THE FACE OF A SLEEPING KING-7

THE FACE OF THE SLEEPING KING-7

Oh no! He wouldn’t. Could he dare? Could Asante, the king’s brother, dare to spit at the king’s feet?The King had opened his arms to receive him yet he worked up the nerve to spit at his feet.

“For days I have been missing. For days, I say! And I, your only brother does not even deserve a search party. You should be dethroned!”

“Oh I see. Is this how we are going to go about discussing how you lost your manhood to a scrawny woman?” The king mocked wickedly.

“A slave, a slave. And yes I choose to do this because you also have chosen to debase yourself, o great king. You choose to lie with this same slave.” Asante eyed the Princess salaciously.

The wicked glint in his eyes metamorphosed into something dangerous. Asante visibly cowered.

“I see you miss the feel of my whip on your buttocks. Guards!” The king thundered.

The elders nodded sagely, Asante staggered back a step or two and the guards appeared armed with whips that looked worn from repeated use. Then his eyes widened as though in remembrance of painful memories.

“Obviously the best friend of every bad boy is the enema, in your case, a whip will do just fine.” The king cooed as he caressed the whip.

“Hold him down.” His tone suddenly turned fierce.

It took considerable strength for Princess Yaba to hold on to her laughter. A king, barely two years older than his brother, was threatening to treat and punish his own brother like a little child. Still it took more strength for her to keep a straight face when Asante took to his heels at the sight of the approaching guards.

Not so for the elders. Already soften by the princess, they burst out laughing. But the king was not pleased.

“Shut up. The meeting is over.” The king grabbed the arm of the princess and practically dragged her through the palace into his room. He pushed her to the wall and crushed her lips with his. 

He was punishing her. Punishing her for the scene that his brother had caused. Punishing her because for all the life of him he doesn’t know why he was offended at his brothers words. He should have thrown her at his brother like the slave she really was. So why didn’t he?

She pushed him back. The cloud that filled his eyes had not cleared yet he still approached her. He was stronger than her. He towered over her. To hell with his promise. Today he’ll take what is really his.

She pushed him back again and before she could help herself she had thrown a slap across his face.

“I don’t get to pay for the stupidity of your brother.”

She did not know where they came from but tears stained her cheeks. She touched her fingers to the tears as though in shock. The terror that filled her eyes told of her shock at seeing tears fill her eyes. As a flood of emotions marred her face, a flood of emotions filled the king’s heart. He had to hold her. He had to comfort her. He stepped toward her and more terror filled her eyes.

“N-never touch me like that ag-ain.” Her voice broke as she fled from his room. When she was a safe distance away she smiled then she broke down in tears on the floor.

“You can’t do this to yourself.” The missionary’s voice was all knowing. He joined her on the floor and held her like her father would.“You can’t be two people at a time. This would kill you.” 

But she only wept more. She wept because she knew it was too late. It was too late because she had cried over a heartless man. The plan was set into motion and she could not stop herself.

It hurt her to have even the slightest emotions for the king who cared for no one. But she did. And then there was this other side of her that waited. That part was waiting to move in for the kill.

“Do you leave my side to fondle with this pig skinned man?” The king had not bothered to hide his jealousy.

“Don’t...” was all she could manage to say out of her fury. He can’t take two fathers from her, she thought.

“You have strong emotions for this one?” He stood there for a moment. Not knowing what to do with his own emotions, he walked away.

“Go after your husband.”

“He’s not…”

“Don’t argue young lady, go after him.”

She got to her feet.

“Thank you.” All this was must be making her cynical. How could she say thank you as though she was begging the missionary to never leave her.

But she did not chase after the king. Rather, she chased the full moon.

She got on her knees when it led her to a stream. The full moon had cast its silver shadow on the stream's glassy surface. She coveted the intimacy between the moon and the lone stream. The silent rustle… Wait.

There was nothing silent about the rustling leaves. She must have been followed. Her warrior senses kicked in.

“That took you a while to figure out.” The king said as he emerged out of the vegetation.

“How can you allow ten men to follow one scrawny woman?”

“Eleven. You forgot me. Yet somehow I feel this scrawny woman can fall an army.”

She softened.

“Why are you having me followed?”

For a moment he looked like a teen. Then he looked like a king who had conquered nations. He looked like himself.

“It’s obvious you, we feel something for each other. Go away with me.”

“Very romantic your Highness.” She smiled.

“Well I do my best.” He also smiled.

And their hearts skipped a beat or two.

“Let’s go home.” He lifted her in his arms,“Romantic enough?” His eyebrows raised in all seriousness.

Princess Yaba threw her head back and her laughter warmed the night.