Nkechi chewed on the flavoursome meat as the women flocked around her like headless birds. Their hands moved rapidly as they crafted her last-minute ceremonial gown. She would have found the scene comical if the reason behind it wasn't so daunting.

She would be married within the next few hours to a man that she had very little knowledge on.

Nlechi felt the beginning of pity burbling within her, but she tamped it down. She didn't want to dwell on how unfair her life was because if she started, the tears would follow, and she refused to cry. Tears were foreign to her.

"What do you think of this pattern?"

A girl no less than a few years younger than Nkechi held up a beautiful string of colourful beads. Vibrant greens and blues intertwined artfully, showcasing the nature of the Nah Barros tribe. A tribe ruled by water and nature.

"I think it will suffice," Nkechi shrugged.

The young girl looked to the other garment makers in shock before she scurried away. They all seemed to be dissatisfied with Nkechi's behaviour. Perhaps they expected her to be more involved in the dress making but Nkechi couldn't find the energy to care. Regardless of what the dress looked like, by the following day it would be discarded, and it would be her body she would have to reveal to a strange man. She couldn't understand why all of a sudden, the thought of an arranged marriage did not sit well with her.

It was common among so many tribes and especially with someone of her nature and yet Nkechi was beginning to abhor the reality. It didn't matter that she had always known she would never marry for love, the reality of it was still unsettling.

"Perhaps you can add some black beading or string to represent my nation?"

The young girl gave Nkechi a gentle smile as she began to adjust her work with small threads of black beading.

"Are you done with your meal?"

"Does it look like I have finished my meal?" Nkechi sneered at the woman who stood before her.

Nkechi chewed on the bone, crushing it into a pulp as she stared down the woman with regal baring and anger in her eyes. Nkechi had learned her name was Zafra and she was delusional. She harboured ill feelings towards Nkechi. It was obvious why.

"It's unbecoming to eat the way you do." Zafra commented snidely.

"And it's unbecoming to pout and sulk like some pitiful creature when the man you desire decides you are unworthy of his time, energy and lineage. Yet here you are doing exactly that."

Zafra's almond skin flushed pink with embarrassment

"You don't understand who you're marrying. His importance to our tribe, to our nation is unimaginable and you're not even taking this seriously. Look at her."

Zafra flapped her arms about, motioning at the way Nkechi reclined on her chair with little care.

"I do not care about the life you had envisioned for yourself or why you believe you deserve Makaio. Your disappointment means nothing to me or my Goddess. So, swallow your anger and direct it elsewhere. We all find ourselves in situations that we would otherwise avoid. Deal with it, it's life."

"But you don't even want him," she cried pitifully.

"And neither do you. You want the status that would come with being his Solah but that is no longer attainable. I am here and I am the only woman he will marry. Deal with it because this will be the last time, I address these petty juvenile dramatics."

Zafra's face reddened further before she stormed out of the room leaving the atmosphere tense. "I need a drink," huffed Nkechi.

"Don't pay her any mind," muttered one of the many seamstresses.

"I won't. I refuse to engage in a battle of what is rightfully mine. Makaio is mine. Whether I want him or not." She mumbled the last part of her sentence to refrain from causing another argument.

"You must be scared. I know that you may have been resigned to this fate, but the reality must be scary?" The blunt question came from the same young girl who had questioned Nkechi about her dress.

"Furayi, leave her alone. She does not need to be asked those silly questions."

"No, she's okay. Furayi is it? You can bring your work and sit by me."

The young girls' cheeks dimpled as she gathered her beads and material and sat beside Nkechi.

"I didn't mean to offend you; I was just curious to know if you were scared. I know I would be. I just couldn't imagine marriage without love."

Nkechi gently touched her smooth hand to soothe the girl and gave pause at Furyai's question. Nkechi had no idea how she could prepare herself for an arranged marriage but perhaps it was her faith in the Goddess' will that had spared her from fully sinking into despair.

"I am not scared. I'm angry, anxious, frustrated even but not scared. Knowing that this would be my fate has allowed me to remove fear from my emotions. Especially when I think of the man I was previously expected to marry. He was a man of nightmares. Controlling and brutal. He would have broken everything that made me unique until I was nothing. From all that I have seen of Makaio I know that he will be kinder than that."

Many nodded their head in agreement. They understood that sometimes marrying someone that was kind was all that you could hope for. Anything more was a blessing that not too many women had been granted.

"I think we have finished the construction of the garment. Would you like to try?"

Nkechi nodded her head as she climbed to her feet.

The rest of the women helped her into the dress to ensure that the fit was okay. The garment was heavy, but the material was supple against her skin. There was still quite a lot of adornments and colour to be added but Nkechi was no longer needed. The final dress would be a surprise to her.

Hanan entered the room in time to see Nkechi draped in the beautiful dress. "You look wonderful, now let's get you cleaned and ready for your big night."

Nkechi thanked the women for their hard work and food before she followed Hyatt to a small brick structure that was on the outskirts of the tribe. The roots from the Ishanu ascended from the water and wrapped around the house that appeared to be made of clay and bricks.

"The house is constructed differently so the heat stays inside. It's a bathing house that is used to purify your body and soul before marriage. It's an ancient tradition that the new leaders of this tribe must participate in. I'll not come any further than this." Hanan muttered as she motioned for Nkechi to enter alone.

Nkechi swallowed her trepidation and took the final steps to the entrance of the bath house. Stepping through the doors felt like she had taken final descent to her death. It was a dramatic thought but, looking up at the tall ancient walls really highlighted the severity of what she had agreed to.

She was surprised by how big the bath house was. The walls were tall dome like structures designed in beautiful patterns of green, blue and white that spanned the floor and walls. The colours were muted with time and age, a thick layer of life and earth disrupted their vibrancy. The first entrance room was quite small and cool but the moment she entered the second chamber her clothes had to come off.

The heat had to thick peels of sweat and grime dripping from her skin. It felt like years of dirt that's he had been non the wiser to, was being expunged from her skin. The sweltering air had her coils reverting to their tightest form. She slowly unravelled the braids in her hair and allowed the warmth to work through her scalp.

She felt awkward sitting on the clay slabs naked but the hot steam left her no choice. She was thankful that no one else seemed to be present with her.
The dimly lit room truly allowed her to reflect on her future. Nkechi curled her knees into her chest and rested her head on her arms as she worked on her breathing. Sucking in large pulls of air and breathing out slowly allowed her to slowly sink into a trance.

Visions of the past and future came to her. The visions swelled over her, each reaffirming her belief and reasoning for this union.

"It's more than me," she whispered to herself.

"I am starting to believe that."

Nkechi almost jumped out of her skin at the masculine voice.

"I didn't expect you to be here," she grumbled, tightening her arms around her body to hide it from his curious eyes.

"We both need ablution," Makaio shrugged as he sat down beside her.

"Yes, but at the same time?"

"Does my body make you uncomfortable?"

Nkechi scoffed at Makaio's snug tone, "I have seen enough male bodies to last a lifetime. Yours is not so different."

"I guess you aren't so impressed then," Makaio grumbled.

Nkechi laughed at Makaio's deterred expression. "You aren't too bad; I mean unless I compare you to the sixty-year-old men I have seen. Then I would say you have competition."

"Sixty-year-old men?" Makaio stuttered in shock.

His expression of disgust had one of the most genuine laughs pouring from Nkechi's lips. The sound was so foreign to her ears she almost didn't recognise the sound.

"I come from a tribe of people who change form at any given moment, trust me when I say I have seen it all."

Makaio chuckled at the thought of all that Nkechi had seen, "I bet you nearly had a heart attack the first time you saw a man shift."

"Actually no, we were taught from young not to be ashamed of our bodies. Plus, I also learnt to keep my gaze high. I can't be embarrassed at what I can't see." She bumped his shoulder jokingly. 

The touch of his naked skin against hers felt both foreign and comforting.

"Why are you hiding your body if you have been taught not to be ashamed of it?"

"Don't flatter yourself, Makaio. Just because I'm not ashamed of my body doesn't mean I need to flaunt it to every man I come across."

"Fair enough. I suppose we'll eventually see all of each other."

"I've seen enough of you to last me a lifetime." Nkechi mumbled under her breath, but Makaio's burst of laughter told her she wasn't as quiet as she hoped.

"You have not even seen me in my best form," he grinned cockily.

"I'm sure," Nkechi rolled her eyes as she intentionally kept her gaze raised. "We might as well get it out of the way."

"What?" Makaio snorted dubiously.

"Not that you pig. I meant I'll show you mine if you show me yours. That should surely make this all less awkward?"

"Not everything needs to be so cold, Nkechi. I know we have a duty to perform but we can also get to know each other and enjoy each other's company."

"How do you propose we do that?"

The sly grin that spread across his face did not inspire her confidence in him.

"Well first we should complete this part of our cleansing. Follow me?"