The light shone dimly in prince Sepo's chambers, when he opened his eyes. He had been drinking late the previous night with his friend, Lonki. The pain from his bruise on the eye, reminded him of the reason he had been drinking in the first place and had a splitting headache this morning.
Slowly his memory unwrapped the whole ordeal. He smirked and thought about the situation he had found himself in before he got out of bed.
"Why would the people of Letuyako bring a marriage proposal for their Princess here? such strange people".he thought.
They, he was sure, knew about his engagement to me. It had been a well celebrated affair for both Seke and Kele palace that he was sure the Letuyako Kingdom had heard about it.
******
He was at his farm, helping make huts for his workers when a palace guard came to him.
"My prince, your presence is commanded at the palace."
"Tell the king's aide, I'll be there when I freshen up as soon as I can". He answered him from afar. He gave some instructions to his workers and went straight for his chambers. Quickly took a bath and changed into formal clothes of a green siziba, a black tunic and sandles.
It was noon when he arrived at the audience hall. The sun was shining on so brutally on his body that he was sweating even after taking a bath. His eyes fell on the King who sat on his throne and had his crown on, which meant, it was a serious topic. The crown sat heavily on the king's head, it was studded with lion teeth, gold and and little sapphire . Making obeisance, he glanced at the empty stool near the chief courtier, Mbau kani and steadily, with a majestic visage, went to sit on the empty stool.
Without wasting any time the King started explaining to him.
"We have received a proposal from our neighbours in Letuyako kingdom, concerning their first Princess, Mokomena."
Prince Sepo nodded, looking at the three strangers.
" She is the same age as you and they want you and her to marry."
Prince Sepo gave out a heavy sigh.
"Am sure you have told our visitors about my recent engagement with the Seke Princess, Zae".
He said turning his irritated visage to the Three Letuyako messengers who also happened to be Letuyako courtiers."
"My prince" one of them who looked older than the two spoke up.
"In our kingdom, an engagement is useless, its merely a wish to marry a woman, an engagement is not a marriage. As far as we are concerned our princess still has a chance"
"And besides" chief courtier Mbau kani intervened "We don't have to wait for her to become a woman, Princess Mokomena is already a woman and the same age as you"
Ugh! prince Sepo grimaced
"Is it?.... Well, much as your kingdom doesn't have morals as it's foundation seeing that you betrayed your original kingdom, when you isolated yourselves." the three men looked at each other and then at Prince Sepo as he continued to speak.
"I believe a man is defined by words that come out of his mouth and the actions that follow after that. Am sorry my elders but am virtually a married man"
The three men looked at the king disappointed and hurt by Prince Sepo's words.
"And for you chief courtier, I haven't complained about waiting, have I? he asked looking squarely at Mbau kani.
Mbau kani lost in the battle of the stern gaze when he looked away from prince Sepo's dark challenging fierce look.
"My King, we did not come here to be insulted by the young prince, this is no less than the Prince insulting our King"
It was then that the king finally spoke up.
"Prince Sepo will respect our visitors because they speak not their words but that of king Muhau of Letuyako Kingdom.
The Kele courtiers except Mbau Kani who was embarrassed by Prince Sepo, kept quiet the whole time watching the spectacle unfolding before their eyes.
"I believe it's the Letuyako courtiers who insulted my morals first by thinking, I can break my engagement with Princess Zae to appease their princess." Prince Sepo responded.
The courtiers knew King Chani was scared and mostly defeated intellectually by his son when it came to things he was passionate about, and it was quite clear he was very passionate about his engagement to Princess Zae.
"I have already prepared half of my bride price for Princess Zae, and by next farming season, every thing will be ready." He said mocking the men from Letuyako.
" My Prince," another " wise" old men of the Letuyako courtiers started, his voice calm and piteous, we know you where charged a lot in Seke but for our princess you needed not pay that much"
Prince Sepo gave a loud laugh full of radicule, no one has ever heard him laugh that hard.
"Don't cheapen your Princess in front of strangers, they will think ill of your Kingdom. You coming to an engaged man asking for marriage has already cheapen her enough."
The two Letuyako courtiers looked at their fellow as if asking;
"Why would you say such a thing?" he bowed his head in embarrassment and defeat.
"My King, should know better than to involve me in his cheap political dreamscapes"...
A shocked murmur went through the chamber. King Chani sat wide eyed and open mouthed transfixed staring at his son.
"Prince Sepo will respect this King like everyone else." He said shell shocked.
" This King has even respected you enough by including you in this discussion...I'll think about it myself and make a decision."
"My king I..." prince Sepo wanted to refute, there was no decision to be made, everything was fine.
"You are excused...all of you, and take our visitors to the guest chambers, " he commanded finally showing his royal powers.
When, every one left, he called for the Queen.
"We have a dilemma, my Queen"he said looking at Queen Maliwa as soon as she made her self comfortable, as if trying to get approval for him to continue.
"Do we let him marry from Seke or Letuyako, because either way the bride will die but with Letuyako we won't have to wait for three maize farming seasons".
"Let him marry in Seke and marry in Letuyako after princess Zae's demise since he is already engaged to her, and I feel like the healing process will be disturbed if we change brides. It has already started with princess Zae."
The King acknowledged the Queen's suggestion by nodding his head grimly.
The Queen, to King Chani was to remote for him to moved past her hate for her brother's family but he couldn't help but respect her practice thinking to save her son.
" Your thoughts on this matter are really appreciated, my Queen"
"Thank you my King" The Queen gracefully made obeisance.
"My King, if I may..." Her eyes sought those of the King. She stepped towards the throne and held his face in her hands. The feel of her giving him other ideas.
" Do not over think things, I will bear the burden for you."
Her words gave King Chani a sense of security.
"You can go and rest, my Queen." She nodded with a smile and walked away from the throne, facing the King, she made obeisance and left with the grace he always associated with her.
King Chani was left in thoughts. Even if his relationship with his son was estranged, he admired the confidence and authority his son possessed. He will be a king like his grandfather, he will take Kele palace to greater heights. He felt inferior to his own son. He knew his son would be different from the rest of his children when he was born. King Chani's first son was nineteen- year- old Lubasi and he was born from the first concubine Nalowa, he had five more children from his three concubines before Prince Sepo the heir to his throne was born from Queen Maliwa...He didn't cry for Three consecutive days, prior to his birth, but he was a happy strong baby after that, until he reached age 7, and become a sickly boy who always had troubles breathing and a pain in his heart. He had thought the boy would not live that long and if he did would not amount to much.
Now that boy had grown, he had grown into a young man King Chani would only wish to be when he was his age.
"My ancestors must be very unpleased with me, but it won't be the case for you my son."
King Chani had lived half of his life with regrets and one was his son suffering his princely transgressions.