Masego did get married and as I was instructed,l didn't attend the wedding ceremony. l heard that it was a gigantic royal wedding. Every villager attended this wedding except for my family.
Masego did get pregnant, and as she predicted, she gave birth to a son. Prince Amandla is now the King. He already married twice after Masego.
First, he married a princess of a nearby kingdom. This was the first time a prince of Amari marries an outsider. The marriage was to gain power. The first son of this Princess will be the King of Amari. This changed our traditions a little. This also means that Masego's son will not be King. Life right, it is hard and filled with so many surprises. You will never know what will happen to you tomorrow.
Secondly, the Amari Royal dance was announced and the prince elected his third wife. You can take a wild guess, that wife was not me. I had the same disappointment, pain, and embarrassment as in the first Amari Royal dance, but I still have hope.l still believe that being Queen is my destiny.
I'm 24 years old now and most of my peers are already married. Most have at least their second-born at this moment. Life has changed a lot since Masego got wedded. I don't have friends and I have turned into a joke in this village. I will say I'm Miss. lonely Zendaya, not Queen Zendaya.
You would think that just because I'm not Queen, the people of Amari lost their faith in the Evil Forrest legend. No, the belief is still there. Just recently a woman was burned just because she was seen coming back from that evil forest. Poor women, l wonder what was she doing in that forest.
I wanted to stand up for her, but l couldn't. Firstly, I wasn't the kind that speaks in front of a community. Secondly, such matters are not for women especially those who are not married. Thirdly, l thought about what was she doing in that evil forest, when she knew it's forbidden to go there. Fourth, l still believe that I will be the queen.
*****
Right after that thunderous storm, the Royal Family announced that the King will be taking his fourth wife. This brightens my mood as the whole maize, was ruined by the storm on my father's farm.
The process of preparing for the dance was the same as the one of the first Amari Royal dance.
On the day of the Amari royal dance l was looking beautiful, so did the other maidens .l was older than most of them. This time if I'm selected, I will cry. l have been waiting for this day my entire life.
More than ever, l need to be selected as the King's wife. My father said that if I'm not picked this time, then l will get married to Mr.Makena.Mr. Makena offered to marry me. He is rich and powerful, but he is very old. All the time l thought that he is my hero, it is wasted.
In my village, it is not a surprise for an old man to marry a young girl. As long as the girl is over sixteen. My father is 12 years older than my mother. I'm sure that the King is a bit older than me, but Mr.Makena is very old. He could be my father and if l marry him then l will be his 8th wife. I qualify to marry his son, not him.
"Again ", I shouted, right after the King picked this girl called Maserati as his fourth wife. In front of the people of Amari, in the middle of an Amari Royal dance.
"Again". My eyes filled with tears and my voice sored, I shouted. I wanted the King's attention, but I got everyone's attention. People were starring at me.
"Again! How? How I'm not picked as a fourth wife? I'm asking everyone who is here. You people said," You're going to the queen" but why I'm one yet. Three Amari Royal dance, yet I'm not picked. All my peers are married. The girl who said to be Queen she still not married", l said with an angry expression. I was like a woman possessed.
At this point, I broke so many rules, but I was not stopping there. I went straight to the King, looked straight into his eyes." You had a gut to rule to burn that woman. Said that she is a witch. You have a gut to forbid women to enter that evil Forrest, while one of the theories about the forest legend is a lie", as I was saying this, I also was pocking the King with my finger.
"Zendaya stop", my mother scolded. She couldn't take this embarrassment anymore."Stop Zendaya. This is not a way to talk to your King"
"Why mom? Someone tell me how come I'm not Queen of this village yet. When it is believed that my destiny is to be one. When everyone told me that I will be Queen. In case you think that I will be firth wife of the King, just know that I will not. Do you why? Because I will be getting married to Mr. Makena. A woman does not get married twice, right? As I asked, everyone decided to keep quiet.
" Why is nobody answering? Oh, I will tell you why. Because not even a single person has an answer. Not even your King here, the one prophesied to be the greatest King of all."l explained this while moving around like a crazy woman. My tears kept falling.
I was so hurt, furious, sad, and disappointed. I swear l despised everything about my life. I curse the day I was lost in that evil forest. I took off from that dance. l ran so fast as if I was chased.
Ran from that dance, passed every house of Amari, and straight to the evil forest, l entered.
I believe I was in the center of the evil forest when I yelled, "I'm here you evil forest. You don't have mercy for females, right? Then here is a woman."
It seemed as if l was shouting this forest but I was shouting at whatever kills people. This forest is said to have ghosts, witches, and evil creatures. It is so dangerous, so I was speaking to whatever makes this forest dangerous. I want to see why people are frightened by this forest.
"waashh, waaashh", a sound of something moving in the grass.
"Who is there?" I asked.
"waaashhhh.." The sound continued. I began to feel a bit scared." Is there someone here "l inquired. Then sound kept proceeding. I looked around for a while and I couldn't see anything, but all of a sudden I saw a gigantic snake. A huge python and l froze.
No movement and no speaking(not even a whisper). I stood still as the Python come closer and closer. The python started to wrap around my body which was still as a statue.