Brinda

Riot

Fuming while he paced around and stopped to view what was in his hand over and over and again, wondering how little they thought of him and how they seemed to have forgotten who he was and what he was capable of. It made sense in some regards; parents always wanted to protect their young ones and their children as a whole, and it was exactly what they were trying to do.

Yet, he was no longer a child who had to be spoon-fed. He was a King, and he was going to become a great one. The notion in itself would make his kingdom look weak and miserable and he wasn't about to let it happen as long as he could prevent it.

"I could hear your heart race wildly from the hallways", Ambika Devi rushed into the room and stopped by the door. "What is wrong and why are you sweating profusely, my love?"

King Adigun stood akimbo for a moment and then held out a letter in his hand for her to look through. "Read it and tell me what you think".

Ambika Devi reluctantly took the note from the King's hand before slowly unfolding it and running her face through the single page. she performed the action for the third time and then looked back up at the King with nothing but frightened looking eyes from behind her veil. She had never seen her look that scared and the longer he stared at her, the harder it was for him not to feel concerned.

"Did your father send this?" she asked, almost stuttering with her words.

King Adigun replied, "Can you imagine what insult it would bring to my kingdom that I have to resort to asking my father for support in order to keep a few disgruntled people away?"

Ambika Devi approached him and shook her head. "If the people in this letter are who I believe they are, then we have a serious problem on our hands. Your parents might be right and things might get pretty ugly soon".

He took the note from her again and read the words out in soft tone while he struggled to pronounce the names of the men his father claimed were now sponsoring and willing to take in the disgruntled faction in Brinda Kingdom. The man sounded paranoid just as Ambika Devi was, and King Akogun was never one to feel worried about anything, talk less of war.

"What do you mean?" King Adigun asked. "Are they within this kingdom?"

Ambika Devi shook her head. "They exist within and outside the kingdom. They have been antagonists to our peace for thousands of years and my father lost my mother to their antics while he was once out at war. They aren't people you can cast aside because they have influence and warriors on their side. This might be a bloodbath and something has to be done soon".

It finally began to make sense to the King as to why King Akogun offered to send him a thousand warriors. The numbers in itself was too much for warriors bred and trained within Chiroma, but his father seemed to be overcompensating or maybe too paranoid in King Adigun's thoughts. More so, he would rather find a way to destroy the enemy himself.

"Do you have a name?" he turned to his woman and asked.

She shook her head fervently. "I doubt anyone even knows who these people are. They control almost everything outside of this kingdom and other kingdoms have suffered in great nature from them too. I beg of you, my King, to please find a way to appease the people of Brinda".

It sounded like his wife was advocating for him to give in and let them continue with the Sati culture. Her notion definitely did not sit well with him and while he had no harsh words towards her, his eyes did more than enough of the talking.

"I cannot submit to such desires, my love. Where does it end from there? They might threaten to destroy the kingdom all the want but I believe the heart of Brinda beats right within my chest", he pointed to the upper left region of his chest. "As long as I have a heart beating within my chest, nothing will topple Brinda under my watch".