Amasa

Chapter Twenty Five- Inevitable Changes

The night was short. Runesu and I laughed and cried, conversed and sang. I had the heartfelt interaction that I had longed for all my life. There was no feeling of restraint in the words towards the person talking to me. I was able to relate and share my thoughts and ideologies on the matter of discussion, unafraid of the detriment of my words to the lives of other people.

"He met her after the war against the Shintu, when you were kidnapped. Bule didn't have to nurse him into health but she was empathetic...She had found him drowning in his own blood near this very hut, took him to a cave nearby and visited him everyday. When he returned to Pokoda after having disappeared for so long, the villagers were shocked and renounced him dead. He then became your royal guard as he said that he felt some weakness overcome his body. He was not the same even though he was still as fit as he is now, just not fit enough for extreme battles."

"I cannot believe they waited for each other for the length of my lifetime."

Runesu smirked.

"You would not believe the ridicule Bule was subjected to, waiting for a man until she was unable to bear children, to make it worse, a Pokodan man! she didn't even know for certain that he would come back and marry her. It led her to be secluded from the rest of the village."

I had always wondered why Bule's home was so quiet, hardly getting any visitors.

"That is why Menhe agreed to help me when he found out that I was your sister, though I was working with Rima ... he knew that he would be granted protection when either Rima or Toga was ruling in Pokoda and I was able to protect him here in Shintu by claiming him as my inside spy. He was also permitted to marry and live in Shintu territory with Bule if you got here safely."

I sniggered as I remembered how he apologized before he poisoned me into deep sleep, only Menhe would be polite before such actions.

"Why was Rima so willing to help though?"

It seemed very out of character for Rima to do things out of the goodness of his heart, without getting anything in return.

"Rima was planning a coup. He wanted the throne and you were in his way."

I knew it, he was always power hungry.

"I wasn't able to be an heir either way, I am a female and am not of Toga's blood..."

I could not see the correlation.

"You were still an anchor to power, you were a child under his name, capable of merging the Pokoda kingdom to another tribe through marriage, holding the Shintu under rule as well as you were from their blood. Toga could have been the most powerful man under the sun if he gave your hand in marriage earlier. Unfortunately for him, all he wanted was a daughter, and by now Rima is possibly seated on Toga's throne."

Conniving must be Rima's first nature, poor Papa. Runesu paused as if to focus on a thought or memory.

"I could never understand why he hated you so much though... he had a hatred that blazed with passion when it came to you. Did anything happen between the two of you? I thought his vengeance would lessen as we approached your departure from Pokoda."

My lips pursed tightly shut like a child who suckled on a sour orange. I did not respond.

"You would think he had a former lover's bitter vengeance toward you..."

Runesu laughed hysterically loud, making me uneasy. I pretended to giggle.

"You are laughing too hard for my liking Runesu."

"I'm sorry my Princess, would you like me to change my laugh?"

Runesu responded mockingly. I could not believe that in the recent past, that question was an actual part of my reality. A question that would have been responded to by a stern serious response from me."