THE FACE OF A SLEEPING KING-6

 THE FACE OF A SLEEPING KING-6

She woke when the sun had well risen in a room that had its atmosphere very charged. It was very large and at one end her frail and pale mother hovered with the missionary. At the other end, the king hovered with Nana Akua Danquah bent over a cook stove. Was the great Nana Akua Danquah cooking for her?

As she stirred both her mother and the king started at her at the same time. Her mother stopped to allowed the king approach her daughter first.

“Bring me her food.” She instructed Nana Akua. The fair lady turned red while the king shifted his protective gaze on Yaba’s face. He held her face in his hands. The princess reflexively steeled herself. She reminded herself to work on that.

“Sit up. No woman of mine is faint hearted.” He said as he scooped a spoonful of soup and blew over it. “For good health.” He put it to her lips.

“You must have bewitched me. Even feeding you makes me desire you.” The women in the room blanched. Catching their reactions from the corner of her eyes, she wondered how her pale mother could help to be any paler.

She sipped cautiously.

Aahhh, light soup.

The princess had to concede, Nana Akua Danquah was a good cook.

“You can definitely do better than that coy sip.” The king warned.

“If you would, your highness, please allow a mother nurse her daughter.” He looked up at the queen and for a moment regret filled his eyes. But in another moment, it vanished and was replaced with arrogant dominance.

“Of course.” He placed the soup on the table and stood from the princess’s side. As she took her place by her daughter's side,the queen looked lovingly into her daughter's eyes and she cupped her face. Yaba immediately softened. The king, who was hovering about two steps away was moved to jealousy at the exchange of emotion he saw between mother and daughter. The daughter who had been nothing but cold to him, was full of emotions by her mother's side. The king’s jealousy was quickly turning to rage as he thought on how he had never been rejected by anyone... but his own mother.

He walked out before his quick temper ruined his day. Nana Akua quickly followed.

“My king.” She called out to him and bowed low before him.

“Can’t friends drop formality?” He smiled at her and cupped her dimpled cheeks. Yaba saw this through the large door through which they had left. She felt something small spark in her belly and she prayed it was jealousy. The earlier she could hold command over genuine emotions for him the earlier she could fulfill her purpose.

“No my king.” She looked up so the king could have a full view of her voluptuous breasts that were literally falling out of her kente covering. The king laughed taking notice of nothing else but the conflicted look on the princess’s face. He enjoyed it. It made him wonder if he was supposed to enjoy it as much.

“You better stand up before someone gets off her sick bed and beats you up.” The king teased loudly enjoying all the more that Yaba had steeled herself and perfectly pulled off the I-don’t-care look. He drew her to himself and took her into the palace.

“What is it Akua?” He demanded, already bored with her.

“I thought you should know that your concubine has dared to hit me.” She whined with her perfect smoky voice.

“She has? Do tell.” The king had not intended to be visibly enthused.

Before long into the story, he was guffawing at the not-so-amused head of his kitchen staff.

“Lighten up, Akua. Did the world end because a slave slapped you?”

That was the last straw. “How can you say that to me?” Her pitch rose higher at the insult which had been hurled into her face.

“Know who you are talking to, young lady.”

“Yes, I am talking to the King of this great kingdom. The same who has allowed a common slave to bewitch him. I am talking to the King, whose bed I have willingly warmed.” She approached him. But he drew away from her. She was exasperated.

 “I just can’t believe…”

“I didn’t make of you a concubine first?” The king’s temper began to boil.

“No!” She felt debased. “I just can’t believe you didn’t make me your wife.”

The king scoffed as his temper dwindled, in its place was cynicism.

“You actually thought I was going to make you my wife?”

“Why do you say that as though it is such an awful thing?”

“Ha! Indeed it is.”

“But my king, you must definitely marry sometime.”

“No, I must only present an heir, nothing more.”

“Is that what you plan to do? With her?”

He hadn’t thought about it. He wanted her children. They would be his delight; his own little band of fiery children. But an heir, from her?

“Do you even dare consider it?” She shrieked as she saw the thought working its way up in his mind. He had been her lover for years and her friend all her life. It was hard to read him all the time, but there were days when she got lucky and apparently today was such a day.

“Consider what?” Yaba asked although she had heard almost half of the conversation.

“Nothing.” He approached her. “You look better.” He tipped her chin towards him, inspecting her features. Before he knew it his lips where crushing hers. He promised he will wait till she also ached as he did but her lips were too tempting. They tasted each other, shattered each other’s walls and as they broke off the kiss built it back up again.

“I should show my trophy off to the elders. They must be waiting in the courtyard by now.” His tone could have easily deceived the best judge of character but not his eyes. They were still struggling to clear the cloud.

He totally ignored Nana Akua as he led Yaba into the courtyard.

Just as he said, the elders were waiting for him there. The elders immediately got up and bowed even before the linguist announced his presence. Yaba was impressed. The King either held the elders, who were three times his age, either in fear or in awe. They bowed ever so reverently to the young king who must have only seen 28 cycles of 13 full moons. Or was it a mixture of both fear and awe?

“Please be seated wise elders of Keseman.”

The linguist then burst into apoplectic utterances, exaggerating and even distorting what the king had said. The elders and the king patiently waited for him to end.

“Most competent Chief Linguist, we thank you. We will like to engage in a highly confidential meeting,will you excuse us?”

He burst again into another fit and took his dear time to leave. Immediately he did, everyone let go of breaths they did not even know they were holding. Instantly, Yaba burst into laughter.

In the kings ears it was music; simply magic, and it jarred his heart like never before. It bubbled laughter in himself and several other elders. Before long, and for the first time in such a gathering, everyone laughed.

When the laughter finally died down he took her hands and rising with her he announced, 

“My trophy, everyone!”

There were cheers and compliments,

“You’ve truly found a rare jewel to add to your magnificent crown!”

“A woman of great substance indeed!”

“Stone her! Stone her!” A manic voice immediately silenced the cheers and compliments. The king’s face immediately set in stone. He would recognize that voice anywhere.

As the voice approached the throne, the king’s face metamorphosed into a stiff smile. He opened his arms, “Brother!”