Living in the past

"A fraud?!"

My jaw dropped as soon as I heard the threat. She probably didn't know where I was coming from and was just making threats. However, the look on her face was as if she was holding my weakness.

"Yes. You don't look promising with this look," she said.

I looked down at myself. I was still wearing my school uniform. It's not strange that the people here are making fun of me.

"Hurry up and do it. When you succeed, I'll give you more rewards."

After saying her sentence, she turned around. Roro Jonggrang waltzed away followed by her servant. That beautiful, slender figure of hers managed to shatter my expectations. She was told to be a weak princess. However, her threat earlier made me realize she wasn't weak. She is the strong protagonist of this story.

"Then, what am I going to do now?"

***

I went back to the terrace. I sat and contemplated. This bracelet in my hand was a bribe, but I took it gladly. What should I do with it? Then, how about this package? Is it poison?

The sound of approaching footsteps alerted me. I hurriedly put the bracelet and the package into my bag.

"Clairvoyant, His Majesty wishes to see you. Please. We will lead you the way."

"Alright."

I walked behind them. I sighed. Just as I got into trouble, another one came along. I'm tired and hungry too.

The two soldiers directed me to a building. One look and you'd know that the occupants were rich. No wonder the previous owner of the building was a king. His residence must have looked like this.

My feet stepped into a hall. The hall is spacious with many shiny display objects. I think they're all gold. At the end of the hall, there was a throne occupied by Bandung Bondowoso.

"Your time is up. Tell me all about the future you can see."

I stood looking down while grumbling. Having just arrived, he was already railing against me with orders. I looked around. There weren't many people here. However, what was that old man by the throne? His eyes seemed to pierce me.

"Your Majesty, I don't think we need to take her words as important," the old man whispered.

My eyes narrowed. He did it on purpose.

"I can tell something," I said.

"Say it."

He propped up his chin with his right hand while his elbow rested on the shoulder of the throne. His dark eyes looked at me intently. His lips curved slightly. The candlelight nearby made his facial features even more fierce.

"The person you want will ask for a difficult requirement."

"Really?" He asks, "What is the requirement? Is it to my advantage or disadvantage?"

I took a deep breath. Even I don't know if the construction of a thousand temples benefited him or not. However, the result was that Roro Jonggrang became a complement to the thousand temples.

In this story, the legend of Prambanan, there was a battle between the kingdom of Pengging and Kraton Boko because Kraton Boko rebelled against Pengging's rule. The battle gave victory to Pengging. Kraton Boko was ruled by Pengging. It was then that the prince of Pengging, Bandung Bondowoso saw the princess of Kraton Boko, Roro Jonggrang.

Bandung Bondowoso fell in love with the princess's beauty at first sight. Then he decided to marry her. However, Roro Jonggrang who hated him for killing her father rejected him by asking to build a thousand temples in one night.

Building a thousand temples in one night was no big deal to Bandunh Bondowoso. He summoned the genies to build the temples. By dawn, a thousand temples were almost completed.

Roro Jonggrang was worried that a thousand temples were successfully built. She didn't want to marry her father's murderer. So, she called village girls to burn wood and beat mortar and pestle. This was done to fool the genies that morning had come.

The ploy succeeded in tricking the genies. Before the thousandth temple was completed, they disappeared in droves.

Bandung Bondowoso knew that all this was Roro Jonggrang's doing. Enveloped in anger, he cursed Roro Jonggrang to become the thousandth temple.

I think that incident cost Roro Jonggrang dearly. However, if she hadn't deceived the genies, she would have married a killer.

"What's the requirement?"

His voice filled with emotion startled me. I looked up for a moment, then looked down. I suddenly remembered Roro Jonggrang's threat. Her face and serious voice made me almost certain that the threat was not trivial.

"Say it!"

My heart seemed to stop. His icy voice was deadly.

"She's going to ask for a lot of buildings," I said quickly.

"She's going to ask for a palace? That's not a problem." He chuckled.

I let out a long breath. I hope he has something else to do so I can go. I need the bathroom right now.

"That's enough. Guard! Show this seer the best place for this fortune teller."

When he gave me that order, I was able to breathe a sigh of relief. I could finally get out. Of course, I thanked him by saying, "Thank you very much, Your Majesty."

He looked away when the guard arrived. I didn't think much of it. The important thing, for now, was to go to the bathroom.

I wondered at the place called the best place. The smile didn't leave my face even though I was given a secluded building. However, there was one thing I had forgotten. In this era, there were no bathrooms like in the modern era.

"Gosh!"