Kingdoms Fall: Book One

by Joseph Pryce

  Bornu watched his wife leave somewhat sad but somewhat relieved as well. He drank deeply from his wine cup and resumed staring at Amanitore’s three dimensional image, marvelling at how real it looked. He wanted so much to hold her in his arms again…………

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  An hour later instead of his royal bedchamber, Bornu found himself in a state apartment at the very rear of the palace that he kept vacant for the occasional sexual romp with female members of his royal staff or one of the queen’s handmaidens. Tonight it was Anath, which he found himself on top of. The teenager’s firm brown thick legs were wrapped around his neck and despite being almost sixty and five, the king found he still had much stamina and thrusted inside the handmaiden like a young stallion. Anath squealed and buckled in the bed as she reached orgasm. Bornu was not ready yet to climax and eased himself out of the young girl and lay on the bed.

  “Get up on top, girl”, he told Anath.

  The nubile beauty dutifully obeyed and eased herself down onto the king’s well sized manhood. Bornu reached up and held Anath’s solid breasts in his hands. He liked to feel them bounce up and down when she rode him and loved that her nipples were so big and dark. Unlike Zaria and Amanitore, both who had possessed long, lean and hard bodies akin professional athletes. Anath was plump and soft. The king felt the climax hit him like a crashing wave and unleashed all of his seed into the young handmaiden, who moaned loud enough to wake half of the palace. She dropped her head down into Bornu’s chest and sighed a quiet, “I love you, my king”.

  Bornu ran his hand along the girl’s back which was slick with the sweat from their lovemaking and thought to himself, how many times he has heard that in his life. He was king of Summerhill and had bedded thousands of women, with at least half of them professing their love for him. But he only had love in his heart for one woman and she had died almost two decades ago.

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  The new day brought with it a glorious sunrise and crystal clear blue skies. Zaria and Lady Despera sat under an ornately designed pavilion in the east courtyard enjoying a pot of breakfast tea and morning sweets. The queen looked magnificent even in the light of the early morning, while Despera just looked nauseous.

  “Not having the best of times with this pregnancy, are we dear?” Zaria asked successfully masking the mocking tone in her tone.

  Despera took a tiny sip of her tea and nodded solemnly. “My last pregnancy was such an easy one. But this one? I have been queasy since the first day of it. It is not a good omen, your grace”.

  Zaria gave Despera’s hand a good natured pat and told her, “Leave the signs and tokens to the fortune tellers and mystics, my lady. Put your faith in the Creator and your physician. They will ensure that you deliver a healthy baby”.

  “Yes, your grace. Of course you are right”.

  Zaria spied Akuna and Tamanni enter the courtyard strolling along the pathway, looking extremely intimate and did not like it one bit. What is he doing with her? Why are they up at this early hour?

  She knew that her son had harboured a secret crush on the Uhuru girl when he was younger but she was certain that had petered out……Zaria casually waved the young couple over to the pavilion. Akuna flashed his mother a big loving genuine smile and bent down to peck her cheek.

  “Good morning, mother. You look ravishing as ever”, he told his Zaria and meant ever word of it. To him the queen was the most beautiful woman in the world.

  Tamanni graciously took Zaria’s hand and kissed the royal ring. “Good morning, your grace”, she said softly before turning to Despera and asking, “How are you feeling today, mother?”

  “The same, my daughter. I am still extremely queasy”, Despera answered sullenly.

  Zaria affectionately rubbed her hand against her son’s forearm. Of all of her children, it was Akuna that she loved the most and had doted on him since he was a baby. She did not like nor trust Tamanni Uhuru and wondered what it was that she wanted from her golden child.

  Zaria studied Tamanni’s full young breasts and the curve of her ample ass. “My, my, have you grown up into a pretty young lady” she complimented.

  Tamanni smiled fully at the compliment and replied, “Thank-you, your grace”.

  “It is so nice to see that you have finally filled out. Not nearly as flat chested now that you are older”.

  Akuna gave his mother’s hand a disapproving squeeze. “Mother! Really?”

  “Oh calm down, darling. Tamanni is wise enough to realize that my words were meant as praise”, Zaria’s eyes locked on Tamanni when she said this.

  Tamanni swallowed hard before speaking, “Thank-you for the laudation, my queen”, she replied courteously.

  Zaria snapped her fingers at the two young male servants hovering just outside of the pavilion. “Bring another chair for Lady Tamanni”, she instructed them.

  The two men ran off to retrieve the chair as ordered.

  Zaria held out her hand to Akuna as a suggestion that he help her up from the chair, which he did. “Tamanni, be a sweet and keep your mother company until I return. I would like to have a short chat with my son”.

  Tamanni and Akuna exchanged awkward glances before she replied, “Of course, your grace”.

  Zaria led Akuna away from the pavilion and onto a winding orange stoned pathway that led through the courtyard.

  “What is it, mother? What did you want to talk about?” He asked her.

  Zaria took her son’s hand and kissed it tenderly. “What are you doing up so early out of bed, son?”

  “Tamanni wanted to see the sun rise over the east courtyard. It is her favourite part of the palace”, he replied.

  Zaria looked closely at Akuna and could read the feelings in his eyes. He is smitten with this girl! I must tread carefully. “She is looking quite lovely these days”, Zaria said lightly to her son. “When Tammni was younger it was not hard to mistake her for a young boy”.

  Akuna chuckled to himself but did not reply. His thoughts were completely on Tamanni and was eager to get back into her company.

  Zaria knew this but was not so eager to send her son pack to the pavilion. She hooked her arm in his with a casual ease. “Do you know who I heard from yesterday? Lady Kanaya’s mother. She asked me when the royal family would be visiting Sunbush again”.

  Akuna’s face became slightly rigid at the mention of the name of the woman that he had been promised to. “Her mother is well, I hope?” He asked politely.

  “The Lady Yohanna is fine. Her daughter longs to see you”, Zaria hinted.

  Akuna nodded in silence.

  “It might be a good idea for you to spend some time with her, son. After all, the two of you will be wed the summer after next”.

  Akuna ignored his mother and glanced over his shoulder at the pavilion where Tamanni, sat patiently waiting for him to return.

  “I understand mother. Do you mind if we return to the Uhuras now? I told Tamanni earlier that I would give her a tour of the palace chapel”, he asked respectfully.

  “Of course, my darling. And I told Kanaya’s mother that the royal family will visit them in Sunbush next week”, Zaria replied with a grin, knowing exactly what her son’s reaction would be.

  Akuna immediately stopped walking and faced his mother. “Next week? But why? I mean why so soon?” He asked caught completely off guard.

  He has already made plans with the Uhuru girl. Zaria remarked to herself. “What it is son? Do you already have plans?”

  “Not really, I mean, I did already tell Tamanni that I would visit her in Summertide next week”, he answered quietly.

  Akuna stopped to assist a young palace servant girl who happened to be struggling with a large pot filled with flowers that she was carrying. This infuriated his mother to no end who fixed the servant girl with an icy stare. The girl thanked the prince wi
th a grateful smile and curtsy. Bowed meekly before the queen and quickly scurried off.

  Zaria returned her full attention back to the prince.

  “Well, I am sure that she will understand. Maybe you can bring Tamanni with you to Sunbush. I am sure that she would much like to meet the woman that is betrothed to you. After all she is your friend, right? Come. Let us go back to the pavilion. My tea is probably ice cold by now”.

  Tamanni Uhuru is not good enough for my son! There is no way in hell that I will allow this romance to blossom. She thought. I must kill this thing before it can grow.

  BRUMAL BAY

  THE COLDLANDS

  The ice covered bay was located in the Coldlands, seven hundred kilometres north of Slum Village. The bay, just like the rest of its surrounding territory remained frozen all year round, making it impossible for the waters to be navigated by normal sea craft.

  Grand Vizier Thoth Ananzi’s small Ice Skimmer flew a foot above the frozen waters before slowing to a stop and landing in the middle of the bay. The skimmer was small and had no noticeable markings, all the better to travel for travelling indiscriminately which what Thoth required. For anybody in the palace knew about this meeting, he would be electrocuted to death in Ebonskale Square. Thoth sat in the small cockpit of his skimmer and checked the scanner on the console, he wanted to be exactly certain that he was not being detected by any of the surveillance satellites that orbited the planet.

  I am just being overly cautious. He thought to himself. Not one of the three Kingdoms’ security satellites are operational in this part of the world. Sofiormenia’s magic is too strong.

  After fifteen minutes of waiting, Ananzi spied through his cockpit two similar skimmer flying toward him. The two oval shaped crafts landed silently on either side of his own. Thoth waved his hand over the control console of his skimmer and the vehicle’s door slid open.

  A woman and a man similar in age and dress entered the skimmer and bowed at Thoth. They both were carrying identical black attache cases in their hands. “It is good to see you again, old friend”, the man said in the ancient tongue of First World.

  “It is very good to see you, Grand Vizier Netha Ur Carthaga and you as well, Grand Vizier Jawara Hassa Berber-Bete”, Thoth greeted them both in the same ancient tongue with a cordial bow. He led them to a small seating area at the back of the skimmer and the three viziers sat down around a silver circular table.

  “How go the affairs in Sandstorme, Netha?” Thoth asked.

  Netha shrugged his shoulders and sighed heavily, “The situation in Sandstorm is unchanged. The Pharaoh remains committed to The Thousand Year War”.

  “That is unfortunate”, Thoth replied. He glanced at Jawara and asked, “And the same in Ocean Imperial, I assume?”

  The clean shaven woman smoothed out her black vizier robe with hands. “I am afraid so, Thoth. When the Serenah’s father passed away and she ascended the throne, it was my hope that her majesty would steer the empire along a different path but unfortunately she also remains committed to this never-ending and destructive war”, Jarawa advised.

  The three Grand Viziers of the three ruling kingdoms sat at the table and exchanged long pensive glances, finally Thoth broke the silence. “When the Order of Viziers was created by The Masters several millennium ago, the sole purpose of our purpose was to ensure the survival of the kingdoms and their inhabitants”, he started. “I am afraid that we are not fulfilling the task that each of us were programmed to do” he finished solemnly.

  “I concur”, Jawara agreed. “Untold millions have already perished from this unnecessary war and who knows how many more will lose their lives before it is over?”

  “In the meantime, the Coldland tribes get stronger and more united with one another”, Netha chimed in. “The longer that war continues, the more the odds favour the eventual extinction of the Three Kingdoms and its populace”.

  “That is something we cannot allow to happen”, Thoth warned. “The self-destruct code in our central memory core would be triggered and every single vizier on the planet will die”.

  “Not to mention that the fact, we also would also would be complete failures at what we were originally built to do”, Jawara added with slight irony.

  “So what can we do to stop the war?” Netha asked. “From what we can see with our current leaders, there does not seem to be any indication that they will stop fighting one another any time soon”.

  Thoth shrugged his shoulders in a similar fashion to how Netha did a few minutes ago. In fact, the viziers manner of speak and body movements are indistinguishable from one another.

  “If left up to the humans, the war will continue for another thousand years. After the destruction of First World and the ancestors of The Masters arrived here, there was only one kingdom and one singular goal. Total domination over this planet to make certain that their species survived for the next ten million years. This world was once entirely covered in ice and overrun with billions of Volgags who at the time were destroying the planet’s resources . The kingdoms worked together to terra-form the planet and create an equilibrium of terrains. The kingdom also effectively depopulated the Volgags and regulated them to this region of the planet now known as the Coldlands”.

  “We all know our history, Thoth”, Jawara said matter-of-factly. “The discovery of ultra-cold plasma here in the grounds of the Coldlands was the beginning of the end of for the one kingdom. The greed to control and annex access to this source of near unlimited energy lead to the splintering into what is now commonly known as the Three Kingdoms; Summerhill, Sandstorme and Ocean Imperial”.

  Netha steepled his long elegant fingers together. “Which leaves my original question unanswered. What can the Order of Viziers do to stop this war?” He asked calmly.

  “Well, I have already planted a seed into the mind of Queen Zaria, in the hopes that she will speak to the king about ending this unholy business alliance with the Volgags. Also, I have procured a pleasant enough distraction for the king to keep his mind and body occupied for the time being. She is quite a lovely girl”, Thoth replied as he reached under the table to pick up a black attache case that had been there. He sat in gently onto the table top.

  Netha and Jawara followed suit with their own cases.

  “And I have set into place certain contingencies as well”, Netha countered.

  “The Rana of Blakstorme is quite comfortable with the arrangements that her father before had in place with the Volgags before he died”, Jawara said. “But her brother is most definitely not. I will do my best to yoke him to our side……Oceanstorme, Summerhill and Sandstorme must all be converted to a new way of thinking before it is too late”.

  “And I think that the steps that the three of us took today will also help with the cause”, Thoth continued. The three viziers waved their hands over their cases, which automatically sensed their individual bio-rhythms and snapped open with audible whooshing sound.

  In Thoth’s case was the decapitated head of Nash Chrine. In Jawara’s was the decapitated head of Clanhead Jungen Degox, leader of the Degox tribe and in Netha’s case was the severed head of Dries Yanide, the Clanhead of the Yanide Tribe.

  The three Grand Viziers reverently clasped their hands together.

  “Every action requires a reaction”, Jawara said solemnly. “So we now wait patiently”.

  KINGDOM OF SANDSTORME

  BLAKSANDS- THE CAPITAL CITY -

  THE CASTLE OF PHARAOH ALOOMA KANE THE THIRD

  The Pharaoh, his son Prince Alooma Kane the Fourth, his two senior war advisors, grey-haired men named Nimi Luvota and Lekan Bammadann and the only female in the room, a tall stern looking woman in her sixties named Marshal-General Bohlia Dambudda were gathered in the castle’s War Room. The general had a myriad array of fascinating scars across her face and neck. Pharaoh Kane was a large man with long black dreadlocks, at two metres tall he towered over lesser men, with a girth to match his height. He had a thick black beard with the cres
t of his kingdom carved into the left side of it, a yellow-eyed fearsome black panther baring its sharp fangs. The beard hid the pharaoh’s double chin and sagging jowls but not the dark circles under his eyes, brought on by too much wine, woman and late night revelry. He was well into his seventies but lived life to the hilt like a man in his twenties. Kane, his son, the two advisors and the general were all transfixed by the images flashing across the massive holo-screen that dominated the room.

  “What are we looking at here?” The pharaoh asked the general as he pointed his finger at the screen.

  On the screen was a squadron of The Seventeenth Black Panther Ground Unit, two thousand heavily armed soldiers engaged in battle against five thousand hundred members of the Hannix and Chrine tribes. The sounds of blood and battle reverberated throughout the War Room.