The Civilization

Prologue

King Remu rose to his feet when the commotion reached the public courtyard. Another day, another problem. He glanced at Queen Oluchi, noticing the way her beautiful face creased and lined with worry. From the shade of the veranda of Paraa Hutat, he narrowed his eyes on the royal guards, Jiro Sion foremost, as they marched forward on the backs of sturdy abadas.

A handful of Nkuba warriors handed a young girl to Master Sion, who dragged her toward the royal house, her feet barely touching the pavement.

The guards were too harsh with her, he worried, before asking himself, why? Was she the root of the commotion that had put the palace on edge in the past couple of days? Judging by her oddly cut fabrics and trousers, he quickly realized she was a foreigner. The revelation made him pause. No foreigner had come to these lands in ages. What did this all mean?

Queen Oluchi chained her arms to his, saying not a word. He hadn’t heard her approach.

“Divine King,” said Jiro Sion, bowing when he reached the terrace, “Permission to speak.”

The two Nkuba warriors behind him bowed as well, a knee to the ground, and a fisted hand to the heart.

“Speak, Master Sion.”

“This is the stranger,” said Sion, before lifting the lightweight young woman and planting her onto the veranda.

“Ouch!” She twisted, trying to free herself from his grip. The guards barricaded her with hands on their weapons; a bit over the top but understandable, King Remu thought.

King Remu glanced to the small crowd in the public courtyard, swarming under the twinning suns that formed glares above their heads. The Nkuba warriors kept the spectators at bay, but more were arriving, craning their necks to see about the fuss.

Why hadn’t Sion taken a private route? “So there’s nothing or no one else out there,” he said to Sion, whose handsome face smeared with confusion, before settling with understanding.

“No, Divine King,” he answered, “She was alone.”

King Remu took a deep but subtle breath. When he’d sent the guards out to investigate the disturbances so many had claimed to witness, he hadn’t known what, if anything, they would find. He supposed this girl was better than nothing; but what did this mean exactly? This young woman was barely taller than his eight-year-old son. And by the looks of her, she wasn’t much older than the young prince either … but she wasn’t a child. She was a young woman, perhaps the same age as the Garden priestesses. That was a good thing; otherwise, her presence might have veered too far into mockery.

He swallowed and faced the young woman. “What is your name?”

She glanced to Jiro Sion but did not answer. “Does she have a name?”

“She does not understand our language, Divine King,” Sion explained. “I’ve tried getting her to speak, but…,” he trailed away and reached for the neckline of her strange attire. “She has this.” He pulled the crude crystal dangling by a silver chain from her blouse.

Queen Oluchi gasped alongside the small gathering of warriors.

“Hey,” the girl exclaimed and pulled the chain from his grip.

“I see.” King Remu fixed his eyes on the courtyard again. The crowd grew. He couldn’t handle this here, not now. “Take her to the confinement chambers.”

“Right away, Divine King,” replied Sion. He shoved the girl forward.

“Jiro Sion,” called King Remu. The Nkuba warrior paused. “Be gentle with her.”

“As you desire, Divine King.” He marched the girl onward.

End of sample. From The Civilization.