Prince Without Crown
The Prince's oath

The news carried by the cipher of the messenger from Gusti Prabu Rakai Galuh who said about two groups from different directions seemed to be very encouraging to his Majesty.

How not? The group that will arrive in the future is a group from the kingdom of Garingging, Gusti Prabu Kerta Rajasa with his eldest daughter and about a thousand escort soldiers.

While the second group expected to arrive in the evening today is Gusti Empress Galuh Cendana along with Crown Prince Indra Mahesa accompanied by Senopati Arya Prana, Commander of Rangga, Tumenggung Paksi together with three hundred black soldiers who accompanied the group.

The group that came from Garingging kingdom was indeed faster to arrive. This is because they are soldiers riding without burden except to face the pomp of the Princess, Princess Melur.

Meanwhile, in the entourage of Empress Galuh Cendana, they were slower because they brought with them four horse carriages filled by Empress Galuh Cendana along with the ladies, the wives of the former royal courtier Sri Kemuning, who was the queen of the kingdom, as well as travel supplies. This was the reason for the slowness of the group to arrive at the entrance to the king's city.

***

"Haha. Welcome to the city of Galuh's royal king Kerta Rajasa!" Gusti Prabu Rakai Galuh said he welcomed the arrival of the Garingging king along with his daughter.

"Thank you Uncle Prabu. Uncle has been willing to come directly to welcome my arrival," said Kerta Rajasa aka the king of Garingging kingdom with great respect.

"Uncle Prabu. It seems like uncle was very excited today. Is it because of our arrival?" Ask Kerta Rajasa.

"Oh. Sure do. Today I feel very happy because of your arrival. At the same time the arrival of my Princess, Empress Galuh Cendana who is on a trip together with the Crown Prince of Sri Kemuning kingdom," replied the Prabu.

"Wait Uncle! Did you know that Dinda Galuh Cendana came with the Crown Prince? Aren't,,?"

"No Ananda Kerta Rajasa. My grandson did not die from being thrown into the abyss of the carcass valley. He was saved by an old hermit named Eyang Santalaya. He was the one who educated my granddaughter along with the Little Silver fan at the foot of the cleft mountain" replied the Prabu.

"Mountain cleft foot? I heard the name of the place recently. What?"

"Why Kerta Rajasa? Did you meet my Princess' entourage on your way here?" Prabu Rakai Galuh.

"Uncle Prabu. What is the name of the Crown Prince of Sri Kemuning kingdom?" Tanya Kerta Rajasa wanted to make sure that she had actually met the person who turned out to be the Crown Prince of Sri Kemuning's kingdom.

"The name is Indra Mahesa!" Reply the Prabu Rakai Galuh.

The deg!

Beating also the heart of the Garingging kingdom Prabu heard that name.

"Not wrong anymore. That young man must have been the Crown Prince,"

"What is Kerta Rajasa? You look dreamy?"

"Ah. It's okay Uncle. Oh yea. I want to introduce my eldest daughter to Uncle Prabu" Kerta Rajasa said, calling her daughter, who was repairing her hair that seemed disheveled during the trip.

"Uncle Prabu. This is my oldest daughter. His name is Melur,"

"Eggily, this is your Prabu grandfather that I used to tell you about" Kerta Rajasa said as he stroked the girl's hair.

"Give me the greeting of Grandpa Prabu's servant!" Said the Princess Melur while kneeling.

"Ah. Never mind. Let's all go in. We will go to the palace and ananda Kerta Rajasa and the others can rest!" Said the Prabu.

They then both stepped into the gate of the city of the king of Galuh kingdom with hundreds of soldiers escorted.

Meanwhile, Prabu Rakai Galuh seemed to invite Kerta Rajasa and Putri Melur to ride the golden train that would take them to the palace.

*********

A very tiring journey was successfully passed by the entourage of Empress Galuh Cendana along with the accompanying soldiers.

Indeed, during their journey, there were no meaningful obstacles they encountered.

The only problem they face is when hunting deer in the forest watu Sewu so they have to waste a lot of time on the business.

Today, all their tired and weary paid off already when from a distance, they saw the high walls of the city fortress of the royal king of Galuh.

Seeing the scenery in front of him, making the face of Empress Galuh Cendana more attractive.

How much he longed to return to Galuh's kingdom.

A moment of his childhood memories came back to him. Where he was raised lovingly. Meeting with the Crown Prince of Sri Kemuning kingdom and then redacted. It was a very happy memory for the rest of his life, before Jaya Pradana from Paku Bumi came to attack the royal city of Sri Kemuning.

"Gusti Empress. According to the servant's estimation, we will arrive at the king's city gate around the rice pot again. Did Gusti the Empress ask that?" Senopati Arya Prana.

"Stop for a moment! Can you bear to see your lord dressed like that to enter the king's city?" Ask the Empress Galuh Cendana.

"Oh. Iy-yes. Forgive Gusti's servant Empress," said Arya Prana then pounded her horse and then stopped the entourage after arriving in front.

"Stop everyone!" Exclaimed the Senopati while raising his hand upwards.

"What's up Kakang?" Ask Panglima Rangga in wonder.

"Let's see what our prince-jungan looks like! Where do our faces go?" Asked the Senopati while the others followed and simultaneously looked towards Prince Indra Mahesa.

This of course made the young man also follow-up to pay attention to himself.

Shortly after, Empress Galuh Cendana was seen coming out of her horse carriage while carrying a bundle of yellow silk cloth that was the same as prince Indra Mahesa's waistband-binding silk cloth.

"My son. Change your clothes. Are you going to meet your Grandpa Prabu dressed like that?" Ask the Empress.

"Hehehe.., uh..,"

Only that came out of the lips of Prince Indra Mahesa while raking the head.

"Cari kakang's. I'll help you change clothes!" The word Gayatri made Indra Mahesa half-dead in fear.

"Oh no Dinda. You'll see my legacy weapon if you help me change clothes. Very dangerous!" Prince Indra said while making a rejection gesture.

"Why are you scared? As long as your weapon is unsheathed, it is certainly not dangerous" replied Gayatri who did not know which weapon the young man intended.

Perhaps he thought that the weapon referred to by Indra Mahesa was a kemuning kris tumbal. It was certainly not the weapon he was referring to.

"Thank Dinda. But, I will dress myself," said prince Indra Mahesa and then jumped down from his horse, then he snatched the bundle from the hands of Empress Galuh Cendana. After that he seemed to run away to a big tree and disappeared there.

"Change clothes without a shower. Bodo is so!" Prince Indra Mahesa said grumbling in his heart.

After he finished with his extremely luxurious-looking clothes, he then walked out from behind the tree with an unfounded appearance.

"Yes pardon..! Why is that my son?" The Empress asked seeing the appearance of her son.

He now saw Prince Indra wearing clothes with irregular buttons. The binding silk fabric on her pants was also somehow shaped. Meanwhile, the collar of the silk shirt looked stingy because the buttons were not precise. The number one button is at number three. Number two is at number four. That's how it went so much that it made itself exactly like the person who never felt how to wear clothes properly.

"I told you. You're wayward, Kakang!" Gayatri said while holding back a laugh.

"Why is this how it happened?" Prince Indra asked like an idiot.

"Let's get you my son!" Call the Empress.

As soon as Prince Indra approached, he was now mobbed by several women who made himself half-dead.

Someone fixed the buttons on his shirt. Some tidied the songket cloth tied to the pants. Some even combed her hair. However, when a crown was about to be worn over his head, he immediately refused firmly.

"Why do you refuse, my son?" Ask The Empress.

"I will only wear the crown when the kingdom of Sri Kemuning has been successfully seized. I swear I won't wear this crown before my entire people are freed from Earth Spikes!" Prince Indra said while unsheathing a yellow tumbar keris resulting in a suddenly cloudy sky with a lightning bolt following each other.

All the soldiers now descended from their horses and knelt on the ground watching their lord brandishing a yellowish tumbar keris with glittering eyes.

"Life Gusti Prince!"

"Long live Sri Kemuning!"

"Life Gusti Prince!"

"Long live Sri Kemuning!"

The echo was now heard breaking the silence until it reached the edge of the city gate of the king of Galuh kingdom. But the distance is still very far.

Seriate...