King of Kings

Ezanas paused to admire his reflection in the water. His smooth dark face shimmered softly as the current of the shallow creek flowed along briskly. He removed his golden headdress and stroked the prickly stubble along his pate. He lowered a leather-bound canteen into creek and almost immediately captured enough water to fill it.

He slowly stood erect and flung the strap of the water pouch over his shoulder.  As he did so, he perused the stately dwellings on the other side of the creek. The mansions were similar to Tamane’s elegant compound that stood behind him. For a moment he was struck by the peacefulness of the landscape before him. The mansions protruded from the lush green forest like glimmering diamonds set against emeralds.

Ezanas panned his vision and felt a wave of peacefulness wash over him. For a moment, the stress of the campaign and the ever-present burden of being a king abated and he felt – at home. A gentle breeze sailed through the valley and seemed to carry with it more than the aroma of food or the gaiety of the festival taking place nearby.

Ezanas…

The young negus moved back, as the wind almost seemed to whisper his name. He glanced around suspiciously, half expecting to find his cousin lurking behind a nearby tree. However, there was no one to be found. Once again, he gazed along the meandering path of the creek and into the beautiful scenery it amiably coiled through.

Again came the breeze.

Ezanas… You belong to Me.

Suddenly, a chill ran through Ezanas. For a moment, he felt as if he were once again in the imposing presence of his father. It was a sensation that brought a strange blend of comfort, fear and – awe. It was a sensation he had not felt since his father died several years earlier. It was a sensation he missed and at times even longed for. Lost in thought, his eyes drifted to where the mountain peaks kissed the blue skies.

“I’m sorry, my lord negus,” said a soft voice.

Though it took a moment, Ezanas stumbled awkwardly from his fixation on the wind. He spun around to notice two women moving past him, the youngest one was already in the process of filling a vessel with water from the creek. He instantly recognized older one as the lady of the house in which he had just dined.

“We don’t mean to disturb you,” she said, moving quickly to fill the vessels she had.

“That hardly seems like work the mistress of the house should perform,” Ezanas stated as he put his headdress back on. He swiftly adjusted his posture to convey the poise he lacked just a moment before. “You appeared to have more than enough servants to handle that for you.”

“There are times I prefer to draw the water,” Majedah answered as a lock of jet-black hair escaped from beneath her white headdress and drifted playfully over her left eye. “Besides, I like coming to this particular spot along the stream. There’s something about this area that speaks to me.”

Ezanas frowned uneasily as he watched her fill the second of the two vessels she brought. “What does it say to you?” He asked sarcastically.

Majedah quickly glanced up at the young ruler and for the first time noticed the immature patch of dark whiskers that gathered under his chin. She suppressed a smile and forced herself to remain respectful. “I often come here to pray. My husband even made a bench for me.”

Ezanas glinted back at the intricately carved bench a few paces behind them and wondered why he hadn’t noticed it before. “Tamane is a good man. Very fortunate as well.”

“We are very bl…”

“Blessed, yes, I know.” Ezanas moved forward and helped her draw the vessel from the water. She raised her eyebrows smartly as he placed his arm around her waist to help steady her balance. She was relieved as he shifted his body and stepped away from her.

However, he now stood face to face with her.

“I want to thank you once again for the wonderful meal you prepared for us,” the negus said, looking into her eyes. “My compliments to your ability to prepare such a feast so quickly.”

Majedah gracefully swiped away the wayward lock of hair covering her left eye. Against her better judgment, she held the young man’s gaze, sifting through the maze of brazen defiance that so often accompanied young men of his age.

“Thank you for the gracious words, my negus. But in all honesty it was actually a matter of good timing. I prepared the food for the festival taking place in the village.”

Ezanas’s lips curled as he studied her radiant dark face fixated more on the serenity that danced in her eyes that seemed to overshadow her substantial beauty. “Fortunately for us, we happened by at the right time,” he said.

“I believe things happen for a reason. God knew you had need of a meal and a place to rest. Therefore, He brought you here.”

“Yahweh is all-knowing indeed isn’t He?” Ezanas commented flippantly. After a moment he noticed the quizzical expression blanketing her face. “Adonai Elohim, the precious name of the LORD God? Don’t tell me I know more about your religion than you.”

“I’ve never heard God called that before. We refer to him as Yahweh,” she admitted. “Curious. I heard you tell my husband you were not a believer. But yet, you know so much.”

“My mother is completely devoted to Jesus the Christ. That’s the Greek rendering of his name. You probably call him Yeshua. My mother made certain we grew up knowing all about the God she so revered – despite what my father thought.”

“The negus was not a believer?”

Ezanas smirked at her choice of words. “No. He embraced the traditional gods, just like I do. He made certain my religious affiliations were not limited to the views of Falasha rabbi and my Greek speaking tutor.”

Ezanas’s statement was met with another blank stare.

“You confuse me, my lord,” Majedah said, shifting her weight to accommodate the vessel full of water she still carried.

Ezanas grinned arrogantly. “I’ve found that followers of the Way are often confused.”

Her brown eyes questioned him with yet another glare.

“Don’t know that term either, huh? At the very least, I’ve given you something new to ponder and … pray about.”

Majedah tilted her head and watched the young negus strut back towards the compound. She glanced at her young servant who stood silently by during the encounter.

“Quite a young man,” Adey said.

Majedah’s eyes traced Ezanas’s steps as he walked away. “He’s young,” she uttered beneath her breath. “But hardly a man.”