Hermitage giriwarsa.
Begawan Mudarsana, who was doing meditation, suddenly opened his eyes as soon as he saw the yellowish-orange inline flash often called 'lintang kemukus' shining brightly in the sky that night, and instantly he remembered the dream that haunted him nine months ago.
"The incarnation of the goddess will be born at the same time as the emergence of a great calamity in the country. it's unfortunate your fate, kids," Begawan Mudarsana said. The old man then got up, took the ink, brush, and daluang paper, and wrote down something.
After finishing writing, Begawan Mudarsana whistled three times.
Sshuuuhhh... Sshuuuhhh... Sshuuuhhh…..
An eagle is of medium body size with a blackish-brown color, a grayish-white chest and abdomen, a thin reddish-brown pattern, and six stripes on the tail that distinguish it from other eagles. But what stands out from the rest is the inner edge of the eagle's wings, which is transparent and will look shimmering when exposed to sunlight.
The eagle flew into Begawan Mudarsana's lap. Si Begawan then slipped a letter onto the eagle's leg.
"Send this letter from me to Mahapatih Kebo Anabrang."This letter is only for him, Giri, because this is the most important letter you have ever sent in your entire life, so don't do anything wrong, Giri!"
The eagle gently pecked Begawan Mudarsana's fingers as if to say yes to his orders, after which it spread its dashing wings and disappeared into the shade of darkness.
"I hope you don't die, Giri, and can come back alive!"
****
The concubines had been in the mourning room under the watchful eye of Candrasengkala. Not having had time for them all to enter the mourning room, they already had to do the salute because the queen came to their place.
"The queen is here?" Wulan, one of the concubines, whispered to her friend.
"Yes, if she is here, it means she has been willing to die, and she should immediately save us from this responsibility!" The other concubine whispered in an angry tone.
"She wouldn't do that. Didn't you two see her pregnant belly? We are all the victims, the people who are going to die to take their place!" Sari Dewi said "How is this Retno?"
Retno Ayu shook her head. She was also confused. Her heart kept beating in worry, and looking at the queen who appeared in their midst, it meant that their deaths were just a matter of time because the queen seemed to be looking at the faces of her successors.
"Hapsari, will you walk with me?" asked Gayatri.
The eight concubines looked surprised and looked towards Ayu Retno in unison, because they knew that if Hapsari was the lowest concubine compared to them and in the structure of the royal concubine, then Ayu Retno was the main concubine, and it should be him who spoke and accompanied the queen, not Hapsari.
"If she has any shame, then he will refuse and ask Aye Retno to take his place," Wulan replied. "Isn't that so Ayu?"
Ayu Retno just wanted to agree to her rival's statement, but she didn't have time to agree. They had all seen that, Hapsari had stroked the queen's belly, and the two of them even walked close together. Of course, this made them all stunned that no one should stand in line with a queen and concubine, let alone one who did not have a title like Hapsari. It's not even worth it to walk ten steps behind a queen.
But neither Hapsari nor Gayatri seemed to care about the rules of the palace. The two looked familiar with each other.
****
"How long have we not been like this, Hapsari?" asked Gayatri first.
"Ten years, and maybe more."
"It was the death of Ayunda Widyasari that kept us away," Gayatri replied. "I'm sorry, Hapsari. For ten years, I have never visited you."
Hapsari shook her head. "I am grateful that you did not visit me. Otherwise, there will be a lot of bad rumors spread. They probably thought I had used you, using . "To the point of making a queen willing to come to the concubine's residence."
Gayatri just smiled, and the two of them chose to sit on the flower garden chairs. How many court ladies had stood about fifteen meters away from the two of them? Lanterns made of torches illuminate almost all the way; the night sky is brightly lit and looks to have many stars.
"Queen...."
"Hmm, what's wrong, Hapsari?"
"The death of the king has brought sorrow to the hearts of all of us." "However, I heard that Queen Gusti will do pati obong."
Gayatri nodded; she had already thought things through.
"What about the child that the queen was born with?"
"It was the death of Ayunda Widyasari that kept us away," Gayatri replied. "I'm sorry, Hapsari. For ten years, I have never visited you.
Hapsari shook her head. "I am grateful that you did not visit me; otherwise, there will be a lot of bad rumors spread." They probably thought I had used you, using black magic. To the point of making a queen willing to come to the concubine's residence."
"Black magic. huh?"
Gayatri just smiled, and the two of them chose to sit on the flower garden chairs. A court lady had stood about fifteen meters from the two of them. Lanterns made of torches illuminate almost all the way; the night sky is brightly lit and looks to have many stars.
"Queen...."
"Hmm, what's wrong, Hapsari?"
"The death of the king has brought sorrow to the hearts of all of us. However, I heard that Queen will do pati obong."
Gayatri nodded, she had already thought things through.
"What about the child that the queen was born with?"
"Hence, I want to just talk to you alone." Gayatri looked at Hapsari. "Before tomorrow's corpse burning and pati obong ceremony, I will raise you to be prince Swarpakala's adoptive mother, and if this child is born, I also want you to take care of him, Hapsari."
"Don't be the queen; let me do it. Kripala is an adult; he no longer needs the affection of a mother, in contrast to prince Swarpakala and this child who is about to be born queen, who still needs affection from you."
"They will have a great mother like you and me, Hapsari. They would know if both mothers made sacrifices for the people, their fathers, and their honor as a woman, mother, and wife. "Our children will be proud of us."
"But....."
"I've wronged you a lot, Ayunda Widyasari. We're separated, by blood and status as empresses or not. But no one can separate a mother from her child, and I believe in you more than all the king's concubines. "Since during this time you have not only taken care of the prince of Kripala. But also the prince of the Utara Jingga. They both grew up to be formidable knights in your custody. Then you should have also guarded a king and been appointed queen mother, Hapsari."
Gayatri smiled as she pulled a shoulder chelate and a conde stab on Hapsari from beneath her shawl; both objects were royal heirlooms that only a queen mother, aka the mother of kings, could wear.
"You hold one, and I am one," Gayatri said firmly. "That means a king has two mothers. One died to accompany his father, and one to care for him until he could become a wise, just, and loving king of his people.
"Queen...."
"I don't want to hear a protest, Hapsari." "Our four children, Kripala, Utara Jingga, Swarpakala, and this child," Gayatri said as she stroked her pregnant belly. "I'm going to brag about both of us.
1: lintang kemukus : comet