Black Beauty

Chapter 2

I watched from beside Baba as the room was filled, everyone was invited. The room was filled with laughter and joy, well apart from some ministers who turned up their noses at someone who wasn't decorated in the finest clothes like them.

"Jasmine",I looked at Baba, after sobbing and catching up all afternoon. I had reluctantly parted ways with him because I had to prepare for my coming home banquet.

"Your Majesty", I answered him.

"How do you like it? I made sure everyone was invited ", he said winking and I giggled.

"I love it but do I have to sit here till now? I've said hello to everyone and kept up appearances".

He chuckled, "I know you want to leave, you've not sat still since we came up here. I just want to tell you about some new soldiers arriving late tonight, I got a new guard who'll teach you military tactics. He's the best of the best,his name is Jeon.."

My attention was long ago taken but the acrobats,I watched wide eyed as they performed tricks...shirtless. This banquet just took a turn for the better.

"What do you think?" I looked at Baba clueless, what did he say again?

"Yes Your Majesty is most wise, that is brilliant, magnificent even," I said standing up.

"Please excuse me, I think I saw Thomas", I said as I looked at the ministers who sat near us. Baba looked like he didn't believe me but just sighed as he dismissed me.

Skin, it was all I could see from my hiding spot. The orange glow from the torches illuminated their dark skin making it glow and I squealed.

"Your Highness", I shushed the person and looked from behind the pillar if anyone had heard her but everyone's attention was taken by the performers.

"Honoria, lower your voice," I said as I watched the man blow on the fire making it fiercer and I cheered then remembered that I was supposed to be hiding.

"Princess,you really shouldn't be here,it's not proper".

I exhaled and turned to my personal maid, "Honoria, what do you see before us?" I asked pointing to the free display of chests.

"Princess don't look," she blocked my eyes with her hands, "They're naked".

"What ?", She couldn't be serious, "Let me teach you a life lesson", I said putting an arm on her shoulder as I turned her to look at the performers.

"This is not being naked,this is art, what you're looking at is art at it's rawest form being delivered to us in the best way possible. We shouldn't be selfish with our eyes and not appreciate it,they've worked long and hard and we should appreciate them", I said watching the man's arms bulge .

" But it's ....", she started protesting but I put a finger on her lip.

"Enough jibber jabber, let's find a place where we can get a closer look".

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I was in a forest, it was quiet, not even a bird chirping.

There was a path Infront of me and as if I had no control over my body,my legs started walking on it.

I stopped, there was a mirror Infront of me,it had chains wrapped around it. Why would such a mirror be in a random place like this?

"Jasmine, Jasmine", I turned looking for whoever was calling me but there was no one.

"Jasmine, can you help me ?",

"Where are you?" I frantically asked, her voice sounded so small and it tugged at my heart.

"I'm right here, please let me out".

I stopped and looked at the mirror, the voice was coming from there. Slowly I stepped closer to it, there was something in there, no it was someone. They had on a green dress and it looked like her hands were bound in green vines.

"How...", I took a closer look and stepped back shocked, she looked like...me.

Gasping I woke up, what was that ? I could feel my heart pounding.

"Princess Aimala, Princess", I heard Honoria knocking. Composing myself I called for her to come in.

"Your Highness", she came in and opened the curtains, getting up I stretched. The banquet ended pretty late last night.

"Mama Patience is waiting for you in the garden for your morning chai", I nodded as she started preparing my things for the day.

"Princess", I smiled as Mama Patience came to view. She was the head of all maids in the palace but to me she was like my second mother. After my mother died,she took care of me and apart from Baba and Thomas,she was the only other person I held dear to me.

I hugged her, "Mama Patience, the days just haven't been the same without you ".

"Let me take a good look at you ", she said stepping back and I spinned for her the beads in my braids hitting my cheek.

"Am I still pretty?", I asked posing and she smiled shaking her head.

"You never change ", I smiled as we took our seats.

"How have you been baby?" She asked seriously.

"It was hard, being away from home. I had to be on my best behavior, I couldn't do anything out of line else it'd cause our kingdom to look bad. I had to reel in any negative emotion, it was worse than here because everywhere I had eyes on me it's not like I could go hide and just scream out my frustrations. The university is really the best though".

The University of Sankore was the lead university in the continent. Medicine, linguistics,history, Arabic, Islamic studies were just a few that were taught there. All the royals before me attended school there as it offered the best trade classes.

Our kingdom major income came from coffee export and diamond mining hence it's name.

"What about yourself? Have you noticed any changes in yourself?", She said and I looked down at my chest then back at her with a grin.

"Not that change silly girl", she said reaching over to pull a braid and I laughted.

"I mean anything out of the ordinary,that wouldn't be considered normal", she said in a low voice as if she didn't want anyone to hear.

"What do you mean Mama Patience?".

She was searching my face, "So nothing has happened out of the ordinary?".

I shook my head then I remembered the dream I had. Should I tell her ? Was it out of the ordinary?

"What is it Jasmine?"

I fiddled with my hands,"I had a dream,"
I looked to see if she'd tell me that was not what she meant but she nodded her head encouraging me to go on. When I finished telling her about it she leaned back in her chair and had a Faraway look on her face.

"Its probably nothing Mama Patience", I told her. She only indicated for the maids to bring in the chai.

"I have something for you", I put my cup down as she took out a little sachet.

"Oh what is that?", I looked as she poured it in a cup and put hot water in it.

"Its famous among the girls for good skin,it's locally made".

She took away my cup of chai and replaced it. "Drink it Jasmine".

I took the cup and the smell made me recoil,
"Mama Patience I don't think this is for human consumption". I said putting it back on the table.

"Don't be stubborn Jasmine, drink it", she sternly said and I looked at her in shock. She had never used that tone of voice with me. I took the cup blew on it and gulped it in one go.

"Remember to come for some everyday alright? For it to be effective you have to take it everyday, actually don't .I'll make sure myself that you take it".

I had a weird feeling about this, Mama Patience was behaving weird but she wouldn't bring any harm to me right?