Chapter 36
My oil lamp had already run out so the room was even darker.
I could hardly see a figure that came into the room, knowing it's sex was impossible.
" Namakau is that you?"
There was no response.
" Prince Sepo is that you?"I asked as fear gripped me. I knew, I knew that no one would hurt me but fear is relative.
I was barely dressed, I grabbed a linen cloth just at the feet of the bed and tied it around my armpits barely reaching my knees. I remembered always leaving my medicine bag under the bed. I grabbed an arrow from the bag that had my bow.
Walking slowly to the door. I had now gotten accustomed to the darkness, that I could see what was where in the room, but I still was unable to see the person.
I was beginning to think, maybe there was no one in the room and everything was just the fruit of my imagination when someone suddenly came from behind me, hands clasped over my mouth, a glistering sharp metal on my throat, pricking my skin.
" You should have died with your family to save my Princess, this trouble".
I had forgotten no human can kill me, I was sweating profusely just thinking of the beheaded bodies of my family and dying that way.
I tried to speak but the hand that clapped over my mouth would not badge. I remembered, I had the arrow with me.
" Don't worry, my orders are not to kill you, not now atleast, But just so you know, you like your parents will not be buried, you will rot on a pole in Seke.
She was about to drag me out of the room to the ante chamber when I raised the hand with the arrow and stabbed her side barely missing my own side, she cried out in pain and dropped the knife that drew some blood on my ear. But there was no pain, and I understood, she must have felt the pain instead.
I called for a maidservant to bring the oil lamp.
The intruder was still whimpering on the floor surrounded by a pool of blood.
When a lamp was brought, we all could see her, Princess Mokomena's handmaiden.
" Where is the cowardly Princess Mokomena?" I shouted.
The Letuyako killed my family, why did I think Princess Mokomena was any different.
" You killed my family?" I asked, feeling heavy hearted knowing the answer already.
I strode to where the knife had fallen, picking it up and looked back at her, her expression painful but still taunting my authority. I went and and slit her throat without a single thought. The Maidservants screamed in horror as the the body fell limp on the floor. She crocked as she clasped her hands on the gruesome cut, gasping for air, blood trickling from her neck.
She was drowning in her own blood, It didn't take long before it became quiet, the gasping seized. She was dead. Fear caught me by surprise, never had l killed a person before. I had goosebumps as my breath ran short. But I remembered her words, she had killed my family or was there, whatever the case was. I was suddenly caught by a desire to kill and kill them all.
Princess Mokomena was really smart, I should give that to her. She didn't come to kill me herself so that even if her handmaiden failed, I couldn't accuse her of attempted murder.
Everything naturally fell on her handmaiden.
Walking to her chamber, I knew she would claim innocence but just going to her and letting her know she wasn't going to push me around, was the motive.
I politely knocked on her door.
" Come in " I heard a voice inside.
Princess Mokomena's room was well lit with oil lamps and I could clearly see her pacing in her ante chamber.
When I came in to view, I could see her face beseechingly looking at me.
" I think am a totally different person from the one you are waiting for." I teased.
I could sense the vibrating terror through her whole being but that only lasted a blink of an eye.
" Wow, Princess Zae, It's nice to finally meet you. Sorry I took long ."
" Yes, that's so nice of you but why is our beautiful Princess Mokomena so tense today?" I asked circling her.
" Because you are scaring me, You should have taken a bath before coming here, no one wants to see your menstrual blood."
" Oh this belongs to an intruder I killed a few minutes ago" I said it casually. Her smile seized and her pent up anger turning into a knot within her. Her hate centered on just me. Beads of sweat began to glisten on her forehead. Her eyes crossed as she took note of her handmaiden's knife in my hands.
" You know..." she started pacing around me. "I knew a Queen who begged me to save her children once, she looked stupid. She prostrated herself on my feet, can you believe her? the disrespect to royalty...'Please don't kill my children', Princess Mokomena mimicked...
" Disgusting...I mean if you are royalty, we should always strive to the embodiment of grace, whatever the case."
I could feel myself visibly vibrating.
"It was really funny...mmmm, you should have been there to see the sound the head made when it toppled off of her shoulders. The blood spilling out of control, it was really entertaining..." Princesses Mokomena started to laugh and for just a little moment, I wished I had cowardly stayed in my room.
" It was a clean sweep so no pain, that should count for something right? I think it does." She continued jerking her head in my direction.
She sounded more evil than her words.
My heart felt like it dropped in my stomach full of bile and came out burnt. Grasping the truth, I shrank to the floor. Her laugh devilish when she saw the tears and the desperation creeping in. Tears stung my eyes.
" You murderer " I screamed.
********
Prince Sepo was called by the maidservants. He was with his worriors making final plans concerning the war with the Kanji that was a day away, but when he heard I was in Princess Mokomena's room he came running and burged into the chamber.
" She killed my mother, do something Prince Sepo." I begged.
Prince Sepo bent down to pick me from the floor, where I was wailing.
" She is crazy, my Prince, I get how my people took over the Seke Palace but that's how it is with these things right? she can't say am a murderer just because of that, she is crazy. She needs to see an Oracle. Oh wait she is an Oracle."
Standing upright, Prince Sepo looked at her, he was composed as if hearing her say that, was something normal.
How can murder be how things are? Is that even human?
