•☆°His love roared louder than her demons°☆•

Makhosi's rough fingers gently lifted my chin, his mud brown eyes carefully examining me, it was as if he could see right through my facade. "My queen, what troubles you?" He asked, concern was etched into his beautiful features that were illuminated by the dim candle light.

"Nothing, my king, all is well." The words escaped me, the lie slitting through every fibre in me. I hated lying to him, but some nightmares are better left hidden, even from him. His doubtful gaze pierced through me, he wasn't buying it and I couldn't blame him, I couldn't even convince myself.

Another memory surfaced, my mothers face plastered with dissapointment as she menacingly inched closer to me with father's wooden staff in hand which caused fear to ripple through me. "A queen must be able to tell a lie as if it were the truth, my child. But sometimes the truth is what we want it to be." Her words taunted me as her voice caused the familiar sensation of fear to surge through my veins.

"Nohereka," the sound of his deep baritone voice immediately sucked me out of the horrific memory as a deep sigh escaped from his plump lips. His warm fingers gently rubbing my wet cheeks, I hadn't realised I was crying and that he was wiping my tears. I instinctively leaned into his touch, I couldn't fight this alone, could I?

His voice was soft and gentle as if I was a child, fragile to the tone. "My beautiful Nohereka, there is no battle you must ever fight alone, I'll be you spear and shield, the army who will defend you till my dying breath. But I can only do that if you tell me what battle I must fight." His mud brown eyes bore into mine, the only thing I could see was the sincerity in them, the purity of his words and heart. In that moment everything became so clear, Makhosi was never my monster, he was my saviour, he saved me from the fictional truth of my father and now he would save me from traumatic memories caused by my mother, right?

"Never trust a soul with your secrets, it is one in the same with trusting a serpent with your life." Mother's harsh voice reminded me, whispering the possibility of betrayal from the man who I could do nothing but trust. However, for me this was an obvious choice I had to bite the forbidden apple, I had to trust the snake because maybe his venom could offer me the antidote to this trauma. I had to trust him because he was a lesser evil than the voice of the dead woman I called mother.

With my trembling voice the only weapon against my inner battle, I spoke. "It all began with the death of my brother, it changed everything." My breath hitched in my throat as Kanyaita's body flashed before my eyes, his skin deathly pale as mothers screams of pain pierced through the cold and silent night, echoing the loss of the tribes' future king.

"My mother became lost, her identity and her motherly touch became nonexistent, it died with my brother." The story became more difficult to tell, my words were lodged in my throat, refusing to leave me.

Makhosi seemed to notice causing his hand to gently squeeze mine, a small reminder that I was no longer alone, he was here. "She... she wanted to shape me into her identical image, she was evil. A monster dressed as my mother." My words were barely above a whisper, all the pain she caused me and every single word she poisoned my ears with surfaced, drowning me, it was going to kill me.

My body shook in his tender embrace, tears streaming down my face, one after the other almost endless as I bawled into his muscular chest. His warm touch was the only thing that reminded me that it was a nightmare, it wasn't real, just a terrible nightmare.

"So tell me now, Makhosi, can you fight this battle?" I questioned him, my face still pressed in his muscular chest.

He was silent his arms cocooning me from the evils of my mind, his warmth felt like a thick blanket protecting me from my cold reality. "My queen, the battle has already been fought and all I am to do now is to tend to your wounds." He began as his fingers gently rubbed soothing circles on my back.

"Pain and tragedy are the authors of disaster, but they are also the bridge between between who we are and who we can be, Nohereka." He continued, his voice slightly wavering as his gaze settled on my tear stained face.

His words were confusing, my mind felt like it was stuck in maze and each path lead to a dead end. 'What could he possibly mean?' The question caused confusion to carve itself into my face as my eyes turned to him begging for an explanation.

"Pain gives us the strength we need to keep moving forward, don't see it as an obstacle, see it as a bridge." He explained, his statement answering my question fully, I understood it now, pain does give us strength, either to become better or to become worse.

'I will not let this consume me, I will be better, much better that her.' I told myself, encouraging my heart to not fear but to be strengthened by her abuse. The nightmare does come to an end just like the end of a thunderstorm but instead of a rainbow, I got him, Makhosi.

His warm gaze met mine before he gently pressed a small kiss on my forehead."The tears of a queen are a reminder to the earth that even mountains shake but they do not fall. So, to my beautiful queen," he began as his deep baritone voice caressed my ear drums.

"Keep your chin held up high, your crown is like your heart, glittering gold and it must never fall." He continued on, reminding me of my worth.

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Hey muffins

Sincere apologies for the delay, I had problems with my account, plus I had exams😭 hope everyone is staying safe and well.

Thank you all for reading and getting me to over 1K in just two months,I am so grateful❤❤😭 for every single read.I really appreciate it and all the constructive criticism

Love maniac_lunatic❤