Akiiki paused for a moment to gather his thoughts and said. “There was so much anger in his words.”
“It is true that Sefu speaks too much with his heart and not with his head, but it was not anger you heard in his voice, it was passion. That is why I trust him, I know his heart is pure. It might shock you that he speaks of such things as scaring women and children, but he knows the evils in this world better than most and he is passionate about protecting as many people as he can, even at a high cost to others,” his father sighed. “Sefu comes from the outlands, one of the few who have ever had the honor of building a life inside the palace walls. Let me tell you the story of how he earned such an honor.”
Akiiki shifted in his chair as his father began his story. “Sefu comes from a small village in the south. Many years ago, before you were born, we struggled to maintain control over some of the larger villages in the south. Some of the chiefs had decided to break away from the kingdom and demanded that the smaller villages turn their backs on us and swear loyalty to them. When the smaller villages refused, they were brutally attacked. Of course, when we heard of the attacks we sent men to help, but they were too late. By the time our men made it to the first village, they found nothing but death and destruction. Upon their return, some of my most seasoned warriors wept when they described the brutality and devastation they saw. They found Sefu in the last remaining hut holding the dead body of his young daughter in his arms. They brought him to me, and he told me of the way raiders set the huts of his village on fire and killed whole families as they tried to escape the flames. As I spoke with him, I not only felt the pain in his voice, but I saw an incredible resolve in his eyes. A man who continues to fight when he has lost everything can be trusted to fear nothing. I offered him a place on my council because it is important to have someone who is not afraid to challenge your views. Too many of the men on the council are comfortable with letting others speak up while they stay quiet and second guess my decisions from a distance. Sefu is brave enough to speak his mind no matter how unpopular his views may be. The men who killed my tribunal and the men who attacked Sefu’s village are not unique. There will always be those who choose to settle their problems with violence and fear instead of peace and understanding. So Sefu is right, some men only respect what they fear but if I send women and men to their deaths simply to frighten the northern tribes into submission I become no better than those who attacked Sefu’s village.”
Akiiki hesitated. “I didn’t know he was from the outlands.”
“Let that be a lesson for you. Judge no one before you understand them, for once you understand, they become much more difficult to judge,” his father said as he stood up from his chair. “That is enough for today. You have done well my son,” he looked down at Akiiki and smiled.
“Now go enjoy this beautiful day. I have spoken with Kamau and he has agreed to give you the rest of the day off from your studies.”
“Really?!” Akiiki asked excitedly. “Thank you! I promise when I grow up I am going to be a great king just like you!”
“When it is your time, I hope you are a far greater king than me,” his father said as he gave him a hug. Akiiki made his way to the door and pushed it open.
The cool morning air had warmed in the midday sun, and he loosened one of the buttons around his neck as he made his way towards the eastern courtyard. By the time he reached the courtyard, the full strength of the sun bore down on him. He paused and wiped beads of sweat from across his brow. A small breeze blew across the green grass like ripples through a peaceful lake, and the sun reflected off the open ocean as he made his way further into the courtyard.
The eastern courtyard was one of his favorite places in the palace from which to look out over the capital city. He watched as people dipped in and out of sight through the alleyways of the city. As he gazed out over the ocean strait and the long thin bridge that connected the city to the palace, he imagined the capital city as a foreign land of adventure and excitement, filled with the heroes and magic of the stories he read. He had crossed the bridge only once and what little he remembered about the trip was from stories his mother and father had told him. He dreamed of crossing the bridge into his own personal adventure, but deep down he knew there was too much risk for him to ever cross the bridge alone. Instead, he resigned himself to his dreams.
The soft pitter patter of feet made him turn and he saw his mother and sister walking towards him.
“Aki!” His sister ran across the grass and wrapped her arms around him in a large hug. She smelled of fruit, and her curly black hair was pulled back into two short puffs with a large white flower resting across her ear.
“Are you still going to read me a story tonight? You promised,” her big brown eyes looked up at him.
He rubbed her head. “Of course. I would never break a promise.”
She giggled and bounded away.
His mother walked over and stood next to him. “I thought we might find you here,” she spoke softly in a voice that reminded him of music. “How was the meeting with your father’s council?”
He hesitated as he tried to find the right words. “I don’t know if I will ever be ready to be king.”
“Give it time. You are still young with lots to learn. Be patient and trust in your father and Kamau. They will not lead you astray.”
Akiiki turned and gazed out over the grass as a butterfly floated down into the courtyard. It flew through the courtyard while Esi chased it with outstretched arms, laughing and swiping at the air. Her yellow dress swayed in the wind as she hopped and skipped after her new playmate. Then, with a few easy flaps of its wings, the butterfly climbed high into the air and far out of her reach. She watched it flutter off into the sky before turning around and racing back towards Akiiki.
“Did you see how close I was? I almost had him,” she said excitedly.
“Maybe next time my love,” his mother said quietly.
Esi’s eyes passed from their mother to Akiiki. “Are you ready Aki?” she asked.
Akiiki nodded. “Only if mother says it’s ok.”
“It is fine with me. I will come and get you after sundown for bed.”
“Can I sleep in Aki’s room tonight?” Esi pleaded. Their mother paused a moment as she thought.
“PLEAASSSEEEE!!!!!” Esi’s eyes widened as she squeezed Akiiki’s hand.
“Is that all right with you Akiiki?” his mother asked.
“Of course,” Akiiki said without hesitation.
“Ok. You two have fun but don’t stay up too late, you both have your studies tomorrow.”
They both nodded and with a strong pull on his arm, Esi led him out of the courtyard. As they walked, Akiiki’s stomach rumbled and he remembered he had skipped breakfast.
“Are you hungry Si-Si?”
“A little. Mommy wanted me to eat squash for lunch,” she scrunched her face into a little ball. “I hate squash.”
Akiiki laughed. “Let’s stop and see if Mama Yakira has anything better than squash for us to eat.”
They walked together to the kitchen on the other side of the palace. Akiiki’s mouth began to water at the smell of fresh bread and spiced meats made as they approached the large doors of the kitchen. He pushed open on of the wooden doors and they stepped inside, where they were greeted by the clang of dishes and loud voices that somehow soothed Akiiki’s nerves.
It was almost time for dinner, and the chefs were working frantically. Some cut large slabs of meat and threw them into large pots, while others were busy seasoning vegetables and rolling dough. Akiiki and Esi calmly passed through the commotion until eventually, Akiiki spotted the woman he was looking for.
Yakira was hunched over a large bowl. She dipped the tip of her finger in the bowl, tasted it and said something to one of the servants near her. The servant nodded and darted away. Yakira looked up and smiled as her eyes fell upon Akiiki and Esi. With a yelp, Esi ran into Yakira’s arms and gave her
a hug. Yakira stood up and patted her forehead with a scarf from her pocket.
“What a wonderful surprise,” she said after she caught her breath. Her hair was thin and grey, and her skin sagged slightly under her eyes and across her forehead.
Yakira had been his mother’s nurse for as long as Akiiki could remember, and though she was only a servant, her bond with his mother ran deep.
“Mama Yakira, what have you made us tonight?” Esi asked.
“Tonight, we are having fish stew with potatoes and mushrooms,” she said as she pinched Esi’s cheeks.
“Yay! I love fish stew! Aki is going to read me a story, can we have a bowl now?”
“Is he?” Yakira looked at Akiiki and grinned. “How nice of him. I hope you know you have a very special big brother.”
She grabbed two bowls off the table behind her, and with a large wooden spoon, ladled the stew into the bowls. Then she tore off two large chunks from a large loaf of bread. Steam rose from the bread as she put one in each bowl and handed one to Akiiki and one to Esi.
“Here you are. Now be careful, it is very hot. Best to wait until you get to your room before you eat it.”
The bowl was warm, and the smell made it hard for Akiiki to resist eating right then and there. They both gave Mama Yakira a kiss on the cheek and made their way out of the kitchen.
As the sun began to set and a soft evening breeze blew through the corridor, they made their way through the palace towards Akiiki’s room. Once they reached his room they paused outside his door. With the warm bowl still in his hands, Akiiki nudged the door open with his shoulder and let Esi slip past him before stepping into the room.
Esi stood in front of the window and looked out over the ocean. “Aki look at the sunset,” she said without turning around.
Akiiki walked over and looked out the window. The setting sun filled the horizon with a burnt orange that blanketed the sky. A few lonely clouds were scattered in the web of orange, like flies caught in a spider’s web.
Esi took his hand as they walked to the bed. Akiiki put his bowl on the nightstand, as she hopped into the bed and pulled the sheets over her legs. She took a large bite of the bread when there was a knock on the door.
“Come in,” Akiiki yelled. A boy opened the door slowly and walked cautiously into the room. In his hand was a small torch that he raised as he bowed his head. The boy hurried to the fireplace, and after a few minutes of fumbling around with the wood, laid the torch down. Warmth slowly began to fill the room as he headed for the door. He opened the door and bowed.
“Thank you,” Akiiki said as boy hurried out and the door closed behind him.
They ate their food in silence. The bread had gone cold, but the soup was still warm, and it satisfied Akiiki’s heart as well as his empty stomach. When they finished eating, Akiiki stacked Esi’s empty bowl in his, and put them on the nightstand. The last of the daylight lingered nervously in the air as the sun dipped beneath the horizon, causing the shadows to merge slowly into darkness. Akiiki lit a candle in the fire and returned to the bed. With the light from the candle, Akiiki searched through the bookshelf on the wall by his bed until he found his sister’s favorite book.
In truth, it was his favorite book as well. He had fond memories of his father reading it to him, using funny voices that made them both laugh as he told the story of a traveling man who sold his hats to monkeys he met on the road. He found it strange how quickly time changed from present to past as he opened the book and began to read.
By the time he had reached the end of the story, Esi was asleep on his shoulder. He closed the book and carefully put it on the nightstand as he watched her small chest rise and fall gently with each breath. Using a pillow, he gently maneuvered his sister off his shoulder, pulled the blankets up so they covered both of their shoulders and blew out the candle. Akiiki closed his eyes, and slowly, the calming darkness of sleep fell upon his thoughts.
Chapter 2
HIS DREAM BEGAN as it always had, in silence.
He sat at a large wooden table, alone in cold darkness. His heart racing, he looked side to side at the empty table and he saw his father seated opposite him. As he stared at his father, the table grew impossibly long, and his father drifted further and further out of reach. While his father sat in silence, dark shadows rose on either side of the table. Akiiki, frozen with fear, slowly turned and looked at the cloaked figures. Each was wearing a dark hood that hid their faces and one by one they each cracked a slow devious smile. He was about to call out to his father when a faint rustling stirred him from his sleep.
Instinctively, he opened his eyes and listened closely to the silence of the night. Fear played tricks on his mind and he wondered if the sound had been only in his dream. He paused, afraid any movement would shatter the thin safety of silence and turned his head to the window.
A loud thump made his heart jump and he heard the soft whisper of voices in the distance. There was another loud noise followed by a muffled scream that sent shivers through his body.
“Esi, wake up,” he whispered through a dry throat. When his sister didn’t move, he tried again.
“Esi!” he rubbed her shoulder. Esi moaned and rolled towards him. “Esi you have to wake up.”
There was shouting coming from down the hall. “Please!” he said, frantically shaking her shoulder.
“Aki. Let me sleep,” Esi whined. A few voices echoed from outside his door and Esi sat up in the bed. “What was that?” she asked as she rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand.
“I don’t know,” Akiiki said, trying to hide the fear in his voice.
“Aki I’m scared!” Esi wriggled closer to him and hid behind his shoulder.
“Si-Si you need to hide,” he said as he turned and looked at Esi. “I know you’re scared, but just pretend we’re playing. You are always so good at hiding.”
Her grip tightened around his arm.
“Please Esi, I’m sure it’s nothing. I will come find you when its safe.”
After a moment of silence that seemed to ease her nerves, she cautiously stood up and crawled underneath the bed. Akiiki quietly made his way towards the door, where he pressed his ear to the cold wood. The sound of feet rushing past his door and the unmistakable sound of fighting filled him with terror. He waited for a break in the commotion and carefully opened the door. Slowly, he peeked down the corridor towards the sound of the commotion. Though the darkness made it difficult to see, his heart dropped in horror when he saw the faint outline of a body on the floor. Time slowed as his mind raced at the sight of the unnaturally stiff body, a large stone on the hard floor. Fighting the urge to retch, he pulled his eyes away from the motionless body and looked up.
Out of the shadows, a tall man appeared. He was shirtless and had a spear in one of his hands. It was too dark to make out the features of his face, but something in his walk made Akiiki tremble. The man looked up into Akiiki’s eyes, smiled, and began to walk towards him. Akiiki’s heart exploded in a rush of panic as he closed the door and turned the lock.
“Aki, what is it?” his sister asked from under the bed, her voice trembling.
Akiiki rushed to the bed and knelt as he talked into the floor. “Si-Si I need you to promise me that whatever happens you will stay under the bed.”
“But Aki…”
“Promise me!” he said.
“Ok I promise! But Aki what’s happening?” She started to cry.
“Shh. You have to be quiet, remember? It’s like a game. If you cry it makes it easier to find you.” Her eyes widened as she fell silent.
The footsteps settled in front of the door and there was a loud bang. Esi squealed as Akiiki stood up and looked around the room helplessly. There was another loud bang and shards of wood shattered across the room. A voice from outside shouted commands in a language Akiiki did not recognize when suddenly an earsplitting ‘CRACK’ rang through the air. Akiiki turned towards the door and saw the movement
of bodies through small splintered holes in the once sturdy wood. A moment of terror froze the silenced room as the door broke open and two men rushed in and fanned out onto either side. They were followed by a third man who stepped in and surveyed the room.
The man flashed the same cold heartless smile and passed his spear to one of the other men as he began to walk towards Akiiki. With each step, he grew larger and larger until he stopped in front of Akiiki and bowed.
Akiiki never saw the hand that struck him. There was a sharp pain on the side of his head followed by a dizzying spiraling, and then, darkness.
***
His consciousness returned in bits and pieces. Unfamiliar voices. The gentle rocking of his body on a cold wet floor. A splashing of mist that smelled of the sea. And fragmented memories.
Akiiki opened his eyes to darkness. The blindfold around his eyes made him disoriented, and he began to panic. He tried to focus, but with each effort, a deep ringing echoed in his head. A piece of rough twine was wrapped tightly around his hands and feet. He tried to test its strength, with no success.
After a long moment of lying awake, shivering from the cold, uncertain questions of his family and the intentions of the men who kidnapped him bounded through his head. With each question, he fell deeper and deeper into the pit of despair, with only the sudden thud of hopelessness to break his fall. A numbness fell over his body as he cried into the cloth covering his eyes.
A strong heavy foot pushed him in the back. “Be quiet,” a sharp voice hissed. The man said something quietly under his breath as Akiiki silenced his tears. Slowly, the small ember of fear, pain and doubt grew into a raging fire that tore through his memories, singeing away the edges of his will to live. As the fire burned, it consumed everything in its path, leaving nothing left inside of him but ashes and a hollowness that ached in his chest.
The boat heaved gently forward as they made landfall and there was the sound of splashing as the men hopped out of the boat and into the water. Once the boat was on the sand, one of the men grabbed Akiiki around the waist and hoisted him into the air. Akiiki felt weightless against the man’s strength as he was carried out of the boat and dropped in the sand. A scramble of voices filled the air and he turned his head trying to imagine the people behind the foreign voices before they trailed off into silence. Akiiki waited and heard footsteps approaching.
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