Men of Valor, Books 1

by Kiru Taye

  The sight had torn his heart in half. Unexpected, the intensity of his feelings for her had unraveled when she’d finally broken down in front of him. Pain had seared through his body like someone had whipped his bare skin.

  The need to take her into his arms had all but overwhelmed him. He’d wanted to take her into his arms and console her—to make everything alright for her. Latent possessiveness had warred with doing the right thing.

  Taking her into his arms wouldn’t have been the right thing to do. Not when he’d wanted to press his lips against the softness of her cheeks. Swipe the saltiness of her tears with his tongue. Taste the juiciness of her sweet lips.

  No, he wouldn’t have stopped at just holding her. Not from the way his manhood throbbed at just the memory of Ezinne. Without shame or honor.

  Wiping her tears with his fingers had been the honorable thing to do.

  He had to find a way to squash his growing feelings for Ezinne. For the past four days he'd looked forward to every night they had spent together eating and talking. He'd even cleared his schedule to ensure he had enough time to prepare for her arrival.

  Each moment with her, learning something new about her was without equal. She was an amazing woman, strong and brave. One he longed to connect with on every other level.

  Still, it wasn't possible. He was bound to another. Yes, he could take a concubine, but what kind of man would that make him? He was a leader who showed his people a better way of living, to stand above the murk, the dredges of society. If he couldn't control his desires, what right did he have to set himself apart and lead as the future king?

  Leadership meant sacrifice and this was his sacrifice. He couldn't have Ezinne, though he'd desired her from the moment he'd first met her when she arrived in Umunri. No matter what, service to Umunri came before personal gain.

  Furthermore, she didn't want him. She'd said so. It was best that way. If he ever felt tempted to disregard his duty to Umunri, he would never force himself on a woman.

  As the frustration rose within his body, he stood and walked out into the clear moonlit night. His personal guards followed him. He stopped them. He wanted to be alone with his thoughts.

  Walking through the tall palm trees surrounding the palace, the silver beam lit his path. The air filled with night sounds: an owl hooted, crickets chirped, and the leaves rustled as he brushed against them.

  He headed for the palace lake. It was set against rocks that rose into the sky with a waterfall descending in cascades. Legend had it that the pool was carved out by his great ancestor, the first king of Umunri.

  When he arrived, he realized someone was swimming in it. No one was permitted here except members of the royal family. He knew his parents and sister had already retired for the night.

  He moved closer to the water, ready to call out the trespasser, the round moonlight reflecting off the water. The person stood up. He realized it was a woman, her back turned to him, her long black braids cascading down her back all the way to her hips. The rest of her was below the waterline.

  He stood, riveted to the spot. Something about the woman gripped his attention. At the back of his mind, a voice told him to turn around and go back to the palace. But he wanted to see her face, though he already had his suspicions.

  She turned around and gasped. "My prince." The sound of her soft voice flowing through him, twisting his insides like it always did. Ezinne.

  In the moonlight, she looked even more remarkable. Like a water goddess, her wet hair cascaded behind her, her ample breasts in full view, her nipples taut and pointing toward him. Water ran in between her breasts down her flat belly.

  Immobilized, he watched her, his mind unable to think coherently. His body didn’t fail to response to the temptation displayed in front of him; the rush of heated blood swelling his manhood to the point of pain.

  When she moved in his direction, he was jolted into action as he became ashamed of his inability to control himself.

  "I'm sorry," he said and turned around, intending to walk away. He stopped when she spoke.

  "I should be the one apologizing. I know I shouldn't be here. But I was restless and needed a swim. I didn't want to go to the main stream this late at night."

  "It's not a problem. You have my permission to use this pool whenever you want to."

  "Thank you," she said softly.

  He took another step away, but her voice stopped him again.

  "Please don't go. I know I'm not as beautiful as Princess Nonye, but am I so repulsive that you cannot bear to look at me?"

  Seeking first to reassure her, he turned around without thinking. She was standing a few paces from him and had now wrapped her skirt around her hips. But she remained bare of any covering on the rest of her body, her beads and trinkets all still on the ground where she'd left them. Her dark skin glistened in the silver light. He yearned to touch it, to feel its texture against his skin.

  "You are very beautiful, Ezinne." He could hardly recognize his own husky voice as his emotions clogged his throat. This woman affected him like no other. He had to stiffen his stance so as not to walk over to her and take her in his arms. Couldn't she see the evidence of her impact on his body?

  "Who is the liar now? You have barely looked at me nor touched me in the past week. I'm obviously not that—"

  Nasty words. He couldn't let her finish them. I took two short steps to reach her. He cut off her words by pulling her into his arms and crushing her against his chest.

  "You are the most beautiful woman I know. There, I said it." He never thought he would do this. He was not a weak man to allow emotions and lust to overwhelm him. But here he was doing the thing he'd sworn he'd never do—comparing another woman to his wife. His mind warred between guilt and protectiveness. Somehow, he felt as if he was betraying his wife by telling Ezinne she was the most beautiful. But there was something about Ezinne that made him want to shield her from pain.

  Still, it seemed his words alone were not good enough for her. Ezinne shook her head against his chest.

  "No."

  He lifted her head, muffling her word with his kiss. The one thing he had wanted to do for days and had told himself she wouldn't want. However, she put up no resistance, her pliable lips opening willingly when his tongue probed them. She welcomed him into her warm, sweet mouth. She tasted of oranges and mangoes, sweet and succulent. Her tongue touched his, matching his movements.

  When she slid her tongue into his mouth, all sense of the world fled him. She became his world. He tasted her, inhaled her, and touched her. She seared him in return, branding not just his body but his heart.

  With one hand holding her neck, the other roamed her body enjoying her feel. Her skin was firm and smooth on her back, but when he touched her breasts, they were yielding and heavy, overflowing his palm—perfect globes. He wanted to taste them; he wanted to taste all of her. She whimpered when he moved his lips to her neck, kissing her collarbone and inhaling more of her clean scent.

  Her sounds roused him from his lustful haze. He lifted his head, trying to clear the fog of desire from his mind. He shouldn't be doing this. It was wrong.

  She opened her eyes, their brown depth filled with longing.

  "I have never lied to you. I never will. You are beautiful. Don't let anyone ever tell you otherwise." He stepped back creating some space between them. He needed a cold, vigorous swim tonight, but he would see her returned to the palace before returning. The last thing he needed was to show her the evidence of how much she affected him.

  "Pick up your things, and I'll escort you back."

  She nodded before squatting to take her things. They walked to the palace gates. He bid her good night before returning to the pool. He would be swimming a few lengths if he wanted to get any semblance of sleep that night.

  Chapter Six

  "My prince, our spies inform me that Oshaji is preparing for war with Umulari. The king of Oshaji has blamed Umulari for the abduction of women and children, so t
hey plan retaliations."

  Emeka was in his obi in conference with Amobi and Ikem the chief warrior and the head of the intelligence team. For a while, there had been rumors of war looming against their neighbor in the east, Umulari. Emeka had ordered the spies to investigate and report back to him. Ikem was here presenting their findings.

  "This is a serious matter. Are you sure of what you're saying?" Emeka asked, his demeanor calm. Ikem had never misinformed him in the past, but the implications of the news were dire. He had to be absolutely sure.

  "I'm very sure, my prince. Our sources have always been correct with their information. I have no reason to doubt this," Ikem replied with confidence. He was a great warrior leader, so Emeka felt comfortable with the man's information.

  Yet this was not good news for the people of Umunri.

  "My prince, you realize if Umulari goes to war, then by virtue of our relationship with them, Umunri will be at war too. Their enemies have become our enemies by proxy," Amobi's grave words confirmed Emeka's fears.

  "I'm fully aware of this, and it worries me. We have worked so hard for peace to be dragged into war at this moment. This news will not please my father at all."

  The king while still strong in his mid-forties was aging in relative terms. He had hoped that Umunri would not be at war for the rest of his reign. It seemed that was about to change.

  "No, His Majesty will not be pleased. But we cannot renege on our deal with Umulari. We will have to get involved," Amobi remarked as he shifted in his seat to the right of the prince. Ikem sat opposite him to Emeka's left.

  "I know. But before we make any decisions to go to war along with the Umulari, we should send a delegation to Umulari and Oshaji to discuss their grievances and negotiate a peace treaty between them before things escalate," Emeka said. There had to be a solution that didn't involve hostilities between their neighbors.

  "I agree. We should work on diplomatic efforts first. War should be a last resort." Ikem nodded when he spoke.

  Emeka was glad that even the most fearsome warrior in the land was not bloodthirsty. For the years preceding and in the first few years of his father's rule, Umunri was constantly at war with its neighbors. Every grown man was trained in warfare skills.

  However, a few years ago, his father made the decision to stop all hostilities and started to negotiate peace treaties with all their bordering neighbors. For the past five years, there had been no wars with their neighbors. The warriors had lost their thirst for blood. His father's legacy had taken root within Umunri, and Emeka would do all he could to protect that legacy.

  "I think that's best too," Amobi agreed.

  "When the delegation is agreed, I'll arrange for the guards to go with them. It is not a safe time to travel especially if there are random kidnappings going on in the bordering kingdoms," Ikem added.

  "Thank you, Ikem. I'll speak to my father later today. I know he will want to arrange a meeting with the elders too."

  Emeka paused, frowning for a moment as a thought occurred to him.

  "My wife is currently in Umulari and is due back in two weeks. I'll have to arrange for extra guards to go and bring her home."

  "Perhaps it is best to leave her there until the investigations have concluded," Amobi said.

  "I'm not so sure that's a good thing. I'd rather have her here where I know she's safe. While she's there and with all this uncertainty, I'll be restless." His frown deepened as guilt spread through his body. If anything happened to Nonye, he would feel responsible knowing how he felt for Ezinne.

  Amobi tried to reassure him. "She will be safe in her father's palace for a few more days. War hasn't broken out yet. But it is probably not a good time to travel until we ascertain what is actually going on."

  Uneasy, Emeka shifted in his chair. He wasn't reassured. His conscious warred with the need to make the right decision. He knew why he wanted Nonye home. If she was back here, he would no longer be tempted with Ezinne. He would have Nonye to lavish his attention on instead of Ezinne.

  The last few days had been torture. He'd had to limit the time he spent with Ezinne, sending her off to her room as soon as the evening meal was done. Not wanting to prolong the agony of seeing her and not being able to do anything about it.

  The more time he spent with her, the more irresistible she became. His restraint was gradually slipping. The affair between them wasn't just lust. And that made it even harder.

  There was brazen passion. Their kiss the other night confirmed it. He wanted Ezinne so much he physically ached most of the time.

  Still, there was something else—deeper, heart-warming, soul-searing. That was what scared him.

  If it was only a matter of bedding her, it wouldn't be too bad. After all, it was what Nonye had arranged. If his wife didn’t return home soon, he wasn't sure he would be able to hold out for much longer.

  Having Ezinne in his bed for a few days would never be enough.

  Every night Ezinne haunted his sleep. She visited his dreams and stayed in his bed. Often, he tasted her sweet lips and filled her soft slick depth with his hardness. Always, he woke up sweaty and frustrated.

  No matter what, he needed his wife home soon. He had to find a way to bring her back and end this madness because he was gradually going insane.

  "Ikem, what do you think? Is it safe for Nonye to return, or should I leave it for now?" Emeka asked the man who knew best in matters of security.

  "My prince, I would suggest that we restrict traveling to only those who need to travel. However, if you would rather have your wife home sooner, then I'll go myself to guard her journey home."

  "Thank you, Ikem. I'll think about it and let you know my decision. No matter what happens, I'll need her home before the New Yam Festival. But first, you owe me a sparring match." Emeka laughed to ease the tension in his obi. War was not an easy topic to discuss.

  "Whenever you're ready." Ikem boisterous laughter echoed in the chamber. "I've been looking forward to getting you into shape."

  When he was younger, Emeka trained and exercised with the warriors. Now he kept his exercising to sparring weekly with his guards or Amobi. He loved sparring with Ikem but these days the warrior was usually busy with other assignments.

  Since he had him around today, Emeka wanted to make the most of his presence. Sparring with the best warrior in the kingdom was good exercise and should help him work out his mounting frustrations.

  "You can ask Amobi. I won our last match. You better watch out," Emeka replied. He laughed with equal animation.

  Standing, he gestured to his guards to bring his weapons. He stripped off his ceremonial robes and trinkets down to his loin cloth. The palace head guard handed him his machete still in its scabbard. Emeka unsheathed it and took his shield.

  "We are using live weapons?" Ikem asked, looking surprised.

  "Yes, are you afraid, Ikem? Don't tell me our chief warrior is afraid of sparring with live weapons." Emeka laughed again as he teased the warrior.

  "Afraid? Never. Let's go."

  They both walked out to the courtyard in front of the palace where they were to begin their match.

  ***

  Ezinne sat at the loom in the large weaving hut. It was a hot day outside, yet the hut was always cool, the mud wall absorbing the heat from the scorching midday sun. Her mind wasn't on the activity at hand but back at the waterfall where Emeka had kissed her a few nights ago.

  She had relived the kiss every day: the feel of his firm lips against hers, his warm wet tongue invading her mouth, the hardness of his body against hers, the tingling sensations that spread through her body, the feeling of being lost and home at the same time.

  It had been a wonderful kiss, more than she'd ever imagined it to be. Not that she'd had enough kisses to compare it with. She'd had a man slobber her with his sloppy kiss and stick his large tongue in her mouth. That experience had been revolting, and she'd had to prevent herself from throwing up.

  Emeka's kiss was eons above
that one. It had elevated her into another realm she hadn't been aware of—one of bliss and pleasure, one of heightened awareness and a growing ache deep within her.

  Above all, she wanted to taste his lips again and feel his body next to hers. She wanted him to make love to her, to surrender her body and soul to him. She had never wanted a man that way before.

  "Come and see. Prince Emeka is sparing with Ikem, the chief warrior."

  The distant words roused Ezinne from her deep thoughts. The mention of the prince’s name had her ears pricking up with alertness. The person was outside but close to the loom hut. She recognized the voice as one of the palace servant girls, Oma. From the corner of her eyes, Ezinne could see the master weaver standing over her shoulder watching her actions. She paused, wanting to hear more of the conversation going on outside.

  Another female Ezinne didn't recognize immediately responded. "Really, Ikem is a fearsome warrior. The prince is brave to face such an opponent. But we know they don't practice with real weapons so no harm with befall him."

  "No. Today they are using real weapons. If you doubt me go and see for yourself. They are in the courtyard," Oma said.

  "I have to see this for myself," the second speaker replied.

  The sound of footsteps fading told her the conversant had moved away. Panicked, her heart constricted in fear.

  Emeka was sparing with real weapons! Why would he do that?

  She'd never seen him practice with the warriors before, but she'd heard they always used the blunt wooden practice weapons not the sharp metal ones. Distracted, she missed a line of thread in the loom as she fumbled with worry.

  "Ezinne, are you all right?" The master weaver stopped the loom and put his hand on her shoulders.

  "I'm sorry, but I don’t feel very well. Do you mind if we end today's lesson early?" She looked up at him, hoping he'd let her go. She needed to get out there and see what was going on.