DANUSHIKI

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

“I love you Kenneth…God in heaven knows I do, don’t break my tender heart… I beg of you to stop talking about all these fantasies”. 

Sarah soon stood up and walked to where Sergeant Kenneth sat. He was unperturbed by the tears that were now flowing freely from both eyes, while he imagined the length of her packed hair. He dropped the glass cup, crossed his legs and began to smoothen his black hair with his right hand. 

“I’m not talking about fantasies here Sarah, and your heart can’t be broken either, because it’s being protected by your ribcage…” He continued before she had the chance to respond to his last comment.

“The dream which I and my late Uncle shared is what has kept me going all these years. I’d let you on a little secret – It’s the major reason I joined the Empire’s army. Find a young man who loves you and get your life on with him, because I’m only going to…”

He held her hand mid-air with his left hand as she tried to slap him. He would have smashed her face with his right fist at that moment, but for Lady Virginia’s timely arrival from a soiree.

“For the love of God Kenneth, that’s no way to treat a young lady…” Sergeant Kenneth cast a quick glance at his mother before flinging Sarah Macpherson into a large sofa below a huge painting of Sir James Whyte. 

“A picture like the one above your head, maybe ten times larger is what I desire to be hanging in every public building in the Empire, after I’m through with my Uncle’s ‘mission’.”

He turned towards the main door and began to walk out of the mansion with a sly grin. Suddenly, he stopped abruptly and turned to face his mother with a charming smile while adjusting his hat.

“Please find someone suitable for her mother, because I’m only going to break her heart,  and you’d be responsible for that…dear old Virgy”.

“Why is he so cruel to me, why…?” Sarah sobbed as Lady Virginia held her head close to her breasts, and unable to give any satisfactory answer to Sarah’s lamentations. She patted her back while thinking about her matchmaking disaster.

The next twenty-nine years of Kenneth Whyte’s life saw him pursuing his dream with maddening vigour as he soon made friends with the upper class of the society in the Empire. A ruthless General, he soon became, highly influential, with charm, charisma and determination. Many in the Empire were surprised that someone of the General’s age and caliber was unmarried, and had no intention of raising a family. They had also been countless gossips and rumours among bluebloods, with regards to affairs he’d had with countless ladies, including the foreign ones. 

His old friend Sarah Macpherson, he’d learned from a reliable source, had gotten married three months after he’d turned his back on her. She was currently expecting her third grandchild at any moment. The General spent his ‘free time’ lobbying the rich, famous and powerful in the Empire. He stopped at nothing to ensure Uncle Lloyd’s ‘dream’, now his own dream was realized at all costs. Using his position as General of the Empire’s armed forces, he gave the Ruler no breathing space at every opportunity he had with her. He never stopped reminding the poor woman of his past heroic achievements, his belief in the realization of his dream and what she’d stand to benefit thereafter.

When she couldn’t take it any longer, she decided to grant his request for a royal assembly and validation of his request. Despite her misgivings, she secretly wished for his success, and sometimes fantasized with the idea of being dressed in a robe made out of diamonds. Later, she fixed the thirteenth day of the ninth month of that year for the ‘public hearing’ of his speech. The ‘public hearing’ would involve herself, the full court, all her official and foreign assistants, all the royalties, governors, advisers, chancellors and aristocrats in the Empire. If the hearing was ‘successful’ General Whyte’s dream-c*m-quest would be approved by the Queen’s royal validation and approval. 

General Whyte titled his proposed speech -‘Forever’, and beamed whenever he thought of the title. He had put in a lot of work recollecting and scribbling the things his late Uncle had told him as a little boy. Apart from royal validation to his request, if it was granted on the thirteenth day, another thing gladdened his heart. The provision of requisite ships, manpower, firepower, horses, supplies, equipment, soldiers etc. needed for his great expedition would be borne by the Queen and the Empire.  

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Sir James Whyte had (secretly) done everything in his power to stop his last son from joining the Empire’s army. He could not deny the fact that Kenneth was not only brainwashed by his frustrated brother-in-law, but now possessed a dangerous obsession with realizing his wild dreams. Sir James always felt amused whenever he thought about the rough piece of diamond and the map which were now in his son’s custody. He still believed there was no such thing as a land ‘littered with diamonds’, as he’d heard some men and women of the upper class talking about it wherever they were seen.

Lying on his large bed, surrounded by his crying wife and four sons, he knew death was coming and needed no one to tell him otherwise. Weeks earlier, his physician had told him in unequivocal terms that he would not live to see that year’s Christmas, so he’d be wise to start putting his house in order.

An hour ago, he had undergone a short ‘confession’ with a Priest, and was now experiencing discomfort and pains in his abdomen. He knew he had little or no time left to live as he avoided his own reflection in the mirror. Currently, he only had one regret in his life; his inability to convince his last son to join politics or an officer in Her Majesty’s court, the royal navy…anything but the army. He talked with his family concerning several past and unimportant things, and even mentioned Sarah Macpherson.

None of the five adults who surrounded his large bed knew exactly when he stopped breathing as he held Virginia’s right hand with a painful smile on his face. Sir James Whyte had died with a sole regret, two weeks after his son Kenneth was promoted to the rank of Colonel. 

The day after he was made a General, Kenneth Whyte spent the rest of the day in front of two tombstones – Lloyd Herbert Lyttleton and Sir James Whyte. These were the only men he feared, loved, revered, trusted and could ever deter him from doing anything (evil). With the death of these two men, nobody, not even his heartbroken mother could now stand in his way. The short meeting he’d held with his mother and brothers that fateful day was the last he’d ever have with them until his departure to the island littered with diamonds. He believed from the depths of his heart that greatness was calling him impatiently, and it would manifest during his quest in, and after his return from Shaingwa.

On the eve of his ‘Forever’ speech, he paid the Queen a visit in her royal garden. The sole    purpose of this visit was to assure the Queen of his success in his anticipated mission. He also intended to remind her of the mouth-watering benefits that’d to accrue to Her Majesty, and subsequent addition of that island to her Empire. 

She was sitting impatiently on one of the twelve stone benches in the royal garden, when General Kenneth arrived with a charming smile. He removed his hat and visualized the ‘real’ plan which he’d carefully planned upon his successful return. Upon his arrival, he’d plan for the Queen’s a*******n, followed by a widespread propaganda around the Empire about her weakness, partiality, and inability to adequately govern the Empire. While all these went on, he’d be crowned King, issue new decrees and execute all members of the royal family. Thereafter, he’d order the remaining soldiers to take charge of the Empire and kill whosoever resisted or challenged him.

“General Kenneth Whyte, as punctual as always”, she began in a voice a little higher than a whisper. She forced a smile and walked towards the middle of the garden, after dismissing her servants, guards and attendants to the perimeter and the entrance.

“My Queen, may you live forever…” General Kenneth Whyte had barely heard her voice before he knelt down on one knee, bowed his head and held his black hat in his right hand. He only stood up and put on his hat after he was sure that the Queen was comfortably seated on the stone bench.

“Get up my loyal General…get up and sit down”, she whispered, while adjusting the heavy pink robe adorning her body. She inhaled deeply and wished the robe on her body was made from diamonds. General Kenneth sat down on the stone bench while maintaining a respectable space between himself and Her Majesty. They both inhaled the evening air which was soaked by the scent of several flowers in and outside the garden. Time was of the essence to the General as he quickly leaned his sheathed sabre at the end of the stone bench, folded his hands and cleared his throat. 

“Your imperial Majesty tomorrow is the day a great quest begins, the beginning of a great journey for your great Empire and for generations unborn, who’ll marvel at the end result of the quest”. In a split second the General imagined how several drops of blood – Her Majesty’s blood would look when mixed with the cold powder on her face.

“Your imperial Majesty, getting another country to become part of the Empire is just by the way…imagine if you could fill every room in your imperial palace with diamonds”.

The Queen was about to say something when the General prevented her, moved closer and tried to remove his gaze from her jeweled crown, necklace and earrings. 

“You think these jewels on the crown atop your head, on your fingers, around your neck, hanging from your ears are valuable? You think you’re wealthy because of the levy, taxes and tributes collected from people in the empire?”

All that is nothing, in fact it would not amount to one-tenth of everything lying deep in the soil, in that…land littered with diamonds. I would go there on a quest with your approval and come back with diamonds for your imperial Majesty”.  

Kneeling on one knee now, with the tips of his fingers touching his knees, and in a solemn voice, he swore to commit suicide if his quest was not sanctioned the next day. The Queen who was now flattered suddenly remembered her position, and tried in vain to hide the blush on her face. The General on his part knew he had gotten the Queen ‘trapped’ where he wanted, as he was assisted back to his seat by the compassionate Queen. 

“There’s no problem General…ever since my childhood, I’ve never known of any General so brave, so disciplined, so committed and so passionate to expanding my Empire like you’ve done. I also have no doubts that you’ll go and come back successful and victorious. I need to go and rest now Kenneth, and I wish you luck in your quest”. She stood up slowly as her attendants rushed in to assist her, while ignoring the General who now knelt on one knee with his head bowed. 

In between a yawn, her attendants held her arms and the end of her long gown, while she turned towards the kneeling General.

“What becomes the the fate of the people living in this ‘diamond-littered’ land, after the conclusion of the conquest?” The Queen inquired while fondling with her sapphire and diamond bracelets.

“Your imperial majesty, these people would be worthless to you…but I believe they’d come handy as slaves if you so choose. Dare I add that the entire land could also be used to supplement the Empire’s agricultural interests…”

“Beautiful”, she whispered and walked away from the smiling General. That same night General Kenneth journeyed back to his late Uncle’s grave, where he promised not to fail him after coming this far to realize their dream.