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Chapter Nine

Chapter nine.

"Sometimes you may be the whole package, just sent to the wrong address."

••

"Here. It's yours. My little apology." I say and hand him the Pin Pop lollipop.
"I haven't seen one of these in years...thanks." He says with a smile on his lips. I liked how his eyes almost looked closed when he was smiling like this. "I like what you did to your hair."

Oh so they aren't invisible.

"Your Highness, we may leave." One of the mannequins interrupt.

They came to fetch me today, from my humble abode to this ridiculously massive palace. I didn't go in though and luckily I wasn't forced to go in either. I would've hated that type of ambush.

"Thank you Zakhele. Shall we?"
"We shall." I say.
He opens my door for me and I step in before he closes it. I watch him walk gracefully to his side before another mannequin opens his door for him. He climbs in and sits next to me. Too close. He unbuttons the single button from his suit and sits back.

"Drive." Him. With that single command, I feel the engine of this very SUV come to life and the motorcade drives on off. I don't know how to feel. I don't know what to think at this point too.

"You ready for today?"
"Brick making? No."

He chuckles. "Well you better be. It's going to be a long day."
"I have church tomorrow."
"Does that mean I don't have a lot of time with you?"
"I guess." I look out of the window. There are a few people I spot outside waving at spares the  and raising this kingdom's flag high as we drove past them.

"Yes Zano. I like having you around me." He says. My gaze is quickly on him again but I find him and his eyes closed as he laid his head back.

We get to this huge piece of land before the cars come to a halt.

There were trucks and tall ass grass everywhere. A subtle smell of sand and cement in the air and the loud roaring of the machinery that seemed to arrive here in numbers. Men and women in overalls were everywhere on this land where the land was purely sand.

"What do you think?"
"What can I think? Is this what you meant with a place."
"Places actually. You did say if you could you would build houses for people who can't afford to build their own. Well now you can."

Well now I can?

"Bangi!"

I can't believe he heard me when I said that. He actually was paying attention to what I was saying. He remembered something I said over ikota?

"About 200 houses are going to be built here"
"200?" I can't keep my mouth closed. My arms are around his neck in seconds, embracing him. "You are such an idiot Bangi!"
"Thank you." He chuckles before his hands rest on my curves. I hear his take in a sharp breath. It felt so warm in his arms...so genuine too. I didn't want to let him go. His hold around my waist tightens and if it were to be any tighter, my feet would be off the ground.

"Bangizwe?" I hear a voice before I quickly let the man go.

Who is she?

He gives her a quick glance and his face drops almost instantly. "Noluntu? What are you doing here? How did you know I was here?"
"Your mother told me."
"She what?" He eyes me. I think I know who she is now. I take a step back before his hand grabs mine stopping me from disappearing. "Where are you going?"
"Who is your guest?" Noluntu asks.
"Zanokuhle, her name is Zanokuhle."
"Oh I'm sure she knows who I am then?"

I give him a confused look. Why is still holding my hand?

"Zano, this is Princess Noluntu. The Princess of the Momane kingdom, second daughter of King Xhanti the third."