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by Marvel H. Makhubele (Author)
In a faraway continent of Ashari in the Baloki Kingdom, where Queen Motapo is performing her rainmaking ceremony, two mysterious figures plot to manipulate her into surrendering her matrilineal kingdom to King Shaza. King Shaza is a southerner with ambitions to unite the eight kingdoms of the continent of Ashari under his rule. Those who resist his proposition face dire consequences, as seen in the tragic murder of the heir prince of Soru, Prince Thubo. His untimely death leaves his pregnant widow, Princess Palesa, in a vulnerable position. Meanwhile, his father, King Shadu, is left confused and uncertain about who the next heir should be.
Prince Moroka of the Baloki Kingdom embarks on a journey to Soru Kingdom to attend the funeral of the fallen prince and offer support to their close allies, and brother in-law King Shadu. However, a failed assassination attempt on the king takes place during the funeral, forcing the king's council to advice the king to temporarily appoint his second-born son, Prince Tlou as the heir until Princess Palesa gives birth to a son. Although the king reluctantly agrees, his true desire is for his third born son to inherit the throne, as he believes his second-born is unfit to rule. He also fears that if his daughter-in-law assumes power, her father, King Gauta of the Batana Kingdom, may seize the throne for himself. His desire to have his third-born son as his heir was only disclosed to his close friend and brother-in-law, Prince Moroka, the renowned mage of the Baloki Kingdom.
King Shadu's hesitance precipitates division within his kingdom, pitting those advocating for Princess Palesa's regency against supporters of Prince Tlou, his second-born and a respected army commander. The ensuing civil strife, propels the kingdom into the brink of war, with Princess Palesa allied with the Rain Queen and Prince Tlou bolstered by the ambitions of King Shaza. Whoever will emerge victorious in this war that has divided the kingdoms will alter the fate of the continent.
