Pandawa / Chapter 4(2) - The Prince -

“Where have you been, Dru?! You promised!”

Gitarja yanked at my shoulder, half-pushing, half-pulling me inside her chamber. I could only stand there in silence.

“There was . . . a sudden assignment,” I answered weakly. “You know. Even though I’m your personal guard, I’m still a Majapahit soldier. I have to be ready when duty calls. Besides, you could’ve asked Enggon or the maid We—”

Gitarja pinched my lips shut with her fingers—like a crab clamping its prey.

“No. Nope! Not them. Their mouths leak like broken jars, Dru. I only trust you. I gave this mission to you alone.”

“Mishion? Yhou call thish a mishion?”
It was hard to speak with her grip still on my mouth.

“Of course it iiiis~!” she sang, puffing her cheeks. “It’s part of your sacred duty as a Majapahit warrior—especially as a female warrior! You must accompany me to meet that Cakradhara! No excuses!”

I sighed, defeated. “Fine…”

We slipped out toward one of the palace halls, sneaking past guard posts using a “secret route” we had used since childhood. This time, our grand vehicle of infiltration was… a food cart.

I pushed it from behind while Gitarja hid under the cloth covering it. With a bit of luck and a straight face, we passed through every checkpoint—until the final one.

“Hold on,” said a guard. “Meals were already delivered. Why’s there another one?”

“An additional serving,” I replied calmly. “For the tournament winner.”

“The tournament winner?” He frowned.

“If you don’t believe me, I can fetch Mahapatih Gajah Mada himself to confirm. But…” I tilted my head slightly. “You do know what happens when he’s angry at anyone who disrupts a royal ceremony, don’t you?”

The guard froze. After a long second, he stepped aside without another word.

I steered the cart toward a quiet corridor, then knocked twice on the wooden wall.
A head popped out from beneath the cloth.

“That was close!” Gitarja whispered with a grin. “But clever of you, using Gajah Mada’s name like that. You know you really shouldn’t—”

Her last words faded into a mumble.

“—Dru, you really should take this more seriously. Dru?”

“Sorry,” I said, blinking. “Wasn’t paying attention. But we’re safe now, right?”

She nodded. “Then… are you ready?”

There weren’t many buildings here—just a few guest chambers. Each room could fit about six people at most. Usually, only royal attendants stayed in this wing to serve visitors.

I knocked on one of the doors, my left hand resting casually in my pocket.
After a brief pause, footsteps approached from the other side.

“Apologies,” a man’s voice called. “But we’ve already been served our meals.”

“We’re not from the kitchen,” I replied. “I’m Drupadi, from the Royal Guard of Majapahit.”

“The Royal Guard? Oh—what brings you here?”

“There’s something I wish to discuss. Could you open the door first?”

A few seconds later, the lock clicked, and the door creaked open.

“Oh, good afternoon,” he greeted politely, stepping aside to let me in. “Please, come in. What’s this about?”

The room was tidy—cleaned recently, though not by a servant. Likely his own work.

“Your room is quite neat,” I remarked.

He smiled. “Ah, I just finished cleaning. Forgive me, though—I have no snacks to offer. I’ve eaten the last of them.”

“That’s fine,” I replied. “Actually… I’m not here alone. I came to escort someone. A rather special guest.”

“Special guest?” he repeated.

I tilted my head toward the corridor. A slender figure peeked shyly from behind the wall—her cheeks flushed, her eyes glimmering.
It had been a long time since I’d seen Gitarja blush like that. I rubbed my nose awkwardly.

“Eh… never mind that,” I said quickly. “I just wanted to ask a few questions. Nothing formal, so there’s no need to be tense. Is that alright?”

He nodded, still watching me curiously.

“Good,” I said. “Then, first question…”

I smiled faintly.

“So, . . . umm, . . . do you have a wife?”