43-6
- Prince Kaamaraal
Zamaan and the Princess of China:
The
Prince Becomes the King
Next
morning, the Princess ordered to present the Prince dressed in the robes
of a governor, introduced him to the council as an Ameer and said -
"This man is not at all unworthy for the position I have offered him.
I have known him very well and I hope that he will prove to be a good
Ameer." The Prince was surprised to hear all this because he was sure
that he had never met this King in his whole life. He just said politely - "I will do,
whatever I can worthy of your favor." From the council, the Prince was
taken away to his palace which the Princess had already arranged for him. A
servant brought him a strong box full of gold pieces for his expenses. He
was greatly admiring the King but could not think that he was the Princess
of China. After a few days he was appointed the treasurer of the kingdom.
The
Prince would have been the happiest man in the world if he had his
Princess with him, but he was never happy from inside his heart. If she
had gone by her old name he could have recognized her, but after becoming
the King she had taken the name of Armaanos and was known as Young Aramaanos. There were very few countries who knew her by her old name. The
Princess thought that he might discover her himself, but he was lost so
much in her ideas that whenever she talked to him, he took long sighs;
besides she was also living under great distress. So she thought to
resolve this matter soon.
Once
she called the Prince and said to him - "I want to talk to you on
some important matter which requires your advice. Come here in the
evening, tell at home that you will not return there in the night, I will
arrange a bed for you." Kaamaraal Zamaan punctually came to the palace
of the King. The Princess took him in her inner apartments dismissing all
other servants. She shut the door of her room, took out the Talismaan and
giving it to Kaamaraal Zamaan said - "An astrologer gave it to me, not
long ago, can you tell me its use?"
The
Prince took it in his hand, saw it under a lamp and recollected it, he
said - "Sir, Your Majesty has asked me "What this Talismaan is
good for?" It is only good to kill me. If I do not find the lady to
who it belongs, you will hear another story of an unfortunate husband, if
you have patience to hear it." The Princess said - "You will
tell me that another time. But I am very happy to let you know that I know
something of whatever has already happened. Just wait a moment till I come
back."
She
went inside her dressing room, changed herself into a woman, wore the
girdle and reappeared in the room. The Prince crying out embraced her
immediately - "How much I am grateful to the King that he has
surprised me like that." The Princess also embraced him dearly and
said - "Now the King is no more. You see him in me and I will explain
everything to you." They sat down and the Princess told him the whole
story since they got separated.
Both
the Princesses rose early next morning. The Princess of China did not
dress herself as a King. She sent her chief minister to the King Aramaanos,
her father-in-law, to come to her apartments. When the King entered the
apartment he was surprised to see an unknown lady and the treasurer who
was not supposed to come to inner apartments. But gathering himself, he
asked where the King was.
The
Princess replied - "Sir, Till yesterday, I was the King, today I am
the Princess of China, wife of the true Prince Kaamaraal Zamaan the true son
of the King Shaah Zamaan. If Your Majesty will hear my story with
patience, you will not blame me for this deceit." The King allowed
her to speak and heard her story in a great astonishment. The Princess
further said - "In our religion men may have several wives, if Your
Majesty will consent to you daughter to the Prince Kaamaraal Zamaan, I will
warmly accept her as queen as she deserves and I will be contented in
second place."
The
King Aramaanos listened to the Princess and turned to the Prince
saying - "Son, Since Princess Badooraa, whom I have always treated as
my son-in-law, assures me that she is willing to accept my daughter, I
have nothing to say; but I would like to ask you also if you would like to
marry my daughter and accept this crown, which the Princess Badooraa would
have worn till she desired, if she had not given it to you?"
Kamaraal
Zamaan said - "Sir, Although I wish to see my father first, still I
cannot refuse your offer under your obligation." Kaamaraal Zamaan was
proclaimed he King of the Island of Ebony and married the Princess Haital
Nefoos. After some time the King Kaamaraal Zamaan went to his father's
kingdom with his two wives and luckily found his father alive. They lived
there happily for some time, then they came back to the Island of Ebony,
where they lived happily ever after.
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