Chapter 4

"Such audacity! Who is there?" the yelling grandpa asked after hearing a racket outside his door.

"Come out!", arrogantly commanded Lwani.

Grandpa came out, he was furious.

"We are sent by The Queen", said the man and paused as he looked at Buhle, who had just come out of the house.

When grandpa saw the young men dressed in palace guard attire, he calmed down a little. He was still not pleased about the noise though. Grandpa understood that the men were there in connection to The Prince's bridal selection day. It was clear to grandpa that he and Buhle were in trouble for Buhle not attending.

"At this early hour of the morning? Could you not come at a much later hour?", the grumpy grandpa asked.

The men gave no response.

Grandpa turned to Buhle and told her to bring some chairs.

"Bother yourself not", Lwani firmly said. "We have not come to sit and chat. You have insulted the kingdom's tradition."

Ashamed, grandpa and his granddaughter had no explanation for themselves. They were caught. Thus, they stood there like children getting scolded.

"Sir, it was your responsibility to ensure your granddaughter shows herself to The Prince", said Lwani, affirmatively so.

Lwani paused and turned to Buhle before he continued;

"Lady… you were supposed to be among the other maidens yesterday. Are you trying to get executed? The Queen demands some answers", Lwani declared.

The grandpa and granddaughter duo stood there, and did not utter a single word.

"Our patience is running out", prompted Lwani.

"Only a beauty gets chosen. I am not a beauty", Buhle defended herself.

"But you are a maiden. Are you not?", Lwani expected a response.

People from the palace were always well respected across the kingdom. That included even the servants in the lowest ranks, with the least amount of income.

Hesitantly, Buhle replied; "Right."

"Good", said the proud Lwani with a smirk, he was happy he made his point.

He looked at grandpa and said; "Sir, you allowed your granddaughter to not take part. Why?"

The arrogant young man was getting on grandpa's nerve, but grandpa tried controlling his temper.

"Young man, would you force your only family – your granddaughter to give herself to a man she does not know?" grandpa asked.

There was silence. It seemed grandpa had made his powerful point.

"Of course, not… I thought so. Even though he is The Prince, we still cannot escape the fact that he is still a stranger to my granddaughter", concluded the proud grandpa.

"Your granddaughter needs to come with us. Queen's order", said Lwani, deflecting from a potential argument.

Buhle refused, she explained that she was not intending on marrying The Prince. And remained adamant on not heeding The Queen's order.

The servants set back to the palace.

The village's most wiseman, the Sangoma, was clearing his consultation chamber when The Queen and King's messenger entered. Without turning to the royal messenger, the Sangoma spoke;

"You already know the answer to your questions. Custom must be followed, unless otherwise stated. It is only then that The Prince shall marry. And if things do not go accordingly, The Prince will die."

The Sangoma could prophesy, heal the living and speak to the dead. He then began whistling a tune as he continued the cleaning. The royal messenger stood up and left.

In the afternoon, Buhle was alone in the jungle. Grandpa had decided that farming would not be done on that day. Buhle was sitting high up in a tree, wiggling a twig, seemingly deep in thought. A sudden cry startled the girl. She paused to hear another cry. Buhle heard the cry again; it was expressing pain. She immediately got off the tree and ran to the direction of the cry. She stopped when she saw a young man stuck under a huge fallen tree.

"Grandpa! Grandpa!", Buhle panted as she called out.

She had arrived at home, carrying the young man on a wheelbarrow.

The grandfather got out of the house in a hurry. He picked up urgency from Buhle's voice. Right at first glance, he saw a young man covered in blood, seemingly near death. The shocked grandfather neared; he checked the boy's breathing.

"He is about to die", grandpa said and started examining the boy much farther. "Who is he?", grandpa asked, but Buhle too had no idea.

Upon examining, grandpa spotted some beads on his waist and got startled. Buhle looked, curiously. She was unaware about what had grandpa shocked.

Grandpa explained; "Only a royal son can wear these types of beads. Could he be The Prince?"