Annabel coughed, she had choked on a bone. He rushed towards his bed and picked the water Jar up, poured some into the glass cup on the table. His habit of having water nearby had come handy. He rushed over to her and placed it in between her lips as she parted it then dropped the cup.
“Are you feeling better now?.”He asked seeing she could move more better than she did before.
“Yes… yes… Master.”She replied and dropped the pill in her mouth then swallowed it. While growing up, she hated pills the same way she dreaded being sick and vunerable. Pills to her was torture.
“You should feel better in no time.’ He said and stood up. ‘ You can use the bed.”He added.
“Why Master?.”She questioned.
Why was he being so nice to her all of a sudden? At first she had thought it was all a act and he would get bored of it and change.
“Why what? Do you mean why you should sleep on the bed? You are sick Anny, you need to rest.”He replied her.
“No Master, I mean that why are you being nice to me?.”She asked.
He was baffled by her question.
Who on surface Earth questions someone for treating them right?.
He laughed out.
“Did I say something funny Master.”She asked innocently and played the words over and over again in her head and it sure didn’t sound funny.
“No Annabel and I don’t have an answer to that.”He responded then sent her a smile before walking out of the room.
Was this who he really was? If he was this nice then why did Mackie say something about him losing his pets? Did he kill them? Was he going to kill her too? Was that why he was being so good to her?
~~~~~~~~~~
“I heard our king is getting his only child married to the Omigos.”A young woman in her thirties said as she sent flies off her fruits.
It was usual for them to gossip about one thing or the other at the Blood Market. It was there women, men, young and old passed information and words needed to be spread.
“I thought we were sworn enemies.”A young man replied.
“Of course we are. We and the Red city do not have anything in common.”Another lady replied.
“Then why is the King marrying her off to them?.”The man asked.
“I doubt that it is true.”A young lad chirped in.
“I am very sure it is, I heard the new too from a very reliable source.”An old woman in her fifties added.
“If it really is then I sense war, a big one.”He replied.
“Yes, this is definitely cause a big war.”He said.
“The Red city and us can never unite, we must not.”The young man added.
“Well let’s see how it turns out.”She said and went about her business.
King Centroid had organized a feast where he called all his people both Young and old to break the news of the marriage to them. Although he knew there were rumours in the market and the people would be aware of it. As their king, it would be of more honour if he told them himself.
“I gathered us here today to discuss something very important.’ He said and cleared his throat, ‘ My daughter, Princess Paya is finally getting married.”He broke the news and watched heads turn.
“Congratulations Our King.”They all chroused. News like this were considered massive in the Blood city for they like bed feasts.
“Thank you My people.’ He replied and raised his glass of wine, ‘ Toast to a new life.”He said and watched the people click their glasses in response.
“Who is this Lucky Wolf, My king.?”One of the elderly wolves said.
“Thank you Madam capri.’ He said to num then turned to his people. ‘ I know this might come as a shock but I want you all to know that everything I do or say is for the sake of peace, unity and safety of our people.”He completed.
“We know My king, but we need to know this groom cause we sure have heard some rumours which we know it’s untrue. The other day My son Bob had brought some weird news to me about Paya married off to an Omigo which I clearly turned down.”Alpac Massibur said. He was one of the most respected hunters in the Blood city for his bravery and dedication.
“Yes Alpac, we all heard it too. The talks in the Market that the king is marrying his only child off to the Omigos, a part of the Red city, our sworn enemy.”Zamara Emphir said and the people murmured amongst themselves.
“Be at peace brothers.’ The king said and the murmuring reduced. ‘ I know you all must be baffled right now but I just want you to know that I, your king, meant well.”He completed.
“That still doesn’t answer our question, My king.”Alpac challenged.
“Hummmm humm.’ He cleared his throat, ‘ What you hear in the market is true, Princess Paya is getting married to the Omigos.”
“Never.”Someone screamed.
“It can never happen.”Another screamed.
“We can never bow to the Reds.”One shouted.
“Well my decision as your king is final.”He said and walked away.
The murmurs lasted for an hour as the people were angered by his decision.
“Urthur would have made a better king.”One of them said.
“Yes I agree, to f only the people had listened to us in the beginning.”Another replied.
“Now we have to bow to the Reds.”One chirped in.
“Never, I will never bow to them not even in my grave.”Another said angrily and walked away.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“All hail Tarafita.”They chroused and bowed down. Men, women, young and old all dressed in flowing white gowns.
There she sat, dressed in a long flowing pink gown laced with beautiful little flowers with a shiny metal on her head as she waved and smiled in return.
Everywhere was cloudy.
Everywhere looked strange.
She doubted if she had seen the place before.
If no then why was she sitted there? Why was she in the highest chair in the room? Why were they bowing to her?. And why was she responding? If she was sitted there then why was she also standing back here dressed in a white long flowing gown too?.
She was so confused.
The person looked like her, spoke like her but was she her?.
She felt like she had lost control over her body, felt like someone was controlling her.
Where was she? Why was she here? Who or what was Tarafita?.
She watched with keen eyes as the other her got up, her other self as she had learned to call this look alike stranger.
“Victory is Ours.”She said and the people cheered, rejoicing over what only they understood.
Same voice. Same tone. Who was this imposter? What was her motive? Where was she?.
She felt a cockroach crawl all over her, causing her to scream out loud.
Annabel opened her eyes to beads of sweat running down her forehead.
Phew! How relieved she was, it was all a dream.
She rolled over to see if she had woken her Master up but he was still sound asleep.
That’s better, she didn’t want to have to explain the weird dream or why she screamed out to anyone.
But was it real? The dream?.
She asked herself, so confused to the core.
Come on Anny, it is just a dream.
The tiny voice replied and she laid down back to sleep wishing she wouldn’t find herself there again.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
“My Lord, My Lord.”The one eyes guard came running in.
“What is is Fabul? Can you not see I am busy.”A deep husky male voice said, one that carried power and caught attention.
“I am sorry My Lord.’ The guard stopped in his tracks and bowed. ‘ But I am afraid you would love to hear this.”He completed.
“Hummmm.’ He picked his teeth with the tiny needed in his fingers. ‘ Let him through.”He commanded and the other guards lifted the two swords placed over each other, it was used to protect the King from people barging in unruly.
“Good day my Lord.”The guard said and knelt down, head bowed.
“I asked for no greetings. If I needed them, i have people whom would do that.”He said disgustingly.
“I am sorry My Lord.”He begged shivering.
“Now I am pissed off. Fabul, what did you say I would be interested in?.”He asked, already pissed off.
“Hmmm, hmmm. My Lord, it’s just that….. I heard something My Lord.”He stammered scared of offending the powerful Vemon the second.
“Cut to the chase.”He said angrily. Nobody wasted his precious time, it placed great value on it.
“King of the Blood city, My Lord, is getting his daughter married to the Omigos.”He said and watched the King’s eyes widen with anger and spite.
“The Omigos of……”He asked. He had to confirm it.
“Of the Reds, My Lord.”The guard said confirming his thought.
“Hmmmm.’ He coughed. ‘ Who else in the Kingdom knows.”The King asked.
“No one yet My Lord. News like this takes days that spread to our city.”He answered.
“Is that so?.’ He asked and watched him nod in agreement. ‘ Come over son.’ He ordered softly and Fabul did as told. ‘ I believe this should be between us.”
“Yes My Lord, I promise not to tell anyone, not even Alama My Lord.”
“Good.”He responded and unsuspectingly plucked the third needle in his left hand just below his wrist, dipping it into the back of the guard’s neck.
“My… Lord… My…. Lord.”He coughed and held his throat, falling to his death.
“Now that will stay between us.’ He laughed. ‘ Clean it up and say no word to anyone, if asked say he died in a war.”He said and walked into his room.
Killing was a way to calm his anger especially the person whom broke the news to him.
He paced around his room, confused and angry.
Why would the Blood King accept such offer? Why the Reds and not the Venoms? For a long time, he had tried to convince the Blood King to get his son, Alama married to his daughter and he had bluntly refused.
He knew the Reds were up to something, they had a scheme and he would unveil it.
“I won’t let them succeed.”He swore under his breath.
“Are you Okay My Lord?.”Her Majesty, the Queen asked. She placed her right hand in his shoulder. He hadn’t notice her enter and that was unusual of him. Despite being cold mad unruly to the people, he was always a different person around them and that was the man she had fell in love with.
“I am fine My Queen.”He replied, he didn’t want to get her worried by the news even though he knew she would soon hear of it when the news spreads throughout the city in three days.
“But you don’t look fine, My Lord.’ She said concerned and cupped his face in her soft palm bringing it close to look at hers. ‘ You can tell me anything.”She completed. She knew he was really bothered by something and it worried her because the man he had become would do anything to get his worries cleared.