Blood Of BaTswana Crown

The sun climbed over Kgalalelo with a slow and ancient patience. It was as if it had been performing this single duty since the very beginning of time and expected to continue until the very end. Its light spilled across the circular stone of the kgotla, warming the cold ground and catching on the intricate beadwork, heavy shields, and polished wood of the gathered tribe. Shadows that had stretched long at dawn began to pull back with a respectful retreat as the day claimed its place. But this was not an ordinary morning. The people could feel it in the heavy stillness of the air. Voices softened without anyone giving a command, and even the children stood uncharacteristically quiet beside their mothers. This was a day of lineage, a day of naming, and a day when the future was finally meant to reveal itself. At the very center of the gathering stood King Tau. Age had started to bend him slightly, but it had not diminished his presence. His shoulders remained broad beneath the weight of his ceremonial cloth, and his grip was firm around the staff that symbolized his authority. The markings carved into that wood told stories older than memory, speaking of cattle herds led through desperate droughts, of wars survived through unity, and of kings who ruled not by force but by balance. He looked out over his people, and for a fleeting moment, a flash of something like sorrow flickered in his eyes. To his right stood Prince Kagiso. He was tall, still, and completely grounded. Kagiso wore no crown, yet everything about his bearing suggested one. He had learned early in life that leadership was not something you simply wore; it was something you carried. The discipline in his posture, the restraint in his expression, and the quiet alertness of his gaze all spoke of years spent preparing for this exact moment. His heart beat steadily, but his hand betrayed him as it tightened slowly at his side. His knuckles whitened as anticipation curled in his chest. He had imagined this day more times than he could count, standing beside his father and hearing his name spoken not as a son, but as a successor. He did not allow himself to smile because kings did not celebrate before responsibility was officially placed upon them. Behind him stood his younger brother, Neo. Three years separated the two, but the distance between them often felt much greater. Neo had always lived in the shadow cast by Kagiso. It wasn't because Kagiso intended to block the sun, but because the world seemed to bend toward his older brother naturally. Where Kagiso was solid and assured, Neo was quiet and observant, his thoughts always moving faster than his words. Neo watched his brother now, studying the way Kagiso stood and the way the air itself seemed to settle in his presence. There was undeniable admiration there, but it was tangled with something heavier, like uncertainty or perhaps even fear. Neo had never wanted the throne, but he had always wondered what it would actually feel like to be the one chosen. Among the elders stood Chancellor Motsumi with his hands folded neatly within his robes. His expression was solemn to fit the gravity of the moment, but his eyes told a different story. They moved constantly from king to prince and from prince to the people, measuring, calculating, and cataloging everything he saw. He had served the kingdom for decades and knew its weaknesses better than anyone. King Tau finally raised his staff, and the murmurs faded instantly. He spoke to his people in a voice that remained strong despite the years behind it. He told them that for generations they had stood together through drought, through war, and through the slow testing of time. The crowd listened with a deep reverence. He continued by saying that today he spoke not as their king alone, but as a father and a servant to those who came before and those who would follow. Kagiso drew a slow breath while Neo's chest tightened. King Tau lifted his staff even higher and prepared to name the one who would lead after him. The sun crested higher in the sky. Somewhere beyond the kgotla and beyond the reach of tradition, a bowstring was drawn tight. The sound that followed was all wrong. It was sharp, violent, and completely out of place. For a heartbeat, the world did not understand what had happened. Then King Tau staggered. His staff slipped from his grasp and struck the stone with a hollow clang as blood blossomed across his chest, appearing dark and sudden against the ceremonial white of his robes. Kagiso moved before a single thought could form. He caught his father as he fell, finding the weight in his arms to be unreal, too heavy, and far too final. His voice tore free, raw and unrestrained, as he cried out for his father. Chaos erupted instantly. Guards shouted and drew their weapons as the crowd screamed and scattered. Dust filled the air as fear replaced reverence in a heartbeat. Kagiso held his father upright with hands that were slick with blood, his mind refusing to accept the truth pressing into his palms. Neo stood frozen. Something warm touched his cheek, and when he raised a trembling hand, he stared at fingers stained red. This wasn't real because kings did not fall like this. Not here and certainly not now. King Tau's breathing was shallow and uneven. His eyes struggled to focus before finally finding Kagiso's face. He whispered for Kagiso to protect his brother, and then his grip loosened. His eyes went still, and the sun continued to shine down on an unmoving king. For a moment, there was a silence so thick it felt unbearable. Then a voice cut through the air, ordering the guards to seize the traitor. Chancellor Motsumi stepped forward with an arm raised and grief carefully worn across his features. The guards turned, but they did not look toward the rooftops or the shadows. They turned toward Kagiso. Kagiso shouted in confusion as hands seized him from behind. He demanded to know what they were doing and insisted they find the archer. The chancellor replied calmly that the arrow had come from the east wing and specifically from Kagiso's quarters. Those words spread through the crowd like poison. Murmurs rippled as doubt bloomed where loyalty had lived only moments before. Kagiso growled that it was a lie, his fury finally breaking through his shock. Neo stepped forward instinctively to reach for his brother, but a guard blocked his path and told the prince to stand back. Neo stood helpless as Kagiso was dragged away. As their eyes met one last time, Kagiso called out for Neo to remember who he was. Neo did not answer because he could not. Something deep inside him was screaming that the world had just broken.