Amretasari watched the confrontation with horror. Her head throbbed harder when she realized the turnkey could cut his son into pieces. But the unexpected happened. The stout man dropped his sword and moved to the side of the passageway, letting them to pass. The eyes of the turnkey fixed on the Maharatu as they walk past him.
Of course, he let us through, thought Amretasari, no one dare to hurt Indravarman. Then she realized it was not unexpected at all, it was expected by his son. It was the plan. Now she deemed Indravarman with a newfound respect. He was not a little boy anymore.
Still weak due to the hunger strike, she was actually on a verge of fainting. But his son’s reassuring hand clasp and her hope to reunite with her family fueled her every trembling step toward the exit of the prison building. Then she truly wanted to faint when they stumbled upon a big room packed with half a dozen men sitting on a table. All eyes turned and gazed at them with surprise. Indravarman began again with his threat:
“Stay away!” he shouted in his teenage voice. “I am the son of your king! I swear to Gods my father will have your head on a spike if you lay a finger on me or my mother!”
One of the men whose hand had reached the hilt of his sword froze. Another tried to approach them and said, “My Rajaputra, what are you—"
“Back off! Let us pass!”
The man stepped back and they walked hurriedly to the door that turned out to be the exit door. The glare of the dusk sun stung Amretasari’s eyes as her son led him outside the building. She took a glance to her surroundings; she can see palm trees and the blue horizon. This must have been somewhere near Musi River’s river bank, she thought. Then the dizziness intensified, she felt she can no longer walk.
“Indra, I can’t—”
“Hang in there, mother.”
Through her blurry vision, Amretasari saw a man with an enormous figure standing in front of them. They got us, she thought wearily, he will put me in that cell again.
As the man put his hand on her arm, she remembered nothing but total darkness.