Jabari's Pride

Chapter 9: Traitors and Schemes

Chapter 9:

€¥€ Traitors and Schemes €¥€

• Princess Maha's P.O.V •

Suddenly I sat up straight on my bed as an amazing idea dawned on me. My birthday! It was the perfect chance to escape. Oh, I'm such a genius.

"Princess Maha, word has come that your father has travelled to Ïpejà (ee-pe-jah) on a business trip. Prince Taharqa is now his substitute till he returns which will be in 2 days." Riza said to me during art class outside.

The objective was to represent the sun as a mother feeding the garden energy. Anyone who looked at the picture should be able to feel warmth as though the sun was actually feeding them. I choose to do this by illustrating a mother breastfeeding her child. The mother's head will be bald and shiny representing the sun while the child's hair will be untamed and filled with grass, eye-catching flowers and bushes representing the garden.

I paused mid stroke to comprehend the information. My heart fluttered after hearing the unexpected news because it reassured me that the heavens were on my side. My father will arrive the day before my birthday which gave me enough time to plan out a way to escape towards the end of my birthday. I released a deep breath in relief.

"Why did he leave so suddenly without announcing it to the people?" I asked curiously while dipping my feather brush into the cocoa dye to finish shaping the Mother Sun's high cheekbones.

"It was an urgent matter that needed secrecy so he had ordered that the news need not be revealed." Lina said as she watched my painting slowly come to life. So far I had painted the Mother Sun's bald radiating head along with her striking face. I now began constructing her figure.

"Hmm, interesting. Oh Riza! Do you know if any order for flowers have been placed?" I asked Riza.

"No, your mother said that you would be the one to choose the type of flowers and to order it." Riza replied.

"Really?! Well then I think I would like to have some Hibiscus flowers, Amazon Lillies, Jazmine and many other exotic flowers." Internally I smiled deviously because I knew we didn't cultivate those types of flowers. They had to be found at the trade market and even then it wasn't easy to get them. This would give me a great reason to leave the palace.

"But... Princess, those flowers are difficult to retrieve especially when we have so little time." Riza inquired nervously.

"Well, it's my 18th birthday and I believe I deserve the best and most extravagant flowers since I am blossoming from being a 'Little Princess' to becoming a woman and a beautiful and brave warrior. Don't you think I deserve at least something unique?" I said knowing that I was playing with her emotions.

Riza looked at Lina who looked to Kira but she too was just as helpless. They didn't know how to acquire the flowers in time and they definitely didn't know how they looked like.

"Of course you deserve that and much more Princess... But we do not know how to have that delivered in time for your party." Riza said.

I put my feather brush down and smiled. "I know where to get it from. Shall we go after the painting's finished?"

They maids agreed reluctantly and began preparing my disguise.

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"Let my brother know that I am going on an important and personal errand concerning my birthday and I shall be back before sundown." I told the messenger along with Kira and Lina at the gate. Riza was coming with me and 2 bodyguards will casually stalk me as I go through the trade market. Riza had insisted on taking more guards but I had argued that I was capable of handling myself and that it would look too suspicious.