"You can't sleep?"
A wisp of black smoke spun twice in the air before landing beside Bandung Bondowoso. It transformed into a man with straight black hair wearing a crown. He chuckled, then looked outside, the darkness of the sky began to fade.
"You made her a replacement for the princess for a reason, right?"
The king didn't answer.
"That little girl has a pretty face, but is careless."
Bandung Bondowoso remained silent. He knew the arrival of the genie king was toying with him, the nature of ethereal beings.
"The princess is currently at Sagara's house. A good man, helping a woman who was kicked out of her home," he said in a scornful tone. "It's only a matter of time before Sagara rebels against you for his beloved."
"That won't happen."
After a long time, the king made a sound. His long hair was untied, flying as the night breeze blew it away. His sharp eyes looked focused at a building, the Roro Jonggrang's residence.
He had never been in a romantic relationship in his life. Since he was young, he was busy forging himself, traveling in the forest, defeating robbers, and even defeating the genie kingdom. After capturing Boko on his father's orders, that's when he found Roro Jonggrang who made his heart beat fast. Poets say it's a sign of liking someone.
Unfortunately, the girl was the daughter of the man he killed. Cruel words and angry eyes were always present when he tried to approach her.
He patiently softened himself, hoping the girl's hatred would lessen. However, the results were not visible. Even the girl was willing to leave her rank to avoid meeting him.
"You didn't choose her because she claimed to be a seer, right? That girl is not a seer, just an ordinary child who happened to be here."
The king turned his head slightly to ask, "Where did she come from?"
"A world with tall buildings and iron plates walking on stone paths."
"That's called the future?"
The genie king walked to the display table. He touched the sword hanging on the wall. Its golden luster pleased him. Then, he moved to the lit incense, inhaling its fragrance.
"The future is just a word," he snapped. He then went to the fruit basket, to inhale its fragrance. "Even so, Citra is still a royal descendant, but I'm too lazy to find out from whom."
"At least she deserves to be a concubine."
He chuckled. "You will still be chased by those old men if you make her a concubine."
"You can relax now that the temple is finished."
Again, he laughed. That was so scary. He thought it was morning. But then the orange light from the east disappeared. He and his people almost ran away. Honestly, it was ridiculous.
"By the way, the next time you pick up the girl of your dreams, Citra will be jealous. That's not a good sight. Therefore, give her to me."
"You want your master's possession?" The king asked. His tone was annoyed mixed with the threat. He was still staring at the building as if hoping something would come up.
"If you will bring the princess back."
The genie king corrected his words. He was surprised that Bandung Bondowoso said that. He mean, why should Bandung Bondowoso keep two girls when he only liked one of them?
Then, the reason he said that was because the elders in his palace wanted him to get married. The girls in his world were too vain and annoying. Making the obedient Citra his bride would be very interesting.
"So, you're going to bring the princess back, right?"
***
Sagara sat on the terrace. With one leg folded as an armrest, he looked up at the sky. The morning was coming. The wedding was about to take place. The palace soldiers were busy guarding the palace so he could bring Roro Jonggrang safely.
His gaze moved to the building near the garden. It was home to the house servants and she was there. She refused the luxurious room he had prepared.
Sagara picked up his teacup, fiddling with it briefly before downing the contents. It sounded annoying if he took a chance by asking Roro Jonggrang to be his wife.
"She will reject me without hesitation."
H put down the cup. Suddenly the memory of the princess substitute girl flashed. Little did he know about her, that she was a seer from nowhere and was trying to imitate the princess's appearance.
"Looks like she's not impersonating the princess," Sagara muttered. "They're a bit alike. Is she being used to lure the king?"
The sound of chickens crowing one by one appeared. The real morning was about to begin. People started to come out of their houses. This morning's atmosphere made him think about the construction of the temples. The guards in the area said there was a sound of rocks rolling down the mountain, but no one saw who did it.
Sagar pushed his hair back. Once again, he looked up at the sky before moving on.
"He used everything for a girl."