The Portal

I 1.5 Raja or Kaal

Palatials, 1133

Noa's bags were already packed. He took a long bath and went down for breakfast. He would meet Liam and Joshua on the ship. His uncle was not in the dining room. He sat at the table, alone, while a maid poured his coffee. As soon as she left him, he took his cup and went to the Palace kitchen. Since he was a child, when he arrived in Palacials, it was where he used to have his meals. With no parents or friends in the region, his main company was the cook Maria José.

Today, Zezé was finishing to prepare her delicious stuffed rolls, Noa's favorites. It was a typical recipe that she had been making for many years. The sweet rolls had a caramel and coconut filling and were baked slowly, during the night. After baking, the cook wrapped each roll in a thin fabric. She always gave Noa a basket and he took it in his suitcase for Shailaja.

- Good morning, Zezé - greeted Noa, sitting at the kitchen table.

- Ah, good morning, my boy. I was expecting you, huh.

Although she was well past her 70s, the cook loved to work in the Palace and refused to stay at home. She was dark-skinned, tanned like most palatials, her long white hair was tied in a braid, curled like a bun on top of her head. She was a robust and smiling lady. Her right pupil was whitish from an illness from years ago. She could only see with her left eye, so she was always turning her head.

- Excited to go back, huh?

- Not much, you know, Zezé ...

- Who knows... Maybe this time you will choose a girl to cheer this place up, huh?

- It won't be this time - Noa replied, laughing.

He was amused by the cook's lack of shyness. Most palatials preferred to keep their distance from the Rariffs. He had been in those lands for ten years, but they still looked at him suspiciously and did not make much contact. It was all: "yes, Kaal", "as you wish, Kaal"... Noa felt that he was only tolerated by the locals, but his uncle always said that the palatials were a good, peaceful and religious people and, therefore, were grateful for the Rariff's invasion. After all, they freed them from a clan that worshiped the occult.

- How about these sweets? Are they for me, am I right?

- But of course, huh? How can I let you travel with nothing to eat? This ship trip, I don't know, no, huh, very long, very far ...

Zezé always made a speech about how distant Shailaja was. Why couldn't he stay right there? It was dangerous for a raja to be traveling on the high seas, taking one ship after another, etc. As much as most palatials already called him kaal, which means heir to the Kral in his homeland, Zezé always referred to Noa as the raja who, in Palatials, meant the son of Raj. It was not correct, and if a royal guard heard it, he could scold her, but she was old lady and was already forgetting things. Furthermore, Noa did not correct the cook. He liked the idea of ​​being the Palatials's raja. It made him feel more legitimate when he was there.

Noa drank his coffee while listening to the usual litany. It was nice to have someone caring for him, someone with no interest but a genuine care for him. Suspicious of his position as kaal and practically without family, he was always wondering who would actually be by his side.

- ... stay here in the corners alone. A girl would do well, huh? You could start a family of your own, what do you think? Not bad, huh?

- I haven't found anyone interesting yet, Zezé ... But I'm grateful for the concern! See you in a few months, huh? - replied Noa, imitating the cook.

He finished his coffee, took the basket with the sweet rolls and was about to leave when he heard Zezé's voice.

- Raja Rariff ...

He turned. Zezé looked embarrassed. Slowly, she went to the table and took a second basket of sweet rolls. He hadn't even noticed that there was another one.

- I... I'm sorry for the lack of manners, huh... - She hesitated. - I want to ask you a favor... If you can't, that's fine, huh... It's just that I've been making these sweets for many years, you know... It's a recipe here from Palatials. There are only here... - She took a deep breath, as if to take courage and added: - Could you hand this basket over to the rani? I mean, the Hannah girl is no longer rani, like this, right... I heard she will go there too... This place of nobles. If you could... - and held out the basket.

Noa didn't know what to say. Hannah. She was the rani, the heir to that palace in those people's minds. They were the people of Palatials. He would never be a palatial.

- You know, I still remember when she was a little girl and she used to run around the Palace... You met her, didn't you? Do you remember too, huh?

Zezé knew. She was one of the few people who knew. Yes, he remembered. He had already met Hannah Maël, but it was a long time ago. He took a step forward and picked up the basket.

- I'm going to deliver it - he promised. And left.

~*~

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Ps: I am a brazilian author and a dear friend is translating this book for me. Please feel free to point out any mistakes. Hope you like it!