As he ventured deeper into the heart of the wilderness, he found himself standing at the yawning entrance of a cave, hidden just beyond the cascading tendrils of a waterfall in the lush, untamed forest. The rumbling echoes of waterfalls converged into a single majestic pool; a spectacle of nature's grandeur etched into the stone floor at the cave's base.

This extraordinary pond cradled within the embrace of an endless sea of trees, sparkled like a precious gem ensconced in a verdant shell. It was a hidden corner of paradise, an unexpected revelation in a realm where such beauty was unforeseen.

Prince Raibod reached the cave's edge, standing in the shadows of moss-covered walls, beholding the enchanting scene. The water, thunderous and ferocious, collided with the cave's opposite walls, forming a symphony of reflections. Moonlight had painted a distorted white silhouette on the pond's surface, shattered repeatedly by the relentless cascade of water, an endless dance of shape and shadow.

At that moment, the young man, standing beside the dark walls, felt the marvel of the tranquil pond under the moon's watchful eye. The roar of the water, a harmony of unsalted rage and lucidity, instilled a sense of peace and uncertainty that permeated the air.

It was then that Raibod grasped the significance of his grandfather's frequent visits to this particular place and understood the allure of the sight that captivated him. The late king was a man of war and concur, but deep down, he had a fondness for pristine wonderlands. That being said, the puzzled prince still couldn't fathom the necessity of the mind-bugling tunnel beneath the waterfall. The construction was amazing and far beyond anything he had ever seen, thus the mystery behind the bizarre maze, landscapes, and visage murals, plus other uncanny creations underneath the mountain were still unsolved.

Returning to the revelry of the party that night through the secret tunnel, Raibod seamlessly remerged with the festivities, concealing the secrets of the extraordinary pond from his companions. That night, in the dark and empty scope of his bed-chamber,  Prince had an unusual revelation. He had time to think it through and finally came to a solid conclusion. The secret passage was a golden opportunity for him to reach one thing he needed the most lately, but never had the chance to achieve: A peaceful solitude!

With the dawn of each new day, before the world stirred awake, Raibod clandestinely journeyed to the waterfall. Through the hidden tunnel, he descended to the mountain's base, where he basked in the warmth of the morning sun, reclining on the wide stones beneath the clear drops of water. The moist fragrance filled his nostrils, and the coolness of the watery landscape became his sanctuary.

A month passed since Prince Raibod's discovery of this verdant haven. As he settled into his routine, he found himself at his usual spot, reclining on the awakening stones. The hypnotic view of the pond, the waterfall, and the endless expanse of greenery held him in thrall.

His entire life, he had sought refuge in the turmoil of celebration, drowning out the clamor within his mind. Now, for the first time, he sought solace in the silence that embraced him, relishing the tranquility that seemed boundless. And what’s more, for the time being, he had escaped uneasy nightmares about the battlefield, till one day, The appealing atmosphere of his safe land made him drowsy.

His eyelids closed slowly, succumbing to the soothing sounds of nature. However, a dissonance disrupted his peace—a cacophony of clashing sword blades and the thunderous gallop of unmanned horses. Dread consumed him as he found himself thrust into the chaos of war again!

"No! Not this again!" Raibod exclaimed, grappling with the vivid nightmare. In the midst of the battlefield, he seized a sword, defending himself against an unseen foe. As he raised his gaze, his older brother's malevolent smile met his eyes, blades entwined. "Die!" His raged brother shouted, a torrent of outrage and resentment in his voice.

Raibod awoke abruptly, the claws of night terrors still lingering. The sun hung high in the sky, casting a warm glow. Lifting his head from the stone's edge, he leaned forward, seeking the cool embrace of running water on his fevered cheeks. Suddenly, a weird unfamiliar noise from outside the cave jolted him from his contemplation.

"Who could it be?" he wondered; the tranquility shattered by an unexpected disturbance.

…

Startled by the commotion resonating through the pond, the prince, newly roused from his slumber, stood with a mix of curiosity and irritation. Peering through the cascading water, he couldn't believe his eyes—a group of people daring to bathe in the sacred pond. As the elusive sunlight broke free from the clouds, revealing the scene below, the shocking truth unfolded—they were nothing but a bunch of filthy slaves!

In the heart of the pond, a group of women and children, clad in tattered garments, immersed themselves in the glistening water. The evidence of their intrusion, a heap of ragged clothes, lay in a forsaken corner.

“The audacity!”

Slaves were strictly forbidden from venturing into such blessed and prosperous domains, according to the law.

"Such impudence!" The prince seethed, clenching his teeth in anger.

Three women and four children having fun in the water, oblivious to the rage brewing in the observing prince. The thought of these interlopers sullying his grandfather's cherished pond ignited a fiery determination within him. His hand instinctively reached for the sword at his waist, a silent call to descend from the cave and confront them blade in hand.

Yet, the sanctity of the holy waters held him back. The prince grappled with conflicting emotions; he pondered the consequences of spilling their dirty blood in this revered locale.

Were these slaves perhaps displaced, belonging to nearby villages? Commoners and slaveowners were supposed to keep their slaves at bay, preferably in shacks in the vicinity of their fields. Holding such lowlifes wasn’t even allowed inside the one’s private residence or even garden house, yet they were here, so close to the royal residence.

The prince conjectured that financial woes might have compelled their migration to the forest! Villagers were known to keep such properties inside the forests if they didn’t have enough room in their fields cottages.

“But they should keep them deep in the forest, not here! This is absolutely unacceptable!”

Despite the blatant wrongdoing, the prince hesitated. The prospect of slaying them, while justified by the law, risked exposing the royal waterfall's secret cave. Such exposure could draw unwanted attention from the farmers and jeopardize the sanctity of this hidden haven.

"Damn!" He grumbled, caught in a moral quandary.

During his internal struggle, the prince remained defiant. "No! Those villagers wouldn't dare approach this area!" His hand vacillated over the sword's hilt, indecision etched across his face.

Suddenly, a stern voice shattered the tension. "Hey! Shut up already you fools!" A woman, yet to disrobe, commanded attention. Tall and thin with disheveled hair, she wore a faded gray sac.

“Don't worry so much, Sor! There is no one around!" assured another woman standing in the middle of the water.

"No one asked you! Let's finish here and scuttle! It's not safe here!" Sor retorted, shedding her ragged attire and joining the others in haste.

Unheard by the slaves, the prince muttered, "Ignorance!"

As Sor dipped to wash her hair, the prince, still distanced, couldn't discern her features clearly.

"Damn! Bones sticking out everywhere! Does she have boobs at all? Heh! Heh! I guess she only has saggy breasts and a pussy to call herself a woman after all!” The prince jeered, a strange mix of ridicule and reluctant understanding. But his initial disdain softened as he mockingly speculated about the woman's physical attributes. As if feeling sorry for her made their brazen audacity less irritating.

The commanding woman bent down, attempting to wash her hair in the lake.

One of the others who was coming out of the water argued, "Don't be so jumpy, Sor! No one will find us here! No one even knows about this lake but us"

The woman, apparently named “Sor”, angrily splashed a handful of water on her face and whispered: " By “us” you mean “me” right?! Because I clearly remember showing you the secret path to this place!”

Then she toned down her voice even further and warned: “You know if you get caught here, you’ll lose your head?”

Suddenly everyone got quiet, and the children stopped running for once.

The prince, who seemed to have lost interest in killing them, laid back down as before and muttered: "Yes! You tell 'em”

The pond fell into silence as the slaves departed, leaving the prince deep in thought. The sight of the peculiar woman lingered in his mind, a curious enigma that refused to fade. Turning angrily away, he tried to reclaim his interrupted slumber. "She didn't even have a tolerable face, damn it!" he muttered, the residues of an unexpected encounter remained in his restless thoughts.