Honor Behind the Stain
Plum

"Thank you for listening to me." Khanza smiled broadly.

"Your husband will definitely not let you do this. There's gonna be a way he does it for you, right?"

"Don't pretend to talk about your husband as a pretext for you to want to know if I'm married or not."

Khanza's words were almost like hot water flushing the Emperor's facial skin until the white face was flushed instantly.

"I haven't been married since I was divorced five years ago." Khanza stood up.  “Thank you for listening to me.”

The woman ran away small leaving the riverbank.

The Emperor quickly got up, staring at the back of Khanza who was running further and further away.  “Khanza!  Khanza!”

Khanza stopped, waiting for the Emperor to be right in front of him.

“I'm not done talking!” the Emperor hesitated.

“What else?”

“You look more mature.”

“Yes.  Getting older too.”

“No.  Still the same as before physically.”

“Is that all you want to say?”

“Ah, no. Much to say.”

“Is all night time enough to talk?”

The emperor smiled faintly.  His smile was really very sweet.

“I haven't been married since we split.”  Emperor interrupts.  Makes Khanza raise eyebrows in wonder.

Not married?  Were there not many vishas around the Emperor who could be made a wife?  They are much more perfect and better than Khanza.

“How about Jihan?” ask Khanza.  Rather than being curious, it is better to be honest.

“I didn't marry her.  Like I told you back then, I wanted to refer you.  But you refused.  Since then, I feel that my heart space for Jihan has been closed.  And I asked him to look for another future, not me.”

The emperor breathed a few times.

“I've been waiting for you ever since.  Lookingforyou.  And I found you here after a full moon.”  The Emperor's gaze was filled with hope.  “You cannot be contacted.  Your father never told you where you were.  He's mad at me.”

“That serious?”

“Do you think the five-year wait is not serious?”  The emperor asked.

“If you had found me when I was married, your waiting would have been in vain.”

“Entah why I believe one thing, that one day we will be together again.  Is my belief right?”

“Actually what keeps you chasing me?”

“If it were just a simple taste, maybe this would never happen.  But this is serious.  I've found you, and I don't want to let you go.  I love you, Khanza.”

Khanza speaks a thousand languages.  He cannot say words.  This is an extraordinary event.

“I'm not a good woman.  I don't have the criteria of a dream wife.  And you know me well, don't you?  You even know I stole yesterday.  You sure you want to get back to a woman as bad as me?”

“You said yourself that a few hours ago you stopped being a thief.  Just be yourself without having to be someone else.  You just need to love God.  Then everything will flow as is upon His guidance-”  Emperor really.

Suddenly Khanza's heart became wet.  His eyes glazed over.  The Emperor loved him.  Even Khanza saw great hope in the eyes of the man.  

“Do you consider this a joke?  Five years I've lived alone, without women.  Five years I've been waiting for you.  Does this look not serious?” the Emperor whispered in a hoarse voice.  “Khanza, marry me!  We started everything from the beginning.  We are married in a real marriage.  Make my papa happy by seeing me bring my wife before him.”

The head of Khanza finally nodded.

The Emperor's heart was immediately plong, greatly relieved.  He rubbed his face with dewy eyes, moved.

“Deal, we married?”  Emperor smiled.

Again the head of Khanza nodded.

***

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