Protection in the Palace

It was a year since Sinanda had become king of Bamanga. During that time, he had started to change.

Queen Mirama had tried to make everything happy for him but Sinanda was suspicious of everyone. He had also become cruel.

This morning, Queen Mirama had laid out a breakfast of Bamanga river fish, scrambled eggs, freshly ground coffee, fresh bread and goat's cheese.

The smell of the coffee brought Sinanda to the table. His son, Danta and Queen Mirama were already helping themselves to the food.

Sinanda sat down but before he could start to eat, he suddenly sprang up.

"I must go now." He said and left the table hurriedly.

It seemed that he couldn't sit still for more than a few moments. He walked through the palace grounds until he came to the soccer pitch he had built.

Sinanda liked to watch soccer and sometimes he played on the royal team. Everyone knew Sinanda had to win because the captain could spend some time in prison if the king's side is defeated.

He came to the great wall around the palace grounds and stopped at the orchard. The orchard produced golden oranges, Indian mangoes and huge grapes.

Sinanda had flown grape seedlings from France and employed French gardeners. Their job was to turn the grapes into wine for Sinanda's dining table.

He never drank any other wine for fear of being poisoned.

Danta came running after him and soon, Queen Mirama joined them.

"Danta, it's time for school." She said.

Danta made a face. He was never allowed outside the palace. His teachers were brought from another county and came to the palace everyday to teach him and even his playmates were searched at the gate before being allowed to play with him.

"He can go study in half an hour," King Sinanda said.

Danta excitedly pointed out the huge oranges and Indian mangoes but he didn't touch them because no one was permitted to touch them else, the king would be informed and that person's punishment would be a terrible beating or even worse.

Danta took his father's hand and they walked to the other end of the palace gardens.

Here was the king's zoo.

The air was filled with the sounds of strange birds from the Amazon river in South America and the forests of India and China. There were animals from all over Africa and Asia.

Infact, the zoo was so big that it could be said to be some kind of game park.

They stopped in front of the Lions' cage. The king called to one of the attendants and the attendant seizes one of the dogs that were running around and threw it to the Lions.

The king stood and roared with laughter as the Lions ate the screaming animal.

"That's how I shall finish my enemies," he said.

****

The next morning, the king lay in bed until late again. Then, he got up and walked to the balcony of his bedroom.

He stood gazing at the splendour, turned to the Queen who waiting for him to come to breakfast and said,

"Mirama, this is the most wonderful palace. I don't want to live anywhere else."

"As you wish," she replied.

"Why do you speak that way, don't you like it here?" King Sinanda's eyes glowed with anger.

"I do," said the Queen, "but..."

"But what!"

"Never mind," the Queen replied.

Danta looked frim his father to his mother and was afraid. He did not like to see his father upset at his mum.

When he was alone with the Queen, Danta questioned his mother.

"Why did my father look at you that way?"

"Look at me ....like what?"

"Like he was going to hit you. Like he was very angry with you."

"Really?... I didn't notice."

Danta said, "When he asked you how you liked the palace, you did not ---"

He stopped suddenly.

Tears filled his mother's eyes and we're running down her cheeks.

"You're my son," she said. "Soon you will be a man. You may want to he a soldier but I don't know what happens to soldiers? Your father always want to destroy, when will it end?"

She wiped away her tears and cleaned her face. "Let's go for a walk."

"Don't be upset again mother. I don't like to you cry."

"Let us walk, and sit. I will tell you about Bamanga and why I'm worried.