Bride of Elim

CHAPTER 4

CHAPTER 4: DESTINED

I was woken by Sunrays piercing through the curtains on the window. I groaned in frustration. I got up and stretched then set on my butt. Images of what transpired last night started popping in my head. I really went overboard nomatter how angry I was it shouldn't have gotten to that. "Aunt must be mad" I thought. I heaved a sigh and brushed it all off. Whatever awaited me today I'd have to face it without any expectations. My aunt's anger was the least of my concerns, they all owed me an explanation, at least my aunt did.

I went to the bathroom and did my business then took a quick shower and got dressed precluding that I'd go and talk to my aunt. I check my phone for any massages but there was non. Not even one massage from Zoe, my best friend. She must have been busy. The time was already 8:50 am which surprised me because I never wake up that early unless I have to. Maybe it was because I was still not familiar with the room. I got up to leave the room then a knock came from the door, I opened and my aunt came in looking awful like she had not slept.

"Mimi, can we talk? " she asked and all I did was nod. We sat on the bed then she asked, "Are you okay?" she inquired taking my hand into hers, even though I should have been the one asking that seeing how terrible she looked I still replied. "Yes I'm okay aunt, you?" she looked at me with a face full of worry and slightly nodded, "I'm fine." She said.

"Meera, I know that explaining now won't make much of a difference but I want you to know that even though I knew about everything all along, it was not my decision to make." I tilted my head in confusion. "what do you mean? Aren't you my legal guardian?" As far as I know she was the one who raised me so how can someone else have authority to make that call.

"Yes I'm your legal guardian but this decision was made long before you were born."

Huh? what is she on about now? How can someone decide on something about a person who did not even exist. I stared blankly at her.

"It happened before you were conceived, when your parents were still alive. One day came a profecy from Sabah the Seer who served the King. He foresaw that your mother would give birth to the future Queen, it was said the child would baer the mark of Queenship. Of course we didn't know what the mark was since it was a secret and only known to the elders of the royal family." By the time she finished saying this my jaw had literally dropped to the floor, my mouth was gapping open in amazement.

My aunt on the other hand continued narrating, " Everyone knows that the king has the ability to shift into the great white lion but what they do not know is that he can't just take anyone of his liking for a wife, which brings us to you." She smiled faintly. "This is some crazy Disney sh*t.'" I mumbled, I couldn't believe what aunt was saying had anything to do with me.

Aunt kind of trailed off talking about the king and how only one male per generation can do the lion thingy or whatever it is that they did of which was not what I wanted to hear because it was starting to sound like a made up story. Sigh...

"Aunty, I'm waiting for the part where you tell me who consented to this absurdity?" I spoke up, clearly losing my patience because aunt was so lost in telling the story about the Bhaham ancestors she had forgotten what she initially wanted to explain..... I think. Her face was a lot calmer than it was when she started but stiffen in a split of a second the moment i interrupted.

She swallowed hard while I stared at her in anticipation but nothing could have prepared me for the answer she gave me. "Your parents did." I blinked uncontrollably unable to digest what she had just said. "Wait, what??" I asked still dumbfounded eyes wide open. It couldn't be, it really couldn't. My own parents wouldn't have let other people have some strange claim on their daughter, would they?

My parents died protecting me how could they have agreed to this. Suddenly a lump grew in my throat, unable to speak I tried to swallow it down. Seeing how shaken I was, my aunt spoke up again. " Meera, they had a claim on you before you were even born. You parents loved you so much but even if they disagreed their disapproval would be futile.?"

Okay I was officially confused. " Futile? Aunt what do you mean?" I asked unable to understand. " Where they forced to agree? " My aunt immediately defended." Dear it's not like that. The king did not force them into anything. " " The truth is you were destined to be the Prince's wife, the moment you were convinced. We all knew your fate couldn't be changed even if we tried." I'd never been that confused in my entire life. The more I listened the more confused I got, my head was starting to hurt.

Aunty noticed how lost I was and gave me a meaningful smile." Am I cursed then? " I asked honestly trying to make sense of what she was saying. She chuckled and pulled me closer to her. "Mimi, because this was foreseen before you were conceived it is something that can not be changed and you can't run from it either. Because of this, you cannot be with any other man but the Prince. You have witnessed it yourself."

My eyebrows became knitted in an instant." Witnessed what? " I enquire clearly lost, I wondered if something had happened without my knowledge. She bit on her lower lip gawking at me."You and Omar have not been intimate, have you? " what the f*ck. That woman really. Ah! so embarrassing I wanted to hide. I smiled sheepishly and shook my head no. She already knew and I figured it wasn't something to be ashamed of especially in front of my aunt.

"There's a reason for that mimi, it's not just because you're not ready." at that point I wanted to hear from her. I wanted to hear what her theory was regarding my not giving up my cookie to Omar was. I stared intently, she must have thought that it had something to do with destiny and the prince but honestly Omar was great guy. Okay maybe not so great now that he's hanging out with some women.....anyway, I felt like I wasn't ready to hit that level in our relationship.

"Only the prince can awaken your deepest s****l desire, you are not sexually attracted to to other men. I didn't get the whole story on why is that, all I know is that Elim would not have his bride touched by other male. Lions are territorial and possessive, which is probably why you haven't dated much nor been intimate with anyone ."

I had been starring blankly for about a minute or so. Those people must have bewitched me or something. Women are naturally attracted to men unless they're attracted to people of the same s*x of course, so they must have done something to me, right? . 'Man I'm screwed. Even if I were to reject this proposal I'd still not be able to get it on with other men. Sigh! I'm in deep s**.'

I felt my aunt's hands on mine pulling me out of my zone. I wanted to say something but the words wouldn't come out. 'There is no getting away from this, is there?' I asked in my head. I swallowed bitterly realizing how that would be a game changer and a deal breaker between Omar and I if I couldn't get away from it.

I felt anger boiling inside of me, what gave those people the right to mark me as their own.

So someone decided what my fate would be and everyone just agreed. Huh! Preposterous doesn't even begin to describe this sh*t. I was overwhelmed and a part of me wanted to snap and yell but i just couldn't. For some reason I couldn't even say anything. I sat there stunned unable to say a word nor move. A lot of questions crowded my head causing me to have a headache. My aunt continued explaining everything but I barely heard a thing, I needed to breath and I couldn't do that in that room so I got up and went to the garden.