THENEXTPRINCE, Chapter 20: Important Royal Family Members.
By: CEO ft Ennice.
Inside the office of the Phuchongphisut family in the Eastern Regions, the atmosphere was full of pressure and tension. It expanded and covered the surrounding palace guard standing still in fear.
“What did the news said?” said the highest leader’s powerful voice after receiving the latest report from the trusted guard named ‘Siwakorn.’
“There is news that the Sovereign-King has introduced the Crown Prince to those who work in the royal palace. Soon, they will send an invitation for the monarch to go to Daveen City.” Rachata’s body trembled with anger, as he pounded on the expensive wooden table to vent his frustration.
Thump!
The pain from the impact was one thing that was more striking than anything else. All of this was true. Atsawathewathin had a Crown Prince, and this Crown Prince had stepped on the soil of Emmaly and that meant the victory of Phuchongphisut would shake.
During the selection of the Sovereign-King, Rachata was confident that the Phuchongphisut was the only family with the right to participate in the selection because they had a candidate who was fully qualified and complied with all government regulations.
Atsawathewathin had no children, while Thawetmetha had only one daughter. This meant that in this game of chess, Rachata was the one holding the highest card among all three families until something silly happened.
The heir apparent, who everyone knew had died in an accident over a decade ago, miraculously came back to life. It was unbelievable, but
Dhipabawon had been hiding the truth about this for so long that he couldn’t keep it a secret anymore.
“Keep an eye on him.” Rachata said, clenching his thick hand tightly due to his overwhelming worry. He became increasingly anxious upon realizing that the kingdom he had dreamed of was slipping away from him little by little.
Almost five minutes after the highest point of tension within the
Phuchongphisut family subsided, Rachata allowed his mind to think and called out the name of his newly arrived son.
“Young-Prince-Ramil has arrived.” A tall and handsome young man appeared, followed by his close friend Ramil and the most powerful person in the room, Petai.
“Father, you wanted someone to call me urgently. Is there anything wrong?” Ramil raised his eyebrows slightly while asking for permission to leave.
“Where did you go?” Rachata scanned the faces of the five people around him before turning to talk to his son with a more serious tone.
Only Rachata, Siwakorn, Ramil, and Petai remained in the room. They were all aware of the situation, but none of them knew what to do.
“Go practice sword fighting with Petai.” Rachata commanded his son, while Ramil tried to object but at the same time, someone interrupted the conversation before the man who was most powerful in this room could say anything more.
“You can go now.”
“Yes, sir.” Petai immediately obeyed the command, standing still and bowing respectfully to the person in the highest position in the room before leaving.
“I am not going… and will stay here and just listen in case you orders something that I don’t want to explain.” said Ramil, delivering two different sentences towards his father.
Of course, due to Petai’s rank, he had no right to move anywhere. His bony figure remained motionless, bowing his head to avoid disturbing anyone’s attention.
Of course, due to Petai’s rank, he had no right to move anywhere. His bony figure remained motionless, bowing his head to avoid disturbing anyone’s attention.
“From now on, I will find a skilled sword-fighting teacher to train you more.” Rachata negotiated an important matter with his son while Siwakorn’s eyes widened in surprise.
“More training? Why? You already have me training every week.”
“It’s not enough, Ramil.” Rachata replied as he furrowed his eyebrows, and the young prince looked at him with determination, ready to argue. However, he suddenly realized that something was off with the flow of things, so he decided to ask.
“Is there something wrong?” said the man with a worried look, revealing everything. The middle-aged man’s face was full of furrows from heavy thinking. When asked about the reason for having to get up and practice sword fighting, he was motivated.
“I heard news that Atsawathewathin is about to introduce the Crown Prince.”
“What did Father say about? the Crown Prince? How is it possible? Everyone in Emmaly knows that the Crown Prince Atsawathewathin died in an accident many decades ago, there’s no way …”
“He’s not dead yet. Atsawathewathin still has a life-line.” Ramil was puzzled by the new information he had just received from his father. The young man didn’t believe it and still looked towards the news lights, creating more rumors.
“Could someone deliberately spread false rumors, Sivakorn?” he turned to ask his father’s trusted aide and bowed his head slightly to respond.
“It’s a rumor that is quite widespread and comes from credible sources. It can be believed. There are rumors in the palace that Sovereign-King sent people to retrieve Crown Prince Atsawathewathin from another city and bring him back to stay in Daveen.”
“So … “ mumbled Ramil softly, lost in thought. He wondered how Atsawathewathin could have kept this secret hidden for so long without anyone ever revealing it.
This meant that the child had been raised and grown up in another city, and perhaps had no contact or involvement with Emeley for the past twenty years.
Because otherwise this secret would have leaked out already.
“You have to prepare yourself, Ramil. Sovereign-King will introduce the Crown Prince today.” The experienced man spoke with a tense tone. Rachata’s eyes narrowed, looking at the game, but he could not predict what Dhipabawon would decide to do next.
Knock-Knock.
“There is a royal decree from Sovereign-King, sir.” came a knock on the door along with the announcement from the small palace outside. Rachata gave an order to Sivakorn through his eyes, and the man stepped forward towards the door.
Sivakorn opened it to allow those outside to enter this area. This grand hall was full of people, all bowing down in the highest form of respect for the family hierarchy before reaching the important person, the Crown Prince.
“Please give permission, sir. There is an urgent and special royal message sent from the royal palace in Daveen.”
“Read it.” said Rachata without waiting for any further explanation because he could already guess what the letter would be about. The leader of the Eastern Regions’ face tensed up even more when he heard the serious news that had come true.
“The Royal Palace currently has commanded you to enter the guard of honor tomorrow at noon at the Daveen Palace, sir.”
Ping!
“Dammit!” Phuchongphisut family’s leader’s thick hand slapped the expensive wooden table once more after receiving orders from the country’s top authority.
Rachata’s narrow-eyed gaze crackled with intense emotions, enough to make all the low-bloodline relatives feel trembling against Ramil’s calm and collected demeanor, who just shifted slightly in his seat before uttering a few words with a nonchalant gesture.
“Father! Why are you so stressed? Our family has a royal lineage and we have lived our lives in a superior way since birth. We have trained for hundreds, even thousands of times, and know all the rules and regulations of every competition. Even the people can see who is suitable and confident in our skills.”
“…”
“Being born into the common class, raised as an ordinary person, can he compare himself to us, who are of pure royal blood?”
The medium-sized conference room at the palace was tense. All the royal members were sitting quietly with serious expressions. However, there was no sound from either side, everyone lost in thought.
Rumors about the heir to the throne of Atsawathewathin, had spread widely. The first news was unclear, but as leaders from each clan were called to meet, everything happened so suddenly that all three clans were left speechless and bewildered.
Phuchongphisut, Meenakarin and Thawetmetha both knew that something important would happen at this meeting, although the royal announcements did not reveal anything. All three clan leaders were anxious because they knew that whatever was going to happen would be significant.”
What exactly will Sovereign-King announce?
This question remained unanswered and caused everyone to tremble with fear. Each party was playing their own game, wearing masks and closing their eyes and ears, just like the deaf and blind.
Playing the role of ignorant is a dangerous game. In this battle, speaking too much could result in more harm than good. The truth is, those in power cannot change what is inevitable.
The four major clans of Emmaly are competing against each other. It’s necessary to appear knowledgeable, but being too knowledgeable may lead to an untrustworthy image. Being too ignorant is also dangerous.
Each governor must be cautious, which is why everyone in the room chose to express themselves through silence, without any conversation.
Even the head of the gatekeeper, who was a high-ranking official, left his thoughts behind and stood up to show respect for the new arrival.
Sovereign-King Dhipabawon slowly walked to his chair before sitting down.
His weak physical condition didn’t detract from his intimidating presence.
His sharp eyes scanned the room like a lion observing its prey. When he saw all his nephews had arrived, he signaled for everyone to relax and be comfortable.
“I apologize for calling you all here so suddenly.” said the elder statesman. Although he held the highest position in the country, he was not old or forgetful. He knew that those present were powerful leaders and deserved his utmost respect.”
Honoring those who hold the highest positions in each city should be a top priority and never neglected. It is essential to show respect and give recognition to those in power.
The face that bears wrinkles over time with no shortage of smiles decorating it, as always. The old man’s face was calm, his forehead wrinkled as he looked at his son in the bloodline, exchanging glances with a stream once. He looked down and lowered his eyes as a sign that he still could not accept what he intended to do today.
However, as Sovereign-King Dhipabawon saw it, this was the most appropriate time. If nothing was made clear, it might cause future confusion. “Let’s get straight to the point.”
“…”
Dhipabawon did not delay when he saw that everyone’s eyes were suspiciously focused on him. The old man did not leave his heart to wait for long before calming down and saying something that made the leaders of every family have to open their eyes wide in surprise.
“We will arrange for a selection ceremony for the Sovereign-King position in three months.”
The heavy and powerful sound ceased. Almost all members of the royal families were unhappy except Tarin. The mask she wore cracked into pieces. Waseen, the leader of the Meenakarin-family, looked strange. His thoughts were clear in his narrowed eyes, observing the movements of the noble family members one by one.
As for Rachata, the leader from the family, Phuchongphisut, could not hide his displeasure, but he tried to keep his composure. As for Chana, the leader of the Thawetmetha-family, although his posture remained unchanged and still like a stone statue, it was clear that there was an anxiety hidden in his behavior. He lifted teacup trembled slightly as if she was thinking about something.
Two children also stood out, Evaa, the granddaughter of Thawetmetha family, and Ramil, the grandson of Phuchongphisut family. Both did not utter a word, as if they were ordered to forget their own voice for a while. Everyone in this meeting room was more tense than before because no one expected everything to be so chaotic.
It was true that they had already considered Atsawathewathin’s succession issue, but they did not expect Dhipabawon to rush the competition. Waseen’s small eyes looked around to observe the postures of the nobles.
The middle-aged man saw that all the siblings were in trouble, even Tarin, the leader of Atsawathewathin’s family, seemed lost in thought. The atmosphere was terrible… so bad that Waseen thought he should do something as a grown-up grandson who has the responsibility to resolve the behavior of the noble family members.
Although it was true that Meenakarin did not have a succession issue like everyone else, at least doing something now to keep the atmosphere in the family calm enough to talk would be the best way out.
“Regarding the competition for the position of Sovereign-King…” Waseen paused, his small eyes glancing towards one of the Sovereign-King candidates. On the other hand, with a permissive expression, a middle-aged man continued to speak. “If we consider the fabric of the matter, it seems that there is no need to hold a competition… because it would be a loss no matter how it’s organized. Phuchongphisut family is the only family with just lineage and so the only one eligible to compete… Therefore, Phuchongphisut should be the one to assume the position.”
Waseen spoke first before turning to his younger brother. He didn’t touch upon the issue of Atsawathewathin’s succession, but had to speak about what should be talked about. The Sovereign-King has not mentioned the successor on Atsawathewathin’s side yet, so whoever has the most rights and suitability will not escape from Phuchongphisut’s family.
The contorted face and wheezing breaths of the prince made everyone else remain silent, even though the room was already suffocating with the smell of jasmine. It seemed as though his appearance was merely decorative.
Waseen’s gentle and soothing way of speaking may have relaxed some people in the room, but this time it was different. Everyone felt the tension in the air, as if waiting for someone to say something.
Despite receiving praise, the prince remained dissatisfied. On the other hand, Waseen could feel the heat spreading around him, almost as if the Puchongpisut family wanted to burn others down with them.
However, amidst the turmoil of the royal family, Evaa of Thawetmetha made a decision with determination. She slowly raised her hand.
Her large clear eyes turned to the chairman’s seat with a respectful gaze, asking permission from the highest authority with a heavy gesture.
“Please forgive me, Your Majesty.”
“Go ahead, Evaa.” Dhipabawon lowered his face once, allowing those who had been granted permission to stand up to direct their attention to the highest-ranking uncle and first grandchild of the Meenakarin family before opening their mouths to speak with a soft voice.
“Your Highness, I am curious and somewhat confused… I do not understand what Uncle Waseen meant.”
“…”
“Uncle, you mean that I don’t have the right to compete for the position, to give it to my father or someone else from the Thewametha… or if I misunderstood anything, Uncle can correct me.”
Although her tone was always soft, everyone was aware of the pressure coming from the little granddaughter who had been raised by the Thawetmetha family, who had been given the right to make decisions regarding herself. She had a voice and was fearless in this meeting today. “I don’t need to correct anything, Evaa… I am just following our customs that have been passed down through generations.” Waseen replied with a calm voice. “But if I make you unhappy, I apologize.”
The Rachata no longer took a breath, but Waseen could see the corner of his mouth lift into a smile. It was a smile that only a middle-aged man could describe, and it was impossible to tell how the other party felt. But if one were to touch the radiation spreading around, perhaps the youngest son might be holding something in his heart.
“But Uncle, what big brother Waseen said is correct… The grandchild is a girl. In terms of decision making its nothing compares to men.” The words uttered by Rachata caused every gaze to shift towards the imposing figure in the dark-colored classic suit, adorned with the emblem of a snake with emerald eyes, which symbolized his authority.
“A woman is not comparable to a man? Your Majesty…” Evaa’s heart continued to be restless with the conversation as she looked at the prince. She took a deep breath before lowering her voice to match her emotions.
“…”
“According to the laws of our kingdom, there is no rule that specifies the gender of the competitor… Only that the heir has a duty to compete for the position to demonstrate their ability to care for the heirs of each state and avoid any misunderstandings in governing the state.”
“…”
“When the heir to the throne has the duty to prove to his people how prepared the ruler of the state is to govern, how suitable he is to be the next
Sovereign-King… Then why doesn’t my father, who is the heir to the
Thawetmetha family, have the right to prove himself?”
Evaa was almost accusing Emmaly of tracing back the lineage from the rulers. It was clear that she was intrigued because when she was born as a woman in a country that claimed to be democratic with a king as its figurehead, the absolute monarchy was a complete awakwrd. So she had to fight everything to show that she was not weaker than anyone else in this royal dynasty.
“Look at it from a human perspective, Your Highness.” After a long silence, Chana decided to speak up and help Evaa. The youngest-looking man among those who were entitled to succeed as the next Sovereign-King still remained calm and dignified.
“You’re right. If Ramil were a woman, you would probably object.” said Rachata, smirking.
“No, you’re wrong. Even if Ramil were a woman, I would still support him because women are human beings just like men, and regardless of gender, there is no difference when it comes to wisdom or intelligence in decision making.”
Chana’s words were true, and because of this ideology, Evaa felt very proud of her beloved father.
Her father never blamed, compared or made her feel inferior. He had always been support throughout his training of Evaa and had a clear goal, which was to win the competition for the position of Sovereign-King this time around.
When no one protested or argued anything anymore, the only girl turned her gaze to the grandfather who was the biggest person in this palace. He was the only one she would bow down to receive judgment from.
“Your Majesty, please consider it.”
“I allow you to compete, Evaa…” Dhipabawon said to his granddaughter. The old man paused for a moment, looking around the room to observe everyone’s reactions.
Evaa looked relieved, Ramil looked thoughtful, Waseen smiled slightly, and Chana nodded his head slightly, thanking the King. As for Rachata who was standing beside them, he was full of the scent of restraint, at this time only Tarin could was still without answering back.
Dhipabawon sighed heavily before making another important decision that made him call everyone together at this place.
“Evaa will have the same right to compete as Ramil…”
“It’s done.”
“…”
“Atsawathewathin will also compete… bring Khanin in.”
LINE.
TBC.
Actually, the spoiler from the previous episode is in this part.
But the first part was so tense that I had to split it up earlier.
This is a really sweet and funny novel, but it’s not funny yet lol.
I’m determined to give Khao-Soi and other foods in this story a lot of attention.
Let’s continue to follow what Nong Nin will eat next, haha.
Last year, Thai Khao-Soi was ranked as the best soup in the world.
In this novel, we’ll include our culinary culture.
Going along with introducing many things, and still encourage all writers.
Two together, please.
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