The Sport of Thrones

“Therefore, class, when the dragon steps forward salute your dragon with the words,

“ryssas keletes”

[in Higher Valyrian: “hello, I need you to halt”].

Then once your dragon has your attention, approach with caution, and mount your dragon. Once mounted, instruct with the word:

“soves”

[“fly”]!

In comes Archmaester Goodwin, “Eh em.”

Annoyed by the interruption, Princess, Chika Aununjumba, with skin the color of brass, hair the color and texture of long reddish – brown wool with a crown of emeralds, and lips, cherry red, replies in a hastily fashion, “Yes, you know that I am in the middle of teaching my royal subjects on how to tame their dragon. How many times …” Chika begins to yell!

“They are not your royal subjects, they are your uncle’s house and the royal fleet as well as the royal infantry, why have you not taken off to Westeros with the rest of the dragon riders? You were to arrive there, the day after morrow, for further training. Why have you not left?” Archmaester Goodwin quickly interrupts.

With fury in her almond eyes, Chika scans the royal court only to find them scoffing at and mocking her, instead of running to her aid. “Well, since I am not fit to lead what is left of this royal court, since the dragon riders have left to the North, I’ll be in my chambers needling with my chop sticks; and, I will not be disturbed,” Princess Chika retorts back to Goodwin walking away in dismay.

While entering her room, she notices her betrothed. With her light-brown skin, hair of long black wool, with doe eyes, and pink lips, Princess Asha Ejiofor, of House Ejiofor, the house with the crown of rose quartz, talking to her squire about their military training in the early hours before day break: “So, Pip, I need the 2-inch Valayrian steel blade dagger, not the Ngyuen [meaning: “musical instrument”], because I need more weight in my thrust. We have to show precision, and if I cannot do it, I will be demoted; also, I need the Valayrian double-edged steel sword, not the Hon Shu - Junzi [meaning: “main island - high-minded, man of virtue”] ... “

Interrupting Asha, Princess Chika slams the door, “Can you believe the disrespect? After everything I have done. All of my sacrifices wasted.”

Princess Asha responds calmly and asks, “No, what disrespect? What sacrifices?”

Chika begins, “If no one stands up for me amongst the rest of the royal fleet nor the infantry, I will see to it that my cousin, Princess Chi, captain of the royal fleet, the royal guards, and of the dragon riders punishes them all severely. “

“Please calm down, take a deep breath, and tell me: What happened?” asks Asha, as she takes a seat at their dinner table.

Chika inhales slowly, “My house as well as your house are military houses, as well as all the houses in the realm; however, my medals are not observed like the others because of my record of truancy. Over the past five years, I have worked extremely hard to come up in ranks and now instruct. Uncle has told me time and time again how proud he is of me. Why is it that I cannot gain the respect of my fellow age mates? And that, Archmaester Goodwin, what a foul beast. He is of no help to me or to anyone but himself. Did you know what he did?”

“No, I do not.” Asha replies.

“Well, he made it worse by interrupting me, then correcting my words…”

“What words? What did you say?” Asha interrupts again.

“I just said that the people that I was put in charge to teach, are my royal subjects and Archmaester Goodwin, yelled at me, telling me, that “they” are not my royal subjects but of my uncle’s house, the royal fleet and of the royal infantry; and then, asks me why I have not left for Westeros with the other dragon riders, seeing how we have to report the day after morrow.”

“And why haven’t you reported?” Asha asks.

Chika pauses and exclaims, “because, I was ordered to teach this class before my departure later today, the sun has yet broken the sky and I am being punished for absolutely nothing. I am no longer a deviant like that of Rhaeneyra of House Targaryen as father put it many years ago!”

Enticed, Asha asks, “So, what happened next? Was there a fight?”

Chika responds, “No, I just walked away from Archmaester Goodwin and told him that I will be in my chambers and will not be disturbed.”

Asha responds, “Very good. Archamaester Goodwin is bored and keeps himself busy with nonsense, the poor soul doesn’t even know when to just sit down. I tell you; he enjoys being busy when he does not have to.”

Chika adds, “And he enjoys gnawing at me for no good reason, too.”

Asha motions for Chika to sit down next to her at the dinner table,” Well you know why Archmaester and the others are not welcoming to us, don’t you?”

Chika answers, “No, why? What did we do to deserve this type of treatment?”

Asha explains, “If only we had a son – you know, a child.”

“A son, what would having a son do?” Chika asks.

“If we had a son, we would earn the respect of all the royal houses of Sothoryos [which is Africa] and beyond the Nile Sea. Our friends in Driftmark, Summer Islands, Naath, New Ghis, Basilisk Isles, Bravos, Mereen, Qarth, Pentos, Patmos, Atlantis, and Pompeii as well as the Inca, Mayan, Aztec, and Hoopoe would all, adore and admire us, more now than ever; and, we’d be the apple of my soon – to – be uncle – in – law’s - your uncle’s - Lord of Milli, First of His Name, King of the Igbos and the Royal Tribes, King Chukwu Eze Paulos Ewuchukwu,” Princess Asha shrieks with excitement.

Princess Chika begins to seemingly grow pensive with even more curiosity. “Then, I must go to the Great Godswood in the North to pray at the Great Weirwood - The Great Heart Tree - hoping that the children of the forest bring us a son.”

“Oh, not again, Chika,” frowning, Asha quickly gets out of her chair standing with her arms folded. “So, you’re still believing in the Old Gods of the Forest, instead of our Valyrian roots? Chika, are there any weirwoods in all of Ethiopia [Which is all of Africa]? Tell me, are you Ethiopian or Westerosi, or how about Essosi?” Asha walks and inches closer, bending down to kiss Chika.

Chika replies with a sly grin, “How about, both.” Chika and Asha embrace, showing affection for one another, kissing, when at once, the bells toll, calling for Chika and any of the other dragon riders to prepare for their journey to the North. Grabbing her things, and embracing her betrothed, one chance more, she whispers, “I must go.”

“I’ll see you when you return in two fortnights for the royal soiree of the millennia. Where all the royal houses of the world meet and gather under the full blood moon.

“And we will have our son,” Chika confirms.

“I have to go, the bells are getting louder, the dragon riders are about to leave, and I have to be there.”

Gently closing the door, as a lady would do, Chika runs through the palace scurrying between house and help towards the road that leads to the Hall of the Dragons, which keeps the dragons of all the dragon riders.

Entering the gate, Chika calls for her dragon, a Byakko [a white tiger dragon from the Byakko Galaxy] named, “Sentoki” [meaning: “fighter aircraft”].

Preparing to take flight, as Chika taught her class, she greets Sentoki and begins to lift off:

“Sentoki ryssas keletes sovestes”

[“Hello Sentoki, fly”].

Being from the Byakko Galaxy, Sentoki flies in synchronicity with the revolutions of their 700 moons circling the Magnum Nova Caeruleum formed in the shape of a princess cut diamond, 950 million miles long and 950 million miles wide, and 999 million miles deep.

In other words, Sentoki spins on his axis with every ascent and descent he takes, above and below sea level.

Unlike the ancient stories of the dragons of the Seven Kingdoms, Sentoki was not hatched. His mother, is a queen Byakko Dragon that upon delivering her offspring, she picks a galaxy and inside that galaxy a planet on which to deliver her offspring.

Luckily for Princess Chika and the rest of the House of Ivy, the Byakko Dragons, repetitively visit Ethiopia on Mount Kilamundjoro to deliver their offspring and dragon riders from all over Ethiopia for what they call, the “Formal Encroachment”.

Once the dragon approaches a dragon rider for the first time, the dragon has officially imprinted on the dragon rider and hence, the dragon is the property of the dragon rider for a lifetime.

The dragon rider will be able to telepathically communicate with the his or her dragon in flight and outside of flying, above and below sea level, through walls, landmarks, and any and all other objects. The dragon rider will even have metaphysical sight of his or her dragon and can visit the dragon through astral abilities and his or her dragon will be able to see him. Sentoki, himself is able to astral in and out of different realms and take his dragon rider, Chika, with him.

After two hours of traveling at the speed of light - not sound – from Western Sothoryos [which is West Africa, specifically, Nigeria] to the North, Chika lands Sentoki at the Great and mystical Godswood of the Grand Sacred Forest of the Great Weirwood, where the land sings of the most emerald of greens, the pines are rich in the purest fragrance of pine, the same as that of the cedar trees and of the wormwood.

The succulent sap of the Great Weirwood smells of the purest lot of cinnamon, parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme.

The grove is so peaceful and serene under the sun that never burns in the North, one can hear the children of the forest conjure amongst themselves in felicity.

The leaves of the trees of the Great Weirwood are made into the finest teas only used during the High Holy Week during the birth of the New Moon and is used only for the healing of highborns that are of the faith.

Looking around to see if anyone is near, Chika swiftly runs to the weirwood as if in desperate need of healing for herself, only to find a toddler of about two years old. A very young old lad – a tyke – with the skin of ivory, a ruddy complexion, the hair of a black direwolf, and the eyes of black onyx and a crown of sapphires in swaddling clothes made of fine silk and wool, the colors of royal blue.

Startled at what she sees, she looks around again as if to find the mother of such a handsome young boy. Seeing no one, Chika says, “The gods have been merciful, I thought I was hearing the children of the forest, not you, sweet child.” And, kneeling down, right next to the child, at the Great Weirwood, Princess Chika says a prayer to the Old Gods of the Forest, saying:

“Old Gods of the Forest, cherish this child.

Spirits of the Godswood, protect him.

Lords of the Forest, strengthen him.

Givers of blessings and luck protectors of ALL beings look with favor on this tyke, I so wish to name, Prince Rhaemound Anunjumba, the Second of His name.

Hold him gently in your limbs.

When he is reborn of the tides and of the Rhea [meaning: “flowing”] Kadesh [meaning: “holy”] bring him into the faith, there to share in your kingdom and with us to bless the Great Godswood forever.

I ask this through the Old Gods of the Great Godswood.

So let it be.”

Afterwards, giggling with joy and with a psalm in her heart, Chika quickly picks up Prince Rhaemound and straps him to her body on her back, tightly as in the Igbo tradition of Old Valyria and Ethiopia [Africa].

And with her command, Chika salutes Sentoki:

“Sentoki keletes”

[“Sentoki halt”]

“Sentoki soves”

[“Sentoki fly”].

With a loud roar, Sentoki lifts off into the air with a spin on his axis and with the lead of his tail.

An hour into the flight, Chika, decides to call Asha, psychically, using Higher Valaryian and mind-power:

Chika: “Nyke visionita en le miraglos ne envisionita nya om.”

[“I peer into the looking-glass and see my love.]

Asha replies: “Nyke visionita nya om en nya miragols”

[“I see my love in my looking-glass.]

Chika reports: “Nyke heve un tikeku.”

[“I have a child.”]

Asha: “Jai?!!!! Jai?!!! Jai?!!!”

[“What?!!! What?!!!” What?!!!]

Chika: “Nykiere ut le Grandiose Deumarbolia, dunde le Grandiose Queirarbolia piele fuerate, en le Nurte, ne abujo - ne – tuma mirad, un pocuto tike, un ninu – tikeku. Visionistas himo? Hes encasedo nu nya rupa. Porsupuestiro quet Archmaester Goodwin si lusta e pune cuidaro kaf or tikeku; ne, Hops ee estaro lusta kaf nyome en le zaldries courtere.”

[“I was at the Great Godswood, where the Great Weirwood stands, in the North, and low - and – behold, a little tyke, a boy - child. Do you see him? He’s swaddled on my back. Ensure that Archmaester Goodwin is ready to place care for our child; and, Hops needs to be ready for me in the Dragons Hall.”]

Asha replies: “Amazondo, yur Vijo Litumuns kaf le Grovius sare laer!!! Egual os, stith si os duro ot kinth. Nyke umpte envisionista kaf nyame.”

[“Amazing, your Old Gods of the Forest are real!!! Even so, this is so hard to believe. I must see so for myself.”]

Chika: “Nimf kumu umf le miraglos tite wont ne envisionista kaf yurme.”

[“Then come through the looking-glass right now and see for yourself.”]

Asha: “Ruyo dung… Rere tempo ne aire mite, tel nyome groo”

[“Very well... Where time and space meet, let me greet.”]

With the twinkling of an eye, Princess Asha was side-by-side with Princess Chika on Sentoki.

Chika: “Wont jai od yuh eve ot aysa kaf yurme? Saw nyke elylah or saw nyke Gullah le puf.”

[“Now what do you have to say for yourself? Was I lying or was I telling the truth?”]

Asha: “Le puf.”

[“The truth.”]

Chika: “Sumetempos nyke kinth tut yu kinth nyome ot estaro un impoverbond, elylah en le cajes. Hya od pocuto kaf nyome? Quos grandarcho sare givigilah en?”

[“Sometimes I think that you think me to be a vagabond, lying in the streets. Why do you think so little of me? Whose castle are you living in?”]

Asha: “Ohe si os tikekukyku. Nos wont heve un dei tikeku. Le ideleos eb om. Nyke ser ot ti tut yever th-lah si naket caro kaf arubano yur lavarii… Sud nyke keaps ne kulpa?

[“He’s so cute. We now have a noble child. The gods be good. I’ll see to it that everything is taken care of upon your arrival… Should I tell uncle and father?”]

Chika: “On, ton yiet. Jut keaps Moona.”

[“No, not yet. Just tell Mum.”]

Asha: “Dung dun. Rere tempo ne aire mite, nyke on relong tegre.”

[“Well done. Where time and space meet, I no longer greet.”]

Chika: “Sentoki seser kepel.”

[“Sentoki, now we ride! “]

Flying faster than the speed of light – not sound – all: Sentoki, Princess Chika, and Prince Rhaemound descend, down toward Delta Fort, arriving back at Palace Bastion.

“Top of the morning to you, Princess Chika,” exclaims Chika’s squire, Hops, [as Chika lands Sentoki]. “Yes, Hops, good morning to you, too. Lunch is upon the hour, is it not?”

“It sure is ma’am. It will be brought to your chamber soon.” As Hops takes Sentoki’s reigns and leads him into his grand chamber, inside Dragons Hall, with her right hand, Chika reaches around her back to pat Prince Rhaemound’s backside, while walking towards the palace gates.

Now, the walls of the Grand Dragons Hall are of stone covered in crude oil; the floors are of red sand. Every vestibule inside the Grand Dragons Hall is a mile long and a mile wide. There are approximately 6,000 dragons in this great hall alone, and every room contains a bed of oil for the dragons to sleep on. This is a technique used by all of the Sothoryian royals to ensure the maximum temperature of heat for their dragons’s flame. Every chamber has a gate to separate each dragon from one another and a sliding door for fresh livestock to be delivered to their rooms at meal time.

With the child still on her back, Princess Chika walks through the palace halls round-about the house and help with every eye amazed and awes in every mouth. The rumor - mill quickly turned, that one could hear every whisper of joy and as equally of hate, fill-up every hall in the castle. Word quickly even visited the King’s Board.

As Chika enters her quarters, she is greeted by Asha, her betrothed, Chika’s mother, the Lord Mother of the House Aununjumba, Archmaester Goodwin and his loyal associate Archmaester Faustino. “Oh, what a wonder, Chika, take the young lad off of your back so we can see him, clearly, “the Lord Mother commands.

“Yes, ma’am.” Chika goes to her canopy bed and sits, while the maesters catch Prince Rhaemound before his head hits the bed, as Chika unravels her wrapper. With a laugh in their bellies and joy in their hearts, Archmaester Goodwin begins to chuckle saying, “What a tyke, you know it’s been so long since we’ve had little one’s stocking the halls of our palace. I believe it’s been since you were born, Chika.”

“Yes, Goodwin, I believe you are right, “ Chika replies feeling remorseful about the horrible things she said to Asha about Archmester Goodwin. As the archmaesters look after the immediate health of Prince Rhaemound, the squires, Hops and Pip, enter Chika’s chamber with an assortment of food for everyone’s mid-day refection.

Upon their departure, Hops and Pips reminds them of the King’s decision to have dinner slightly early in order to discuss the decorum of the palace, saying, “Pardon our interruption once more, Lord Mother, Archmaester Goodwin, Archmaester Faustino, Princess Chika and Princess Asha, Lord King Chukwu Eze Paulos Ewuchukwu, Lord of Milli, King of the Igbos and the Royal Tribes, the First of His Name, Giver of Gifts, Luck, and Protection made a dictum earlier today amongst his board and of the help, stating that he would like for the entire court to attend supper promptly at sunset and not a second more.” “Very well, Hops and Pip, let him know we shall attend,” replies the Lord Mother.

“We shall,” they [Hops and Pip] retort back.

“Well, shall we all sit and eat?” asks Goodwin.

“And, doesn’t the spread look lovely?” asks the Lord Mother.

“Oh yes Lord Mother,” exclaims Chika.

“Shall we pray, who will say the blessing?” Asha asks.

“Bless Us Oh Lord of Lights, The Royal Spirits of Valyria, and the Old Gods of the Forest, for these thy gifts, for which we are about to receive from thy bounty, through The Father, The Mother, The Maiden, The Crone, The Warrior, The Smith, and The Stranger.

So Let It Be.”

As Asha drinks from her chalice, “Oh, I just love it when Chika prays, do you not feel so at ease?”

“Yes, what peace we find in her prayers,” replies Archmaester Goodwin.

“Here here!” exclaims Archmaester Faustino.

“Keh keh keh keh…” Asha coughs. As Asha’s face begins to turn ruby red, with blotches of purple and pink splotches, she clenches her neck, breathing rapidly while falling down onto the cold chamber floor.

Rhaemound begins to cry; and, as he cries, his eyes turn into sapphires and his crown begins to magnify and expand, slowly yielding a crystal blue light illuminating the entire room with sapphires.

Chika quickly stands up, “The gods be good, Asha is choking!”

“Oh, dear gods, eh em eh em …” Archmaester Goodwin clears his throat, rushing towards Asha.

Copyright 2022, Rev. Nnedi Iwuchukwu, BA, M.MSC, LMT, LMI