After talking, the Queen took her stick and we walked out of the river, and it wasn’t dark anymore when we got out. When we were close to the gate, the villagers were following me. I didn’t think they could see the queen, but they could see the black serpent, and this drew their attention. They wanted to see what was going on. We arrived and the queen got inside my body, and I felt dizzy for a while. I could hear her speak, but I couldn’t talk because she owned my body now.

“Nomvelo come out!” the Queen said. “You thought I was bluffing when I told you I would be avenged? I’m back, and I’ll kill you for drowning me.”

“Hey you girlie, who do you think you are to disturb the peace of this palace?” asked Queen Nomvelo in fury.

Instead of answering, though, I pushed her. The guards tried to hold me back, but a strange force pulled them away from me. The villagers were watching, and some of them were gasping and holding their mouths. They could not believe their eyes. Some were secretly excited, since they didn’t like the current queen.

“Nomvelo, tell Solomon what you did to me, tell everyone the truth!” the Queen shouted through me.

Queen Nomvelo was in pain, because she had hit her head on the wall, the serpent was crushing her until she screamed.

“No don’t kill me, I’ll confess,” Queen Nomvelo cried out in anguish. “I was the one that killed Queen Zandile because I was jealous of her beauty and how everyone loved her. I drowned her in the river when she was pregnant, I’m sorry.”

“So you did this because of your evil heart, shame on you Nomvelo, you shall be buried alive!” ruled King Solomon

“I’m sorry my husband, please forgive me,” said Queen Nomvelo, begging at the king’s feet.

“It’s too late, you devil!” I said.

The king instructed the guards to bury her in the forest. We were told that the serpent was Queen Zandile’s daughter. The villagers were to know where their queen was so they could visit her anytime. I, on the other hand, as the queen’s blessing of appreciation, lived at the palace with my family. We were free from poverty, and we lived like royalty itself. The princess visited more often now.

This is the story of a common village girl who was blessed by her long gone Queen. I’m blessed to be a member of this village and to work closely with Queen Nomvelo in her palace. At least people know who killed her, and by God’s grace, her beautiful soul was blessed.

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