SHADOWS OF THE ROYAL HUT

The grass hissed in the wind, and somewhere in the dark, a night bird cried. as if something unseen was passing through. Khanyisa Zulu lay upon the cold earth, her body trembling, her breath broken into sharp fragments of pain. The ground beneath her was unforgiving far from the comfort of royal walls, far from the dignity of a queen. Beside her knelt a single maid, chosen not by loyalty, but by silence. “Hold on, my queen… just a little longer,” she pleaded softly, though fear trembled through her voice. Khanyisa clenched her jaw, her fingers digging into the soil. Pain tore through her again and with it came memory. It was supposed to be a night of celebration at the palace. Instead, it became the night poison entered the royal table. She had seen it with her own eyes Amanda’s careful hands, her quiet deceit, death hidden beneath a meal meant for the king’s bloodline. The cousin. The Queen Mother, Ntombi. Both marked. But Khanyisa had been quicker. Smarter. She had switched the plates. And fate… had turned. Amanda’s body collapsing. Her breath stolen. The king’s voice cracking through the palace walls “Help my wife! She is dying!” “Panic and chaos swallowed the room then silence. No one spoke. No one dared.” Until Amanda did. The lie had come so easily, beautifully and deadly. She pointed at Khanyisa. Spoke of sacrifice. Of loyalty. Of choosing death for the sake of the king. A performance worthy of a crown. And the king… believed her. Khanyisa could still feel his eyes that night. Filled with something darker than anger. Hatred that could be for eternity. He had looked at her not as a wife… But as an enemy. And as he stepped toward her, ready to claim justice. Her body betrayed her. Darkness swallowed her whole. Morning came like a fragile lie. She woke not to chains, nor punishment But to the quiet presence of a healer. A witch doctor. His eyes gleamed with something unexpected. “I bring good news, Your Majesty,” he said, his voice rich with excitement. “You carry life. You are with child the heir to.” “Please…” Khanyisa interrupted, her voice trembling. “Do not tell the king. Not yet.” But fate had already moved ahead of her. “The king knows,” the healer said gently. “He brought you here himself. He has not left your side.” Her heart sank Only to rise again moments later. The king entered. And instead of fury He embraced her. “My love,” he whispered, holding her as though she were something sacred. “The gods have blessed you… you carry my heir.” For a moment, Khanyisa allowed herself to believe. Allowed herself to feel warmth instead of fear. Perhaps the past had been buried. Perhaps she had been forgiven. Or perhaps… She had become valuable. And in that realization, something awakened within her. If his love could be won Then it could be used. Amanda had played this game long before her. Now, Khanyisa would learn. And she would win. “Do not tell the others,” she said later, her voice quiet but firm. The king frowned slightly. “Why hide such joy?” “Because joy,” she whispered, “can become a threat in the wrong hearts.” Her eyes held his. “You do not know your wives as I do. They will see this child as a challenge… and they will destroy it.” He hesitated. Even then Amanda’s name lingered unspoken between them. But at last, he nodded. “I will protect you,” he said. “I will hide you where no one can reach you.” They returned to the palace hand in hand. And the moment they crossed its gates The storm began. Amanda saw them. And something inside her shattered. Her anger moved faster than thought. The slap echoed through the halls like thunder. “How dare you!” she spat, her voice trembling with fury. “Today was mine my time with the king!” But before she could finish Another sound split the air. Sharper. Stronger. The king’s hand. Silence fell. Heavy. Unforgiving. Amanda stood frozen, shock etched into her face. Never, not once had he raised his hand against her. Until now. “Who gave you the right?” the king’s voice thundered. “To touch Khanyisa?” His anger filled the room like fire. Amanda reached for him, her voice softening. “My love.” But he pulled away. “I have no time for this,” he said. “Tonight, I am with Khanyisa.” And just like that,it was the first time, no one stepped aside for Amanda. Amanda fled. But humiliation followed. It clung to her like smoke, spreading through the palace in whispers, in hidden laughter, in lowered gazes that no longer feared her. By morning, she was no longer untouchable. Or perhaps she had simply become valuable. She gripped the table until her knuckles whitened. Fear was all over her thoughts. It wasn’t just embarrassment. It felt like the start of something she wouldn’t recover from. Unless..She decides to ended it first. The witch doctor’s hut smelled of ash and secrets. “Makhosi,” she said, her voice tight with desperation, “your medicine no longer works. Khanyisa has taken what is mine.” The old man studied her. Chanted. Listened to forces unseen. Then spoke. “The king’s heart has changed,” he said. “Not because of her… but because of what she carries.” Amanda’s breath faltered. “The child,” he continued. “The heir. That is where his love now lives. Your medicine cannot fight blood.” Her world tilted. Cracked. “What must I do?” she whispered. The answer came without hesitation. “There are only two paths.” His eyes darkened. “End the child before it is born…” “Or take it after and erase the mother’s truth.” Amanda left with silence wrapped around her like a cloak. But inside She burned. With rage. With jealousy. With something far more dangerous than either. Back in the quiet of the palace, as shadows stretched across the walls, one truth settled heavily in her heart: As long as that child lived She would lose everything. And so, beneath a sky that had already witnessed too much.. Amanda Zulu made her choice. Before dawn, she decided that the child would not live. The night khanyisa gave birth Khanyisa’s screams echoed through the cold night air as she lay on the damp grass, her body trembling with pain. The maid beside her tried to steady her breathing, whispering words of encouragement, but fear hung heavy between them. Far from the palace. Far from safety. “Push, my queen,” the maid urged, her voice shaking. Khanyisa clenched her jaw. This was not how she imagined bringing the king’s heir into the world alone, hidden, and hunted by jealousy. Her mind drifted back to the palace. Amanda’s eyes filled with rage. The humiliation. The slap. The whispers. Khanyisa knew that look. That was not the end. That was the beginning. Back at the palace, Amanda stood in the shadows of her hut, her fingers trembling as she replayed the witch doctor’s words. Get rid of the unborn child… Her breathing grew sharp. “No,” she whispered to herself. “I will not wait.” Waiting meant losing everything. Everything that was hers power, respect, the king was slipping away. She turned to her most trusted maid. “Prepare the herbs,” Amanda said coldly. “The strongest ones.” The maid hesitated. “My queen… if this is discovered.” “It will not be discovered,” Amanda snapped. “And if you value your life, you will not question me again.” The maid bowed quickly. “Yes, my queen.” Amanda stepped closer, lowering her voice. “You will find where Khanyisa is being kept,” she said. “And when you do… you will make sure that child never sees the sun.” Meanwhile, Khanyisa gripped the maid’s arm as another wave of pain surged through her body. “I can’t…” she whispered, tears streaming down her face. “Yes, you can,” the maid replied firmly. “For your child. For your future.” Khanyisa nodded weakly. She had endured humiliation. Lies. Betrayal. But this This child was her chance. Not just to survive. But to rise. A baby’s cry pierced the night. For a moment, everything fell silent. The maid lifted the child, her face lighting up. “It’s a boy, my queen,” she said softly. Khanyisa let out a broken sob of relief as she held her son for the first time. “The heir…” she whispered. But in the distance, unseen in the darkness Footsteps approached, careful… deliberate.