A Taboo
ZAINA stood looking into the mirror tenterhooked as she waited for the chauffeur from The Bahwan Palace, all the way from Kuru kingdom.
Finally, she was going to meet with Prince Zashil, second prince of Kuru. She exhaled deeply, looking at herself in the mirror.
Well, trust her mom, she actually paid for make-up artistes to come dress her up, and now she was up and ready.
Her door opened and her mom entered.
“Where is my baby girl?”, Sarika said chuckling.
“I’m here mom”, she turned away from the mirror.
“Aww sweetie, you look amazingly beautiful, my goodness”, she said admiring her.
Zaina blushed.
“Thanks mom”, she swallowed hard.
Sarika sighed.
“You look nervous”, she said.
“Of course I am mom, very nervous. This is my first date you know, and to think of it, first date with a prince”, she shrugged.
“I think I know what you need. Come over to the dining, let me dish out food for you”, Sarika said walking away.
Zaina bursted into laughter.
“Come on mummy, I didn’t say I was hungry”, she laughed.
She turned back to her.
“You need food, to check your tension”.
“Hell no, I’m fine. I’m gonna overcome this though, how do I look mom?”, she began touching her hair and dress.
“Like a princess, beautiful and exquisite”, she said.
“I hope so”, she picked up her purse from the dressing table.
Sarika laughed.
“I know so”.
“Well come on, the chauffeur would soon be here”, and together, they left the room.
Almost immediately the chauffeur arrived, and Zaina stepped out to the car.
“Be at your best behavior daughter”, Elder Sachin, her father said, and she nodded, smiling.
“I will”.
Sarika moved closer her and whispered into her ears.
“Don’t let him take you to bed, no matter what”, she said.
She giggled, how would she? Was she a dunce? She shook her head.
“I won’t”, she licked her lips.
“You will be back today right?”, Elder Sachin asked.
“Well, that depends on his grace, the prince. He has the final say”, the chauffeur said and slightly bowed, then held open the car door for Zaina.
She hopped in, and he closed back the door. Then walked to the driver’s side and lowered himself in, then he drove off.
Zaina relaxed as they drove along, heading for the local airport where their private flight to Kuru kingdom awaited them.
*
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Rina stood in a daze befuddled, as she watched Alina ran her mouth, that she should what? Go to the throne room? For what exactly?
“What exactly am I going to the throne room to do?”, she asked, then dropped her mouth agape.
They all bursted into laughter and she drew back, staring at them all.
“Go and clean up, we have no time for arguments”, Alina said.
Rina finally closed up her open mouth as she sighed. She as well as Alina knows fully well that the throne room was a no no for her, it was a restricted area, only a few selected maids were allowed to be there for work, and she, hasn’t been given that allow.
“You know fully well Alina, that’s a restricted area for me”, she said.
“And so? Please…”, she clapped twice and one of the maids immediately brought a mopping bucket and a mopping stick.
“Give it to her”, Alina ordered and the maid pushed the bucket to Rina.
“Twenty minutes”, Alina said and they all walked out the room, leaving Rina behind.
Rina felt crestfallen, she felt helpless. Why was the world always against her? Why has this Alina told her to clean up the throne room? Of all places, it was the throne room?
She sighed then picked up the mopping bucket and stick and dashed out the room, heading for the throne room.
***
Amaya tiptoed all along the hallway as he slipped through pillars and cleavages, trying to hide from the maids and guards parambulating about.
His heartbeat was on the increase and he tried calming down, come on, this was just one of his normal tasks.
He sighed, he needed to tell himself the truth, this wasn’t any of his normal tasks, this was an uphill one, very mundane.
He came by the last bend leading to his destination and he stopped by a pillar, and exhaled deeply. He first ducked out his head, and boom, he sighted a maid walking past, and he dodged.
He stood motionless as he heard the walking steps of the maid walked out, then he exhaled.
“That was close”, he whispered to himself.
Very sure that the maid had gone, and hearing no other sounds, he tiptoed out, and then straight into the throne room.
There was no sight of any guard around, Davida has succeeded in keeping them all busy.
He found his way into the room and he exhaled. It’s really been a while as he had only been in the throne room once, the day he had come to pay homage to the king.
The sweet fragrance oozing out of the room hit his nostrils and he inhaled. The place was airy and cool as always.
His eyes scathed round and he studied the room instantly. It was a two floored room, a raised floor, and the down floor.
On the down floor were royal couches scattered all over, with several side tables, and on the raised floor stood the throne.
Beside the throne, stood the golden sceptre; the staff of defense, as it glittered in all it’s gold, and then the crown on the throne.
Wow! He couldn’t believe his luck! The king had gone out without taking his crown with him, hmm, this was on a platter of gold.
He grinned broadly revealing his thirty two and glanced back, seeing nobody. He wasn’t expecting anyone though.
He took bold steps further and walked up to the raised floor, then raised his right hand.
His hand hung in the air for minutes as she stared at the sceptre, his heart racing.
‘Come on you can do this, it’s a small task. Take up the golden sceptre, take it up, you gonna be the next king’, a voice kept echoing in him, spurning him to action.
“Mmmm”, he growled and finally landed his hand on the sceptre, then picked it up.
Suddenly he felt his hands vibrating and he held on to it, groaning.
“Finally, the golden sceptre; the staff of defense in my hands”, he shouted, his voice echoed into the room.
Suddenly a strange wind began hovering in the room, all the curtains, calenders, photo frames and pictures on the wall shook vigorously. The little gypsy statue by the entrance split into two. He growled.
His right hand holding the sceptre was still vibrating and shaking, then with his left hand, he picked up the crown, and placed it on his head, and suddenly he felt his whole body heating up, his veins were becoming visible as they shoot in and out on the surface of his body, and he shook and staggered like never before.
His eyes turned red, his teeth gnashed and the hairs on his body stood on end. The hovering of the wind increased, as it did more damages.NôvelDrama.Org exclusive content.
Amaya was groaning in pain as all this happened, it was gonna take a while, this was just the part he was gonna play in order to take over the throne.
As he staggered, he felt his heated body becoming normal gradually, the hovering wind began ceasing, the damages it caused reducing and the hairs on his body lying low slowly.
And so he stood still like that, though still shaking and staggering as he faced the throne, backing the entrance, and all drama was about coming to an end when suddenly he heard a noise from behind him, like something fell from someone.
Jeez, not now, no. Instantly he turned towards the entrance and he saw a maid, a mopping bucket and stick already on the floor and she stood, her eyes were widened in shock.
“What! A taboo!”, she shouted.
*
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?? THE GURU’S TEMPLE ??
An elderly man sat on the marble floor as he faced the huge fire he had made, making some incantations, his eyes tightly shut.
By the far end of the temple was a huge glass black pot filled with water on a tripod stand, but there was no fire under it, just water.
The temple looked dark and only the fire in the middle of it, lighted up the place.
On the white painted walls of the temple stood statues of different kinds, beads of different kinds hanging conspicuously and drawings of all manners of things.
They were also chairs around and mats as well. Though it all looked creepy, but everywhere was sparkling neat, no single dirt.
The Guru had a thick white long beard and wore a saffron robe. His shoulders were draped in a brown shawl and he wore a bejeweled turban intended to be a crown.
On his neck was necklaces of precious stones, and had two swords at his waist. The swords represented the concept of temporal and spiritual power.
He was still sitting in his silence of prayers and incantations when suddenly the water in the pot began boiling, he could clearly hear it boiling.
He slowly opened his eyes with a start, and peeked towards the side where the pot stood. There was no fire, no heat, and yet the water boiled.
What! He slowly got up, then dragged himself towards the pot. The water was now boiling at it’s boiling point, and this wasn’t ordinary.
He stood still for some seconds looking into the boiling water, and then the next thing, boom! The pot exploded and shattered into pieces, water spilled everywhere.