Dashing
along the sandy Meekah Beach toward the only stall that sold what he
craved, Declan joined the lengthening queue on the tropical island located in
the Indian Ocean.
To
his right, a few metres ahead, a small crowd gathered. Their smiling faces rested
on a woman standing in their midst. From the distance, he could not make out
the features of the woman who stole the locals’ attention. Anyhow, he drew
closer to the front of the queue until it got to his turn.
“Can
I have natural yoghurt with fresh coconut slices and banana toppings please?” Declan
said to one of the female servers dressed in a colourful dress.
Island
of Azure, the small country located a few hundred kilometres off the coast of
East Africa was his choice holiday destination this year.
“The
usual?” the chubby-faced lady asked wide-eyed.
“Ah!
Betty. Yes please.”
“One
moment.” Betty went about putting his order together.
“Thanks–”
The words
of gratitude flying out of his virile lips was interrupted by the growing fuss to
his right side of the beach.
Declan
skewed his head. As he did, his eyes landed on a very dark-skinned woman decked
from head to toe in a long yellow and white gown. A crest of some sort
decorated the upper back of the flowing gown, or was it a robe? He was not sure.
The woman’s
skin colour reminded him of black walnut shells, but a highly-polished,
wrinkle-free variety, the type that glowed under the glaring heat of the sun. Extravagant
gold jewellery sat around her neck and draped in front of her cleavage like a
cape.
Very
regal, he thought. Her
outfit was way over the top when compared with the locals who obviously adored
her and hung on to her every word. More gold jewellery also decorated her thick
wrists.
As if
in tune with his inquisitive stare, the well-dressed woman turned her head in
his direction.
Licking
his lips, Declan wondered if he should say something to her. Maybe hello?
Other
locals carried on chattering to the woman. Although she responded to their conversation
with vigour, her dusky eyes narrowed at Declan, before her dark-lined eyebrows
arched in full.
Unblinking,
he stared above her head, not sure if her facial gesture was some form of
silent interest. Was she some kind of important person visiting the island? Tempted
to stare at her, Declan resisted the strong urge. It would be rude if he did, right?
But he was curious for goodness sake.
Who
was she?
Discreetly,
Declan dropped his eyes downward and peered at her feet. From where he stood, he
saw her dark toes peep from beneath the hem of her long dress while her toenails–polished
with a golden hue–peeked out of her gold jewelled slippers.
Like
magic, her fragrance trotted on the wings of the ocean wind and surrounded him within
seconds. Yet, she had not moved, neither had he taken a step forward.
Clenching
his fingers around his white polo shirt dangling by his left side, he resisted the
urgent need to drag in a rushed breath.
Leisurely,
he pulled up his gaze to her face.
Their
eyes connected for longer on this round.
Then
he corked his head and shifted his eyes sideways to break their binding stare. Two
female attendants stood a few metres behind the woman and two men with swords
stood behind the ladies.
“I
would like to buy some yogurt with coconut and banana slices please.” The order
came out of the shapely, glossy lips of the woman who now stood next to him.
The
centre of her top lip was curved like a love swirl and her bottom lip was thick,
ready to do whatever he imagined.
In
Declan’s ears, the woman’s voice did not sound extraordinary. It was just a
regular female voice.
Keeping
his expression unreadable, Declan stared ahead at the servers working inside
the serving stall. When did the woman float to his side?
Even though he avoided
staring directly at her face, he watched her from the corner of one eye. It was
the way she repeatedly lowered her long lashes and touched her full black hair
that trapped his thoughts.
“Yes,
your royal highness.” A male server answered with a wide grin and a bob so low
he almost knocked his head against the makeshift wooden counter.
Staring
wild-eyed now, Declan folded his arms across his bare chest. Your royal highness?
No wonder the woman commanded attention with grace and elegance.
Declan
twisted his head, left and then right to relieve the strain inching through his
spine. Am I actually standing near a real-life princess? This time, he blatantly
gaped at the woman now skimming his tattooed chest with her slanted eyes.
After
a few seconds, the princess or queen glanced up at him.
Their
eyes met again, spoke silently and clashed. It was a brief meeting of snooping pale-blue
eyes perusing an interesting, slanted black pair.
But Declan’s
chest jogged so fast, his arms fell from his chest. His ears ticked like a time
bomb. He marvelled at the servers attending to customers from behind the counter.
They moved like zombies, as if they were in awe of the woman standing in front
of them. In all honesty, she had the aura of the world’s most beautiful princess
or queen.
Oval-faced
with a cute chin that made his fingers itch to stroke her glowing skin, the royal’s
slanted eyes, lined with dark pencil narrowed further with curiosity.
Her long,
round-tipped nose–which sported a gold stud on the right side–did not flare at
the base and her bowlike lips, painted a dark pink shade sat between full cheeks.
The
air between them thickened to the point his right fingers reached for the
wooden counter for support.
Say
something to her to break the awkward silence, his inner voice pushed violently. In response to the
advice, his throat muscles moved up and down, but he could not swallow.
Words
did not lob out of his mouth.
Noisy silence stretched awkwardly between them. It
was as if no one else existed in their awareness-bloated bubble.
The royal
stood straight, facing forward. With a height of at least five-feet-seven
inches, she was a solid seven inches shorter than him.
Breathing
easier now, Declan glanced at her again. Why did you stare at her again, his
head grumbled? He wanted to and there was no reason to deny himself the singular
treat.
This
time, she caught his gaze and gave him an inch of a smile. It was only a hint,
suggesting there was more where that came from.
Taking
a major risk, Declan stretched out his hand to her. Where words failed him, hopefully
his limb would save him, right?
A
hush fell on the mini-crowd.
Undaunted
by the throng shush, he kept his arm outstretched. It was the polite thing to
do.
“Hi, forgive
my rudeness, I’m Declan Drexel Frazer. And you are?” Finally! His tongue
unlocked itself to say something audible and sensible.
The
two young ladies positioned behind the royal beauty stepped forward, shaking
their heads at him.
One
of them butted in. “No handshakes with our princess, sir.”
But Declan
kept his arm stretched, his bold eyes pinching the princess’, waiting for her
decision.
Seconds
later, tilting sideways, the princess gave an elegant shrug, before she accepted
his right hand. Her smoothly made-up face whipped up a smile so bright and big,
she revealed pearly-white teeth.
The crowd
even cheered.
Within
his hand, her palm was as soft as marshmallows, but her handshake was firm and
decisive. Pots of electric currents blazed through his palm and sprinted through
his arm.
The princess
immediately dipped her eyelashes–which he presumed were false–before swallowing.
Then she lifted her lashes slowly.
Inhaling
in a hurry, he let go of her hand.
Without
doubt, there was magic in the way she fluttered her lashes that hitched his
breath.
“Here
you go, sir,” Betty said at last, handing over Declan’s yoghurt without a smile.
“Thank
you.” Declan accepted the small treat without taking his eyes off the royal loveliness
who had taken the spot by his side.
“Your
order, my princess,” the male server said to the woman with heated eyes that
could melt ice.
With
her left hand, the princess collected her order and then nodded at Declan.
“My name’s
Kahina. But I’m fondly known as Princess Kahina Hadassah Aziza. Are you a
visitor to our island?”
Straightaway,
his heart galloped like an untamed steed jumping over challenging hurdles.
His
mouth dried up like the dunes of the desert. Wait a minute, did he dismiss her
voice as regular moments ago? Oh, he definitely had it wrongly figured out.
With
a broad smile intended to steady his senses, Declan nodded instead of speaking.
He tugged at the black face cap covering his head to give his hand something to
do.
“Ah,
a tourist,” Princess Kahina noted, touching one finger to her temple and
patting the raven tresses behind one ear.
“Indeed,
I’m a visitor to your beautiful island. What a surprise it is to meet you, Princess
Kahina.”
Another
full-on smile surfaced, exposing her pink gums. It was obvious she took great
care of her mouth.
His stomach
took a punch, so he gasped. “Wow!” he chuckled. “You’ve got a striking smile.”
Throughout
the years he played basketball as a point guard, he never sustained a hit to
his stomach this hard, he needed to double over. This woman had an effect on
him that was troubling. Was she casting a spell on him during the day and in front
of everyone?
“Thank
you, Declan. May I call you that?”
Princess
Kahina pronounced his name with an accent, native to the island.
“Of
course. Everyone calls me, Declan.”
After
a brief nod, she said. “Every Tuesday, after lunch, I indulge myself eating this
yogurt. It’s one small treat I allow myself. And it gives me a decent excuse to
get fresh air and get away from the palace. Would you like to walk with me for
a few minutes?”
Without
waiting for his reply, Kahina slipped away from the crowd and strode along the golden
sandy beach. Her guards trailed behind in what appeared like rehearsed steps.
“Of course!” Declan said, falling into
step beside Kahina. “We’ve got the same cravings, huh?” He uncapped the pod, dipped
his wooden spoon inside his yoghurt, served in the belly of a baby coconut.
Bug-eyed, Kahina gave him a sideways
stare. Then she removed the lid from her dessert and handed it to one of the
two ladies who rushed forward to collect the trash.
“I usually wait till I get back to
the palace before I spoil myself with this treat,” Princess Kahina told him in
a brisk tone. “But I see you’ve got no patience whatsoever.”
Throwing her a casual shrug, he smirked.
“Why wait?” Meanwhile, he did not fail to note she was endowed with full
curves.
Her flowing robe embossed with the royal emblem hid her curves from
behind. From the front view however, he noted her lovely white gown clung to her
big boobs, round belly and wide hips.
One word came to his head–voluptuous. In
summary, Princess Kahina was a voluptuous royal beauty.
“Very true,” Kahina readily agreed. “Where
in the world are you from?”
Declan’s grin widened. “From Deer
Lake, a pretty small town in Pennsylvania in the United States.”
“Ah, yes. The American accent. Is it
warm over there at this time of the year?” Her eyes oozed warmth as she spoke
and licked her spoon.
He tried not to admire her sideburns gelled
along the flanks of her face. “It’s warm and cool at the same time in June with
nine days of rain,” he told her with a swift grin. “It’s nothing like the burning
heat here. July is a bit warmer for us.”
“Of course. We’re in the tropics.”
Kahina smiled. “The heat is relentless. But we have the sea to make it
bearable.”
“Yeah, that’s why we flock here. And
you? Where are you from?” Declan asked the obvious question.
“Originally?” Kahina paused. “From, The
Bronx, New York.” She said it, straight-faced like it was the whole truth.
The spoon on the way to Declan’s
mouth hung in the air. He whipped her with his eyes, his expression deadpan.
“That’s a joke,” she admitted, snickering
behind her palm. “You’re so gullible!”
Laughter immediately racked his ribs.
“You got me. I asked a stupid question and you gave me a silly answer. Noted.”
Kahina dipped her spoon inside her
yoghurt and spooned a blob inside her mouth. For a moment, she stopped, shut her
eyes and smiled as she swallowed.
“It tastes like magic. Do you think they sprinkled
some enchanted portion in this pudd?”
Declan chuckled, gave her a weird
glance and shook his head. In response, Kahina pinned an innocent expression on
her face.
In public, he imagined she had to appear serious, but he could laugh
for both of them. Then he saw a faint smile lurking at the corner of her full
bottom lip. Also, her eyes twinkled with all things captivating and mysterious.
Lowering his voice, he whispered near
her shoulder. “I’ll have to taste yours to confirm if they added a magical twist.
Mine tastes free of anything supernatural.”
Finally shaking with helpless laughter,
Kahina looked over her shoulder. He did too. Her entourage maintained stern expressions.
“If you taste mine, I’ll have to
taste yours,” she told him with a casual shrug.
The slight shiver in his stomach
imploded. He had no idea she would give in to his bold suggestion. Before she
changed her mind, he handed her his own dessert along with his spoon and deftly
collected hers from her fingers in a rapid move.
She did not protest about the
spoon exchange.
They carried on walking along the coastline as if nothing had
happened.
After he had eaten almost all of her yoghurt,
Kahina murmured.
“So? Did you like the magic portion
in mine?”
He licked the wooden spoon thrice. “I’ll
tell you when I get to the bottom of the pit.”
“By which
time I would’ve enslaved your shirtless, muscled, tattooed body in my boudoir.”
Yoghurt spewed out of Declan’s mouth
as he failed to curb the laughing rage storming through his chest.
Kahina stepped sideways to avoid the
spill, her face splitting into a delicate smile. Her top lip half-opened while
her spoon dangled between her fingers.
Then he saw she had a sapphire ring with
a crown on the middle finger of her right hand. It was probably part of her symbols
of office as a princess.
“My body repels enchantment,” he assured
her with a terrific wink after he wiped his mouth with his fingers and brushed
them across his khaki shorts.
“How brazen, Declan! Winking at me could
earn you a lifetime in the gallows.” Her voice took on a husky burst as she mimicked
an imaginary tyrannical king.
He fought to stop himself laughing
like a goon. “As long as you visit me every day, I’ll stay in the gallows and
maybe even enjoy my time there.”
The smile broadened. “What brings you
to the Island of Azure?”
“Part work, part rest.”
She lifted her steeped-arched brows. “Should
I pass on quizzing you about what you do? I’m hoping you’re not an international
spy.”
Corking his head to take another look
at her features, he asked. “Do you give up easily?”
Feasting on the banana and coconut
slices, she shrugged. “I want to take pity on you.”
“Why is that?”
“For one good reason. You’re easy on
my eyes.”
He started to chuckle, but his gut
tightened with the slow tension lingering around them. Then he gave her a rushed
glance. Is Kahina flirting with me?
“Do you have time to sit with me on the
beach seat over there?” He pointed at the metal seat that had now received its fair
share of battering from sea-salt, wind and sunshine over the years.
After only a moment’s hesitation, Kahina
nodded. Then she waved at one of the ladies standing behind her. The big-nosed young
woman who stood to Kahina’s right, in turn gestured at the seat ahead. The male
guards moved ahead, cleared the area and waited, standing on either side of the
bench.
The second they sat leaving a gap
between them on the bench, Declan whispered.
“I came here to cool off. Mainly to
enjoy the coral reef. I’ve got a knack for diving to appreciate underwater
creatures. It’s a beautiful sight below. God’s work is in full display in the
ocean.”
Giving a soft nod, Kahina’s eyes
rested on the iridescent turquoise waters as she crossed her leg over one knee.
“Have you explored our underwater creatures to your satisfaction?”
“To a large extent, yes. I’ve been
here for a week. I still have a few dive sites booked. And you? Do you find
time do something interesting?”
“Rarely,” Kahina replied with a short
laugh. “There’s too much to do. Sometimes, I don’t even remember the simple leisure
of life. That’s why I decided to start taking at least an hour off to walk along
the beach and treat myself to this.” She lifted the coconut pod in her hands. “It’s
refreshing!”
Linking his eyes with hers for a
brief second, he nodded. “But you could do so many exciting activities on your
island. Would you let me show you some I’ve enjoyed so far?”
A small giggle slipped from the corners
of her mouth. “How ironical. An American tourist is offering to take me on a tour
of my island. Your eyes are a great reminder of the beautiful ocean waters,
Declan.”
His throat locked down for a moment while
her comment about his eyes sank into his mind. “Thank you,” he said after swallowing
hard. “About the tour? When you put it like that, I sound presumptuous, I
guess.”
“Not at all, Declan. When I was a
little girl, I insisted the girls who waited on me take me fishing, surfing, boat
racing in the lake, but not snorkelling.” As Kahina spoke, she arched her neck
and stared at the sky briefly before she continued.
“I enjoyed skipping a lot. It was
invigorating. Since I assumed an active role in my father’s cabinet, it’s been non-stop
work. I’m not complaining. To answer your question, thank you, but I doubt I
can find the time for such leisure.”
Almost on the verge of screaming for
her to play more, he stroked his clean-shaven jaw with one thumb.
“We could
make great use of your one hour each week,” he suggested. “Can we do something
as simple as skipping to start off?”
Kahina angled her head and passed her
empty coconut pod backward.
Declan grabbed it from her hand.
For a short-lived moment, their
fingers met and froze.
The sound of the sea lapping the golden shore did not
intrude on the kindling of something mounting inside, between and around them.
The wind howling from east to west did not carry away the swelling tension as
their eyes pegged one another’s.
Slowly, Kahina dropped her eyelashes.
“Do you skip? It doesn’t sound like a manly sport if you ask me.”
Grinning, Declan shook his head. “Well,
I’m not asking you. If you want to find out how good I am at skipping, choose a
place and time.”
For several moments, he listened to Kahina
breathe out loud and fast while she probably considered his challenge.
Take me up on my offer, he almost begged.
“Just to be sure, are you saying you can
skip better than me?”
Kahina asked, flickering her thick lashes.
Declan gave a roguish shrug. “Positive.”
“If I say I’m not free–”
“I’ll think you’re running away from a
simple challenge,” he finished for her.
Kahina shook her head, turning her
gaze up to the clear blue sky as she did. Then she curved on the seat to face
him.
“Are you real? Name one man who can skip better than a woman who was brought
up to skip for her life? And how did you know what I was going to say anyway?”
“Maybe I can read your mind. It’s a talent
I just acquired.” In her presence, he was definitely carefree and even reckless
with his utterances.
He was not entirely to blame. Princess Kahina had an aura
that could make any man lose his mind, one way or another.
Lifting her right hand, Kahina grinned.
“Fine. Next Sunday, meet me at the private lake on the east side of the Island.
It’s called, Cove Lake. Do
you think you can find it? I don’t want you getting lost.”
“If it’s on the map, I’ll find it,” Declan
declared with a chuckle.
Cupping her mouth with one hand, she
muttered. “It’s at. 3 0’clock. Don’t be late.”
As if on cue, the female aide to her
left stepped forward and whispered something in Kahina’s ear.
Princess Kahina immediately rose to
her feet.
Declan did the same. He balled his polo
shirt in one hand.
“Duty calls,” Kahina sighed as if she
would have preferred to stay longer to chat with him. “If I win your challenge,”
she carried on, regardless, getting to her feet. “I’ll also issue a contest.
Get ready to join me on a journey you’ll never forget. Thank you for speaking with
me, Declan Drexel Frazer. I hope you have a wonderful time on our island.”
That was it? No exchange of cell phone
numbers? Was she just going to walk away as if they had not just enjoyed each
other’s company?
“Excuse me,” he said, pulling himself
upright as Kahina turned away.
She stopped and faced him.
“Are you really going to be at the
lake on Sunday?”
“I’ll be there,” he promised in a
conspiratorial whisper of his own.
Her shining eyes told him in clear
words she wanted to see him again. Yet, his head suspected she wanted to get
rid of him for the sake of the others watching.
His stomach quivered.
It was true he had probably spent
less than an hour with Kahina in total. But she was an enigma and he more than
enjoyed chatting with the audacious princess.
Throwing him off kilter one more time,
Kahina stepped an inch closer, hissing. “I’m betrothed. This can’t happen again
in public. Do you understand me? Or there will be hell to pay. I’ve a duty to
my people, to the throne and to this land. Nothing must threaten the sovereignty
of the Island of Azure.”
With the way she switched her words
and tone, he could not decide whether she was joking or dead serious.
Speaking through tight lips, he
croaked. “Then you agree there’s something between us you’re running away from?
By the way, I’m engaged too, Princess Kahina. That makes two of us.”
Something new burned deep inside his
chest, spreading like an earthquake through his body. It was the dare she rolled
out, he explained to himself.
Meanwhile, Princess Kahina insisted. “There’s
nothing I’m running away from, Declan. Excuse me.”
With that last remark, Kahina sauntered
away as if floating with wings. Yards of sheer yellow and white fabric drifted around
her retracing steps. Her entourage walked behind her, keeping a small distance.
Declan watched until they moved out
of sight. Then he slumped on the bench. The coconut pods in his hands suddenly felt
heavier, so he dumped them in the bin a few steps to his left.
Mixed signals!
He was convinced Princess Kahina gave him mixed signals to drive his thoughts
wild. He was not wrong. Yeah, he read different messages from her eyes and body.
One moment, she was up for a challenge. In the next breath, she was putting a crooked
bridge between them.
With his muscles tautened from their encounter,
he recalled her last remark, “I’m betrothed.”
Betrothed?
Ridiculous! Did people still get promised to each other in the twenty-first century?
Angling his head, he shrugged on his
top.
Maybe Kahina said those things to
keep up appearances with her staff. However, other thoughts swept through his mind.
What if her quick getaway had nothing to do with him at all. It might have
something to with whatever it was one of her aides whispered in her ear.
Either way, he already looked forward
to their date in five days. Only if the mischievous princess showed up,
he reminded himself.
Stella Eromonsere-Ajanaku
Copyright © 2019
******
