UNFAITHFULL EMOTIONS

chapter one

A day of power and rituals, the heart of the princess seek for true love while the hearts of every young man not ready to be forced into a law abiding royal engagement trembled in fear. I sat on my father’s wooden stool thinking of the possibilities of me been chosen by the princess. The thought of been chosen gave me a little joy over the trembling fear in my heart as I remembered the rituals to be undergone.
The sounds of the royal musical instruments echoed in my ears bringing me back into reality from my world of fantasy. The town hall fully decorated in royalty.  The King and his cabinet members all sat on their respectful royal seats awaiting the arrival of the princess. The kingdom gathered following the sound of the royal trumpet call.
My father forced me up from his wooden stool against my wish to accompany him to the town hall, but out of respect I dashed into his request- so we made our way to the town hall. The environment overwhelmed my heart with it colourful royal decors with beautiful artworks and the beautiful creatures seated. My father went straight to sit beside his kings men while I sat at a hiding position in between the maidens and the married men of the kingdom separating myself from the young single men of the kingdom.
The chief priest, Ikatoloku (IV) arrived the centre of the hall. “Greetings eyes of the gods” the King welcomed the chief priest. After a while of numbing the chief priest finally answered “greetings my king, greetings my kings men, greetings my good people of Saibokora”, he paused for a while looking at up the roof into the sky then he continued “today has been chosen by the gods of our fore fathers … the princess shall be engaged to the man of her heart”.
Those words instilled more fear in me listening to his authoritative declarations from the realm of the spirit concerning the day, for he was described as half human and half spirit. “You have been chosen by the gods for destiny cannot be denied, it is destiny that you become the husband of the princess… therefore there is no refusal from you – no man shall refuse the heart of the princess”. I eagerly listened to those scary words as the sound while still waiting for the next words. “It is a sacrilege, an abomination unacceptable by the gods… whoever rejects the heart of the princess shall be banished from this kingdom into the evil forest for the rest of his life”, he concluded his ceremonial greetings. ‘So if I am chosen by the princess, I dare not to refuse her for I shall be banished from this land into the evil forest’ the thought of been chosen gradually grieved me. ‘How could love be this painful and forceful’? thou I think I may be in love with the princess but yet the thought of loving her comes with so much pains unbearable such as the rituals to be undergone before finally making her a wife and after then the purity prison and lack of freedom to explore other beautiful maidens.
The wrestling of the kingdom’s most treasured wrestlers began with the challenge between Opukiri and Sam Ode. The wrestling drums sounded as the king gave his go ahead by dipping his hand into clay oil and embedded a cross on  both of the wrestler’s chests. Me not been a fan of wrestling became choice less on whom to fan among the two as I watched the wresting and listened to supporters chanting praises to their bets. ‘Maybe the princess will choose one of the wrestlers who can be strong enough to defend her at all times’ the muscles and abs of the two wrestlers changed my thoughts for a while giving me a reason to smile at the moment as I watched each one of them device a tactic to fall the other.
Few minutes of wrestling, Opukiri was declared the winner. His supporters sang victoriously as they wrapped him with beads. The king stood up making everyone to bow their heads as a sign of respect. “Long live your majesty…” Opukiri greeted the king as he bow before him seeing the king walking towards him. The king handed over a royalty victory belt to him in congratulation to his winning on a royal engagement ceremonial day “may our ancestors increase your tactics and strength my son” he blessed him.
Seeing Opukiri been highly celebrated and praised I wish I was a wrestler but why should I, since I don’t want to be chosen by the princess.
Next – the new generation dance machine of Saibokora took over the floor. The waists of the maidens went in line with the  tone of the drums and flutes as they tossed it fort and back in all angular swing. Their songs and dance steps satisfied everyone present at the hall. Judging from the movement of the king’s head, I can say he is highly impressed with the on-going performance. Once again seeing how widely accepted the dancers are made me wished I was one of the dancers, but on a second thought ‘why should I be one of them, for who knows if the princess will choose from the young men dancing with so much energy impressing everyone including her father the king’.
Following the exit of the dancers, the royal guitarists took over the floor with a solo of a love song call for the arrival of the princess. Seven men were selected to parade themselves before the princess to be chosen by her. The atmosphere became iced with no moment as the princess walked down the royal carpet from the entrance door towards her father with her maids beside and behind her. My heart triggered for her love same way my body reacted to be holding her beauty and elegant smiles.
Her beauty aroused every young man erotically as she flaunt her pink-white royal gown down the red carpet. “All hail the princess” one of the king’s men obliged her arrival. The guitarists hailed her arrival with a special welcome solo. “My daughter, my princess, the beauty and virtue of Saibokora… you are welcome to your engagement ceremony” her father welcomed her as she bow before him to receive his blessings. With a smile of acceptance she replied her father “thank you father, long live my king” as she sat beside him.
“As custom demands… today, princess Amber Kalu – the beauty and virtue of this kingdom shall choose the man of her heart and present him to her father for blessings and the tasks ahead” the head of the kings men began his ceremonial speech. He starred at young abled bodied men in front of him for a while then continued his speech “may the gods of our ancestors that we serve with truth and dignity open your heart to choose the right man among these seven men” he prayed for her. “Amen” the entire crowd replied in agreement to his prayer for the princess. “Before I hand over to our chief priest to officiate the search for true love by our princess, may I enlighten you all on the rituals to ahead of whosoever that shall be chosen by the princess”, he opened the custom book of commandments and rituals and began to read.
“First – you will spend seven days in a confined apartment with the most beautiful and seductive maidens of this kingdom in order to test your faithfulness. If you pass that test then secondly – you shall be sent into the ghost forest to return after seven nights that will determine your bravery. If you pass the second test as well then thirdly and finally – you shall spend seven days and seven nights alone with the princess at the purity shrine where you shall know her for the first time on the altar of our lord purity, that will show how pure with blemish you are and must be all the days of your marriage. Cheating is an abomination as well as divorce, there you shall not cheat on her and both of you shall live as husband and wife till death do you both apart” he smiled and concluded his ceremonial speech with the words “good luck to you ooh thou chosen one”.
My heart trembled in fear, my love for the princess gradually faded as I looked and I imagined how difficult it would be if any of the seven men standing awaiting one to be chosen is chosen and is to undergo the aforementioned rituals. ‘How can one resist the most beautiful and seductive maidens of this kingdom for seven days’ I kept on thinking to myself mostly the first and second rituals to be undergone. I have chased so many of these beautiful maidens but couldn’t get enough to myself, so how can I resist them if my love for the princess present opportunity for me to be with these same maidens alone in a confined apartment for seven days?
The chief priest called out to the princess “step forward, my princess” as he looked into the water pot placed before him for sanctification of the ceremony as custom demands. She stood up , bowed before her father who blessed his royal fan on her fore head as a sign of blessing and approval. “Take this glass of water and search for the man of your heart, when you have found him – give him this water to drink as sanctification to qualify him to hold hands with you” the chief priest handed over a glass of water which he had brought of the water pot earlier to her.
I looked at her from hiding position as she starred deep into the eyes of each and every one of the seven young men standing before her with no sign of acceptance for anyone among them. ‘Will this be the first time in history that a princess of this kingdom will not be able to choose a husband for herself among the seven chosen young qualified men by the kings men’ I thought to myself. She continued the gaze and made a stop all of a sudden in front of the young men, making the entire crowd thinking that she had find the man of her heart including me without realizing the irony behind her sudden stop.
“My daughter, speak your burdens for the king your father shall grant you whatever wish you request of him today”, the chief priest called out to the princess who was stood without a word in front of that young man. After hearing the assurance of the chief priest, she turned facing her father. “Speak my daughter and it shall be yours”, the king reassured her. I was locked in a compound with the most beautiful and seductive maidens our kingdom, seven maidens presented themselves before me. “You shall have all the satisfactions you from a woman in bed if you will come with me into the bedroom and undress me”, one of the seven maidens gave me an offer I couldn’t possibly refuse. Looking at how beautiful she was and her continuous smile protruding from her rounded shape face, I considered and accepted her offer. “I have all it takes to keep you satisfied all night without a stop for water for as much as you want it in whichever style and platform you desire”, just as I was about standing up to follow the first one offer, another of the maidens threw in her offer with an enticing smile that almost swept me into her bikinis. 
“Father… none of these men attracts the waves of my heart”, the voice of the princess brought me back from my world of fantasy. Her words produced a catastrophic silence in the hall as all young men seated began looking at each other without a word to the word. “My daughter, this has never happened in the history of this kingdom – please don’t bring shame on your father, for I have raised you well in line with the traditions and customs of our land”, in fear the king replied his daughter.
At once the chief priest raised his chin high in contrast to what the king had just said, “my king, this is the reason why we are all gathered – so why say it has never been done in the history of our land” he questioned the king’s reply to his daughter. The anger of the chief priest made it more difficult for the crowd to comprehend what was going on. The entire situation became unimaginable to me because the princess has been standing in front of that young man ever since up till now, and yet she said none attracts her – so why is she standing in front of him?
“Eyes of the gods, ooh thou wise spirit of our fore fathers who sees all past, yet to happen and beholds present – please tell us what is going on for we are all confused by the princess’s speech”, the king pleaded the chief priest with praises. The chief priest tossed his beads on his mat for a while then he called out to the princess “speak my princess, for the entire kingdom awaits you to bring him forth to undergo the rituals”, the chief priest spoke in riddles “I can see him surfing along the waves of your heart, it is destiny”. She starred right into the glass of water for couple of minutes without a word not even a reply to the chief priest. Same time the chief priest was also starring right inside the water pot without a word. “Father… none of these men attracts the waves of my heart for non can survive except he that has been chosen by the gods whom is capable of surfing through the waves despite the sharks present in my heart, but good news for I have found him right here”, I looked at the princess as she spoke those words for she has been standing there so long in front of one of the seven men yet she said non attracts her, to worsen it all she said she had found the man of her heart right there – by the way, how can sharks be present in her heart?
I was blinded by my thoughts not seeing the irony behind her standing position and the personifications of her words. Loving her was my childhood wish since we but grew up together in same schools ranging from elementary to secondary, we parted ways for college. I have never loved anyone the way I loved her back then since she left for college. On her return from college beauty increased and make me even want her more, but it was too late for me to love her for all we had back then was mere friendship without expressing feelings for each other. And now customs and traditions has finally separated us, I wish to watch her choose a man for me to congratulate her and use this opportunity to hear her call my name again as she use too since I haven’t gotten the opportunity to speak with her since her return from college.
The king relieved of his fears after hearing his daughter said she had found the man of her heart right where she was standing replied her at once “bring him forth my daughter, you have my blessings”. She turned from her father back to the man in front of her “blessed are you ooh thou brave one of Saibokora, for through you I have found the man of my heart thou it is not you” she told the man in front of her. Her words made me ponder the more as I stretched my neck out from behind the maidens to see if there were other men in front of them behind the standing seven.
She smiled in joy as she looked at the maidens behind him. Her smile got me worried as I thought to me once again ‘could she be lesbian? Has these past years in college abroad turned her into a lesbian? The entire crowd watched the princess stare at the maidens.
She looked at the glass of water in her hands once again “it’s time my lord, thou shall no longer hide away from me anymore” she speaks while still looking at the glass of water. Her words this time around sounded to me like one who was about changing the original customs of the land regarding her choice of partner. I remember her telling me high school those days how she would change the unfavourable customs of the land to favour her subjects if she be in a position to do so. So once again I pondered ‘could this be it? Does she want to change the custom to suit her in choosing her partner? Could this partner be a maiden?
“Sweet heart…” the softness of her voice awakened my heart of past ages and my face obliged her dynasty as she walked towards me causing the maidens in front of me to give way to her. As I starred at her coming straight towards me, my eyes opened to the irony behind her sudden stop in front of that young man among the seven – I was exactly in line with him been the only young man seated behind the maidens. She stood before me as she got to me “ooh my loves for ages I have searched for you, where hast thou been? She looked me deep in the eyes as she asked in a stateliness manner.
Knock knock – knock knock , the banging of my door by my kid sister woke me up from my long dream. So all these while, I have just been dreaming about this day. Should I or should I not attend the royal engagement ceremony of my childhood lover and best friend princess Amber Kalu  who came back with a fiancée from the city, which will be taking place at the royal ceremonial hall this evening?