Chapter 12
When he left the audience hall, Prince Sepo sent for Lonki to meet him at the wrestling ring, that the Kele Rapo worriors used at the training ground.
It was a large ground with wooden bleachers for when they hard wrestling or sports competitions. He was alone seated on the bleacher waiting for Lonki. It wasn't hot anymore, the sun was setting leaving a warm breeze in its stead.
"It wasn't even long since I had been engaged to Princess Zae, what is this war inside my heart? am I really in love with the ten years old girl like Lonki always say?" he was thinking, sighing loudly and had zoned out of his surroundings that he hadn't seen or heard Lonki approach him.
"You must have a big problem hearing you sigh that loudly, I just saw two scared Looking birds running" Lonki teased.
"Ummm, am sure they ran, it must have been a site to see" prince Sepo responded.
Lonki smirked,
"indeed"...
"Tell me what is wrong then my Prince".
Even though they had been friends for a long time, Lonki always addressed him by his title of prince. There relationship was one that was filled with trust and brotherhood but Lonki had never, even by mistake addressed him informally, it was always by his title.
Prince Sepo narrated what had happened when he was called to the audience hall.
"That's one confusing situation you are in, my prince. On one side, you have Princess Zae who you are already engaged to, but won't marry until three maize farming seasons and on the other hand you have Princess Mokomena who you can marry in no time. What decision have the elders made?"
"That's the thing, it's not their decision, they made a decision for me to get married to Princess Zae, which I accepted because of my filial piety but not twice." His voice was strained. The atmosphere change to a more serious one and Lonki felt it.
"I understand why you are like this, but you also have to be realistic. If the king says to marry the Letuyako princess, there is nothing you can do or say, otherwise you can be beheaded for being disrespectful to the King."
Following his grandfather's footsteps, Prince Sepo was thaught and embodied in the teachings of truth, justice and honour. In his perspective this was wrong.
"No, but who do they think they will drag here and there to suit their political dreamscapes?
I am the heir to the throne, a throne that came with being born as a first son of the queen...It was given by the god Nyambe, him who created both his mother and his wife Nasilele. He would have created several wives being a god but he didn't. I accepted Princess Zae as a wife even having not met her. The blood oath I made with Nyambe will not allow me marry the Letuyako princess"
"No, I don't think that's it, I think you have fallen in love with the tinny princess"Lonki said laughing trying to lighten up the mood.
"Isn't she this much"
Lonki Teased measuring with his hands.
"That's not right, you are making me seem like a a paedophile"
"And you are not?"
"No"
"You have been talking about the tinny winny Princess, a bit too much since you came back from your engagement"
"Maybe I have, but that doesn't mean am in love with...." Prince Sepo thought about how, he hadn't felt much pain since his engagement.
Was I really in love? Was love all it took to heal him then.
"The tinny princess you mean?" Lonki interjected his wild thoughts.
"Yeah but the connection and maybe the love I have for her is platonic, it doesn't go beyond that am sure. Maybe it's the maturity in her conversation that I like, I don't know." He didn't want to think he was really in love with Princess Zae.
Prince Sepo knew he was sexually unresponsive, what other men would naturally respond to sexually wouldn't work on him.
He remembered when his brother born from a concubine, had invited them to his premise for some beer his household had made. He had gone a little early and had seen through the wooden window, prince Lubasi and his concubine having sexual relations, Prince Lubasi was between his concubine's thighs and she had wrapped her legs around his narrow hips, they were moaning as he thrust in and out. Prince Sepo had only felt embarrassed for his brother and nothing more, although it wasn't easy to pretend like he hadn't seen anything when they sat to drink.
"Ugh, then marry Princess Mokomena, I mean she is close, enough" Lonki said sarcastically.
Prince Sepo raised his eyebrow to friend's remark.
"Why did I call you here? you are of no help to me right now"
"Because am the only one you can talk to about the tinny Princess. I know how much you value honour, but let's live first, don't do anything in a hurry, you don't know what the King has decided yet."
Prince Sepo was quiet for some time thinking about Lonki's words.
"When she comes, this invisible umbilical cord we have here" Prince Sepo said pointing at the little distance between them.
"Will be cut."he concluded with his mood relaxed.
"You think, I didn't know... Lonki responded laughing.
"Do you want to wrestle?" Prince Sepo asked.
"Whats the bet?"
"two calfs as usual."
"Am in...I can replace some of the ones I paid as bride price for my wife."
" Giving calfs for a wife should be an honour and you shouldn't regret the tradition set by our ancestors."
"Am not as rich as you, I can use two more calfs in my kraal, I need to feed my wife."
Prince Sepo didn't have a rebuttal.
They both changed their clothes and had on the loin clothes on.With just the two of them in the ground, they both took their fighting stances, arms raised to grab the opponent and legs bent at the knees, Prince Sepo tried to grab Lonki but his hands where slapped by him. They both hunted for opportunities, moving around in a circle. Lonki finding an opportunity, grabbed both of Prince Sepo's shoulders, with his might,he squeezed the shoulders and tried to push him down, prince Sepo kick inwards with a sweeping motion, Lonki moved his legs little too late and fell on the sandy ground with a grunt. Prince Sepo moved in to pin Lonki to the ground but Lonki trying to kick prince Sepo's hands away kicked him in the face eventually which sent him staggering to the ground. Lonki stood up and looked at the prince sprawled on the ground.
"Did I kill a prince?"
"If I could be easily killed, I wouldn't be here with you right now, help me stand, will you?"
Lonki offered him his hand and helped him stand. It was when he saw him stand that he saw his bruised eye.
" You didn't let me win because of my sub story right? because I must say my Prince, that was too easy, too too easy."
" Would I want to blind myself for you? I seriously doubt that." Prince Sepo said dusting himself.
"You should put herbs on that. "
He said picking his clothes and walking away from him, laughing.
" And send the calfs to my home".
Prince Sepo looked at him and hissed.
"Stay a little longer, go after drinking with me, I don't like drinking alone, and today I just want to drink and forget all this and you know I would have won, if not for your unorthodox way of wrestling"
"Bad loser" Lonki sneered.
"The nerve of you" Prince Sepo retorted.
They drunk the whole evening, that Lonki had to be taken home by prince Sepo's two trusted body - guards Nawa and Aka on Prince Sepo's command.
