Chapter 2

Growing up, I would occasionally be teased by villagers, addressing me as their Queen. They will frequently refer to me as Queen Zendaya. I didn't prefer to be addressed as queen, as I was not one, at least not yet.

Though numerous folks were friendly towards me, some detested the fact that I was even breathing. Occasionally I would be halted on the route, by these outrageous folks merely to remind me that I'm no Queen. Most of the time I was verbally bullied by them and I will sprint home to my mama. My mother would often narrate this story about Queen Zuri.

Queen Zuri is the former Queen of Amari, she is the grandmother of our current king, King Zweli Amari. Queen Zuri was once lost in the Evil Forest and rescued when she was a little girl. She was only eighteen when prince Zwade Amari chose her at the Royal Amari dance, to make her his first wife. When Prince Zwade Amari became King, she became the Queen of Amari.

Apart from Queen Zuri, there is also Queen Lesedi and Queen Lesego. Altogether possessed the same fate. All three were once lost in the Evil forest and then selected by the Crown Prince at the Royal Amari dance to be first wives. I am the fourth young girl to get lost in this forest.

My mother believed that one day I'm going to be the queen of Amari. She was exceedingly cultural. She made sure that I know all my traditions and customs by heart.

In the kingdom of Amari, it is not an astonishment for a King to marry a common village girl. When the crown prince of Amari is mature enough to take a wife, the royal family would invite all the maidens to the palace for an Amari royal dance. At this royal dance, the maidens will dance for the prince and the prince will select a wife. Likewise, the whole Kingdom would be invited so that they could witness their future King selects his wife.

In Amari, a man can marry as many wives as he desires. There is also never a King who married one wife in the history of Amari. The current king had five wives. Because of this, the royal dance happened often and because of the royal dance, there was a possibility that one day Zendaya would be queen.

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In the beginning, I didn't believe that one day I will be queen. It sounded absurd, but as time went on, I began to believe. Although, I didn't reveal it;l believed that I'm indeed the future queen of Amari. I don't see any explanation for not being one. Queen Zuri became queen, so why not me?

Yes, I was going to be the queen of Amari one day according to the beliefs of the people of Amari, but I'm not queen yet. So I did clean, cook, fetch water from the lake, and fetched woodfire. I also had plenty of friends too, for instance, Masego.

Of all my friends, Masego was my best friend. I loved her and she was like my diary. She knew every emotion and thought I had. She is very beautiful and she has dark chocolate skin, with beautiful almond eyes.

Masego and I would constantly discuss being queens. I will be the first and she will be the second. We had no problem with the idea of sharing a husband. Once, I even told her that when I'm queen, I will ask my husband to marry her as a second wife.