#beja

Hideaway Artist Retreat, Beja, Alentejo, Portugual

Designed by Modernist Architect Bartolomeu Costa Cabral

During one of the school holidays, Reza showed up at Megat’s home on short notice. One of the maids, Kak Ija, welcomed him with an easy and warm smile, mentioning that Megat was still in his 'private' art gallery, absorbed in a 3D modeling project.

As expected, Megat’s parents weren’t home.

The place always felt impossibly large, a tranquil mansion where Reza’s footsteps echoed against the polished floors made of marbles and wooden lacquer.

Reza opened the door to the gallery and was greeted with the loud thrum of rock music blasting in his face. It wasn’t unexpected, Megat had said he can concentrate better and he can work better in that environment. He stepped inside calmly and closed the door behind him, sealing the sound within the room. The gallery was soundproof, leaving the rest of the mansion undisturbed.

Megat is currently sprawled across a large leather couch that was wide enough to resemble a bed, his shirt open, hair slightly tussled, chest rising slowly with each breath. It was an image of exhaustion.

Reza chuckled to himself, as he glanced at the table. It was a little messy, with glue bottles, tiny tools, wooden dowels of various sizes and types, and a few scattered papers were everywhere. A couple of albums with photos of Istana Pagaruyung lay open for reference. In the middle of it all, sat a 3D model of the Minangkabau palace — Istana Pagaruyung, the one in Batusangkar, at least half finished.

It state was expected, but the rest of the room had always been perfectly immaculate.

Reza's thoughts drifted to :

"Kesio… Penat sampei longlai."

Reza stepped closer, moving carefully. He lowered himself onto the wide leather couch, leaning over Megat to place a kiss, a gesture for the hardworking guy before him, and for whatever strange situation he had found himself in.

A kiss for a prince…

Tuanku Megat Shah of Pagaruyung, for his valiant labors in raising his grand palace, with one miniature at a time.

𝕐𝕖𝕒𝕙 𝕓𝕣𝕠, ℝ𝕖𝕫𝕒 𝕤𝕡𝕖𝕒𝕜𝕤 𝕜𝕖𝕝𝕒𝕟𝕥𝕒𝕟𝕖𝕤𝕖 𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕟 𝕚𝕟 𝕞𝕠𝕟𝕠𝕝𝕠𝕘𝕦𝕖s, 𝕥𝕖𝕝𝕝 𝕞𝕖 𝕥𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕚𝕤𝕟'𝕥 𝕗𝕦𝕟𝕟𝕪.

mersa gawasis