"Shame on you for dancing while others are suffering," said Prince Surya.

"I am not!"

"Yes, you are!" he laughs.

"I am also suffering while you are suffering. We have the same hidous thing as breakfast!" she also giggles, all while taking a spoonfull of that goopy black mush.

"Good to know that I am not alone in this."

"Ugh! I.."

Ara can hear Prince Surya gagging in the other room. 

"Just shove the food in and swallow it with water," suggested Ara.

"Mmmh..Wh.." There seems to be a lot of struggle at the desk next door.

Ara begins to worry because she can hear him running in the room, seemingly to the sink, and forcing himself to throw up. 

"Are you okay?" she asked after waiting for him to calm down.

"I am fine. I can do it. It was just.. unfamiliar."

By this point, Ara has finished half of the brown-black porridge. Prince Surya, on the other hand, has probably took two spoons. He pulls out the chair, sits down and takes a deep breath.

After preparing himself, he braves the porridge again. He takes one big spoon and he tries to push it down with water. But then he projectile vomitted immediately. The sound echoes so much that Ara is utterly taken aback.

"Are you okay?" Concerned, she asked again.

There is heavy panting on the other room before an answer is heard. It sounds like someone murmurring but Ara can make out the sound as Prince Surya saying "I am fine."

"It's okay. Take your time. But we really need to eat this if we want to get energy at all. Yesterday, this bowl of unappetizing mess was all I have got for the whole day. So.. yeah." 

"Noted. Good to know," he answered.

Ara smiles faintly as she cannot escape the sound of the prince battling the food next door. It is definitely not a pleasant sound but it is good to know that he is trying. 

'We will get out of this place,' she thought to herself.

There is silence after Prince Surya finished his meal. Ara hums herself to sleep as she hears him breathing heavily. They are both trying to cope and calm themselves. Even though each has different method, it is the same objective nevertheless.

Then a sound of heavy boots wake them both from their thoughts. The person walking is getting closer into the two cells as both Ara and Prince Surya rise up from their bed, becoming alert.

The person stops in front of Prince Surya's room and unlocks the door with a huge old metal key. 

"Thalassia and Hindia are asking for your presence."

"Who are Thalassia and Hindia? Why do I need to present myself to them?" he asked, deepening his voice to assert dominance.

"They are the King and Queen in this headquarter so you better comply. Otherwise, we will feed you to the sharks."

"Very funny." 

Regardless of how nonsensical this feels to him, Prince Surya rises up from his bed. He walks toward the guard and follows him out. Ara does not make any sound. She does not know how to react to this.

'There is a King and Queen in this rebellion headquarter? What kind of movement is this? How do they have such a structured hierarchy already?'

Meanwhile in the Mataram room where Hindia and Thalassia's thrones are located, the self-proclaimed royals are seated, waiting for the young prince's presence. 

"We do not have to do this," said Thalassia coldly to a man sitting on the metal throne next to her.

"We did not. But we do now. When there is an opportunity, we take it," Hindia answered.

"Yes, but you do not know what this opportunity means? He is not an opportunity for us to take. He is a threat! One bad move and this whole headquarter will be exposed!" she debates her husband back. 

"Then we must ensure that our location will not be revealed. If we keep him here, everything will be okay! Nobody needs to know of our existance until we get what we want!" 

"But we cannot keep him here forever!" Thalassia still will not let it go. 

"We can! He does not have to die but he does not need to see the light of day no more."

Hindia's answer seems to shock Thalassia as the middle-aged lady is silenced, unable to fight back. She does not appear to expect that kind of answer from someone she has perceived as tender and kind-hearted. 

An opportunity can truly change a man. 

"Hindia. Thalassia. The prince is here," said the guard.

"Let him in," Hindia said.

The guard covers Prince Surya's face with a black cloth and shackle his hands around his back. Then he pushes him inside the Mataram room to be seated on a cold hard chair in front of Hindia and Thalassia. 

"You are the crown prince." Hindia said.

"Yes, I am. The question is, who are you?" Prince Surya answered.

Hindia claps his hands slowly,"Bold. Just like his father and the father before him."

"I am assuming you know my father and grandfather."

"I do. In fact, we actually know him quite well."

"Do you have any hard feelings to the royal family that you kidnapped me and my maid?"

"Do not call her a maid! In this headquarter, no one is someone's maid. We are all kings and queens," said Hindia.

Prince Surya chuckles bitterly. 

'After that terrible meal, I still have to deal with this delusional old man that proclaim himself as king? What a nonsense!' he thought.

"Did I just hear you laugh?" Hindia raises his voice.

"Stop it! Let's just get to the point!" Thalassia cuts Hindia before he can prolong the conversation.