The Next King Fugly: The Exotic Superhero

Chapter 5: The Witch and the Queen Story

Lower Babayland, Mei Kingdom

In the lower part of Babayland whom several inexperienced Babaylan or Shamans were residing, there lived on particular old Shaman that was never known by the folks, especially those in the capital of Mei. Although, she was one of the most powerful back then, she left the Upper Babayland and lived on the lower part to hide her real identity.

"Babaylan children, do you want to hear a story of the Witch and The Queen?" she somehow passes by the road and saw children playing on the streets.

She disguised herself as an old woman, which in fact, she can transform her self into a beautiful and ageless lady to hide her real identity. Now, that she saw children busy playing catching salamanders and make them fight, she approached them in an old woman's face and voice.

"Hello, old woman. Where have you been?" one girl ask her in return to her question.

"I am fine, and I came all the way from that mountain." She pointed her fingers from behind and the children's eyes were amazed to see her went down from that mountain.

"You came from Upper Babayland? Is it not dangerous? I heard there is a story behind that, right, old lady?" another little girl told and ask her.

"Yes. That is why I am asking you if do you want to hear a story about it? Because that story I would like to tell is the story about the Witch and The Queen," she was eager to persuade them to listen to her. After all, she only needed a spare time to get to know the Lower Babayland.

She happened to live five hundred years from the southern part of Lower Babayland called Labya. And strolling around, or went down the mountain is her mission. The last time she heard about a certain event, news, or any gossips were around five hundred years ago. And now that she was bored, it's about time to tell them a story. She found these children knew little thing about the Witch and The Queen's story.

"Okay. We are ready to hear, old lady. We have freed the salamanders we played earlier," a young boy is now ready to hear her tell the story. There are at least five children facing her and since they are on the streets, the old lady uses her magic to give them a little shelter.

"Wow!"

"Cool."

"I like it."

"I love it, too."

"We're eager to hear your story now, old lady. Thank you for giving us this shelter."

She smiled after hearing one by one the compliment from the children. It was only an ample amount of magic trick she used. Now, they are all sitting in little open triangular shaped house, ready to narrate a short story.

"Then, let's start."

Once upon a time, there lived a king and a queen who happens to have five princesses in the Kingdom of Mei. The king and the queen were very happy to see five beautiful girls born in the palace, but the king wants a boy to be the next king of the kingdom he protected for five hundred years.

The queen felt the same way, and asked the help of the local shaman outside the kingdom. She disguised herself as a commoner and look for the shaman she knew living on the mountainous area of Mei. Riding in a horse, she left the palace in the middle of the night and travelled all the way to the mysterious place called Babayland.

After three hours riding in a horse, two hours crossing the river, and one hour hanging like Tarzan from tree branches, the queen reached the Babayland. There lies a small, dark, and scary house atop. She called the shaman several times, but no one answered her. Exhausted, and disappointed at the same time, the queen decided to bow in front of the shaman's house and plead her request.

“If you're here, I am begging you to grant my wish, my dear shaman. I want to bore a lad in my belly. I want him to be as powerful as his father, and as beautiful as his sisters. Likewise, I'll do everything I can to grant my wish, my dear shaman.”

After saying those words, thick clouds covered the sky. Thunder and lightning suddenly fall from the sky. The queen immediately stood up, and saw the reflection of the shaman she was praying earlier. She was blind, but her hearing was as sharp as the bats in the darkest cave of Mei. Then, the shaman whispered her answers to the queen's ears.

“You are going to bore a child. A boy with super strength. A lad with extra-ordinary power. And he will be the next king of the Mei kingdom. But, after bearing him from your womb, you have to send him to the mortal world. He will be born the ugliest, but has the heart of gold. That is the consequences of disturbing my retreat in this mountain, my queen. Your pure love as a mother is the only remedy to heal his ugliness once he returned to the kingdom.”

The queen was shocked. She never expected to hear her saying those words. She tried to look for the shaman, but she disappeared. The thick clouds, thunder, and lightning were gone as well. And everything back to normal. She was happy to hear that she'll bore a child, a boy with super strength, and soon to be the next king of the kingdom, but she can't just send him into the mortal world, unless what she said was true that he'll be born the ugliest.

The queen left the Babayland and travelled back on the same route she traversed. Hanging from the trees, crossing the river, and riding in her horse back to the palace. A week later, after returning from a tiring journey outside the palace, without the king's consent, she became pregnant. The king was very glad and wished for a boy. She reassured that she will deliver a boy, and it will make his heart happy.

“My king, Moses, do not fret, the gods are upon us, and our request for a boy will be granted.”

“I am sure of that this time, my queen, Naomi.”

The king announced to the kingdom of Mei, that the queen will bear another child, and this time, a boy, that will soon to be the next king of the kingdom. The people of Mei were shouting for joy, and couldn't wait for the queen to give birth to her youngest child.

Nine months later, the queens due arrived. She did not ask someone to assist her. The king and her other children were worried of her. But, she reassured them that she's going to be fine. She only asked the servants to prepare a cold water, poured with Chamomile and Lavender flowers in a wooden bathtub made of Nara tree. She'll deliver her child alone, so she can see if the shaman really cursed his son to become ugly.

The door of her chamber were closed as requested. All servants outside her chambers, even the king, and her children were ordered to keep away. Everyone followed and Naomi finally entered the wooden bathtub, and started giving birth to his child in a cold and scented water.

After several push and breathing, she delivered a healthy baby boy. She looked at him carefully and her eyes couldn't believe what she saw. Her son's face were as old as her great-grandfather. The shaman was right that he cursed her son for intruding her retreat in the mountain.

She used her magic to cut her navel, and wrapped her son in a cleaned golden-silver towel. She went out of the bathtub and headed towards her chamber. Not only that, but she put her sleeping baby in the bed, and immediately changed her clothes. While trying to look for the best outfit she can disguise to leave the palace, the door of her chamber opened and saw her husband walking towards the bed to see his son.

“My king, it's not yet time for you to see the baby,” she stops him from seeing his son.

“Why? My queen, you knew very well that I waited for this time, and I need to see our baby boy.”

The king pushes the queen and carried the baby in his arms. When he check his son's face, he was shocked. The queen grab the baby in his arms, and the king gave him a questioning look.

“I know what you're thinking, Moses. That is why I have to leave the palace right now, to send our son to the mortal world. Bearing an ugly son is a curse to our kingdom. And it's not our son's fault to be born as the ugliest in the palace.”

The king was unable to utter any words. He was only watching the queen preparing her outfit to get out of the palace, and send their son in the world of the mortal.

...

"Eeeh! What happened to the queen after she left the Upperland, old lady?"

"Yeah, what about the child? Was it really cursed?"

"Tell us more! Tell us!"

The old woman is surprised to hear them beg to finish the story, but she can't because that was the only thing she knew back then.

"I guess, we have to end this storytelling for now. Your parents must be looking for you. You have to return, or you'll feel the wrath of the Shaman in the story I told you."

"Right. My mother would surely punish me for not returning home. And I have to go back."

"Me too."

"I'll go with you as well."

Everyone stood up and one by one, they left her alone in the triangular shaped small house she made. As she watches them slowly fading away, she turned herself into a beautiful lady, standing in front of the small house slowly vanishing behind her.