Everything happened so fast. One moment I am happy in my mother's arms and the next I am forced to leave home without even saying goodbye.
I awake in a room I have never seen before and I don't bother to properly examine my surroundings. Instead, I curled up in the huge bed as I sobbed silently soaking the soft pillows.
Why did we have to leave? Will I ever see my parents again? I have so many questions but the pain in my chest won't let any word escape my lips. I could've protected them, that is the only thing that weighed even more on my conscience. If only I knew what is going on...
A knock on the door brings my thoughts to a halt but I don't move an inch.
"Princess Imani?" I hear Noma's voice but ignore her. "You-you have to eat something."
"I'm not hungry Noma." I groan.
"I made your fav-"
"Noma, please." my voice breaks at the end. How can she be so calm and okay after everything that happened? We literally left without saying goodbye to anyone... to my parents. For all I know, they could be dead.
The mattress sank under her weight as she sat down beside me, pulling the covers away from my tight grip and revealed my face.
Noma's eyes are filled with worry as they meet my bloodshot ones. "Please don't cry my Princess, everything will be okay."
"How can you say that? My parents are gone, we left Kampala so suddenly and-"
"What do you mean gone?" she asked, her brows furrowing as she looks at me like I'm crazy. "You don't mean dead, do you, my Princess? They're alive."
"What?" I sit up immediately shocked at what she just said. "Then why did we leave?"
Her lips immediately tighten, and her hands clasp each other convulsively. Getting up quickly and towards the door, she gives me a brief look, "Just come downstairs and eat something, please. I'm sure Sir Charles will explain everything."
And with that, she leaves the room.
For a moment, I almost decided not to follow behind her, but I am not going to be stubborn today. I want to know the truth.
It takes a while to find where the dining room is and, on my way, downstairs I was shocked to find pictures and portraits of my parents and me. Even more shocking was the fact that there were some with just Charles and I decorated on the walls.
The house -or rather a mansion, seeing how huge it is, was filled with items that reminded me of Kampala. Despite the darkness in the rooms, I was able to recognize a few things. Items and designs used here were like the ones back home and there was a huge painting in the living room showing a long river with a little waterfall.
A large lion statue could be seen in the furthest end of the painting where water came out of its mouth and I recognized the painting immediately; this is my waterfall back in the palace.
"Imani." Charles smiles the minute he sees me, and I try to smile back but fail completely.
"Good evening..." I mutter making him frown smiling nervously. "It's 10 a.m."
I roll my eyes at him and open the curtains only to be blinded by the sun beaming on my face from behind the huge windows. How long was I in that room?
"Sit, we have uh... a lot to talk about."
I nod quietly sitting at the head of the dining table crossing my arms. Noma placed a plate filled with jellof rice and salad in front of me. I open my mouth to thank her, but Charles gives her a look and she leaves the room almost as if she was being chased.
"What's going on?"
"His Majesty and the Queen are alive and safe in the palace." he starts making me leave a sigh of relief.
"Who attacked us?"
"The Ghanaians."
"Why?" he looks away the minute I ask.
"It seems they are now aware that in the generation to come, Kampala will become the strongest Kingdom in Africa and they don't want that to happen."
"How is that even possible?"
"It's a long story Imani-"
"And I think we have more than enough time to start from the very beginning, don't you think? Besides, I deserve to know." I raise my tone frustrated. I don't like this place and I'm already sick of it. I just want to go home.
Thankfully he just nods without fighting against it.
"Many years ago, it was prophesied that one of the Kingdoms will grow above the rest to rule and bring peace among the nations of Africa."
I listen to him silently as he continues.
"Nobody knew which country would be the chosen one or when. For generations, nations fought each other-"
"The Great Descension." I cut in using the little I remember from History.
"Yes. They were trying to destroy the Kingdom that will be chosen even when they literally didn't know which one was the one." he snorts shaking his head. "Your great-great-great-great-grandfather always tried to stay out of the war but that only caused suspiciousness instead of peace. Innocent people were killed..."
His eyes darkened and I know he was thinking of his mother. This war has been going on for decades and only ended like 23 years ago.
"King T'Chaka and Queen Welela tried for years to have a child and when the Queen finally conceived, it was said that the child wasn't going to make it. The day she went to labor, the gods visited your mother with what seemed like a lion cub with blue eyes." he looks at me, "and then you were born."
This is all so confusing and I'm only hearing this information now. What does this have to do with the war and why would the gods visit my mother with a lion? Couldn't they just simply grant her the strength to deliver?
Holding my head in my hands, I stare at him. So many questions I want to ask but I must let him finish.
"The more you grew, the stronger you became. Nobody thought of the prophecy except your father."
"My father thought about the prophecy?" I blurt out without thinking and Charles nods. This explains why he was always so strict and demanding perfection from me. He wanted the prophecyto be true.
"But somehow the news got out." my best friend's voice brings me back to reality.
"How?"
"It was quite obvious, actually; you tend to move things –earth included –when you're upset. That's not normal." he tries to make a joke but that just makes things worse. "Imani-"
I hold my hand out stopping him, "go on, please."
I am literally trying my best to catch my breath and control my raging emotions because of everything he has just vomited to me, so I am most certainly not in the mood to laugh.
"It was then confirmed a couple of years ago."
"No..." my heart sinks waiting to hear his next words.
"Princess Imani, future Queen of Kampala is the chosen one to rule over the nations of Africa and restore peace."
YOU ARE READING
Queen of My Heart (CURRENTLY EDITING)
Romance"How can you love such a creature?" he spat angrily trying to free himself from my mother who struggles to hold his arm with all her strength. "Him being white doesn't make him a creature, father. He's a human being just like us- " I speak calmly an...
