A Center Force

“You know? You and your husband are the newest Omphalos.” Princess MayRose mused to her cousin.

“Meaning?”

“Meaning, you’re the daughter of a powerful Royal couple and your husband is an Emperor.”

“And?” Indira sighed.

MayRose sighed. “Do you not understand? You two are the common link between two extremes. Your union has created a powerful center. Use this to influence peace around you. Otherwise, your links to other kingdoms will be used as strings by the evil ones and you the puppets. You cannot be indifferent to what you possess!”

With this post, the Weekend Writing Prompt has been going for a full five years! Where has the time gone? Thanks so much to everyone who joins in.  It’s lovely to have you all here. ~ Sammi A word prompt to get your creativity flowing this weekend.  How you use the prompt is up to […]

Weekend Writing Prompt #260- Omphalos

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Chronicles of the Crown: A Husband’s Appeal.

“I’m sorry, Indira”, King Sergie said with remorse, as he exerted his muscles in trying to hold open the door his wife was trying to shut in his face.

Indira glowered at him. Of recent, her loving husband had capriciously shut her out!

“Unhand this door, your Highness“, Indira fumed.

“Pray, allow me explain, Indira.”

Weekend Writing Prompt #248 – Capricious

Mama’s Advise

“Careful. Don’t catch feelings.” Iré cautioned her daughter.

Emira chuckled. “Feelings aren’t the virus, mama.”

“Don’t be absurd. You know darned well what I’m talking about.” Iré huffed.

Emira sighed.

“Remember, how important your faith is to you. That alone is a deal, marriage, and heart breaker. Unless he’s a Biblical Christian, what brought you together will not hold you together.”

Weekend Writing Prompt #203 – Absurd

A Call to Rescue and Nurture

Dear Mama, Susie and Janie,

Serving as a missionary on God’s call in Africa has been an adventure…

A 👶🏿 wail interrupted Mary’s letter-writing, followed by another👶🏾.

‘Suppose I’ll continue later, Mary thought, as she fed the wee twins she’d recently rescued.

Mary Slessor

Weekend Writing Prompt #197 – Call

Chronicles of the Crown: Preparing for Romance.

“Seduce him”, Empress Indira told a wife, as she looked through clothes needed to seduce her own husband.

“What, my Queen?” The woman gasped in disbelief, as she blushed. “I cannot do that!” She exclaimed.

“And why not? Is he not your husband?”, Indira queried.

“Well yes, but…that is not proper!”

Indira arched her brow, “Not proper? Says who?”

When the woman kept stammering, trying to find a proper answer — Indira presumed, as she set aside a set tinkling breast net made of jewels. Finding it hard ignoring the ignorance of the young wife, she faced her.

“Look. If you don’t move fast someone who has no problem seducing your husband will get him. And not because he’s willing, but because his own wife is unwilling to love him, as he needs to be loved.”

She raised her freshly painted hand to silence the blustering wife.

“You came here seeking for the counsel of your queen, did you not?”

“Aye, your highness.” She replied a bit timidly.

“Now go to the market. Purchase the most scandalous dancer’s attire you can find in your husband’s favourite colours.”

Indira turned back to her chest of treasures and pulled out a glass-like anklet, “Prepare and serve him his favourite meals in the attires.”

Indira glanced up from admiring the anklet that had been part of her wedding gift from her husband, the king. “Surely, you can afford such luxury considering all you say your husband has provided?

“Yes, my lady”

“Ah. Before all that, have your maids prepare you as a girl about to wed.”

“If you really appreciate the love you say your husband has shown you, this should not be a problem. Can you dance?”

“Yes, my Queen.”

“Then do just that. Serve him yourself and dance for your husband in those attires for one week — starting today.”

She looked at the anxious looking wife and smiled in understanding empathy. “Just put your soul, spirit and body into it. Now off with you. Your assignment begins now.”

“Long live the Queen, beloved of the King.” She said in obeisance and Indira smiled fondly when she said “beloved of the King“.

She was indeed loved.

And she intended to reciprocate not just with words but with her actions.

“Greetings Indira”

Indira looked up and saw her lovely sister in law with some maids carrying covered trays behind.

“Well Tickles.” Indira smiled in warm welcome.

“Tickles” was the nickname she gave her sister in law. Because her laughter always sounded like someone was tickling her.

“What brings you to this side of town?” Indira teased referring to the sprawling palace as a “town”

Tickles giggled. “An errand of love and the palace is not that big.”

“My brother, the king has put together a celebration in your honour tomorrow evening.” Tickles gushed.

Indira was touched. “He need not do that. I am humbled by the honour he bestows me.” She whispered.

“He also sends you these”, she signalled to maids.

They came forward, bent before Indira and uncovered the trays at once with fanfare.

Indira gasped. And so did her people that came to her new home with her.

It’s because the trays contained the clothes, jewels and sandals made in colours and designs of a female monarch from her father’s empire.

He must have picked up the idea from how her mother dressed.

But, it was unique in how Indira liked to dress herself. It was like he composed a description of her in the details.

“Indira? Why are you crying? Don’t you like them? My brother says it can be re-designed as you wish—-“

“Nay Tickles. I love everything here. Tell your brother I thank him. From the depth of my heart” Indira sniffled and smiled.

“A warrior queen crying.” Tickles shook her head in mock disbelief, “Never thought I will see that day.” She teased.

Indira gave a watery laugh, “Blame it on your brother.”

“As for thanking my brother. You will have to do that yourself. I’m done running errands between you two.” Princess Tickles said cheerily on her way out, as the maids bowed again to Indira before hurrying after the Emperor’s sister.

Indira touched the attire reverently. So beautiful… She thought as her cousin said the same out loud.

All Indira could do was nod in agreement. Her eyes fell on a dazzling brown gem pendant.

She squeezed and it clicked open. What she saw in it brought a huge smile to her face.

In her mother tongue etched in platinum:

…to many sentimental celebrations in the flying future, my Indira. Yours alone, •Sergei•

https://puttingmyfeetinthedirt.com/2021/01/01/january-2021-writing-prompts/ 11. Sentimental celebrations, 7. Ignoring the ignorance, 10. The flying future.

A (Minor?)Breach of Privacy

Dear Diary,

Should it make any marginal difference if I don’t have a New Year Resolution?

“Yes it should”, Crownie’s mother said indignantly over her daughter’s shoulder.

Crownie jumped and shrieked.

Weekend Writing Prompt #190 – Marginal

Royal Journal: Love to Protect

I wrangle with myself

With my desire

My pain

Do I yield

Which wish or did

Must I wrangle

Into submission

My Mother says I must yield

To love, to protect…

—Queen Indira

Weekend Writing Prompt #183 – Wrangle

A Delicate Decree

Major Sujamal saluted his new boss in her office.

General Emira was aware of his presence as she kept on writing.

Her waist-length wavy hair was loose around her shoulders. She was wearing army camouflage T shirt dress and black boots.

She looked too beautiful to be a soldier, but she was tough with deadly calm, and had cracked many difficult military missions on land, air and sea with the ease of a hot knife through butter.

“You know, Major. I’m tempted to let you remain at attention, but someone must have spiked my Ro-something —-

“—Roti” the Major put in.

“—Right. Roti, this morning which is why I’m feeling maternal”, She said all this while still writing and without looking at the Major in question.

“At ease, Major”

Emira got up from behind her desk, and leaned on it as she crossed her legs at the ankle.

“Have a sit, Major” She gestured to one of the chairs as she crossed her arms.

“I will rather stand”

“Consider it an order”, Emira responded in a low steely voice.

Sujamal sat reluctantly and gazed at the wall behind her back.

Emira signed inwardly as she studied him. The man was running and aching from a past. Hence, his wild and unwilling ways of handling official orders. And that, threatens to upset the operation should it stay unresolved.

“I need you to discretely find your mother…” he snapped his head to face her, as his eyes flashed at her, but she ignored him as she calmly continued, “And personally investigate her — in disguise of course”

He shot to his feet,

“No”

He said in a slightly shaky voice, that she nearly felt sorry for him.

Emira leaned back more with a smile,

“Rejecting orders, Major?” She wasn’t surprised. She knew he was diligent and debatable.

“It’s too…personal for me to get involved”

“I think I already established how personal. All I can say is she may not have any idea how involved she is or even what she’s involved in. You’re to find out everything about her and report to me daily.”

Sujamal was now pacing, “I–I can’t do…” He began as he shook his head.

“You seem not to realise you don’t have a choice in the matter. If I didn’t know better I would have said you were doing your very best to sabotage this operation…. Let me finish, please” She raised a palm as he tried to speak in his defense.

“I said report to me and bring the suspects in talking condition. I even showed you how to subdue them enough to bring them here — should you have missed that class in military training. Yet you kept doing as you darned well please.”

Emira placed her palms beside her on the desk, as she prayed for calm.

“Your past is clouding your better judgement, Major. And I refuse to watch you unwittingly end your career thereby loosing one of my best men, one way or the other.”

She picked a folder from the desk, looked at it solemnly, then stretched it towards a fuming Sujamal, who had lost the battle of trying not to glower at her. She smiled inwardly as he looked kinda cute.

“Consider this your suspension assignment. Otherwise, feel free to appear before a panel of Top Brass Military Generals to explain why you should not be dismissed.”

He hesitated then slowly and reluctantly collected the file from her.

“Follow instructions to the letter and proof to me that you’re in this job for noble reasons” Emira said as she sat behind her desk.

Oh hahn. Tu-tri-bat. Tell your….girlfriend, that should she try following you again, I shall put her under arrest for trying to disrupt a military mission.” Emira warned in a casual voice. “You may leave now.”

“Yes, Boss” Sujamal saluted her and walked out.

Emira sighed as watched him leave. She swivelled in her chair as she prayed for healing of the Major who was wounded in his soul.

She sensed troubling tensions at the military base and she didn’t like it. She began to pray for peace, protection for her soldiers and the strategy for a successful mission.

15 minutes later, her phone rang. She checked the caller ID and picked the call with girlish excitement.

“Hello Mama”, she gave a tired smile.

https://puttingmyfeetinthedirt.com/2020/11/01/november-writing-prompts-2/

Emira’s Parents

“Habibi?” Iré called as she peered into her husband’s study.

The Emir raised his head upon hearing his queen’s soothing voice. And his breath caught. He sighed. After thirty years of marriage, she still stimulated his senses. 

He smiled in delight, “Hey Baby”. 

Iré inclined her head in response with an answering smile of her own, as she walked into the study.

He watched her walk towards him. She was wearing an Indian inspired silver pantsuit, beaded flat shoes and her upswept 4C hair was caught in a single pearl string. 

As she leaned in to kiss him, her cinnamon and beige skin made her minimal jewellery look dim.

He pulled her into his lap. 

” Hmm. That was delicious, my Delight.”

Iré giggled, “That’s a new one. Delights and Deliciousness.”

“That’s what I feel every time I see you. Sounds harmless but a more potent combination I can’t fathom.” Salim linked his fingers with hers.

She smiled with delight.

“Have you heard from Emira?”

“No. But Tailap has called me, telling me she’s just had dinner with his family and at the time we were speaking she was chatting with his wife.” The Emir reported.

Iré pursed her lips and sighed. “I suppose if I want to know more I will have to call my daughter. How’s General Tailap?” She quickly added as her husband opened his mouth to defend himself.

Salim sighed and shook his head, “You aren’t implying that I am keeping vital information from you, are you?”

“Are you not?” She retorted playfully.

“Busted” Salim smiled.

“Not quite”

His smile dimmed slightly, “Emira is fine, darling.” He said with a serious tone.

“I believe you.” She said with conviction as she kissed her husband.

August Writing Prompts – Delights and deliciousness 

The Mission

Emira was excited.

Her mission was about to begin. There was no better way to introduce herself as the new boss of the  military of this region. 

She had come at this time based on classified information, of another invasion and she was here to prevent more borderline soldiers from being killed like they were sitting ducks. 

If her new colleagues didn’t recognize her as one of them — and she seriously doubts they would — then they would have failed their first test. Which means they would be sent to her special training, which they seriously need. 

This was her 3rd time on Indian soil. The previous times were to attend weddings of family friends. 

This was no ceremony because it was about to get bloody in less than 5min.

Her kingdom was being threatened by some elements who were also threatening this region. And this was their route. Her kingdom now had more in common with India than friends and royal colleagues. They now had enemies in common.  

One too many civilians have lost their lives. The military seems helpless to arrest the situation, considering they have lost one too many soldiers themselves. 

The real issue was that the military has been named the culprit for every murder and crime in this part of the region. With no way of proving their innocence, their reputation was in tatters.

Hence, her father’s friend who was one of the generals in charge of this region had asked for her help in resolving the matter. He had handed his duties to her until the reputation of the military was sparkling clean and they drove back their common enemy. 

Emira squatted as she scoped the desert soil and it sift through her fingers, as though she was trying to feel the pulse of the land and decode its secrets. 
 
She could feel the intruders getting closer.  She locked her fingers and with her palm still open upward she spoke to the sand left in her hand, “Oh, you earth of this region, hear the word of the Living God, rebel against the rebellion working against the peace of God in this land, in the name of Jesus Christ”

Then, like Moses did with one of the plagues of Egypt, she threw the sand towards heaven. 

She did a last minute check on her secret camera and weapons, then adjusted her hood.

Since she had agreed to this mission, she had also studied the surrounding factors and key players in the situation, as she flew from her base to her father’s kingdom and then to India. 

Emira cracked a wry smile as she was certain by her instinct that her father and his friend had planned to send her here, not because the threat wasn’t serious or she couldn’t handle it, but because they have found a man they thought was a perfect match for.

She suspected he would be her new second in command.  We would see. She thought, as she fired a shot at an intruder creeping on an unsuspecting soldier with a wicked-looking knife.

https://puttingmyfeetinthedirt.com/2020/08/01/august-writing-prompts-3/#30 The moments before we touch #16 Difficult days