In a broken world, thousands of years into the future, the cursed rule as gods and a war between empires rage with underlying secrets and mysteries that might change everything.
He stood observing the men before him, enduring the harsh harmattan breeze that sucked all moisture from his skin. He saw some of them show signs of their displeasure and he frowned, staring them down with his orange eyes, tightening his fists. They were Tije. The Royal army that was made up only of the king's sons. They were his brothers, so to speak but they were not a part of the princes. They did not have the curse about them.
He had a thousand and eighty six brothers of which he was the five hundred and fifty fourth. But he ranked far above them because he was a Viner. His father was the emperor of the dried lands, a place that had been known as Nigeria before the great eruption, five thousand years ago. An event that obliterated the lands beyond the seas and birthed the first of the cursed. His father had tried to bear cursed sons and even after countless tries over five thousand years, he had birthed only four who possessed one out of the three curses. He had gathered the rest of his sons and turned them into Tije; a battalion of highly trained, mutated men that possessed heightened senses, increased strength, speed and agility. He had given them armor and swords made of sandsteel but they were expendable to him as he prized only his cursed sons.
The young man observed the pink sun and a shadow of a smile flew across his lips. A new year was coming. His twentieth year of existence. The year it was promised that he would go to battle, the year he got to choose a wife, not that there was any urgency to it. He shook his head, clearing his thoughts and focusing on the task at hand. He frowned, wondering where Elek was. The man always seemed to enjoy keeping people waiting.
He had barely run through the thought when the sands swirled beside him and he rolled his eyes, watching Elek slowly come up from within the ground. Elek smiled at him; a calm cold thing that made the deepest of scowls seem flowery. He ran his hand through his thick, black, braided hair, totally free from dust and sand despite where he had come from, advantages of him being a Sander. He turned towards the men, his broad, powerful chest expanding to impossible breadths with every breath and he clenched his fists in obvious irritation, making the muscles of his arm writhe under his tattooed skin. Elek was the first son of the emperor and commander of the entire black army. He had fought alongside the emperor during the sand wars, three thousand years after the great eruption and he was instrumental in the victory against the formless priests and the whip masquerades.
"Where are our brothers, Idem?" He asked, gritting his teeth in a deeply irritating way that made Idem struggle awhile with his temper.
"I have not seen them in a few days. I thought you would know." Idem said and spat into the dust. Elek observed him quietly for awhile then shrugged, turning to the men. Both of them waited patiently. It was time for the duel of princes. It was held once every fifty days, a rule made by the emperor himself and it was observed by the emperor and the Tije.
" They had better come here before he arrives" Elek said, scowling and Idem bit his tongue, reining in his nervousness. The emperor would not tolerate this disrespect and they would all endure the punishment that came with it. All of them except Elek. There was a respect the emperor gave him that was given to no one else. Idem looked at the sky and saw it darkening. He suddenly felt a sudden, inexplicable fear hit him like a fist. He turned to Elek who had a deep frown on his face. He felt it too. The utter dread that hit any man whenever the emperor was close.
Idem grimaced as a darkness covered his vision for a time and a weakness enveloped him but he stood perfectly still, his head raised in defiance. The men stood shaking but none of them cried out. They would be killed if they did. Weakness was not tolerated among the Tije.
The darkness left Idem's sight and he saw, seated on a skillfully carved ivory throne, the emperor. He wore black silk trousers, his massively muscled body unclad, covered with tattoos. His beard was braided and bits of cowries were intertwined in them. He had fierce, almost glowing red eyes and his face was calm and unmarked. He was sorrounded by cursed guards. It was rare for a commoner to be born cursed but the emperor went to great lengths to gather them and transformed them into his guards though he could not extend their lives as he could with his cursed sons.
The warring tribes have united into an empire and they have lived in seeming peace for over four hundred years yet the Zakanmi tribes want their freedom and they can only find it from the hands of a man that is not entirely their own.
Rumors claimed that Fernanda, newly back with her family, was nothing more than a violent country bumpkin. Fernanda just flashed a casual, dismissive grin in response. Another rumor suggested that the usually rational Cristian had lost all sense, madly in love with Fernanda. This frustrated her. She could tolerate gossip about herself, but slander against her beloved crossed the line! Gradually, as Fernanda's multiple identities as a celebrated designer, a savvy gamer, an acclaimed painter, and a successful business magnate came to light, everyone realized they were the ones who had been fooled.
Melanie married Ashton out of gratitude, but she quickly found herself entangled in a web of relentless challenges. Despite these struggles, she stayed true to her commitment to the marriage. In the hospital room, Ashton indifferently attempted to draw her blood, disregarding her discomfort. This callous act was a harsh revelation for Melanie, awakening her to the grim reality of their relationship. Resolved to prioritize her own welfare, she decided to sever ties. With newfound resolve, Melanie filed for divorce. In the process, she unveiled her concealed identities, leaving everyone in shock. Throughout these turbulent times, Melanie realized that Derek, Ashton’s uncle, had been discreetly protecting her all along.
"I stood at the edge of my heart and watched him choose her. In the end, I was not the one he needed. I was simply the one he settled for." - Noelle ~~~~~~~ I thought I was the one he loved. But a few days before our wedding, I saw him in a way I never had before. His eyes softened as he spoke to her. His first love, and the very woman who had left him in pieces. Heartbreak was something I knew too well. And as I watched the love he still held for her in his eyes, I realized what I had to do. I couldn't marry a man who wasn't truly mine. With no means to cancel the wedding and lacking the courage to confront him, I made a desperate choice to leave. I painfully gave his first love my treasured engagement ring thinking it was for the best and the only way to free myself. But when he saw that ring on her finger, the fragile world I had tried to escape began to shatter. His obsession to find me and bring me back ignited a dangerous game of cat and mouse.
"Mr. Evans, please maintain some dignity. Don't forget I'm your brother's wife!" Having caught her husband and best friend together in the bed, Elena wanted nothing more than to exact revenge on the people she once called family. She refused to be a pitiful divorcee and vowed to make everyone who had once looked down on her beg for forgiveness. And to start with her newfound freedom, Elena indulges in a one-night stand with a stranger. However, what was meant to be a fleeting escape turns into a nightmare when she learns that the stranger is none other than her husband's older brother! Would Elena be free from the shackles of her marriage? Or would the mysterious stranger make her life a living hell since he seemed to have a personal vendetta against his family? [The story is 18+ and involves mature content.]
After three years of loveless marriage, Kira was slapped with divorce papers. She has shown him her unrequited love throughout her entire marriage with him, but he decided to turn blind eyes all because of his lover. Distraught and heartbroken, Kira choose to sign the divorce papers with bitter heart. But then and there, she promised herself that when she's back, he will come crawling to her, but she will make him pay for hurting her. Join Kira as she transform to a wealthy heiress and soared as the CEO of a multi-billion-dollar empire, a remarkable healer and make her ex-husband pay!
Corinne devoted three years of her life to her boyfriend, only for it to all go to waste. He saw her as nothing more than a country bumpkin and left her at the altar to be with his true love. After getting jilted, Corinne reclaimed her identity as the granddaughter of the town’s richest man, inherited a billion-dollar fortune, and ultimately rose to the top. But her success attracted the envy of others, and people constantly tried to bring her down. As she dealt with these troublemakers one by one, Mr. Hopkins, notorious for his ruthlessness, stood by and cheered her on. “Way to go, honey!”