen in love with you." Prince Abuvaya began in an authoritative voice, "I want you to marry her, so she is happy. There should be no one in the Kingdom who is to make my child unhappy in any way. She is a special child to me. One who has brought the Kingdom of Hintrupate much prosperity and fame. Even with your remarkable victory over the barren land, Hintrupate has gained in name and wisdom over all the lands. Have you anything to say to my command?"
Harinder nearly fainted when he heard the crown prince's command. What? This can't be true! Not only is he to receive a knighthood, but he also gets to marry the love of his life, a forbidden love that would have created many woes across the land of Hintrupate. For surely the Goddess of the Himavan shines upon his humble shrine, upon his dreams that he had kept hidden for so long, upon the sacred sanctity of a love he found that was out of bounds.
Surely, the Goddess of the Himavan has never left his side. She has seen him through every travail that had besieged him all the while.
Harinder felt tears sting his eyes. He bowed to the crown prince and said firmly, "Yes, Your Highness, I do love the Royal Princess Marianetta and shall make her the happiest person in all of Hintrupate. I shall stay loyal and be a good husband to her."
The crown prince liked the firm resolution in Harinder's voice when he spoke up. He spoke with the sincerity that the princess had mentioned to him earlier.
"So shall it be, then? Get ready to wed my daughter. A royal banquet such as one never seen in all the Kingdom shall be planned with immediate effect. I expect nothing but the best of your intentions for my daughter or your punishment would be severe."
Harinder went back to his land walking on cloud nine. His feet never touched the ground. He felt elevated in both heart and mind.
And so, the Kingdom of Hintrupate and its people witnessed a wedding as they had never before. There was pomp and splendor, everywhere dancing and singing, and the celebrations lasted for weeks.
Princess Marianetta had never envisioned that the Maharaja would consent to her love with a commoner, but she learned that His Majesty was a man who believed in the fortitude of a marriage based on friendship, love, and happiness. He had believed in her love for a man who loved her beyond any measure in return, who he knew would make her the happiest throughout her life.
Beyond the great Himavans, the soulful rumble of the skies echoed. Birds of great might flew on wings of pride, the earth trembled as if in answer. The son of the Himavans has triumphed over land and master.
The End.