Chapter 1

Prologue

"Please do not leave me, not now, please, I don't want to be a widow" Lume cried her eyes out while holding onto the cheeks of her husband in her palms but the King of Akozo was dying and he wanted his Queen to run, yes, to run for her life for the Witch and her dragon were approaching and it wouldn't be long until she caught up with her and the rest. The Witch's quest was to destroy and her dragon was helping her achieve that while raining fire in the land of Akozo. 

"I want you to tell the story of this day to our child whom you carry in your womb. Don't give him your tears, give him your story, that story is what he will need to motivate him to do what needs to be done. You can't tell him of what happened here today if you will not be alive to do so, so go and follow the officials, go now. I'm already a dead man"

"Why would she do this to us?!" cried Lume.

The newly married Queen, Lume sobbingly removed her lips from his mouth the moment King Zakiza breathed his last with tears in his eyes while lying amongst piles of rocks with fire raining from the shattered roof of the palace building.

"My Queen, the king is dead, we must escape now" 

Queen Lume was not sure who spoke amongst the palace officials standing behind her but she knew that whoever spoke was right. The king's younger step brother had succeeded in usurping the throne of his step elder brother with the help of her Witch mother and her dragon. It was time for Queen Lume to escape if she hoped to return for a revenge. 

THE BEGINNING

TWO YEARS BEFORE THE WAR IN AKOZO KINGDOM:

"Your father never loved me the way he loved that woman and that was why he gave her son the throne before his death. I was the first he married but I had no child for him until his second wife produced him a son, Zakiza. You see, I was the first wife which makes you automatically heir to his throne. I knew your father was never going to make the right decision but I was not learned enough to stop him; I had no dragon and I wasn't a Witch. You see my son, you have grown and that is why I'm telling you this; it's time to take back what is yours, what was taken from you, your birthright. I will help you"

Akiza rose from his seat, a very handsome young man. He was tall and had dark eyes. He walked towards the windows of the room and stood by it, looking down the mighty gates. He sipped his drink and turned to look at his mother who obviously was waiting for an answer.

"Mother, I can understand how it went with you when you realized that your husband's love for you died the moment you couldn't give him a child and he had to marry a second wife; the mother to a step brother i have never met. I know how pained you are but mother look around you; we are rich in this foreign land, we have everything we need here in Dodo Kingdom; we have the maids to serve us, the slaves to work for us, the soldiers assigned to us by the king of this land. We are powerful already. What else are we looking for?"

"Recognition you fool; your birthright was stolen from you and your step brother who should be serving you is seated on your throne! Don't you get it! I am not after wealth or power child, I am after what is mine and what is mine was taken from me by those who thought me weak enough and unable to fight back. You say we are powerful? more reason we have to use that power to reclaim what was lost to us. You say you have all that you need? Where is your identity or do you not know that you are a foreigner in this land. Your surname will never make a meaning if you are not ready to accept who you are" The mother walked out on him and Akiza sat dejectedly. He might feel he was not really comfortable with his mother's desperation but if truth be told he could not deny the fact that he desired to make her happy.

He was still seated there when his fiancee walked in and climbed the bed, kneeling and holding him on the shoulders from the back, massaging him, knowing fully well why he was troubled..

"Your mother was right" She just said. Akiza turned his head to look at her face and she smiled at him. She was a very beautiful lady and was the daughter of the king of the land; the kingdom of Dodo where Akiza and her mother resided. She had a high libido for sex, a trait she inherited from her father and she was happy that Akiza never denied her himself each time she came looking for him. Her eyes were so seductive and these were what Akiza fell for the first time he met with her. 

"You eavesdropped on our conversation? I warned you not to do that again..." he was angry. "I'm sorry I was coming..." she tried to explain, "Get out!" shouted Akiza and the lady jumped off the bed, ran off crying. Akiza stood up and walked towards the windows once again. He was filled with deep thoughts.

That same night he walked up to his mother inside her chamber as she was about to have her rest and she stood up from bed to sit with him. He avoided her eyes, the eyes of a woman who had suffered for years to see that he had a good life and he was not ready to disappoint her. He held her hands and for the first time since he entered the room spoke while looking into her eyes.

"My reply to you in my room wasn't reasonable and here I have come to tell you that you were right. I have decided to live up to your expectations of me. I'm ready to take back what is mine"