Beyond Doubt: Whispers of the Unseen - Chapter 104

3 months ago (Edited)

Beyond Doubt (2).jpg

Welcome to my seemingly endless journey.
A trip that will take you to places I might have visited many moons ago.
It´s a tale that came back to me when I meditated on one of my past lives. A life I told you about in my unbelievable true story.

As promised in that story I will now share this story with you.

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Chapter 104

Dear Reader, allow me to quote an old Chinese saying; “If you are in a hurry, take a detour.”

People who pursue their goals so directly that they are not aware for a second of what is important.

And whether that goal still fits the person they have become. Let alone what the consequences are of achieving that one goal.

The true value of achieving a goal lies in the journey towards it. Hence a detour enriches the journey.

Fortunately, the evening is a lot more festive; apparently, Kreytu has more friends than he thought. During dinner, the table is filled, and even around it, men and women are eating and drinking.

As it turns out these are distant family members whom he had not counted on. They came to the city in large numbers, responding to the obligatory courtesy of the invitation. His father had never found family contact important, so he had not dared to reestablish it.

Nevertheless, they accepted the offer to see if the boy valued the family bond more than his father. This unexpected gathering added an extra touch to the party, increasing the joy, of course, in collaboration with the richly flowing wine. Singing and dancing, eating and drinking, and yet one party is not the same as the other.

This party has the right atmosphere, with everyone contributing to the already prevailing good mood. A day like this should not be spoiled for anyone by any unpleasantries.

Still, I couldn't manage not to think about the coming days all day. Sometimes my brain went for a walk, playing with ideas about how the next few days would go for us, especially how we would get in touch with that man who lived in the enormous palace.

From the open place where the party was held, well actually from almost the entire city, the palace's beautiful white towers are clearly visible, seeming to glow in the night. Despite Dadrie's pessimism, I know there must be a way.

I expected never to get this close when I left my cabin so many moons ago. Looking up at that palace I feel a weird kind of excitement as if it´s pulling me toward its tower. As if I had already been there, the doubt I had is replaced by an unexplainable feeling, a feeling of belonging.

Then I let it go and join the festivities as the night is slowly reaching its peak and a feast like this I will probably never witness again.

It is late in the afternoon when we gather again. We all spent the day trying to find an entrance, literally or figuratively, to the palace. Dadrie visited some old acquaintances, hoping they might know people who work in the castle. When he found someone, he swore that he could not even take a family or a child into the building, one who would try would pay with his life he was assured.

The only way, he was told, was if you had someone you knew well among the advisors. Kreytu came back with the exact same news. Adding that he had used his father's name to get in touch with one of the advisors. He had indicated that he had new military tactics and wanted to share them, albeit directly with the Sikh, to prevent someone else from taking credit.

The advisor, who was a good acquaintance of his father in the past, sneered ;

“You can sell your plans to me, friend, and since I knew your father, I will offer you a fair price for them. But don't think I can let you anywhere near his divinity. Even if I wanted to, the rest of the council would want my head on a silver platter for bringing an outsider to the lord. The Sikh should not be visited by earthly persons, except, of course, his advisors.”

Numico and I had been inspecting the walls while trying to find out when the Sikh would have his census again. This was a strange, even dangerous question. After we had chased away some residents we were arrested and interrogated as if we were plotting an assassination attempt.

Only when I was able to make it clear that we were here for a wedding, that we came from a remote mountain village, and were very curious to see who the gentleman was we were all serving, did the situation become clear to the soldiers. We were able to leave after an abundance of warnings that this should not happen again, and a written notice that any suspicious move could result in a trip to the dungeons.

All in all, a not very successful undertaking. It was true what Dadrie had said; it was almost impossible. Despite Numico's premonition, the boy looked a bit defeated; apparently, he had not counted on this either.

Despite these setbacks, Kreytu and Cabilah thoroughly enjoyed each other. If this entire venture will not be successful, their happiness is reason enough for the entire journey, although it would be somewhat of little consolation.

As I sat down, I noticed something strange. Dadrie was sitting in the lotus pose, completely relaxed. It looks a lot like he is meditating. This was new and a strange sight, the warrior in such a serene position but it suited him.

The evening was filled with drinks and laughter, everyone enjoying the hedonistic life that this great city produced. It would be a shame to miss out on that by giving up.

Halfway through the evening, I ended up on a stool next to Dadrie, who looked very cheerful.

“Did my eyes deceive me this afternoon, or were you really meditating Dadrie?”