BONUS chapter sponsored by Buyi Linah Khumalo❤️
RHULANI
"I'm saying that I want to marry your first daughter, Rialivhuwa."
After these words leave my mouth, I sit and observe the composure of the king sitting opposite me. One would swear I just dropped a bomb on him but surely it can't be news to him. He knows very well that he has another daughter besides Gavaza. He knows who his first born is even if he went for years pretending as though she doesn't exist.
"What did you just say to me?" he finally locates his voice again, his eyes are a reflection of hell's fire. He's a livid man, as to why he's angry though, I'm yet to find out.
"I said I still want to marry someone from your family but not Gavaza, my heart belongs to Ria and she's the only one I'm willing to make this commitment to,"
"Do you have any idea of the kind of mess you want to dump at my doorstep? Where the hell did you even find her? Boy, is this you playing some sick game with me or my daughter because I swear-"
"I have great respect for my elders, but I'd strongly advice you to avoid threatening me as I don't take kindly to threats. Unless we are in a declared war, do not assume that you can use your rank to belittle or even threaten me, you will not like it when the tables turn, "
" Who the hell do you think you are? I was a king before your father pissed you all the way into your mother's womb, before they even thought of conceiving you and you think you can come here and address me like I'm one of your peers? "
I see what he's trying to do, he's trying to move from the main issue but unfortunately for him, I'm not walking away from this conversation.
" I have not spoken out of turn since I sat here. You however, have used all kinds of tones with me but because I know why I asked you here I've been humoring you, not forgetting that you're an elder, of course and my future father in-law. Now tell me, why are you trying to get away from talking about your daughter? The eldest one, I mean. "
Each time I refer to Ria as his daughter I see something in his eyes. I'm not quite sure what to make of it, is it remorse? Or maybe not, maybe he would rather spend the rest of his old age years pretending that she does not exist. I know for a fact that she isn't trying to win a relationship with him, but for me to marry her, there must atleast be a royal representative on her side, who better to ask this from except the man who fathered her? It's really the least that he can do and yes I'm judging him because how do you live for almost three decades not checking up on your own blood?
"You don't know what you're talking about," He snaps at me and I remain calm.
"You're right, I don't. I just know bits and pieces about how you abandoned her and left her to fend for herself, even after her mother's death,"
There it is, the look of remorse.
"Can I get another drink around here or are you closed for business!?" he shouts out to the nearest waiter and the poor guys comes running to get him his refill.
I wait for him to down his liquor then he speaks "So you decided that not only are you going to disappoint my daughter, you are going to rub salt on her wound by choosing... Her..."
"She has a name," my annoyance starts showing because of how he isn't willing to acknowledge or even say her name.
"I know that," He hisses "What do you think this has been? You think I don't know that I messed up? I don't need to be reminded by you or her, I know my short comings, okay? I know that I let her down, I let both of them down,"
