The Legend of Tafari

Chapter 1 Wager

My mother spoke in her native tongue to my father whose composed face showed how painful the walk to the king’s court yard was. I wore the best dress I had as we walked up the paved street. Every three yards there were guards and each pair looked at me with wonder in their eyes. Papa always said I was his greatest treasure. The king threatened to remove my father from his position of overseeing the villages because of an unpaid wager.
“Deola my treasure, honor this family with your sacrifice being a servant in the king’s house so that your family may continue living in peace,” he said amongst all of our loved ones. Seeing the faces of my brother and sisters were my inspiration to be the sacrifice. They needed the opportunity to be something as I had been blessed with. I was one of the smart and most skilled within my village. Papa said I was blessed with my mother’s beauty plus an extra dose of favor from the gods.
“Papa make me a promise,” I said that night. “Don’t ever wager with the king again,” I said as my father swore an oath with me and the village. My mother was crying without wailing. I could see her tears streaming down her moon carved face. I grabbed her hand in attempts to comfort her, but instead she pulled her hand away from me quickly.
“Don’t Deola you’ll get dirty,” she said as I looked down at her and my father’s feet taking footsteps in front of me. We made it to the door of the outside of the king’s court. The walls were made of a red dyed cement made of straw and clay that was hard to come by in Gabon.
The gate watchers opened the doors as a man shouted our arrival. As we entered the scent of perfumes and incense surrounded us as we entered and the doors closed behind us.
“Naiser! I welcome you my honest and unlucky advisor to the clans within our nation,” I heard the voice of a man say as I saw the king. He was dressed in an indigo blue dyed skirt and his crown had diamonds of all colors within it. Upon his chest laid a golden plate that glistened in the sunlight.
Besides him on another throne sat a woman so radiant in her raiment. I gazed at her in awe before my mother smacked my thigh so quickly with the back of her hand to get me to keep my eyes down.
“Hail my king long life be given to you from the gods, my father responded bowing his head in honor of King Haben.
“Hail, my queen, long life, beauty, and wisdom be imparted to you,” my father continued, as he kneeled on one knee.
“Oh Naiser, you are still the wise boy I once knew,” Queen Tafari spoke her words flowing from her mouth as sweet showers in a drought. Papa said they were both born in the same village and that she was much younger than he and her husband.
Papa stood as Mama and I stayed bowed. I bring you the treasure I owe you my king. This is my daughter Deola, she is my first born and will bring wealth to your crown. I could feel Papa’s eyes on me as King Haben said to stand to Mama and I. Papa pulled me up next to him a few feet away from the king and queen’s thrones. I stayed looking at the ground until I was told to look up.
“Naiser, my how the gods smile on you and your seed,” King Haben said walking around me his eyes scaling up and down me. I held in my uncomfortable shudder as the king walked back up to his throne.
“Tafari will she suit you enough?” He asked. I looked at the queen her purple raiment reflecting the sun as she nodded her crown sparkling with the many diamonds that were spoke of in bedtime stories told to me as a child.
“How old are you girl?” Tafari asked.
“I am twenty one years old,” I said my eyes looking back at the ground. She rose from her throne and her perfume rustled like bird’s feathers as she walked towards my mother.
“Sweet Lewa do not fear she will be in good hands,” she said as she grabbed Mama’s hands kissing both her cheeks. My mother smiled a genuine smile as she nodded her eyes beholding me as she whispered in hush tones with the queen as I saw her laugh softly in relief as Queen Tafari walked back to her throne not looking at me once.
“Yohance,” Tafari said as a short lighter toned woman walked out into the courtyard. She wore a tunic wrapped around her hair, her attire was full of purple and gold, and her eyes sparked a flame. Her voice was soft and high like that of a child’s.
“My queen,” she answered as she dipped in a bow.
“Take Deola to my chambers, speak with her on her duties there.” Tafari spoke as Yohance nodded.
“Say farewell to your parents my dear, ”Tafari said as she and the king whispered so softly.
“So long Papa and Mama,” I spoke softly hugging them tightly as they kissed me and Mama whispered,
“Be good to the queen Deola and she will be good to you.”
I nodded as I walked towards Yohance my head down as I passed the king and queen. The king continued speaking with Papa as we disappeared down the hall the voices of my father and King Haben’s trailing off as I followed Yohance to a large room.
There was a pool where waters steamed and flower petals drifted on ripples located in the far left corner of the room. The right half of the room was filled with massive pillows kneaded by a grand seamstress. Two male servants held large fans not moving at all. While the female servants waited with large baskets full of flower petals to coat the top of the water in the pool. Incense burned and filled the room with a sweet aroma.
“Take off those clothes Deola,” Yohance said as she stripped off her top raiment revealing water wadding clothes underneath.
The hue of her skin was lighter than mine as I undid my clothing till I was completely naked as she measured me from head to toe.
“Get in the pool child,” she commanded as I obeyed as she joined me grabbing sponges and scrubbing hard until my caramelized skin had a hint of red. She poured oils in my hair massaging it in till I no longer smelled as I once did. We both got out of the pool as I was wrapped in sheets and told to follow Yohance, after she changed out of her wet clothes. The palace was beautiful and grand each hallway lit with torches woven by the weaver of the kingdom as he had been called at my school in the capital of Gabon.
As I continued to follow Yohance we entered a room full of clothing as Yohance uncovered me from the wet sheets and laid me on my back spreading my legs as she brought out a razor blade shaving my woman parts. I tried to focus on the paint design on the ceiling as I winced every so often at the blade’s sharp edge. Yohance was precise with her goal. As she stood me up observing her work and after she tied undergarments on me. Then she spoke as she dressed me in a gold hued garment.
“Deola, your purpose in this palace is to be the runner for our queen. You will sleep at the foot of her bed every night and stay kneeled on your knees unless she tells you otherwise. You are to do whatever she ask at whim, with no hesitation. I’d assume you know how to hold your tongue unless she tells you to speak. And upon your ankle you’ll wear this bell so that no one will mistake you for a thief or intruder.” She tied a small bell with a red yarn on my ankle as she adjusted my clothes and braided my hair as it was draped over my left shoulder.
“Follow me now quickly, dear girl,” she said as she continued speaking.
“Queen Tafari will be done in the courtyard soon Deola and when she enters her courters you will be in the right hand corner on your knees head looking at the ground until she calls for you.”
We entered Tafari’s courters and it was draped with the same colored material I had. Yohance showed me where to kneel. I kneeled down as she straightened my back to her liking.
“Lastly Deola, Queen Tafari is the oracle of the Gabon Kingdom. You will treat her as such. You will be her shadow unless she is in the presence of the king and then only will you without permission go from the shadow of the queen.”
I looked up at her and smiled nodding. Thanking her for her wisdom and instructions. She smiled at me as she left the room, I looked forward at the queen’s massive bed draped with silks from the kingdom of Mali. Candles burned along with incense as I adored the beauty of the room. This was my first time in the palace. She had a stool near a small window where a small but brightly colored flowers was. For the following hour I watched as butterflies landed and sucked the nectar from the flowers.
I admired the large pillow I kneeled on that was covered in golden colored silk. The door of the room opened as I looked down only able to see the feet of the queen, as she spoke with Yohance swiftly about matters I could not understand in French.
“You did an amazing job as always Yohance,” she said with a smile in her voice.
“What would I do without you my dear friend?” she said as she passed by me as if I did not matter. Her scent was sweet as gardenias in the heat of summer.
“Tafari, do you have any more need for me?” Yohance said addressing her by her first name. I heard no response verbally as Yohance with a smile in her voice,
“Well I will see you in the morn my friend. Good night Deola my dear.” She said as I nodded in response still looking at the ground as the door closed behind her. I could only hear the queen’s breathing. The room seemed to fill with anticipation as I stayed stiff and kneeled down waiting her to call me and no call came for all of five hours. I had good posture but five minutes after the fifth hour I slouched my shoulders getting a cramp in my thigh, and neck. I dared not yell in the pain I felt.
“Deola come here,” Tafari said startling me as I stood still looking down as I stood at the end of the bed.
“You may look at me,” she said calmly. I lifted my head to see her laying in her bed completely naked. Without realizing I looked back down afraid, as fear and curiosity choked my heart as it jumped.
“Look at me girl,” she said her tone more commanding. I obeyed as my eyes trailed up from her feet, and legs to her woman parts, the curve of her hips, her belly, and luscious breast. Her eyes were on my face as I gazed at her naked flesh.
“Your father must have owed my husband much for him to give you up,” she said as she looked at me almost in disgust and adoration at the same time.
“Were you educated at the capitol?” she asked as I said yes softly.
“I was your age eight years ago when my husband gave a dowry to my father to make me his wife for the power over the remaining rogue tribes who believed me to be the oracle child birthed on the eve of spring.”
As she spoke I observed her face reminisce.
“Come lie with me Deola,” she said as she patted the bed. I hesitated before obeying as I stiffly laid in the bed as far away from her as possible. She was no small petite woman. She was proportioned in all the right places and using her strength she pulled me against her bare skin as she smelled my hair.
“Yohance outdid herself with preparing you,” she whispered as she held me against her. Her skin was warm and within her arms, it felt safe. She grabbed my hand forcing me to touch her breast as she responded to my touch. I without being asked rubbed her nipples as she looked at me biting her luscious lips. I feared looking in her eyes as I closed mine doing no more than rubbing her nipple. She grabbed my chin as I felt her lips mesh with mine. I hesitated her breath sweet as she kissed me once more.
“Deola you shall be my shadow and you shall know me greater than any other being has longed to know me. Do you understand me?” She asked.
“Yes, my queen...” I said lost in thought as she corrected me.
“Within these courters you shall call me Tafari.” She said softly. I nodded in response.
“Now my dear girl sleep, tomorrow shall be a grand day,” she said as she wrapped me in her, her lips against my neck until she was breathing softly in sleep.
My new surroundings were so unfamiliar that sleeping was almost impossible until the sounds of nature surrounding us lulled me into a state of peace…..