Binti

She’s Arrived..

"She's arrived." Mekka's dry tone carried his displeasure at the news, but Hannon paid no mind to it.

It was unfortunate that his best friend was yet to accept the circumstances they were now all a part of.

"Thank you, Mekka." He responded.

He waited silently, until he heard the sound of the door closing to signify Mekka's exit.

Somewhere in the back of his head, a tiny voice kept reminding him he didn't need a wife. Seven months ago, he hadn't even wanted a wife. He had seen what marriage had done to his father, he had seen how it had driven the old man mad, so much so that he had lashed out at him.

His parents marriage had been pointless, with both parties in a constant competition to hurt each other. His mother's every decision was borne of spite. Hannon had been caught in the middle of their war.

The end had been ugly and traumatizing for him. He didn't need a wife, but getting a heir was a necessity.

That was what Princess Binti would serve as; a vessel through which the next generation of his lineage could come into this world.

He rose from his favourite chair, and made his way out of his bedroom. The light raucous his newly arrived bride had caused, ricocheted through the walls of the palace. He had not informed most of the workers that he was expecting a bride.

The kitchen staff had been asked to prepare a meal for evening guests, but that was all Hannon had divulged to them. A large ceremony was uncalled for, soon enough, the entire kingdom would know of his union.

The moment he stepped into the throne room, the light murmurs that had been coming from the council members instantly died off. Hannon's eyes drifted along the features of all seven men whose counsels he regarded. Only two of them had been part of his father's council. Hannon liked to think himself much different from his father in ruling; his father had been obnoxious, boisterous, the epitome of leadership Hannon most abhorred. As a child, he had looked up to Henan, assumed him all knowledgeable, but that had died once his mother was killed and his father unraveled into the mess Hannon knew through his adolescence and a great part of his teenage years.

The counsel he had kept had all been useless. They had watched their king depreciate and offered nothing but false praises and smelly sycophancy. It was why Hannon had gotten rid of most of them.

The seven men on his council feared him. Hannon was under no illusions that he was anything else but fearsome. Yet, they still called him to order when he veered too far from his duty, although such an occurrence was a rarity.

They were his most trusted men, and it was only right they were present when the unveiling of his new bride happened.

He lowered himself onto his throne, "Bring her in." He called out.

The large doors opened up, and Khan's hulking form stepped into the throne room. His Head warrior approached him confidently, but beyond Khan, another form captured Hannon's attention.

She was much smaller in comparison to Khan, but the woman who walked with a soft sway of her hips and her head lowered, was quite hard to ignore. Her carriage was as graceful as was to be expected of a princess, but the hood covering up her entire head irritated him.

"Your Highness." Khan bowed a few feet away from the throne. The woman merely stopped walking, but didn't mirror Khan's movement otherwise, "As you ordered, I have brought to you, Princess Binti of the Adavi Kingdom."

"You have done well, Khan. Thank you." Hannon responded. His hard eyes remained on the woman whose head was still bowed.

Hannon didn't have a sister and had never bothered to familiarise himself with whatever training went on with female children, but surely there must have been some teachings on how a lady was to present herself to a King. Had Shaeed's daughter missed those lessons?

Khan nodded in acknowledgment, just before he stepped away. Hannon didn't miss the sharp glare Khan gave the smaller woman. He instantly wondered if she had been as petulant on the trip over.

With Khan gone, Hannon could now fully focus on the Princess, "If you cannot introduce yourself as proper royalty would in the presence of a King, does wisdom not demand that you reveal your face at the least?" He asked.

She remained unmoving for a moment, causing Hannon to wonder if Shaeed had sent him his defective child. He had simply accepted the older man's offer for his daughter, but had never asked if she had an impediment.

"Are you deaf?" He asked, his voice harder. Insubordination was an alien concept amongst his subjects. This princess would learn that quickly.

Slowly, she reached up to the hood and pulled it off her head, revealing herself.