"Safiya , Safiya," Meka's voice echoed through the corridor as she raced towards her sister's room. However, when she entered the room, Safiya was nowhere to be found.
"Safiya, where are you?" she scanned the room, walking towards the open window and looking outside. The early morning sun was beginning to set, casting a warm glow over the compound. It was a brand new day, with women sweeping while children ran around.
She scanned the environment, hoping to catch sight of her sister, but there was no sign of her.
She turned and walked away, heading towards her mother's room when she accidentally bumped into the timid maid, Sheby.
"Sheby, have you seen my sister?" Meka asked in a hopeful tone.
Sheby shook her head gently. "No, I haven't," she replied.
"Okay, let me ask Mama," Meka said as she started walking towards her mother's room. However, before reaching there, she heard voices and decided to halt in her tracks.
Meka, currently standing in the corridor, peeped through the slightly opened door to see three maids arranging the room and engaged in gossip.
"My god, did you see the guest?" one of them exclaimed, the shorter maid.
"Of course, but it wasn't the groom that caught my attention, it was his cousin. I never knew the people of the other tribe were this good-looking. I might find my suitor there just like Meka," the thinner maid said as she folded a silk material into a basket.
"I wonder how Meka met him," the third maid curiously asked.
"Hmm, at least Meka is married now. But what about her sister Safiya? She has chosen to waste her life by behaving like a man," the first maid interjected.
"It's an abomination! It brings shame not only to this land but also to her mother and sister. No girl should ever dress like a man or wield swords. It's uncalled for," chimed in the thinner maid.
"Absolutely disgusting! She is a disgrace to womanhood," added the third maid, expressing her disapproval.
"Enough of all this gibberish you keep spouting," Meka interrupted, stepping in and glaring at the three girls. "Don't you have better things to do than to gossip?"
The three girls bowed their heads, their gazes fixed on their feet. "We are sorry," they said simultaneously.
"It's fine, but it's not nice to gossip about others, especially from the household that fed you," Meka responded calmly.
The girls apologized, their hands fumbling together nervously.
"You can go back to work now," Meka said.
They bowed and continued with what they were doing, just as Meka was about to step out, she paused and asked, "Has anyone seen Saiya?"
The short girl said. "I saw her this morning heading to the woods."
"Thank you."
Meka walked out of the room and started walking down the corridor. She would have to go to the woods and find her sister. This was the time she needed her sister to be on her side before she left for the faraway tribe, where she would become the wife of the crown prince - the future king of Azu.
Meka stepped into the woods, basking in the warmth of the sun's bright light filtering through the tall trees.
The smooth grass beneath her feet made for easy walking as she made her way further in.
Suddenly, the faint sound of heavy breathing and the swift chop of an axe caught her attention. Following the sound, Meka came face to face with her sister who was busy chopping wood with an axe.
It wasn't something new, but it was rare for Safiya to be chopping wood unless she was upset, and today she seemed especially distressed.
Safiya was so absorbed in her task that she didn't even notice Meka's presence. Her intense focus was directed solely on the wood scattered on the ground, as if she was finding solace in venting her emotions through the rhythmic swing of the axe.
"Safi..." Meka whispered softly, understanding the importance of being kind and gentle with her younger sister during these times.
As her elder sister, Meka had learned to be there for Safiya, regardless of her own expertise in swordsmanship. Even though she might not know how to protect her physically, she knew that it was her role to offer support and comfort when Safiya needed it most.
Meka hesitated to move closer, not wanting to disrupt the fierce battle between Safiya and the wood, their sounds clashing harshly.
"Safiya, can you hear me?" Meka called out, hoping that her voice would reach through to her sister in distress.
Safiya turned to look at Meka, her expression intense as she continued to chop the wood. The sound of the axe against the wood grew louder and more aggressive.
"Safi, what's wrong?" Meka asked softly, hoping to calm her sister's growing agitation.
Finally, Safiya stopped and threw the axe aside. She walked over to a nearby fallen palm tree and slumped down, her shoulders hunched over in defeat. "Everything is wrong, Meka. Everything." Safiya's voice was barely above a whisper as she stared into the distance with a blank expression.
Meka walked up to Safiya and sat down. "What do you mean by that?" she asked, wanting to understand her sister's concerns.
"You will be leaving, and I won't even be there to protect you. Papa said I should protect you and Mama," Safiya said, her voice filled with worry.
Meka gently caressed Safiya's hair as she spoke softly, "Safi, you have protected us in your own way, and I'm grateful to have you as my sister."
Safiya shook her head, her eyes filled with sadness. "No, you don't understand. When you leave, I won't get to see you again, at least not for a long time."
Meka reassured her, saying, "You can always come and visit for as long as you like. Distance might separate us physically, but our bond as sisters will remain strong."
Safiya let out a heavy sigh, unsure of the situation. "But how did you come across these people? Do you even know them? Have you been to their land? Azu? I haven't heard of such a place."
Meka smiled and blushed, saying, "Well, I met Jelani when I went for an errand for Mama in the next village. He was the sweetest."
Safiya frowned and asked, "When was that?"
"Well... it was last week," Meka replied.
Safiya's eyes widened in surprise. "And you married him so fast? Do you even know him?"
"Well, he has been nice to me, and he said he can't stop thinking about me," Meka said, sounding unsure.
"What if they are all lies?" Safiya wondered aloud.
"Safiya, can you just see the bright side of this?" Meka pleaded.
"I can't," Safiya said, standing up and pacing. "Until we find Papa's killers, we aren't safe."
"Can you please stop?" Meka stood up, glaring at her sister. "Papa died in a war and that's the truth. You just have to accept it like everyone else."
Safiya stared at her sister in disbelief. "I can't believe you also believe in those rumors. Papa was assassinated, not killed in a war."
"Where did you get this information from? And why would anyone want to kill him? Think about it, he did no harm and he was always kind. So why would someone kill him?"
"Exactly! Because of his kindness, he was killed."
"I don't understand. How can anyone be killed because of their kindness?"
"Do you remember when Papa told me to protect the house while he was gone?" Safiya asked, looking up.
Meka came closer to her, recalling the memory. "When he gave you the wooden sword?"
"Yes, exactly. Why do you think he said that?" Safiya questioned.
"Are you suggesting there's a reason behind that? Papa would often say such things when he was going to war," Meka replied, trying to piece things together.
"He only said them to Mama, never to me or you," Safiya explained.
Meka fell silent, deep in thought, trying to solve the puzzle.
Safiya noticed her sister's furrowed brow and continued, "He wouldn't have said that if he didn't know what would happen next."
"So are you saying he knew he might not survive?" Meka asked, her voice filled with uncertainty.
"Yes," Safiya nodded. "He was never afraid of dying for his people. That's why I believe he was killed."