Jungle Prince
... I have no idea. >.> It just... happened. Make of it what you will.
"This is a tale which happened many years ago, deep in the wildest jungle. A great prince was traveling with his family and retainers, when there suddenly came a terrible shaking of the earth. The animals all fled in terror, some hurling their riders to the ground in their haste to get away. Many perished that day, including the great prince's wife.
Their young son also was lost, though his body was not found. Not for many, many years, when a traveler chanced to get lost in that very same jungle and discovered, not a child, but a grown man! A man who knew the ways of the jungle and called the wild beasts brother, but one who knew nothing of the ways of man.
The traveler, fascinated with the man from the jungle, brought him back to the land of man where they had many great adventures before an old holy man saw the man from the jungle and cried out that he had the same face as the great prince of the land! The man from the jungle was brought before the prince, and the prince wept and thanked the gods for returning to him his long-lost son. Thus the man from-"
"That's nonsense."
Sadhil stopped his story, looking up with patient amusement at the source of the protest. He'd been wondering when Rajas was going to speak up. None of the other boys gave him nearly as much trouble. "Nonsense? I assure you, it is all quite true, Rajas."
Rajas scowled, the expression souring his handsome, youthful features. "If a noble had really gotten lost in the jungle, they would've sent out lots of people to find him."
Sadhil laughed. "Oh yes, many people were indeed sent out to look for the lost prince, but none of them ever found him. It was eventually decided that he must have fallen prey to one of the many hunters of the jungle."
"People die in the jungle all the time," Rajas said imperiously. "There's no way a child could live all that time alone and not die."
A tiny smile crept across Sadhil's lips. "One would think," he agreed amiably, "and yet it did happen. The man from the wild jungle returned to become the greatest prince of men."
Rajas crossed his arms, dark expression unchanging. "Right."
Sadhil laughed again. "You don't believe me?" His smile widened. "Then why does Lord Khairiya never wear shoes?" he asked.
The scowl on Rajas's face faded away to be replaced with confusion. "Lord Khairiya?" he repeated. "What does that have to do with anything?"
Sadhil struggled to contain his mirth when faced with that perplexed face. "Because Lord Khairiya was the wild man from the jungle."
"Whaaaat?" chorused seven young voices, and Sadhil could not keep himself from folding over into helpless laughter. He could hear them talking wildly amongst themselves, no doubt arguing the veracity of his words, but he couldn't quite manage to catch his breath enough to correct them again. Every time he thought he had himself under control he'd glimpse one of their affronted faces and all would be lost.
Then the entire impassioned argument ceased in an instant as a single, powerful voice spoke. "Oh? What happened here? Sadhil, are you up to no good again?"
Wiping away the tears from his eyes, Sadhil managed to stifle his giggle enough to accept the hand that helped him to his feet. "Something like that, yes," he agreed.
Khairiya shook his head fondly. "You live to create chaos, Sadhil." He stole a brief kiss before releasing Sadhil. "Luncheon has been prepared in the south garden. Will you be joining me?"
Sadhil smiled. "I'll be along in a few minutes. Don't eat all the cream without me."
Khairiya snorted and shook his head, though he did not offer a retort as he turned and made his way back out of the small room Sadhil had chosen to hold his lessons in. The reverent silence remained even after he was gone, and it made Sadhil want to laugh again, so little did anyone truly know about their Lord.
"Well," he said cheerfully, "It seems I am called away, so the story will have to be continued another time." Rajas was frowning at him, again, and Sadhil hid his smile as he called gently, "Yes, Rajas?"
"If Lord Khairiya really grew up in the jungle like you said," Rajas asked slowly, "Why doesn't anyone else know about it? And how'd he survive for so many years?"
Sadhil allowed his smile to come to the surface. "He is still uncomfortable with many of our customs, and it reminds him of all the troubles he had adjusting to city life, to hear his story told aloud. But if you ask nicely, perhaps he will tell it to you himself some day, Rajas."
The doubtful look remained, and Sadhil fought down another laugh. "Much as I attempt to convince him of your vexing ways, he does have a soft spot for you, Rajas." Sadhil winked. "Just don't ask in public." He gathered up his things and turned to go, stopping as Rajas's voice once more broke the stillness.
"Wait, if he doesn't like people to know, how do you know all this?"
Sadhil looked back over his shoulder, a secretive smile on his lips. "Oh, didn't I tell you? I was the traveler who found the lost prince in the jungle."
A stunned silence met his revelation, and Sadhil was well on his way to meet his jungle prince in the garden before any of them recovered.
"This is a tale which happened many years ago, deep in the wildest jungle. A great prince was traveling with his family and retainers, when there suddenly came a terrible shaking of the earth. The animals all fled in terror, some hurling their riders to the ground in their haste to get away. Many perished that day, including the great prince's wife.
Their young son also was lost, though his body was not found. Not for many, many years, when a traveler chanced to get lost in that very same jungle and discovered, not a child, but a grown man! A man who knew the ways of the jungle and called the wild beasts brother, but one who knew nothing of the ways of man.
The traveler, fascinated with the man from the jungle, brought him back to the land of man where they had many great adventures before an old holy man saw the man from the jungle and cried out that he had the same face as the great prince of the land! The man from the jungle was brought before the prince, and the prince wept and thanked the gods for returning to him his long-lost son. Thus the man from-"
"That's nonsense."
Sadhil stopped his story, looking up with patient amusement at the source of the protest. He'd been wondering when Rajas was going to speak up. None of the other boys gave him nearly as much trouble. "Nonsense? I assure you, it is all quite true, Rajas."
Rajas scowled, the expression souring his handsome, youthful features. "If a noble had really gotten lost in the jungle, they would've sent out lots of people to find him."
Sadhil laughed. "Oh yes, many people were indeed sent out to look for the lost prince, but none of them ever found him. It was eventually decided that he must have fallen prey to one of the many hunters of the jungle."
"People die in the jungle all the time," Rajas said imperiously. "There's no way a child could live all that time alone and not die."
A tiny smile crept across Sadhil's lips. "One would think," he agreed amiably, "and yet it did happen. The man from the wild jungle returned to become the greatest prince of men."
Rajas crossed his arms, dark expression unchanging. "Right."
Sadhil laughed again. "You don't believe me?" His smile widened. "Then why does Lord Khairiya never wear shoes?" he asked.
The scowl on Rajas's face faded away to be replaced with confusion. "Lord Khairiya?" he repeated. "What does that have to do with anything?"
Sadhil struggled to contain his mirth when faced with that perplexed face. "Because Lord Khairiya was the wild man from the jungle."
"Whaaaat?" chorused seven young voices, and Sadhil could not keep himself from folding over into helpless laughter. He could hear them talking wildly amongst themselves, no doubt arguing the veracity of his words, but he couldn't quite manage to catch his breath enough to correct them again. Every time he thought he had himself under control he'd glimpse one of their affronted faces and all would be lost.
Then the entire impassioned argument ceased in an instant as a single, powerful voice spoke. "Oh? What happened here? Sadhil, are you up to no good again?"
Wiping away the tears from his eyes, Sadhil managed to stifle his giggle enough to accept the hand that helped him to his feet. "Something like that, yes," he agreed.
Khairiya shook his head fondly. "You live to create chaos, Sadhil." He stole a brief kiss before releasing Sadhil. "Luncheon has been prepared in the south garden. Will you be joining me?"
Sadhil smiled. "I'll be along in a few minutes. Don't eat all the cream without me."
Khairiya snorted and shook his head, though he did not offer a retort as he turned and made his way back out of the small room Sadhil had chosen to hold his lessons in. The reverent silence remained even after he was gone, and it made Sadhil want to laugh again, so little did anyone truly know about their Lord.
"Well," he said cheerfully, "It seems I am called away, so the story will have to be continued another time." Rajas was frowning at him, again, and Sadhil hid his smile as he called gently, "Yes, Rajas?"
"If Lord Khairiya really grew up in the jungle like you said," Rajas asked slowly, "Why doesn't anyone else know about it? And how'd he survive for so many years?"
Sadhil allowed his smile to come to the surface. "He is still uncomfortable with many of our customs, and it reminds him of all the troubles he had adjusting to city life, to hear his story told aloud. But if you ask nicely, perhaps he will tell it to you himself some day, Rajas."
The doubtful look remained, and Sadhil fought down another laugh. "Much as I attempt to convince him of your vexing ways, he does have a soft spot for you, Rajas." Sadhil winked. "Just don't ask in public." He gathered up his things and turned to go, stopping as Rajas's voice once more broke the stillness.
"Wait, if he doesn't like people to know, how do you know all this?"
Sadhil looked back over his shoulder, a secretive smile on his lips. "Oh, didn't I tell you? I was the traveler who found the lost prince in the jungle."
A stunned silence met his revelation, and Sadhil was well on his way to meet his jungle prince in the garden before any of them recovered.