So this's the next chapter of this story, it continue with the part Arthit and Chan Tha met again but were seperating. Hope you'll like it

Sorry I made a mistake in the first chapter. Instead of writing year 1778 I wrote 1782... The second chapter beginning with 4 years later took place in the year 1782... Sorry for that

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His Highness was restless, he went from to and fro in his large chamber inside of the eastwings of the palace, thinking about how he could save Ko Chan Tha and Thura. He needed this two to stay alive so he had to come with a plan how to rescue them.

Ko Chan Tha being captured because he was spy, was a lie. Arthit knew the Emperor wanted to enprison him in the dungeon because of personal grudge. He hurted his only son, the Crown Prince, so he needed to be punished for his disrespectful behaviour. It was written in the law that no harm should come towards the imperial family but how should Chan Tha had known the man Ko Thet Shay was the Crown Prince? Since he never told him about him disguising himself as Thet Shay to participate in the tournament, he shouldn't be punished for something he wasn't even aware of.

Behind Arthit was the young eunuch, closely following him and trying to hold on to him just for a second. His name was Ko Thiha, like the great lion, but he wasn't anything like a lion. The king of the animals was strong, feared and respected by the nature but this eunuch was the opposite although he tried his best to live up to his name. His mother gave him this name, hoping he would serve this country, accomplish something big someday and made her pride of him but he wasn't living to her expectation. According to himself, it was for the best that his mother died early, only so could he prevent her from seeing his pathetic side and feeling embarassed about him.

„Your Highness, can you please stand still for a second? I need to apply the ointment to your wound", his finger pointed to the wooden bowl he held in his hand. It was the medicine the imperial physician brew for his bruised lips, the same spot Chan Tha hit him during their fight but he refused to use the medicine since he was busy searching for a way to save these two people.

„Here come's the Emperor and the Empress", the announcer in front of the Crown Prince chamber announced, letting them know about their visit so they could prepare for welcoming them properly.

The young eunuch panicked but quickly knelt down and bent down his head towards the ground. Arthit turned to the entrance, crossed his arms behind his back, looked on the ground too. His parents entered his chamber. The Emperor remained silent while his wife touched on their son's swollen lips.

She reached her hand to the young eunuch, „Give me the medicine", she ordered him.

However, the young eunuch didn't dare to give her the oinment because he was afraid to touch the mother of this country. It was said in the law: The mother of this nation and every concubines of the Emperor shouldn't be touched by anyone but only by the emperor. Anyone breaking this law would be sentenced to death. So the young eunuch was afraid, even a slight mistake from him could cost his already short life. Beside he just escaped the death sentence because of Arthit, his Highness's grace. He begged his father to let Thiha live, using the excuse he forced him to disguise as him and threatened him to accuse him of treason if he refused to listen to him. The part about him threatening him with accusing him with treason was a lie but he really forced him into his plan. Again, he cursed his duty as the eunuch of the young Crown Prince.

„I... I can do it, Empress", he stuttered, didn't dare to raise his head to look up in her face.

„Give it to me, I'll do it", she spoke with a soft voice to him. It was the first time she was gently to an eunuch, a lowly servant like him.

Her sweet voice calmed him down, he finally reached out his arm to her, offering her the ointment. She carefully rubbed the medicine on her son's swollen lips. Her being carefully to not hurt him more than he was, showed how much she cared for him, how much she loved him deeply even if he wasn't her real son. Arthit looked at her, couldn't take his gaze from her. He was grateful the Empress gave him mother's love he never experienced from his birth mother. For him she was his mother he would never forget her kindness no matter what anyone said to him.

The Emperor looked at his wife and his son smiling at each other. He acted like he was supposed to do, controlling his feelings and not showing any emotions, not even in front of his children or his beloved wife. But deep inside he was happy about the peaceful picture, the Queen taking care of the Crown Prince, the two were offering him.

In front of his people and his family, he always played the strong ruler like expected from him but everyone forgot one important thing: Before he was the ruler of this country, he was a father. A father who cared for all his children, escpecially for his only son who always made him worry to death. Everyday he worried about his life, his future and his safety. Arthit was the next in line to be the future ruler of this nation but he was too careless, didn't even care about the court official's opinion about him. He surprised the officials, even his father by fighting bravely in a tournament and trying to save his opponents without thinking about his own nobility first. But this too nice character of his could cost him his life some day. None of those bastards, cunning ministers, would listen to him, the soft but stubborn Crown prince.

„Leave us alone!", he ordered.

The person the command was directing to, didn't need to look up to know for who the orders was adressed to. Every eunuch needed to understand their master's wish without looking them in the face. Ko Thiha immediately left the chamber, standing next to the oldest eunuch of the Emperor and the Empress's manager of all domestic duties. They were surrounded from many imperial guards. The three were waiting for their masters to finish their little family reunion so they could continue they duties. Even if they heard their discussion, every words talking inside this chamber should stay in his chamber. Because a single slip out was punished with cutting off your tongue.

„Can you imagine how much you embarassed me by taking part on this match? Why didn't you ask for my permission first?"

„I didn't ask for your approval because you would oppose to my decision, Father."

„Of course, I would disapprove to this decision. You're the Crown Prince and need to maitain your composure. You disrespected your position by participating in this match meant for lowly servants."

„It wasn't only meant for lowly servants but it was my chance too. I did it to become stronger."

„For what? You have thousand of guards protecting you. What do you want to be stronger for?"

„Because of my very position, do I need to protect myself. In a dangerous situation I can't wait for the guards to arrive and save me. Untill then, I'll be dead. Beside I don't want to sacrifice many important lives for my own, Father."

„Both of you need to listen to each other. Arthit, your father's not against you. He's just angry since he's worried about your safety."

„He don't need..."

„Hear me out!", she raised her voice, didn't let him interrupt her. It was the commanding voice the mother of this nation used to surpress her opposite. She calmed down to speak to him as a mother, „I'm your mother and understand you more than you think but you need to act like the Crown Prince. You have to show the court officials that it was your right to sit next to your father and take his place later in the regime. If you act out of order, the ministers would use every chance they got to fight against you."

The Chan Tha he met 4 years ago, was the real reason Arthit wanted to be stronger. The latter saved him from three bandits because he was too weak and couldn't protect himself. It was a dangerous experience for him but it opened him his eyes to accept the truth he couldn't deny. He was completely and utterly at the outside world's mercy. Without his guards around him, he was nothing more than a helpless animal. Not only did the latter save him that time but he made fun of his carelessness, his weakness and his stupidity. He didn't even take him serious. Since that day he promised to himself to improve his swordmanship because if the taller man didn't take him serious, how should he gain his people's trust if he was too weak to protect himself. He wanted to be stonger but his father would never understand his feelings. Because he didn't had the experience he made while searching for an adventure outside the palace. His father never went for a sightseeing in the town or left the safe palace without his royal guards like he did that time.

He wanted to explain his reason to him but his father shut him up by glaring angrily at him. This time, it wasn't the glare a father would give his son but a glare from the ruler of Burma, meaning he shouldn't oppose him any further. Arthit finally baked down since he didn't had a chance to speak up whenever the Emperor's personality came out of his father.

„The court officials have their eyes on you. They just wrote a petition about the situation from just now. They want me to teach you a lesson for disrespecting me. You're the Crown Prince but a little mistake from you could result in you being disown. You may be my only son but there's another royal sons from my brothers who have access to the throne too. I'm expecting from you to hold back your stubborness!"

„But..."

„No but! I'm speaking right now and you have to listen to me!", the Emperor raised his voice. „As punishment for disrespecting me, you're confined for two weeks. You're not allowed to even set foot outside your chamber!", was the punishment he gave him after speaking with the ministers about this matter.

Father and son stared at each other, none of them wanting to back down first. It was like a showing off power between the Emperor and the Crown Prince but ever since the beginning, it was clear who would be the winner out this dispute. Of course the man with more power: The Emperor.

Before his father left the chamber, he hold on between the entrance. „Just to inform you, the woman and the man you want to save so much, were found guilty of being a spy. They would be beheaded in 4 days in front of the public in the market. There's nothing you can do about it anymore", was his last words to him.

Arthit's eyes widened in shock, he froze on the spot, his body shaking from fear. The shock was too much for him that he couldn't move an inch nor mutter a word. He could understand Thura being punished because it was clearly stated in the poster of the tournament that no woman was allowed in the match. If a woman disguised as a man to take part in the match, she would be punished severely. Of course it would be the death sentence. But why Chan Tha too? He didn't do anything but fighting him like he was supposed to do. A thought dawned in his head: Chan Tha was comdemned to death because they needed a scapegoat to punish instead of his Highness, just to satisfy the ministers.

Finally, he admitted he commited a grave mistake by participating in the tournament. Because he searched for a stonger opponent, he endangered the only man who saved him a few years ago. The man who oponed him his eyes that life shouldn't be taken so easily like he did, could be killed because of his carelessness.

His parents exited the chamber, followed by their many servants. Arthit could finally move his body again, he ran behind his father but was holding back from his guards. They blocked his way by crossing their lances in front of him, refusing to let him leave the confinement. He saw to his parent's back till they bent in another corner, disappearing from his sight. As if they shut him from the outside world, the guards covered his chamber with the curtain sewed from fine silks. He broke down to his knees. Ko Thiha ran to him, trying to pull him over but the latter didn't had any strenght left to stand up. 

„Chan Tha was the one who rescued me 4 years ago... He teached me about the world but I can't even save him. What use has my title if I, the Crown Prince, can't save him?", his eyes shone, filling with tears but the tears couldn't fall. He forced himself not to break down, showing his weak side in front of Ko Thiha.

The young eunuch always felt sorry for his Highness because ever since he worked for him, he had the feelings the latter wasn't born for this kind of world. The palace, the imperial family, the higher officials, the generals of the armies were all intrigued, even backstabing each other just for their own sake, moreover just for wealth although they were already rich. They would do anything for power and wealth, even sacrifice their children like forcing them in a political marriage for their own benefit. But His Highness was different. He may be stubborn and always doing what he wanted but he had a strong sense for justice. He loved his people, freedom and the outside world. His people's safety was more important for him than his own life but this kind of thinking was his weakness, preventing him from being feared by the court officials. It was the sad true of the Crown Prince Arthit.

Ko Thiha wanted to hug him, assuring him everything would be fine but his status as a simple eunuch didn't allow him to touch his Highness who wasn't a normal person like him. Sometimes he just wished Arthit wasn't born in the royal family but in a normal family so he could live to his own expectation, fulfill his dream. But it was too late for him. He was already born with royal blood, he was even the only son of the Emperor with access to the throne. What a for a pity for a lively young like him. Sooner or later he needed to change his soft personality to turn into a cold Emperor everyone was expecting him to be.