Umakoti (The bride)

Rise

Lindiwe over heard the planning process and her guilt was getting to her. Her own father was the puppet master behind her husband losing his throne and almost his life. How cruel could this man be. He used her and sold for a chief seat. Luckily for her she found the man of her dreams. She could have ended up with a monster and he wouldn't even care.

She had to stop him at any cost. She was furious with Mbu when he was sent to kill him but maybe she should have let him. Her thoughts were torturing her.

She put on some clothes and sneaked out after taking the keys of one of the cars. She got into the jeep parked nearest to the gate and drove to the gate.

The guard stopped her when she got to the gate. "Hey, I am going out quickly. Vusi sent me to the lady up the hill." Lindiwe said with a smile.

The only time Vusi allowed her out to the house was when she begged to buy vegetables. Vusi knew a lady who lived up the hill who had a garden. They bought fruits and vegetables from her.

The guard looked at her for a moment and finally opened the gate. She floored it when she saw Vusi standing at the door. She had to help him any way she could.

The drive to her parents house was filled with many emotions. She had stopped twice to cry. She took some dodgy back route. Vusi would never think she used that road cause she was afraid of the dark and it had no lights for miles. She had to be strong for him. She would speak to her father and he would support her husband if he loved her.

She arrived at home in the early hours of the morning. She got to the gate and hooted for a while before someone came outside. The coward had a shotgun as he approached the gate. "It's me Baba." Lindiwe yelled from the car window.

He put the gun down and opened the gate. She was not happy to be back there. When she left she would have given anything to be back with her family but now they felt like strangers.

Her mother wept when she saw her and her father looked like a he had just seen a ghost. She didn't even look at them. "I need to rest." Lindiwe said as she walked pass them.

She got into her old room and locked the door. She had switched off her phone when she left cause hearing Vusi's voice would have shattered her resolve. Messages popped up on her screen the moment the phone was turned on.

"Where are you going?"
"Lindiwe turn that car around!"
"What the hell?"
"Baby please come back."
"Lindiwe I am begging you please."
"Call me my love."

Were some of the messages that Vusi left on her phone. She pressed the call button and Vusi answered on the first ring. "Lindiwe! Where are you?" Vusi said quick. "I am at my parents. I am sure the tracker company has already informed you of that." Lindiwe said softly. "What are you doing there?" Vusi asked sounding furious. "I will speak to my father. He will give you men to help you take over your throne." Lindiwe said. "I am coming to get you." Vusi said harshly. "No, I am fighting this war with you." Lindiwe said burst into tears. "I won't allow it." Vusi said.

"Please let me be your queen! I can't be a coward and hide behind you forever!" Lindiwe said weeping uncontrollably. "Please Vusi." Lindiwe pleaded. "I can't Lindiwe. I would die if anything happened to you." Vusi said in a calmer tone. "Let me do this for you. I will call you tomorrow with feedback. He is my father. He won't hurt me. Let me speak some sense into him." Lindiwe pleaded again.

"Okay." Vusi said exhaling loudly. "If he hurts you I am going to kill him." Vusi said sternly. "I understand. I love you Vusi." Lindiwe said feeling relief since she started her crazy plan. "I love you to Themba'lami." Vusi said sincerely.

Vusi felt like a defeated man as he made his way back to the safe house. His wife was putting her life in danger to help him fight for his birthright but she didn't understand that he would give it all up in a heartbeat just to have her next to him.

He walked into their room and broke down. If anything happened to Lindiwe he would indeed be dead inside. She was his everything. The light in his very dark world. Lindiwe didn't realise how cunning her father was. He was hungry for power and would do anything to get it. Vusi just hoped he wouldn't dare hurt his wife cause he would skin him alive.

"So Lindiwe left?" Nomsa asked standing at the doorway of Mbuso's room. "Yeah, she went to speak to her father." Mbuso said through clenched teeth. He should have known Lindiwe would do something as stupid as this. She was naive and too trusting.

His blood was still boiling from when Vusi said they should turn back. He was too understanding with her. He would have dragged her out of the house.

She was putting herself in danger for no reason. They were going to fight to the death in a few days. She didn't need to do this.

"You look very upset." Nomsa said softly. "I am not." Mbuso said clenching his teeth. He was not in the mood of talking he felt like beating the life out of someone. Why would Lindiwe do this. "You are really close with her." Nomsa said smiling. "Nomsa please." Mbuso said with stern tone.

"I am sorry. I didn't mean to upset you." Nomsa said getting ready to leave. "Wait, I am sorry I snapped at you. It's just this whole situation got my messed up." Mbuso felt the pain of being helpless and he was not use to it. The last time he felt this way was when he lost his whole family in one night. "I feel helpless." Mbuso said looking at Nomsa.

"I know what you mean. I feel like I'm just useless. I tried speaking to Vusi when he came back but he ignored me. I want to help someone feel better." Nomsa said walking into the room. "I know but things are a bit complicated right now." Mbuso was trying to cheer her up but he didn't have the words.

"Can I stay with you for a bit?" Nomsa asked standing a few feet away from Mbuso's bed. "Yeah, sure." Mbuso said with a faint smile. He knew Nomsa meant well but he was not the best company right now. "Do you want me to get you a beer?" Nomsa asked. "Yeah, thanks." Mbuso said sitting on the bed. "Cool, just a sec." Nomsa said running out the room.

"I can't believe you left." Mbuso texted Lindiwe. "I am sorry Mbu but I have to do this." Lindiwe texted back. "If anything happens to you Lindiwe I would die..." Mbuso texted but deleted the message before sending it. "Be careful." Was all he sent and switched off the phone before he called her.

"Here is your beer." Nomsa said putting the beer on the counter. "Thanks." Mbuso said standing to his full height. Nomsa was a very short woman with a bright and cheerful face. She was always like that. When Mbuso came to live with them she always pitter- pattered after him. She was like his shadow always with him. The grew apart when she went to varsity but they have always been close.

His long strides with her little short legs as they walked in circles around the palace when he was on patrol. She was drown to him since she was a child. He enjoyed listening to her stories about how she was going to be a well known surgeon. After years of perusing that dream she ended up dropping out cause of a mental breakdown and was forced to take some time off.

He watched her lose her spark when she fell into depression and was amazed by how she got the help she needed to get back up. She was young but wise and determined.

He had a lot of pent up anger and Pinky was not here to help him relax. The more he looked at Nomsa in those shorts and loose hanging tee. The more he was thinking dirty thoughts.

"Nomsa." Mbuso said looking at her with a very different view. "Yeah." Nomsa said sitting on the bed with a juice in her hand. "I think we should call it a night." Mbuso said slowly.

"Oh, I thought we were hanging out." Nomsa said jumping to her feet as if the bed just caught fire. "Yeah, but I think it's best you go to your room." Mbuso said walk closer to her. "Oh, why?" Nomsa asked innocently. "Because, if you stay in this room one more second I am going to have my way with you." Mbuso said pulling her into his arms and planting his lips on her.

He knew it was wrong of him to use Nomsa to push away his feelings for Lindiwe but when she pulled him closer he lost his mind. He took the glass of juice place it on the nightstand and he gently pushed her on the bed and got on her. The kiss quickly went from innocent picking to deep and devouring.

When he felt her moaning he regained his senses. What the fuck was he doing. He flew off her as if she was on fire. "Nomsa. Leave now!" Mbuso yelled. Nomsa got off the bed and ran out of the room with tears welling in her eyes. He had to apologise later but for now he had to go take a cold shower.