BOUND BEFORE BIRTH

The first time Eliza saw herself in a dream, she was being pulled in two different directions between two kingdoms she did not understand. One force called her forward, the other dragged her back. Her small body struggled in the unseen battle, her voice lost in something greater than she could comprehend.

By morning, she could not forget it.

She woke up unsettled, her chest heavy with questions she could not explain.

That same morning, her mother entered the room holding a small wooden box.

“Eliza,” she said softly, sitting beside her, “it is time.”

Inside the box was a necklace old, simple, but strangely powerful.

“This belonged to your grandmother,” her mother continued. “She left it for you. It will help preserve your destiny... and protect you from nightmares.”

Eliza hesitated before touching it.

The moment her fingers touched the necklace, a strange warmth spread through her skin.

Like recognition.

Like memory.

But she did not understand why.

Later that day, her mother sat with her outside the hut as the wind moved gently through the trees.

“Eliza,” she began carefully, “you will love him.”

Eliza looked up immediately.

“Chwezi is a very handsome young man,” her mother continued. “He will be king in place of his father.”

She paused, studying her daughter’s face.

“And you... you are going to be queen, my daughter. The gods chose you.”

Eliza felt her heart tighten.

Her mother’s voice softened, almost like she was remembering something far away.

“Can you imagine? After so many generations... since your great-great-grandmother was chosen to be queen... the cycle has come again.”

A small smile appeared on her face.

“If it was not for the cultural wars that happened in the past years where we lost everything, we would be very rich by now. But we thank our gods who have not forgotten us. We have been given an opportunity to rise again.”

She leaned closer.

“Come on, my dear. Make sure you look even more beautiful. They are coming in two days for their first visit.”

Eliza said nothing.

But something inside her tightened.

Not excitement.

Not joy.

Something heavier.

Something she could not name.

That evening, she knelt beside her mother in the forest, tying bundles of firewood under the fading sun.

The wind moved gently through the trees, but her heart felt restless.

“Mummy...” she whispered, “why do I feel like my life is already decided?”

Her mother paused for a long moment.

Then quietly replied, “Some lives are not chosen, my daughter. They are bound”

But her eyes avoided Eliza’s.

And that silence said more than words ever could.

The necklace around Eliza’s neck suddenly felt heavier.

Colder.

Alive.

As though it was listening.

Far away, in a city filled with light, wealth, and endless movement, a young man suddenly woke from an evening nap.

His breathing was uneven.

For a few seconds, he remained seated on the edge of the bed, staring quietly at the fading sunlight beyond the curtains.

He had seen her again.

The same girl.

The same chain.

The same feeling that always lingered long after the visions ended.

Slowly, he stood and ran his fingers through his hair before leaving his room.

Downstairs, the atmosphere was calmer.

His mother sat at the long dining table surrounded by company files, receipts, and balance books from the family businesses. A reading lamp beside her cast a soft golden light across the papers as she adjusted her glasses and continued writing figures carefully into a ledger.

She looked up the moment she heard his footsteps.

“You are awake,” she said gently.

But one look at his face told her something was wrong.

He stopped beside the table, still unsettled.

“Mum...” he said quietly, “the vision came again.”

Her hands slowly paused above the documents.

“The same girl I have seen since I was young.”

His mother studied him carefully without interrupting.

For years she had listened to these strange stories dreams that came too often to be ignored, visions that always carried the same unknown girl.

“She looks like she comes from a simple home,” he continued slowly, as though trying to understand the images himself. “But there is something strange about her. It feels like she is bound... like something is holding her back.”

He lowered his

“And yet... I feel like I already know her.”

Then softly, almost to himself, he added,

“She looks so beautiful.”

There was something different in his voice tonight.

Something deeper.

Not curiosity.

Attachment.

“Do you think...” he asked quietly, “that I will ever meet her?”

For a moment, his mother did not answer.

“Some people enter our lives by choice,” she said softly. “Others arrive because heaven already decided they would.”

The young man fell silent again.

outside, the evening wind moved gently through the city trees as distant thunder rolled across the sky.

His mother continued watching him carefully before finally speaking again.

“Are you prepared for your trip to Asia?” she asked softly.

He blinked slightly, almost as though he had forgotten.

“The mission team called earlier,” she continued while arranging the company documents into neat piles. “All the ministers’ tickets have already been booked, and the teams are fully prepared.”

A faint smile crossed her face.

“You know how important this gathering is. The entire ministry has been waiting for it.”

The young man nodded slowly.

“Partly, Mum,” he replied quietly. “I still need to do the final touches.”

But even as he answered, his thoughts were elsewhere.

Back to the girl.

Back to the chain.

Back to the strange sadness in her eyes.

For years, he had prayed for understanding.

But tonight felt different.

Tonight, the vision had felt closer.

More real.

Almost as though somewhere beyond the distance...

she was finally waking up too.

“Dress the tables properly,” Eliza’s mother instructed as she moved quickly around the house. “And check on Eliza has she been prepared well? The visitors will be here any moment from now.”

The entire home buzzed with nervous excitement.

Traditional mats had been arranged neatly across the sitting room, food was carefully being placed onto serving trays, and the rich aroma of roasted meat and spices filled the air indoors.

“Mummy,” Eliza’s little brother suddenly asked excitedly, “will Prince Chwezi come as well?”

His mother laughed softly as she adjusted one of the decorated cloths on the table.

“Oh yes,” she replied warmly. “Today you will finally have the opportunity to see the great prince for yourself.”

The boy’s eyes widened immediately.

“But remember,” she quickly added, lowering her voice slightly, “you must not say it outside to the neighbors yet. This is still an in-house function, my boy.”

“Okay, Mum!” he answered quickly, barely containing his excitement. “I am very excited to meet him.”

Inside the house, tension slowly began building as everyone waited.

Then suddenly

“They have arrived!” one of the relatives whispered urgently from near the doorway. “The cars have finally arrived!”

Immediately, movement filled the room.

Some women rushed to adjust the serving trays while others straightened their clothes nervously.

Eliza’s heart began pounding heavily inside her chest.

A strange fear suddenly fell upon her.

For a moment, she struggled to steady her breathing.

This was the moment she had heard about her entire life.

The future king.

The man destiny had supposedly chosen for her before she was even born.

Her trembling fingers moved slowly toward the necklace around her neck.

She did not know what expression to wear.

But somehow, she forced herself to gather confidence.

Because according to her parents

this was her fate.

And she had never truly been given a choice.

“An applause for the bride as she comes to greet the visitors!”

Immediately, the entire house rose to its feet.

Traditional African ululations filled the room, rising joyfully toward the ceiling as excitement swept through the gathering. Smiles spread everywhere while relatives clapped proudly in celebration.

Then slowly

Eliza entered the room.

The whispers began almost immediately among the visitors.

“Wow...”

“She is so beautiful.”

“She will make a wonderful queen.”

Even some of the elderly women exchanged approving nods as Eliza walked carefully into the center of the room, dressed elegantly in traditional royal fabric that flowed gently around her.

Prince Chwezi himself could no longer remain seated.

The moment he saw her, something overwhelmed him deeply.

For years, he had heard stories about the chosen bride foretold for him by the elders and spiritual leaders.

But this...

This exceeded every expectation.

He stood slowly, unable to hide the admiration in his eyes.

“Our gods truly chose well,” one elder whispered proudly beside him.

But while joy filled the entire room

Eliza felt none of it.

Inside her heart, there was only fear.

Heavy.

Silent.

Unsettling.

As she forced herself to smile at the guests, an old memory suddenly crossed her mind.

Her grandmother’s voice.

“Peace is the first sign of anything that truly belongs to you.”

The words echoed inside her spirit.

And yet standing there before Prince Chwezi

she felt no peace at all.

Only pressure.

Only expectation.

Only the unbearable feeling that her life was moving in a direction her soul did not fully accept.

Still, for the sake of her family, she wore the most beautiful smile she could manage.

Because everyone around her looked so happy.

So proud.

So certain.

And truthfully

Prince Chwezi was handsome beyond denial, dressed richly in royal garments that carried the honor of his kingdom.

Any girl would have admired him instantly.

But Eliza felt as though love was something she would have to force herself to learn.

“Yes,” one of the elders finally announced after a long moment of discussion. “Our gods have confirmed what was spoken of two generations ago.”

The room immediately fell silent.

“The marriage must take place before our festivals next year on the weekend after the first moon of the year, without fail. That is the window the ancestors have given us.”

A murmur spread across the gathering.

“Therefore,” the elder continued firmly, “with immediate effect, the girl will join the other chosen ladies for royal training. They will depart for the city tomorrow morning. She must prepare herself before midday. The vehicle will come for her.”

The moment the announcement ended, the room erupted into celebration.

Joyful ululations filled the house once again as relatives clapped excitedly. Some women rushed forward to embrace Eliza’s mother while others praised the gods loudly for remembering their family again after so many difficult years.

Even more gifts from Prince Chwezi’s family were brought into the roombeautiful fabrics,royal jewelry,baskets of food,and expensive offerings wrapped carefully in decorated cloth.

“It is truly an honor!”

“The Nyero family has risen again!”

“The ancestors have remembered this house!”

Excitement spread everywhere.

But deep inside Eliza

nothing felt real.

She watched everything quietly as though she was standing outside her own life.

The laughter.

The celebrations.

The praises.

The future everyone else seemed so certain about.

She could already see herself marrying the prince.

Not because she wanted to.

But because she had no choice.

After all

it was a clan decision.

And she was only a girl.

What choice had she truly been given?

Her mother’s words echoed softly in her mind once more:

“You will learn to love him.”

Eliza lowered her eyes silently as the visitors finally prepared to leave.

Hours later, after the celebrations had quieted and the house became calmer again, her mother carefully helped remove the heavy makeup and royal bridal adornments from her face.

But Eliza remained unusually quiet.

Cold.

Distant.

Almost absent.

“Mum...” she finally asked softly, staring at her reflection, “what do I need to pack for the seminar?”

Her mother paused briefly before answering.

But before she could speak

the silver necklace around Eliza’s neck suddenly tightened slightly on its own.

And for the first time that night

fear truly entered her heart.