tattle tale

 With its tapered top, the sun on its tip crowned it glorious. Chansardin temple. It stood tall one look and you’d know this was no ordinary place. This one temple, where the lost made home and unwanted are brought to. The priest taught these lives the ways of life, the art of life. And how to channel their energy. Evil hatches here and threatens to destroy the world, goodness nurtured within it blessing the world. But never has it seen a fire that burns like this one, like Samsidine. He has what everyone wants, people with the power wanted to be powerful. He is king. Within the temple, swordsmen, and archers of great skills, soldiers were sectioned into fraternities ruled by great powerful men who bows to him.  And beyond these temple walls, he wills fear, commands respect, and shows he is beyond them and they succumb. Samsidine was no man of will and strength by fortune, he was fueled by emotions, not love or fear. But hate and revenge of the one who wronged him. Batuso took away the one he loved, his sister. And now he has power, he wants revenge “go, lay waste to all my enemy has seen and touched, let him watch as the life he has built crumbles, as I destroy it and when they are all dead only then can I let him go ”. And his soldiers did as they were commanded they lay waste the land. Those who swore loyalty to their king plotted against. And while he was busy avenging they were busy converging in secrets and in fear they plotted aware that this king even alone was untouchable because he never was truly alone. He had in his left a brother by bond, one with an unspoken oath to protect him with his life one they called Kallife. A mighty warrior and with a fearsome army. A man who is worthy of a king. And by the king’s right hand was a woman raised from the dust alongside him. She had an army and the ears of many. Although the king might not know it yet, she is his weakness and their key to dethroning him. “Weaken the king”, they plotted, “while he avenges, take what he cherishes the most from him and he as he grieves, we send him to her. To his grave”

He sees her coming, as she emerged from the smoke fuming from the burning village, not taking her eyes off him she walked straight to him. Tales of a king avenging a long time death must have gotten to her, and here she was, knowing she always has a different perspective. Nothing was going to stop him from avenging not even her. "Sansidine what is this", her voice tender and appealing "haven’t you done enough". "A million souls are worth less than hers". he said, "how have many have you taken, have you fulfillment yet". raising her hands to his face, she looks at him, "this isn’t going to bring her back. She’s gone. And from what I found, he did love her, so maybe there’s a part of the story we don’t have. leave it be, let this rest". He looked into her eyes knowing she is right he let her take him away from it all.

she enchanted him, when she looks at him, the way she touches him. Her touch brought him peace and how he loves to touch, he loved touching her a night before, and the night before and the one before. And now that was all he wanted to do. He kissed her hands and let her lead him away from the fruitless course.

It was peaceful, the little house fenced by trees and a mountain so close the top was too far for the eyes. It was peaceful, quite he could hear the steady rhythm of the waterfall melody and the birds chirping, it seemed they are gossiping to each other about something, about him he felt. his gaze moved away from them to his side. She always knew how to calm his spirit, he looked across and he saw her. His heart squeezed hard and sank to his belly. Oh, what would he ever do if she ceases to be by his side? There was something about her he noticed, something different in a good way he thought not knowing what it was exactly that changed. She looked more beautiful perhaps it was the morning sun on her golden face, just like a sunflower. He stretched his hands and held her, and the memories flooded, how he touched her with his mouth, on her cheeks, brows, lips, her hands, and all over other places over and over again. And he fell asleep to the beautiful memory.

“What was it you said you wanted to tell me”

she threw a smile at him "after lunch, we can walk to the waterfall, I can tell you on our way there what the priest said.” A trail of joy in her voice as she spoke.  He hated waiting, but she looked too damn pretty not to indulge her. He stopped his hand suspended in the air halfway to his mouth he listened, there was something different, it was just the fall’s melody, they were an additional rhythm to it, he heard it again and then it was all over. The betrayers and their army surrendered them. Their leader stepped forward “Your reign is over Sansadine.”  His sword was nowhere close, but he didn’t need it to show his might. They attacked and they fluttered as he sent them flying all around, Ada fighting at the far end of the room. But they were too many to her, they held her hard, channeling their army to her while keeping him busy but not enough for him not to try and fail to save her, the archers' arrows went pierced her through and she fell to the ground. He fought harder to get to her, but his now shattered heart was betraying him, “no, Ada, no.” Weakened now, their swords aimed for his head. Arrows came flying all around pinning them to the ground. All around him the soldiers fail Kilifi army swarmed the lot of them forming a circle around the king, shielding the king, protecting him, he tries to get a glimpse of Ada as Kilifi took him away. He couldn’t get a proper last look at her.

He opens his window and there they were, are they the same birds or another. They were whispering something to each other about him, it seems they wanted to tell him but they couldn’t and then he noticed his servants starring at him with eyes telling he was in the dark. “What was it she wanted to tell him that morning” that secret haunts him every night. Then he recalled she said “the priests told me.”

“Tell me, priest, what was it you told her, tell me.”  The priests all utter silence. “ Some things are better left unknown they said.” 

The priest swore silence to death, they are things a man never wants until he has and if taken from him, the pain can drive him to madness. If ever he comes to know of their secret, he had too much power. He would burn the world. the power of pain should not be toyed with. A mad man cannot rule, and he was too strong a ruler to overthrow. Their death or the death of the world.

The secrets drove him to desperation and their silence was agony and he tortured to know, but they said nothing. But then a telltale lurks, an enemy one eager to tell tattle tales to this king. One who believed this news would break the king even more and decisions made when clouded with emotions always have a loop and a loop is a step closer to his death. And so he said to him. “Did you know?”

“Know what?” The king replied 

A heartbroken once, then twice and now trice, each one more painful than the last. Is he cursed that each love he found he lost? They did this, took away his love, and along with her a frail life, one she carried within her. And with pain, he rose to once again avenge. To burn the world, this the priest said is a wildfire, and it would burn us all. They knelt and prayed to God, some prayed for a miracle, while others prayed for a miracle

the priest too immense in their prayers didn't notice the door open. nor did they notice the small army led by Ada. Priest her voice called to them, they looked and saw oh! our miracle, Ada.

He saw her and he heard her call his name, he has seen her severally after that day, in his dreams and even when he was awake, but it was different, she never spoke he did. But she as beautiful as she was with her brown eyes circled black, and her face bruised and a bandage around her head. “Ada?”

“Yes Ada” she smiled

“How” he stammered

“I know” not knowing where to start explaining “but I am here now.”

“Is this even real?”

“yes, she moved closed and touched his face, it’s me your Ada right here”

He saw it was her, her eyes ever radiant his heart did that thing again and he thought with her his enemies will always have a way to get to him. Perhaps it was best if she was gone. He held his dagger and he got closer to her and went into her arms knowing that he could never hurt her that only meant  hurting himself, and he wouldn’t survive another heartbreak