Chapter 4

The sweat on him, from his face dropped on her cleavage as he went on, his feet shaking and a sensation running through his brain. He jerked and she moaned, held him tighter with her feet and her hands, eyes closed. He was relieved and sank on the bed beside her, both panting like lizards that fell from a high tree. 

"You have always been a sweet lady" King Zakiza told his newly found love Lume. 

"I don't know, but I feel your people will not like me" Lume worriedly said but the king wouldn't have her spoil the moment as he chuckled, grabbing her by the waist. "And why is that?" he asked.

"I'm from Okute, a neighboring land in dispute with your land. How can two enemies come together to agree? My father will hate me and the King of Okute will kill me" She appeared disturbed and wanted to climb off the bed but the king held her back and laughed, "I know how worried you are but I like it if people see the bright side of everything; I mean this might be a way the gods want us to bring our lands together in agreement. If I show my interest to get married to you and my people frown at it I will then be forced to have a meeting with your King, through that meeting our conflicts will be resolved. I have nothing against the King of Okute and having seen what I admire in his land I'm going for it" The king kept smiling.

"You are confident in yourself. Too much confidence in oneself can be dangerous" she advised.

"Not when one is willing to risk it all for what they love. I love you and I want you, not just to warm my bed but to be my wife and sit beside me on the throne as my Queen and co-leader of this great Kingdom" The King got off the bed and she sat up, watching him as he walked straight to the wall and unhung a sword, swung it twice and walked back to occupy a space on the bed, seated beside her he allowed her feel the sharpness of the sword. 

"This is a Chaka sword, it's rare" she said while running her fingers on it. The King was surprised at her level of exposure and he held her hand, looking into her eyes.

"That's why I love you Lume, you are intelligent, smart, kind and loving. I would do anything to keep you beside me forever. This sword was given to my late father as a present by his own wife the night that he was killed by the same wife. Each time I look at it it reminds me that I shouldn't give room to peace in my heart until I bring that woman down. She must pay with her own life"

"According to my people they believe your step mother was right in killing your father. They believe her son Akiza, as he was called should have taken the throne of your father, not you" said Lume.

"I'm the first son!!!" shouted the King and Lume covered her face with her palm. One thing she knew him with was his temper. He apologized immediately and couldn't find words to express himself further.

"You need to allow peace into your heart" said Lume while removing her hand from her face, "You need to accept what happened and learn to be happy Zakiza. I'm here for you. I should be enough to make you completely happy" She allowed herself to sob.

That same night King Zakiza of Akozo invited his late father's adviser and when he arrived he told him his mind to marry Lume..When his late father's adviser heard of the one the King wanted to get married to and where she came from he was moved aback and he wanted to know why the King would want to bring disgrace upon his land by marrying a lady from their enemy Kingdom Okute but the King had finality in his voice as he continued to insist he was getting married to her. The Adviser had no choice but to bow to the King's decision.

When Lume was on her way to her Kingdom the next day she went missing. The King of Okute would not have it so; he had been told in the past of the ongoing relationship between a daughter of the land of Okute and the King of the land of Akozo and he had sworn to do the unimaginable if the rumor was true and when he found out the truth he sent men to kidnap Lume but to do that in the land of Akozo; yes, let the accusing finger be pointed at the King of Akozo. When King Zakiza heard that his woman had been abducted right in his Kingdom he knew at once that it was the King of Okute who did it but he wasn't going to reply his threatening letter with an insult and so he wrote back to him, assuring him that his subject, Lume would be found. Then the King of Akozo said to his commander of one of the units of the army of Akozo, "We all know who did this"

"Yes my lord" nodded the commander. King Zakiza retook his seat and sighed deeply. "The King of Okute wants to play with me. I have been hurt enough not to keep calm in this life. He will not see what will be coming to him and so instead of looking for my woman I will take war to the King of Okute, strip him off all his powers and force him to provide my woman. He has never held any love for me and had been supportive of the actions of my step mother and what she did many years ago before she escaped from this land. I'm no longer going to fold my hands and watch my enemies play with those I love. Enough is enough, get the rest of the commanders of the army and ready the army. We will travel to the land of Okute in two days time" The commander saluted the King.