The Game Of Thrones
"A news just got to me and if the information is accurate, then you two better sort a way of vanquishing eternity."
The King of Kula said to the two Warriors standing before him. They were dressed in royal skirts with some touch of fibre garments running from their right shoulders to the fall of the waist.
One immediately went on his knees and the second took suit.
There were few chiefs on seat and several attendants going in and out of the palace as though twas some market square.
"Nobody comes in again! Shoo!"
The King ordered at the top of his voice. The attendants scrambled outta his presence and only two were left by the throne. Fanning the king.
Left in the palace with the king were the three chiefs, the kneeling warriors and the two attendants.
There was a leopard tied to the large pole reaching from the roof of the hall to the depth of the floor. Few metres away from the throne.
"Speak, Umah."
The king ordered the more efficient of the two warriors.
The fellow bowed, touching his forehead to the marbled floor of the hall.
He raised his head and picked his words in detail. The king wouldn't fiddle with details.
"We left Kula for Ikpala as you ordered us. Went by horses through the shoreline to avoid missing either the ship or the prince of Havila. Beyond the news you gave us, we heard that he was going to be getting acquainted with the daughter of the Duke of Ikpala. We got to the forest opposite the shore which led to the market square of Ikpala very much ahead of him. Several minutes after waiting, we heard a honking ship. We thought twould be a troop but were surprised to see the prince of Havila straying all by himself through the woods of Ikpala. We thought twas a plot of an ambush and kept our heads highly but nothing appeared to be coming. So we got on him and killed him. We left his corpse by the road side so that twouldnt go unnoticed and that the Duke of Ikpala could hear and relate the message to the Duke of Havila. We saw the prince of Havila breathe his last breath before we left."
The fellow stopped talking. He felt exhausted but what was that to the Duke? It meant nothing.
His life was on the line, what was his saliva?
He looked at the other warrior who nodded in affirmation to what he had said.
Both looked at the Duke who seemed rather not convinced.
The Duke was such an obstinate fellow who would not relent until he saw what he should believe.
"What then is the news about the prince of Havila getting betrothed to the daughter of the Duke of Ikpala today? Spies from Ikpala brought the message."
The Duke argued.
"I'm not sure if that was right because we made sure he died. Even this is a prove of his death."
The warrior fumbled through the side bag hanging from his shoulders to the rise of his butts.
He brought out a round silver badge with the inscription,
'The prince of Havila-Inatata'.
"Here, your majesty."
The warrior said, relieving his nerves. The Duke nudged one of the attendants with a nod.
The attendant walked over to the warrior and collected the badge from him. He headed back to the Duke.
The Duke collected, and considered it intensely.
He threw it back at the second warrior. It hit him on the nose. The fellow wrenched.
"Could be forged."
The Duke said. He thought for a while, looking through the silent chiefs. None of them dare to talk except he wanted them.
"Summon Hava now."
The Duke ordered one of the attendants. The attendant scrambled off to reflect on the instruction.
"He will decide the fate of you two rustic rodents."
He added. He said to the chiefs,
"All the princes would arrive sooner or later from Haojo, Hubrim and Ikpala. Do well to see to the adornment of the charade. You wouldn't want our sleeves opened up to them early. If there's no prince to succeed Ivievie Obie A Tuli Ji of Kula, no prince of any of our neighboring regions would live. If nature had not learned to play fair, who am I taking after?"
The Duke stopped talking. One of the chiefs said,
"If nature was fair to give you a son in the latter days, how would you bring back the other princes?"
That chief was the only one who took chances of questioning the Duke. Others didn't have the guts.
The Duke chuckled and said,
"These are not latter days, Aiojo. Latter days would teach us his acts."
No sooner he stopped talking, Hava, the sorcerer walked in. He had with him, a mat.
Hava was one of the eldest folks in the village, then the grandfather of the Duke (the Duke had killed his father to mount the throne early. He was 19 when he became the king.)
"Hava, come over and clear my doubts."
The Duke ordered as the old man fought his way to the front of the Duke. He bowed the best way he could.
Mystery was that, the 110 years old sorcerer had no walking aid. And his skin was still very much alive. Twas said that he had drank from an Elixir given to him by one of the goddesses he had sex with in his young age.
"What orders the King in such haste?"
Hava said. His voice breaking to the rhythm of his breathing pace.
"Make a sail on the ocean of trance to Ikpala now. I want to see the prince of Havila who is meeting the daughter of that Duke."
Hava walked to one side of the throne where all of them could see him.
He nodded the two attendants to his sides. They held up the mat by the right and left ends.
Hava stood at the front of the mat and traced his pinky finger with quite the long nails across the surface of the mat.
He did what he would call, tracing the Spiritual name of the land, on the mat.
Then a scene popped up on the mat.
"Here, your majesty."
Hava called. They all looked at the mat except the attendants. They sure had their limits.
On the mat, a strange man dressed in the Prince of Havila's robe was seen sitting beside the daughter of the Duke of Ikpala. The man looked rather bothered and occasionally was looking at the straying Tiger.
"Enough, Hava. You can go."
Hava put the mat down and eased the attendants of the burden.
He bowed before the Duke and walked out without a comment.
"Who's he? He's surely not the son of the Duke of Havila."
The Duke said to the two Warriors. They had nothing to say. They were as stunned as everyone in the premises was.
An attendant ran into the palace and fell at the feet of the Duke.
"A message from the Duke of Havila."
One of the two attendants collected the Cuneiform from the new attendant and handed it to the Duke.
"Dear Chiefs, the show begins."
The Duke said as soon as he read the content.
He stood up and all the chiefs bowed. As soon as they rose, he said, looking at the two warriors,
"Feed them to Lito."
The two attendants rushed to the two warriors and dragged them to Lito, the leopard. Probably a dessert.
The Duke walked towards his Chamber. He should get ready for the show.