Asean in Love

On a lonely beach where only coconuts can fall on your head while you sleep, two friends from their youth rested after diving.

"It's so beautiful down there, like heaven, also that must be the reason that birds of paradise live on these islands."

"If you could come with me to Bali, we could bathe in the healing hot spas,here one lives modestly but with a philosophy of harmony between man and nature."

"I know everything is so calm here like pearl shells."

"When you're talking about seafood, let's catch fish for lunch, I'll prepare it in my Dalmatian way, only salt and pepper, produced by farmers in Bali," Niccolo told him.

"Excellent, I like grilled fish, they eat little meat here, but there is more fruit than anywhere else in the world. Meat for lunch is also on the menu today."

"Okay, just hope I don't get a Bali belly, when I get to Venice my wife will scold me for gaining extra weight."

After a rich and delicious lunch in the beautiful luxury dining room on board, the two friends said their goodbyes with the hope of meeting again in Venice.

"Have a safe trip and calm sea Niccolo!"

"I wish you all the best Subadar, Adio and Chao", said Niccolo.

"And you are thinking that we will happily return to our homeland," Marko said at the farewell of Subadar's daughter.

"You will lose many ships during traveling to Persia, but you will arrive alive and well with Princess Kukajin to Persia."

"When Kublai Khan dies, before his second wife Nambui sees all the decree, it will only be necessary for someone to replace the decree and put in one that says Kublai Khan allows his daughter Leahui Lun to marry Marco Polo."

The daughter of Kublai Khan will live in the Polo home in Venice, she will be a legendary and mysterious princess in Venice, about which little is known because Marco Polo held her like a bird in the palm of his hand.

"I have to ask you something Marco, you can write a million stories in your book, but don't mention me, or Kublai Khan's daughter Maon Lun to protect us."

Marco kept promise, just before he died he told them that in his book" Milione" chivalric romance in french language, ghostwriter Rustichello purposely did not write everything that happened in Marco's private life, mainly that it was an adventure book for travellers around the Middle East and Asia.

"We cannot change history, but the future is in our hands.In life, we must always have a guiding star and hope, so regardless of the obstacles in your life, remember that you will live a peaceful old age and live beautifully with your wife and children.Oh yes, many will write novels about your adventures and even an opera." she said to Marco, knowing that he likes operas.

Then Niccolo and Marco Polo went by boat to their ship, Subadar asked his daughter:

"You think Marco gave us the exact secret of Kublai Khan's code?"

"Yes, when he came to Kublai Khan's court, he was taught to write and learn Mongolian, and Kublai Khan's daughter Maon Lun taught him how to write, that's how they met, and that's the only way to bring her to Venice, before Kublai's successor marries her with someone else."

"And why didn't Kublai Khan marry her with someone earlier, because of Marco or is it something else?"

"He could not marry her to others because she has hearing problems, so he was afraid that the other khans would get angry and not treat his daughter Maon Lun well."

"How do you know that?"

"There were many movies about Marco Polo, I watched them on my smartphone."

"So you know everything from movies."

"Not exactly, movies are like theatre drama, fantasy and fiction added to story, sometimes they are true historical movies too.But many Mongolian and European chronicles and books say the same.The Venice legend about Marco Polo's wife from the Yuan dynasty is stronger than anything else, and they find the princess's tiara near her grave in Marco Polo garden around Polo house in Venice.

Of course it's true, here we met Marco Polo, if his father Niccolo traveled and worked together with Polo's uncle Matteo, it means that Polo's mother Anna was from the island of Korcula, that's why there is no Marco's name in the books of those born in Venice, now so many stories are made up about Marco, but none have surpassed the original "The Travels of Marco Polo", in which Niccolò is said to have been a traveling merchant and thus reached Constantinople and across the Silk Road to the Mongol Empire. At that time the Republic of Venice was ruled by Tiepolo and they even had a Venice trade city in Constantinople.

Niccolo was hiding his son's mother's noble background in Korcula island in order to protect Marco, but the fact that his mother has relatives in the noble Subic family in Croatia helped him to escape from troubles in Venice several times. Also, the noble family Loredan in Venice which was spread around the Adriatic sea first started to ship trade merchants traveling to Persia and the Song dynasty, that's why you met Niccolo who worked with the Loredan family. In the future, the Loredan family will rule Venice and have influence in Europe and the Middle East, also they will continuously import spices like pepper and laurel from Bali island."

"Yes, now I can see this more clearly, you are like a fortune star, maybe they also circle around the cosmos traveling through time, that's why astrologers by looking in stars and their locations and movement can see the future.What those movies showed about Bali, did we win over the Mongols army?"

"I don't know what was the reason for traveling to 2024, maybe it was my doctor Cong tray visualization technique in my dream to recover, and I was transmigrated in the beginning of 21 century.Thanks to the secret of Kublai Khan's code Marco gave to us, Bali will never be defeated by the Mongols army. They will attack as, but always be forced to give up because storms on sea destroy their ships.The Majapahit Empire will be strong when my son becomes king, that time the islands Java and Bali will be united in one kingdom, the Kingdom of Singhasari/ Empire of Majapahit. First we will be vassals to Singhasari kingdom, but soon king from Bali will be ruler of Majapahit Empire"

"We will live in peace and multicultural tolerance during the Empire of Majapahit! 

That is all we wish for in our life, " said Subadar.

"Do you think I will be able to meet my friend Niccolo Polo again?" "Be 100% sure! If he doesn't come with trading ships to Bali, we can also go by ship to Venice, they liked silk from the Song dynasty, and we can help our people's business to continue and export silk to Europe."

"That's good for everyone, right?"

"Father, when I was young I always wanted to travel around the world on your ship, to be like the world traveler Marco Polo, but I got married too young, now is my time to be citizen of the world and to travel without masks on my face."

Father laughed out loud: " If you want to go to Venice, Venetian masks are very popular items and we can find some suitable and lightweight for summer days festivals on Bali Islands."

"Maybe it is best to order Venetian masks from here and they will send us, in 1293 Kublai Khan admirals will attack Java island, and that time we must be here to protect Bali and Java and confuse admirals Kublai Khan-a with false directions. After they give up we will live many years in peace in South Asian kingdoms, then time will be perfect for traveling to the Republic of Venice. When Bali joins the Empire of Majapahit, then I don't need to be on Bali island all the time, I can help you trade business around the world!

Please don't give my hand to anybody anymore, look how pitiful the life of women in Khanat is, after their husbands die they just remarried again for a new Khan!"

Subadar could not refuse the daughter's request:

"Well, if it is your wish that we travel and trade instead of resting in beautiful castles, I have nothing against it.In every way, the trade exchange of goods from Bali is beneficial to all who stay in Bali."

"Yes, we can allow more refugees from the Song dynasty to come to Bali island and give them a second chance to live happily and in peace and prosperity as was before the Song dynasty. For developing Bali, and producing more agricultural products and other goods like silk fabric and Bali batik textile we also need more people and helping hands on our overseas trading ships." 

1300. Venice 

After receiving a wedding invitation from Niccolo Polo, Subadar decided to visit Venice with his daughter and bring a wedding present to Polo family. This was also his business trip in 13 century.Marco Polo married Kublai Khan's daughter, they decided to change her surname and then she became Maon Polo. Living happily, they had one son named Nicola, unfortunately he and his mother Maon died from Black plague.After many years alone and in sorrow as a widower, Marco Polo was marrying again with Donata Badoer daughter of a trading merchant, now Marco was 45 years old, and Subadar daughter too, but she won't be single for so long since she saw the Venice lifestyle which remind her of Song Dynasty urban cities on river and canals.

"Father, are we ready to go to Venice, I am really curious about European weddings."

"Are you joking? My daughter, even experienced explorer Marco Polo, spent two years coming back to the Venice Republic from Persia."

"Trust me father, in 21 century traveling is much faster, and if we don't stop at any place it will take us only a few weeks if the weather is on our side. That is how people traveled from Southern Asia to Venice in Europe until 20 century. Sometimes this route takes 50 days if the ferry has a large load carrying capacity. In 21 Century, a new maritime silk road was named "One belt- one road."

"We are going for business too, if we can discover fastier route to Europe it will benefit Bali, the maritime silk route like in the golden age of the Song dynasty through Southeast Asia to Venice, not just our traveling trip.

We can build new Jung ships like ships from Song dynasty, as Polo family business spread all around Europe, Middle East we can also strengthen and renew our fleet and develop overseas trade, in Korcula we can ask Polo family to build for as new 100 meter long Djong with nine sails on board and that it can carry 2000 tons of goods like in Song dynasty can be used for trade with other countries, and we can also build in Java traditional jungos middle size 50 meter long with 4 rattan sails 1400 deadweight tonnage."

"That is good thinking my daughter, thank you for considering that there is great hunger whenever Mongols army come and take treasure from cities. We can develop trade with other countries and that was traditionally the maritime silk route from the Song dynasty through Southeast Asia to Venice, now we can continue the maritime silk route from Mayapahat empire islands to Venice."