THE FACE OF A SLEEPING KING-5
“Get out, get out!” She yelled at the persistence of the handmaidens that had been assigned to her. They had harassed her day and night. Since the day she fell from princess to concubine, she had been assigned three handmaidens. Handmaidens whose liv
es depended on their ability to ensure that she obeys every whim of the king. Which up till now has been vast.
“He will have our heads.” One was close to tears. “Haven’t you caused enough damage?” Another almost shrieked.
“I just don’t care. You are not going to throw down your fertility concoctions down my throat one more night with that sob story.”
“Half of us are dead. How much more would your conscience be able to take? Or don't you have any of that?” The other maiden who had been quiet up till that moment finally spoke up.
“Take your bath, no! Eat, no! Present yourself to the king, no! And every day his mood grows fouler and no, you are not the one to bear the brunt of the King’s foul mood. You are one to try to hold your head up and think nothing else of the consequences. What about us? We were ones jewels in our kingdoms too. Now we get to wait on spoilt concubines..”
“Shut up.” She met the handmaidens gaze calmly, “Get out.”
“Princess…”
“Please just leave.” Indeed what screaming could not do the voice of the broken princess could do.
She laid on her mat and turned her head to the wall. They could stand there for all she cared, but it was time to admit to herself things she had never had to admit to herself. She was broken. She wanted to go out, draw blood and raise hell. No one had said strong things could not be broken. Real strength is tested by circumstances, and if it produces recklessness, then there was no greater weakness.
"Are you still awake?” The voice did not startle her. She knew this was bound to happen.
He did not wait for a response and proceeded to gently lift her into his arms. She did not struggle. He put her on a stool when he got to the bathroom. Then he stripped her. He sponged her down and rinsed her. He dried her up and covered her in a cloth.
He carried her again and laid her on his bed. Right then, it felt like something had died within her.
“The woman of the king can never be broken, can never let people know she’s defeated. She doesn’t break a stride, she does not just give up. And you my lady have given up.” Again, there was the al-knowing arrogance in his voice.
He covered her with more clothes and walked out of his room.
Silence is golden only when it is in line with a strategy. When the enemy thinks you are weakest, even when you think you are weakest that is your greatest potential for strength. For one who jumps knows to bend low to the earth before reaching for the heights. Remember my words.
“Father!”
The princess quickly rose to her feet to find the king. She had found a purpose in her heart and nothing was going to stop her.
She found him pacing in her quarters.
She dropped the clothes on the floor as he turned to look at her. He swore under his breathe. He had never been so moved at the sight of a woman’s nakedness. He swore some more.
“You did not hear my words.” He knelt to gather the clothes and covered her with it. “I will wait till you come willingly to me, aching just as I.”
Yaba looked down as she held the clothes around her.
As conflicting emotions arouse in her heart, she knew then that the purpose which had driven her out of the king’s bed was going to be the death of either one or the two of them because either ways, she was already dead.
A new princess Yaba had awoken. Barely living, this Yaba did not care what the cost of fulfilling her duty was. This one was set on a course damned by all that held the foundations of the world. And this Yaba smiled inwardly knowing that he had got the King right where she wanted him to be.
So when her legs began to tremble from lack of food for so many days, she did not fight off the tremor. She did not battle with unconsciousness when it began to creep on her. She let herself fall into the arms of the king who could only swear loudly as the princess and her cloth came crumbling to the floor.
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