Dingani's pov
"I was expecting you to send her to the cellar." Thulani chuckles, leaning against the door with his hands in his pockets and legs crossed.
"Don't give me that puzzled look, no woman has ever talked to you like that before. anyone else who has ever gotten close to that has never gone unpunished."He continues.
I snort.He's right though. I've never tolerated that kind of behavior, much less from a woman. My father and Thulani are the only exception.
"She must be special." He adds in amusement .
"Oh shut up, there's nothing special about her." I retort angrily.
"I beg to differ. we both know you wouldn't have let her go if she wasn't."
"Enough about her, why are you here? I have work to do." I say, trying to change the subject.
"She has a point.I hope you know that." he tells me.
"No she doesn't, she is just a spoiled brat who doesn't know how to mind her own business. This is not her fight. if anything, it should be her friend filing a report not her but she didn't, because she knows her place and understands that whatever she's going through is her fault. A wife must know not to talk or fight back her husband.she must submit and follow his rules.He is stronger and knows what's best for his family." I say as I feel my anger resurfacing.
"You're wrong Dinga.I hope you realize that soon, before it's too late. A woman must be respected and appreciated. We wouldn't be here without them, they help bring order too. They raise our children." he says.
I just snort at that.
"I understand that this is not something we ever experienced but many others have. we both always wished to know how it felt like. we saw how other children were treated lovingly by their mothers."
He's right. while other children were cared for , we were not. we were never pampered with love. I always wished for mother to hug me, kiss me and tell me all would be well when father beat up for reasons I could not understand, I always wished for her to defend me and protect me from him.
"Don't punish other people because of what you went through. what if things were different? what if she was there through out your childhood, showered you with love and protected you, would you still allow women to be treated like filth?" He asks, his voice laced with pain.
Not wanting to answer his questions,I rub my face and say "I don't want to talk about this anymore, I need information about Misozi and her friend before evening. you're dismissed." I manage to say.
"Yes my king." He says before he bows and leaves.
"Misozi," I whisper her name as i remain still standing in my office after Thulani left.
I feel like laughing at what I'm feeling. I'm not only angred by her performance today but I'm also impressed. Thulani is right, no woman has ever talked to me like that before. She was brave enough to face me and speak on her friends behalf.
Her confidence was one I've rarely seen in a woman.she spoke like someone who has been educated, she spoke about equal rights. something I've never heard from any woman I've ever come across in my kingdom.
She's fierce, i like that but that was the first and last time she'll ever talk to me like that. Who does she think she is?
Women. Always driven by emotions to make decisions. This just proves why they are weak.
*************
"She has been right under my nose?" I ask in shock,of which i'm miserably failing to hide. "what do you mean by that?" I ask my friend who is annoyingly smiling at me.
"Well not literally under your nostrils but figuratively spe_" before he can finish talking I cut him off.
"Thulani can you be serious and stop fooling around."I scold .
He clears his throat "my apologies, she's works here."
"She works here?" I ask in disbelief.
"As a cook" he responds.
"As a cook?" I ask, still not believing what I'm hearing.
"By the Gods, will you keep repeating everything i say? Are you going deaf?" Thulani asks me in disbelief with his eyes now wide open.
I scowl at him. "Don't talk to me like that."
"Well something is obviously wrong with you, but yes. she works in the kitchen palace with her mother."
"I can't believe this. How come she wasn't among the young maidens the guards presented before me or at the festival?" I ask.more like to myself.
Thulani laughs at my expense and says "she obviously didn't want to be found. anyone else wouldn't, it's not like you're a friendly king.
I glare at him and that makes him shut up. " This girl is slowly becoming a problem for me." I say as i get up from my chair and head to the door.
"Really? and where are you going?" He asks, following me.
I pause and turn to look at him before I say "to the Kitchen."
As expected Thulani is shocked. His jaw drops "You never go to the kitchen, Why now?"
I respond by giving him a one word answer "Misozi".