Everyone held great expressions of relief, yet I was disheartened to leave the man who I spent a lot of time with. "Will you come with us?" I stepped forward and Prophet John-David smiled but kept his silence.
"How can I ever repay you for everything?" I sighed as I swept my lingering gaze at the pond.
"By making the greatest resolution and that is to make the word of God a standard for your life." (Prophet Leslie 2021 The Greatest Resolution)
"Please come with us, let my people hear the Word of God. Especially your brother. Would he not love to see his whole family again?" I pleaded with the Prophet yet he maintained his silence.
Shiphrah held my hand before she hugged Puah who was silently crying at our departure.
"Can we see my family before I leave?" Shiphrah asked Prophet John-David who nodded before he hugged the young lady.
"Can I talk to the King by himself?" Prophet John-David excused everyone from the altar room and I suspected that they went to pack their bags.
"Before you depart you must pay your dowry to Shiphrah's parents. This way they will accept and bless your marriage. Do not just leave with Shiphrah, lest they revolt against you and say you have taken our daughter without our knowledge." Prophet John-David advised me.
"I speculated as much. I have already sent word to a messenger." I said carefully as I remembered the conversation I had with Shiphrah about meeting her family.
"When do you plan to meet them?" He asked me.
"Tomorrow, that being Saturday and a good day to spend much time with her parents." I mused into the warm air.
"I will accompany you. This is my parting gift to you." I could not hold the emotions I had in my heart. I wept for this man and he hugged me.
"Why have you been so kind to me despite the fact that I hold your brother in prison?" Prophet John-David hugged me and I felt the love of a father.
"Because of the gospel and the light that I see in your future." He comforted. "You're not like any other King before you."
"I don't understand this kind of love." I said to him.
"The love we have for God, flows to love for men (Prophet Tb Joshua). We are supposed to be enriched with love that overlooks the weaknesses of others (Prophet Leslie)." The Prophet was undeniably wise in all he said.
"Please, at least stay with us, everyone in your household. I will build for you a house in which you can stay, a church will be built for your God. Please just come with us." I negotiated with the Prophet as I asked God for mercy and favour in my heart.
Suddenly the man who had originally sent me in the time of the siege reappeared before our eyes.
He was clothed in light and held a sword set ablaze.
Beside him was an angel who was also clothed in white. His hair was platinum blond, he was delicate in appearance and extremely beautiful, strong and fearless.
"For the partition of your heart oh King Dakota has been a present persistence and a cry to God as it has reached heaven, thus the Lord has spoken, Build the church and then His servant will consecrate the church. Only be strong and of good courage." Like snow against a warm hand, the men who were with us disappeared in a mist of light.
"The effective fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much."(James 5:16) It was Prophet John-David who said this before he ushered us both out the door as if nothing happened.
"Well I'm very happy you'll be coming home with us,'' I whispered to him as we drew nearer to Shiphrah and Puah.
"Of course after you build the church." He gingerly chastened.
When we met with Shiphrah and Puah, I saw that everyone's bags were packed, including mine and the girls.
We had dinner and remained one last night with the Prophet and Puah.
By lunchtime the next day we visited Shiphrah's family who were a beautiful God fearing couple.
True to his words, Prophet John-David presented Shiphrah and I to her parents and pleasantly enough they received me as their own son.
The dowry and gifts I had prepared for them, they accepted in shock as it was out of the riches and spoil of Jerome.
I was willing to pay more than the asking price for their daughter.
"He is a King," Shiphrah explained the gifts and their eyes widened in bewilderment.
"What nation do you govern?" They queried and I spoke to them about Jerome, a beautiful nation I am proud to be governing.
"Will you allow us to come and visit you at any time?" It was Shiphrah's father who asked us this.
"Yes Sir." I honestly answered.
"Will you invite us to the wedding?" Shiphrah's mother hushed.
"Of course. We will even have a house built for your stay. You will have free access into and out of the Kingdom." I assured my in-laws.
"We give you our blessings as her parents. What more can we be grateful for other than having a Prophet declare and decree this marriage in the name of The Lord Jesus Christ. We are happy that it has been done right in the sight of God.-
We also thank you and are impressed with your integrity to not leave without ever greeting us but also paying the dowry for our daughter." Shiphrah's father blessed us as Prophet John-David and Puah also blessed our journey ahead of us.
Now, her father desired to have a word with me outside where he asked me many questions.
I answered all of them as honestly as I could.
I even briefly told him about Kristina and assured him of the seriousness I have with Shiphrah despite our very short courtship.
As we addressed my relationship with Shiphrah. I was privileged to see his generosity and willingness for him to receive me as their son.
Suddenly Shiphrah's father asked me to remain seated so that he went upstairs. Not so long after he came back with a small box.
"I know what has been done in the sight of the Lord has been done officially. But I know my daughter, she has dreamed of this day happening all her life.
So please, as I promised my mother before she passed on, propose to my Shiphrah with this ring." He opened to reveal two white gold rings.
The first had diamond studs embellished. The second ring coated in white gold, sat a beautiful emerald, green diamond.
On the same ring sat smaller gems that saturated the ring and caused it to be even more valuable than the ordinary ring given in marriage.
"I am grateful. I will of course propose with this. Much a gift that I will receive." Then he pulled out another box which revealed a matching and fatter white gold ring. The perimeters rested in a thin strip, the same gem that circulated the ring so that it was more masculine in design.
"Welcome to the family, son." He embraced me.
"Thank you father." I accepted confidently.
"We know that you told our brother you would retrieve his children." Puah hugged the little girls as Prophet John-David patted my back. I knew that they loved them very much and now trusted me to go forth with my word.
"Keep the children and my brother well." Prophet John-David requested.
"I will, in turn, remain safe until we meet again by God's grace and will." I also requested of the Prophet.
We journeyed back to Jerome after our final goodbye to Prophet John-David, Puah and Shiphrah's parents.
Geulah had graciously welcomed us and gracefully allowed us to leave safely.
"If you're a King then why do you dress so... commonly?" It was Shiphrah who mumbled this and caused my features to dance with mirth.
"My brother and I needed to depart from Jerome discreetly." I feared what the people would assume with my 7 month departure.
"Does your family know about me?" I internally winced as it was Gabriel who only knew of this matter and I his own.
"They will soon." I was glad that it was only Shiphrah and I in the carriage as we neared the capital city of Jerome. Her face paled as a clouded expression overtook her features.
I requested the carriage driver pull over for some short rest. In that moment, I gently reassured her. "I know it sounds and looks bad, but it is better this way. I will warn you that my family is a whole character." I ran my hand through her hair to soothe her before a light tap on my carriage window startled us. It was Troy.
"I came to check whether everything was alright." He peered inside before he made quick affirmative glances at our surroundings.
"Yes Troy, thank you for checking on us" Shiphrah gave him a grateful smile and he nodded before he went back into the car in front of us.
I looked in my rear view mirror to see John seated in the black carriage with Matthew, Stephen and Max. I assumed that Troy had Mark, Luke, Faith and Hope in the other carriage.
I held onto Shiphrah's hand as I drove back to Jerome. Praying that the people and my family will love her and grant us peace.
The journey was sweet and full of laughter as we got to know each other better. I discovered that she loves to bake pastries and yet never really mastered cake making.
So I also told her that I generally could not cook and her food was the first homemade food I have had in a very long time.
She loved playing games and listening to musical instruments which I agreed I would do with her whenever we had time. She had a taste for various cultural dishes and unrelenting to pick a favourite dish.
"As for me, Shiphrah, all I can say is that anything you cook will be my favourite." I mused.
"Now you're just being biased!" she laughed and I joined in her amusement.
"Maybe I am, all I am saying is that YOU can cook!" She rolled her eyes and turned to face the window, peering at the beauty of my hometown.
"So what actually made you become Christian?" I killed the chaotically amusing silence.
"As you know, Prophet John-David and the rest of us grew up together." She cleared her throat. "I guess when I turned 17 I decided to follow Christ thoroughly.
At the time I was living in France as an international student so when I graduated I came back home to Geulah." She played with a strand of her hair as I nodded to confirm my attentiveness.
"And then?" I carried on.
"Well, I just never knew that my cousin had opened up a church. At first I was surprised, but it made sense how he knew things I never told anyone. Even the situation between Caleb and I." I was interested in her story so I motioned for her to continue.
"What did Caleb do that was so terrible?" I questioned.
"Apart from being allied to the Kratian Army? Well, let us just say that he met someone who introduced him to a whole lotta things." She pursed.
"Even I could not prevent or take him out of the pit he fell into. What about you King Dakota, How did it all begin?" She answered.
"Well... I mean I grew up knowing that at some point in my life I was going to be a King. My brother Gabriel, being the second son, is automatically a royal prince." I answered.
"Yes but your journey, how did you end up in Geulah?" She sparked.
"OHHHH, you mean THAT," I laughed. "Okay here is the thing. I have always had really realistic dreams that would often come and go. As though someone with great power was calling me towards Him. -
I have even had dreams where I would see you and yet I never saw your face. The most recent, was when I found a strange man in my room. My family and I were in trouble and I needed a solution.-
When he appeared he told me to look for the Prophet. At that time I only knew his name and that the Kingdom was being attacked by the Kratian Empire." I hesitated to tell her the next part.
"Your cousin Paul was also caught in the crossfire. I have to say though, that if it were not for him, I think things would have been much worse." I uttered.
"What do you mean?" She stretched as her eyebrow tilted.
"WeLl...let us just SaY that we were not originally in good books." I remarked sheepishly.
"Oh... What about you and Kristina?" She asked me and I avoided looking at her. "You don't have to tell me if you're not ready." She faced the window.
"It isn't that I'm not ready, I...I just don't really want to think about her at this point in time. She has really negatively impacted my life and has been a sore lump in the settlement of my family." I rubbed the back of her hand. " I will tell you when we have more time." She nodded and remained silent as we drew closer to Jerah, my city.
I called Troy and told him to strictly follow me as we neared a forest that led to a hidden entrance.
On my signet ring I continued to keep around my neck, I pressed on the diamond to open up a secret cave that revealed an underground tunnel upon command.
This road led to a secret underground house I believed would give us some time before we had to show face to the rest of the nation.
"Where are we?" Shiphrah asked. I knew she was most likely thinking ill of the idea of being a wife to a King.
"I have not come to kill you. We just have to go over a few things before you meet my family." She squinted her eyes and I kissed her hand.
"My brother and I built this house years ago. We couldn't really have tree houses as it was literally too exposed to the public. So we built somewhere only we would know. You're the first woman I have ever brought here." I reassured her honestly as the horses galloped down the dark road.
"Not even Kristina." She was shocked.
"Not even her." The journey was long and dark but it was necessary.
"Why?" She asked me, genuinely confused.
"Well, it just never got THAT far and I needed a place to hide. I guess Gabriel also needed that space too." I breathed.
She hummed and I could take my chances and guess that she was thinking about Caleb.
"I guess Kristina and I crumbled after her first miscarriage."
"So you and Kristina were actually married?" She confirmed.
I nodded and glanced at my wife. "Yes."
"What about the children you have now?" She was curious and I faintly gave her a soft smile.
"Kristina's children could not have been mine." I firmly grasped at the truth.
"What if they are?" She interceded.
"I know that they are not." It had been awhile since I last brushed deeper than the surface of the relationship I had with Kristina.
Shiphrah did not ask another question and I too also remained silent as the weight of my duty pressed harder on my shoulders the closer we got to the hidden house.
The horses stopped the carriages at the entrance of the underground house and steadily led the way. The familiar scent of cocoa and coffee hit my nostrils as I invited my comrades and beloved wife inside.
The furnishing remained the same as I last remembered it to be.
The modern contemporary styled home was warm and dark.
It was situated under a hill and had camouflage windows to adapt to the natural surroundings.
No one could hear or see inside but we could hear and see outside. I did however require candles to light up the house. This was so that there was no trace of electricity running back into the Kingdom in case we had a siege or invasion and required a hiding place.
"I have never been here before." Troy mused.
"Not even my most trusted servant has. You are to tell no one of this place. If you do, there are some very serious consequences." Troy saluted before he knelt down and everyone followed suit. All except Shiphrah who furrowed her brows in confusion.
"Welcome home our King. May you live long and May our God preserve you in righteousness" As my soldiers welcomed me home and blessed me in the name of the Lord, I realised the time we spent in Geulah not only affected me spiritually but my soldiers too.
"You may rise." I showed everyone each room that was a necessity except for Gabriel's and I's. There were two guest bedrooms where the men went to lie down to rest while Faith and Hope slept in the next rooms. I led Shiphrah around the house, revealing to her all of the rooms except Gabriel's.
"No one knows of this place so we will be safe." I went back to the living room with Shiphrah and sighed as I went to sit down with her.
She leaned her head against my shoulder and I welcomed it. "Why are we here?" Her voice was soft and yet so gentle.
"I need a break before we go into the Kingdom. There will be a lot of things I have to address and I need some rest before I do that. Also to brief you on other things concerning the Kingdom but maybe after I sleep." I stood up and lead her to my room.
I laid on my bed as she stood at the door. "Are you not coming?" I queried her.
"I would love to. But-" she trailed off.
"But?" I prompted.
"I just think that we should wait, before we start sharing rooms, you know....Until the wedding." She trailed as she averted her gaze to the wall. I couldn't help but smile at her innocence.
I stood up and made my way to her. "Thank you for being so innocent." I hugged her and she smiled softly.
"Did you want to sleep in here instead? I can rest in the living room." She pulled away and shook her head.
"If I sleep now I will be awake the whole night." She breathed. "You can sleep in here, I will find something to do." I nodded and made my way back to the bed and fell right asleep.
As though my senses were heightened like they would be during a fast, a sweet captivating aroma ascended through my nostrils that caused me to wake up from my slumber.
My mouth watered and my eyelids fluttered open. I discovered I was not alone as I entered the hallway to see all of the men glancing down the hall.
Curious, I made my way through to see Shiphrah humming a beautiful melody as she cooked and baked at the same time. The table was set and plates were arranged. The girls sat engrossed on the couch playing a game of chess.
I did not disturb them all as I gazed wistfully at Shiphrah.
She was a dream.