*
NTSIKA
*
"Bab ' Muzi, what is going on with me. I have been like this since I got back from Manzini Kingdom. What did they do to me?"
Muzi: Nothing has been done to you by the living any way. Your ancestors are disappointed in you and in me for helping you with the Manzini Princess. I have no power to help you. They have taken my gift from me.
"What do you mean you cannot help me? What do they want?"
Muzi: Before they took my gift, I was given strict instructions for you and your parents especially you and your father. You need to apologize to the Zulu ancestors for the way you treated their daughter. You and your father need to apologize to the ancestors for the way you behaved, for wanting what didn't belong to you, for disgracing their Kingdom.
"How did we disgrace them, we were trying to save their Kingdom."
Muzi: The Manzini Kingdom has never been at any risk. You and your father made it look like it was. I should never better on my side but greed for more power prevailed even with you and your father. "I watch him and he is serious with everything that he says. The conviction in his words is undeniable. He was about to say more but my father walked with my mother.
"You are back. Bab' Muzi was just in the middle of telling me what I need to do to get better."
Nkosinathi: What is it that you need to do?
Muzi: Your Majesty you need to apologize for disrespecting King Zulu kraal. You enter a kraal you were not supposed to enter just to destroy the Kingdom. You owe them an apology for sleeping with their Queen.
"Wait, you slept with Nobuhle?" To say I am shocked is an understatement. I look at my mother and she looks like she is ready to kill my father. Why would my father go as far as sleeping with that woman, knowing what it would to us if mom ever found out. When we started this mission, she warned to never sleep with anyone to get what he wants. "There's other ways to get what you want besides dropping your pants." Those were her exacts words laced with a vernomous threat beneath. My father has now gone and woke the she devil. My mother doesn't take kindly to cheating. She doesn't forgive, and you would think my father learned his lesson the first and last time he cheated on her. My mother looks at him once and walks out. I don't even want to know what is going through her mind right now. "What the hell were you thinking father, are trying to commit suicide?"
Nkosinathi: It had to happen.
"No it didn't have to happen. We had everything, we had a planned dad. You were supposed to follow plan to keep your wife happy. I don't even want to know what she is going to do to you. She will probably kill you this time around."
Muzi: I have delivered the message that I was asked to deliver. When you are ready to do what is required of you, you'll call me so that I can guide you through the ceremony. Your Kingdom needs a new Seer and that seer will be guided here by the elders. I'll take my leave.
Nkosinathi: You can't leave just after dropping that bomb. My son still needs help.
Muzi: I told you what you need to do to get your son better. There is nothing more that I can do for you now. Do as instructed by the ancestors and your son will be fine. Stop being stubborn or you'll put everyone's life in this kingdom in danger. Your ancestors are very angry about how you have been leading. You have become a disgrace amongs all the greatest leaders this Kingdom has ever had. Your son is suppposed to be better than and he will be better than you if starts listen to the elder and the council otherwise you will all be doomed.
He says and walks out leaving us realing in our thoughts over what he just said. Come to think of it, I have always listened to my father more than I listened to council. He has never listen to them either. He would just tell them what he wants to do but they would have no choice but oblige to do what he wants.
"We are going to do what Bab' Muzi said we must do. I am not losing my life over things I cannot have.
*
NOMPUMELELO
*
This is my third day here now and I am not going to lie, I feel different. I feel like myself but more at peace. I feel lighter, like the weight that I had been carrying has been lifted. When we left home I was told we would try and persuade the Queen about how I should marry Mxolisi. I don't even want to marry Mxolisi. I don't even know when I became so obsessed about becoming a Ntabentle Queen. I never to a queen a here. I don't have what it takes to lead this Kingdom. If there is one thing I know about myself is that I know my limits and never push them.
Themba: Oh good, you are awake. How are you feeling today?
"I feel ready to face the world." I really do feel like I can face anything and still come ok.
Themba: That's good. You won't be going anytime soon though. You can go back once everything is sorted.
"I don't understand. I don't even understand why I had to come here. I don't remember from when we arrived." I tell him because this is all confusing. I only remember bits and peaces, I don't even understand.
Themba: I know My Princess. Your uncle has been using you ever since he arrived. The obsession that you had about becoming Queen of this kingdom, it was something done to you. Your uncle had your seer cast an eveil shadow spirit over you. It was whispering things to you. Telling you what to do, manipulating your feelings to feel how it wanted yo to feel. Your uncle has done a lot to you including blocking your womb from having any children. I had to detach the shadow from you and send it back to where it came. Had you stayed longer with it, it would have taken over your body.
"Hayibo kanti what does my uncle want for him to go to these lengths?"
Themba: He wants the throne. He believes he should have been king instead of your father. In as much as you are useful to him at the moment, he was going to permanently get rid of you. "I know he is not telling me everything about what my uncle want. He wants more than just the throne otherwise he wouldn't be so dead set on me marrying into the Bhengu family. He wants something from this kingdom.
Themba: There's a car waiting to take you to the palace. You'll be staying there until your parents say it's safe for you to go home. Your uncle is going to be aware very soon that, he can no longer control you. You are safe here. He won't be able to get to you while you are here.
That's a relief to know. At least I still have my life.
*
NOBUHLE
*
Menzi: What is going on with you? You've on the edge for the past two days.
"There is nothing wrong with me." I say trying not to sound defensive.
Thando: Just tell him the truth or I will.
Menzi: What is going on Nobuhle?
"It's nothing. Don't worry about it. There is nothing to tell."
Menzi: I have decided to step down as King and let Thando be crowned King. I thought about and after the discussion I had with Thando, I see where I went wrong and I am willing to right my wrongs.
"You can't do that Menzi. If you do that, that means I won't be Queen anymore." He can't do that especially since I am forced to stay here. I have no money to get away from here.
Menzi: So what you if you can't be queen, it's not like you peforming your duties anyway. The decision has been made. I am stepping down and Thando is taking over.
Thando: You still haven't told the truth mother. "What does this child keep perstering. Why can't he stay out of this?"
Menzi: What is he talking about.
Thando: Since she is not prepared to say anything, I'll tell you. She used the accountants to falsify our kingdom's financial information to make it look like we are in trouble so that it would be easy for you to agree to anything that Edwaleni King offered you.
The look that Menzi gives me is enough to make want to hide. Why is it that I never save my allowance that he gives me every month. I would long gone now and not dealing with this. Just as I was about to say something, the butler walks in telling that we have a visitor. My dear husband allows for this so called visitor to be brouhgt in. I watch Menzi get up from the couch he is sitting and stands behind it. He looks like he's see a ghost. Thando also sits frozen in place not even blinking. What is wrong with two? I decide to turn and have a look since I had my back to the lounge entrance.
"Oh No! NOOOO! This can't be happening. You can't be here. How did you even get here? How do you even remember how to get here?" Nokwakha's voice rings in my head when she told me she was coming back. "Nontle! How?"
Nontle: Hello dear sister. Are you not happy to see me? I am happy to see you.
"No, what are you doing here? You are not supposed to be here. Why are you doing thing this? Why do you want to take this aways from me?"
Nontle: But I haven't done anything yet dear sister. "She walks in and walks torwards Menzi. Menzi is looking, studying her and I notice the mark on her neck that she has. It's visible. We both have the mark but she had a small heart tattood in the middle of hers. If he recognises that mark and can see how different it is from mine, that means everything I did to him has been undone.
Nontle: Menziwa, you've grown old.
Menzi: No one calls me that except for one person. "He walks closer to her, he reaches out and touches the mark on her neck like he is confirming it real. He smiles with tears falling and whispers her name" Nobuhle!
Nontle: Yes Menziwa it is me.
Menzi: But how. You've here with me, for years, how are you here like this? "My twin sister looks at me and smiles."
Nontle: I'll let my sister explain, she is the mastermind behind my disapearance and how she took my place.