Baby Monkey and the Mad Lunatic

The young prince's eyes fixated on the infant nestled in the wooden cradle, her toothless mouth emitting a joyous cackle. "So ugly!" He whispered, his gaze fixed on the hair on her face, akin to a cherubic baby monkey.

He had a reason that propelled him to this place, or rather to say, he was forcibly dragged here by an unseen hand.

Last night, he had been haunted by a repeated nightmare —he watched a wailing infant submerging in water, and it felt like it was happening right before him. As dawn broke, he awoke to the stark realization that it was not a mere dream. The soldiers who had been searching for him the entire night had found him at the banks of the Rudhavi River, soaked to the bone. Yet, he had no idea how he ended up there.

The king ordered him to kneel and beg for his mercy. For his refusal, he was punished with pulling the weeds and ploughing the field, deprived of food and water from sunrise to sunset.

As the evening descended, another bizarre thing happened when he just closed his eyes briefly from tiredness of plucking the weeds. Flashes of a wailing infant surrounded by women bearing forehead marks began appearing in his vision.

When his friend Hiraan came to deliver the news that Ahantha had visited the palace to see him, he inquired if there was a place where women's distinct forehead marks could be found. Hiraan explained that such a place belonged to courtesans, which his uncle frequented. When Hiraan informed him he was visiting the place, driven by an insatiable need to uncover the truth behind the vexing infant that plagued his thoughts, he dragged his friend towards the minister's waiting carriage and settled themselves within the secret compartment.

Back to the present, the prince's gaze fixated upon the infant who reached out her tiny hand, her unwavering gaze fixed upon him.

"You want to hold my hand, are you?" Hiraan playfully flashed a sheepish grin. "My handsomeness never ceases to amaze me as even the lady infants started to fall for my magnificent looks." With a hint of mischief, Hiraan reached out his hand, poised for a moment of connection. Alas, before his fingertips could graze the infant's skin, a hand swiftly swatted him away.

"Not just falling for you. She would have been head over heels for you doing somersaults and cartwheels had you listened to my words and worn the fruit seller's ragged clothes." The prince whimsically remarked, holding Hiraan's hand tightly, not letting him touch the baby.

"Zhan!"

Hiraan scowled at his friend as if he had swallowed a sour mango pickle in one gulp for bringing up the fruit seller's attire again. "Don't belittle me in the presence of the lady simply due to your own envy of my looks. She likes me already, and such behaviour of yours will only sow seeds of resentment within her heart, leaving you to face her disdain in the days to come."

Here he goes again, shooting arrows into the sky as if she would understand his words, the prince thought.

Ignoring him, he reached out his hand when she made no attempt to retract her hand back until he held her.

"What now?" He grumbled, a hint of disbelief colouring his voice. "You want to hold my hand?" Yet, despite his initial resistance, he cradled the tiny palm in his own, so soft and tender to the touch, and momentarily, he chanced upon a subtle roughness of a metal. Intrigued, he opened her fingers, revealing a gold ring adorned with a centre stone resembling the radiant half-moon.

A frown etched upon his face as his eyes shifted to the ring on his finger adorned with the sun-shaped gemstone at the centre. Both rings bore an uncanny resemblance in design, save for the gemstones. "Why does she have such a precious jewel?"

"A golden ring!" Hiraan exclaimed in a whisper, barely able to contain his excitement. "Steal it from her, Zhan! I will sell it to a gold merchant in the market, and we both can go on a pilgrimage with that money." Already lost in his calculations, Hiraan began envisioning the fortune he would bargain for with the miser merchant.

"Since when did your balls stoop so low to steal from an infant?" He asked, a trace of nonchalance colouring the five-year-old kind's tone while his gaze observed the ring. "How did she end up here? What did you say the name of this place was?"

"Tawaif. It's called courtesan establishment." Hiraan said. "And she was newly sold here, probably today."

"Sold?"

Hiraan nodded.

"Look at her forehead. She is yet to get marked by the big piercing needles." Hiraan started. "My uncle tells stories about this place and the woman who lives here. This place is called Tawaif, a haven for the most beautiful women in our kingdom. Once they are brought to this place, they will be taken to the first god's temple, where the priests pierce their foreheads using the needles."

"Some girls die, unable to bear the pain. The rest, once marked, belong to all men and are forbidden from marrying." Hiraan leaned closer, whispering into his friend's ear. "My uncle told me that many men from the royal court come here every night to play with them." He pleaded with his uncle to take him on many occasions, but that stingy man refused, stating that only adults were allowed to this place. "When we grow into adults, we can come here every day and play with her. For now, let's go. We will escape before someone finds us."

The prince's eyes were fixed on the baby. The thought of countless men playing games with her when she grew up didn't sit well with him. He, the one who had found her first, will not allow this baby monkey to become another man's source of joy.

With a determined look, he stared at his friend, his mind filled with resolve. "No one can hurt her or touch her except me," He declared firmly. "If no one has ever escaped from here, then today she will change that."

A bead of sweat trickled down Hiraan's brow at the prince's words. Acutely aware of his madness, he knew he meant it.

The prince turned his attention to the infant and instantly scooped her into his arms. Clueless about the proper way to cradle her, he inadvertently applied too much pressure, eliciting pained cries from the baby, unaware of his own ignorance.

"There...there, don't cry." He whispered, his words a gentle caress.

"Sh..stop crying... What a melodious voice you got!" He mocked. "Not only your face resembles a baby monkey, but your voice sounds like an owl screech."

Hiraan: " "

Since when did he learn to coax babies?

Hiraan surveyed the large chamber with tiny babies, some wailing and some in a deep sleep. "It's impossible to escape this girl from this place, Zhan. There are many guards stationed outside. Let's leave her here_"

Suddenly, the echoing footsteps of an approaching presence reached their ears. In a swift motion, they darted towards the end of the room, concealing themselves behind a pillar.

"Hartha, have you verified the potion's strength? It mustn't be overly concentrated when applied to the infant after her forehead marking," The eunuch inquired, his voice laced with caution. "We cannot afford a repeat of the past, where a thirteen-year-old girl died due to a servant's mistake. Courtesans generate the most revenue in our kingdom. One loss also inflicts a heavy toll on our finances. The king is deeply disappointed in the Tawaif" As they strolled together, the eunuch maintained a steady stride beside the midwife.

"Fear not. I have personally taken care to dilute the potion this time. There shall be no room for a mistake." The wet nurse assured with conviction as she guided the eunuch towards the cradle, ready to retrieve the baby, but a chilling realization seized them— it was empty. "The baby!" Hartha exclaimed, a tremor of panic lacing his voice. She scoured the other cradles, only to find disappointment. "Where has she vanished? I fed her and was only briefly away."

"Are you saying a mere infant could have fled on her own? Order the servants to scour every inch of this room." The eunuch demanded. His gaze darted towards the open balcony, his mind racing with suspicion. "If someone entered through there, they must be lingering nearby. Summon the guards immediately!"

Meanwhile, Hiraan trembled in fear.

"Zhan! They are closing in. There is no way to escape for us," Hiraan cried, tears rolling down his face. "My uncle will burn me alive if he finds out I am involved in this. Let's give this baby back and plead with them for mer_"

Before he could finish his thoughts, his eyes widened in fear whe he saw him grab hold of the torch mounted on the wall. "Have you ever seen me beg for anyone, Hiraan? If the day ever comes, you know me well what I would do."

"Wh..what a_re you doing...you, mad lunatic. Don't tell me you are going to_"

"Yes." With a devilish smile, the prince uttered. "Burning this place."

The prince brought the torch to the curtains and ignited them, setting the Tawaif on fire.