#kingdom of dahomey

[telogreika]

Dahomey Amazons

Context, because I didn’t know about this historical anecdote until I saw this drawing tbh:

The Dahomey amazons were a women only military regiment of the Kingdom of Dahomey (modern day Benin) and the only exclusively female army in modern history. Their formation was the result of the male Dahomey population being decimated during various wars with bordering nations as well as the slave trade, of which they were both a active participant and a victim at the hand of the neighboring Oyo empire (modern day Benin and western Nigeria). They were disbanded in 1894 after the culmination of the Second Franco-Dahomean War when Domeny was annexed and made a French colonial protectorate. They were called ‘Amazons’ by europeans, but in their indigenous Fon language they called themselves ahosi (king's wives) or Mino (our mothers). Also, according to wikipedia they were armed with a number of Winchester repeating rifles sometime in the latter decades of the 19th century. I have no idea to what degree or how they were employed, but, tactically, that’s very forward thinking for the period! (the wiki, I haven’t read beyond that tbh..)

[jbk405]

undefined

Their size makes them arrogant and slow.  Like their guns.  But you don’t need a gun to use gunpowder, you just need a spark.

Sometimes, a termite can take down an elephant.

[lightdancer1]

Unfortunately the article's claim that slavery was peripheral to African states has the problem that the abolition of the trade brought Dahomey, Benin, and the Sokoto Caliphate to near economic disintegration:

This article in turn is a good case of decolonization historiography as applied to the Kingdom of Dahomey. While I consider the claim that 'slavery was peripheral to the economies of African states' to be special pleading given the abolition of the slave trade brought Dahomey, Benin, and the Sokoto Caliphate to major weakness that made the conquests in the Scramble a matter of marching and the butcher and burn approach, it does make the point that to understand the decisions of African rulers the focus needs to be on African, not European, understandings of what their goals were.

It might be more easily noted that the African states did not see the dangers in mortgaging so much of their liquid wealth in the forms of slavery and doing little to build up anything more diverse.....but that should be equally put into the context that the European states only saw this *after* the era of mercantilism and the start of capitalism made it clear that a mono-focused economy is a glass dome waiting a good hit from a sledgehammer. The conditions furthering this shift did not apply to Dahomey, which made its bones and its money by exploiting the slave trade in its classical system and in the pattern most familiarly known to modern eyes.

Namely its soldiers, including the Ahosi, rampaged in the interior of Africa dragging poor sorry saps who couldn't run away fast enough by those human chains to ports and avoiding anything done to their *own* people with Oyo a particular favorite of their raids. It is a not entirely dissimilar result to Bolivarianism in Venezuela mortgaging the economy solely to oil....and then OPEC pushed oil prices off a roof and took the Venezuelan economy with it.

Judging Dahomey by its own standards likewise means recognizing that an autocratic society has all the usual brittleness of autocratic societies, including the endemic risks of military putsches that tended to be key parts in how Europeans finally brought African states over the brink of collapse. When the slave trade would implode in the 1830s the prosperity of Dahomey started to creak with it. 50 years later when European power returned with a deadly vengeance it was not strong states they faced outside of cases like Ethiopia or Kanem-Bornu where the slave trades in Western and Central and Eastern Africa were at their height, it was brittle ones devastated by the loss of much of their mobile capital and the ability to replenish supplies of gunpowder and firearms.

[nickysfacts]

These warrior women were also the main inspiration behind the Wukanda bodyguards!

🇧🇯⚔️

[onenakedfarmer]

Currently Watching

THE WOMAN KING Gina Prince-Bythewood USA, 2022

[theliterarywolf]

So my mother swung by to tell me that my aunt was asking 'Can we go watch The Woman King' for my birthday (I didn't even infer that I wanted to go watch a movie on my birthday and, if I did, I would try to see if anyone is still playing Nope)

And, upon me saying 'I really have no interest in watching that movie though...', she really went and said 'Ugh, first Black Panther and now this! Why don't you like black movies?'

I'm just sitting there like

[actionflickchick]

The Woman King (2022): Heavy Is the Head (Til It's Decapitated)

Viola Davis stars in THE WOMAN KING. Being a soldier in any army no doubt requires some serious bravery. Surviving to become a middle aged/older soldier means that someone’s not only brave, but skilled and more than a little lucky. In The Woman King, Nanisca (Viola Davis) leads the Agojie, African kingdom Dahomey’s all female branch of their army. She’s survived to middle age in a way few…

[bootyandgeekeries]

[ruleof3bobby]

THE WOMAN KING (2022) Grade: C+

Did not need to be 2 hours. 130-140 minutes would've been a sweet spot. Dragged. Good action scenes that were hurt by the overall pace of the film. Felt like it didn't know whether to tell an epic drama or 300 with women.

[blackexcellence]

#BlackHistory365 Art Round-Up ⬇️

Elsa Soares via @rodrigoincolors

"This is Elsa Soares. She's one of the biggest names in Brazilian music and considered a matriarch of Brazilian black artistry. BBC named her the voice of the millenium and she was one of the most important and loudest voice against racism, LGBTQIA+ and women rights, among other social causes. She's died yesterday at age 91. This is a very simple, but sincere tribute to her. May you rest in power!

Please, listen to her music and search more about this great woman."

2. Portrait of Sarah Forbes Bonetta by Hannah Uzor via @fyblackwomenart

Portrait of   Sarah Forbes Bonetta by  Hannah Uzor

Sarah Forbes Bonetta  was an Egbado princess of the Yoruba people in West Africa who was orphaned during a war with the nearby Kingdom of Dahomey and later became the slave of King Ghezo of Dahomey. In a remarkable twist of events, she was liberated from slavery by Captain Frederick E. Forbes of the British Royal Navy and became a goddaughter to Queen Victoria. She was married to Captain James Pinson Labulo Davies, a wealthy Lagos philanthropist.

3. Marian Anderson by @novva

I’ve always wanted to do a series on black classical singers for BHM, so here’s a sketch I squeezed in this week—a tribute to the great Marian Anderson!

Marian Anderson (February 27, 1897 – April 8, 1993) was an African-American opera singer and contralto. In 1939, after the Daughters of the American Revolution refused to allow Anderson to sing to an integrated audience in Washington, D.C, then First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt and her husband President Franklin D. Roosevelt arranged for Anderson to perform an open-air concert on the Lincoln Memorial steps on Easter Sunday, April 9, 1939. She was able to deliver a critically acclaimed performance before an integrated crowd of more than 75,000 people, and a radio audience in the millions.

Read more about her accomplishments here, and donate to the National Marian Anderson Museum here.

Remember: tag your history & trailblazers art with #BlackExcellence365 for a chance to be featured!

And keep your eyes out for next month's theme... 👀

[longliveblackness]

1937 Portrait of the only surviving female warriors, who had fought against the French in 1895, Abomey, Dahomey Kingdom, Benin Republic.

•••

Retrato de 1937 de las guerreras sobrevivientes que lucharon contra los franceses en 1895. Abomey, Reino Dahomey, República de Benín.

[lightdancer1]

Ending today's set of posts with the Ahosi:

Ending today's set of posts with the Ahosi, or the Dahomey Amazons as they are more famously known. By the usual sleight of hand of popular culture they are mainly famous today as inspirations for the Dora Milaje of the Black Panther series in both comics and in the movies, while the actual organization was a standard elite unit among many in the region noticeable mostly for being officially wives of the King of Dahomey and for their role in the slave trade.

Far from resisting it they were among the key units involved in the butcher and burn approach that brought the enslaved people from the interior to the ports that sold them, as well as fighting battles with mixed success against other African states. Against Oyo they did very well indeed, against the Egba they were slaughtered in carload lots with the rest of the Dahomeyan army. Against the claim that slavery was peripheral is the reality that elite army units were sent to be a part of the trade and in pre-industrial and post-industrial societies alike people do not send elite army units on minor aspects if they don't want to get those units to decide to play kingmaker and unveil 'the secret of empire.' What the elite units are sent to do matters to the temporal power of the state and always will.

They would also see service against the French in the Scramble in the final conquest and fall of the Kingdom of Dahomey.

[stadiumbleachers]

Attitude Adjustment

Izogie x black!fem!reader x Shuri

Summary: while training as an Agojie, you have trouble grasping the concept of obedience, Shuri and Izogie help you adjust your attitude

Content Warnings: mean!Shuri, nice!Izogie, degredation, spanking, fingering, strapslinger!shuri, strapslinger!izogie

Word Count: 2.7k

“Use your core! Your movements are too flimsy!” Izogie’s voice bellowed across the training ground, her annoyance clear as day. She was getting under your skin and you were certainly getting under hers. 

You stepped back from the mannequin and repeated the steps. 

Lunge

Duck

Kick

Strike

The straw filled head of the mannequin cut clean off and landed on the dirt then rolled over to her feet

“Better…” Izogie looked you up and down, pinning you to your spot with her gaze,”But not good enough” 

You sucked your teeth and grumbled, “Nothing is good enough for you”, but she was unphased by your defiance. She crossed her arms over the chest, biceps bulging under her glowing brown skin.

“You’re very mouthy for someone who has a lot to learn”

“Are you gonna teach me or keep talking?” you snapped at her. She clenched her jaw but her expression remained neutral. 

“Drop your weapon and come over here” 

The sword landed with a dull thud but you stayed put

“Come.Here.” she repeated, her voice dangerously low

The corner of your mouth twitched, itching to say something smart, but your feet moved on their own. It was as if your body wanted to obey her - needed it. But you were too stubborn for your own good.

Standing before her, you mirrored her stance with your hands on your hips

“We’ll practice some hand to hand. Keep your feet light and ready to move but keep your strikes strong” 

Izogie bent her knees and you circled each other. She threw the first hit, a fist swiping quickly to your right shoulder which you dodge smoothly. You threw a kick of your own, your foot colliding with her toned thigh, barely budging her. She grabbed your foot before you could pull it back and pulled, throwing off your balance. You landed on your back, red dirt kicking up on the impact. 

“Your strike is strong but it needs to be faster” she held out a hand to help you up and you took it. You sprung to your feet and dusted yourself off

“I’m tired, I need a break”

“It’s barely been an hour. Do you think the mighty Agojie stop fighting simply because they are tired? Do they endanger the kingdom of Dahomey for a few minutes' rest?”

“No, they don’t” you mumbled 

“And what’s the most important rule?” she asked you

“Always listen to Izogie” 

“That’s right, and you will listen to me”

The words jumped out of you before you could stop them,“Make me” 

“Who do you think you’re talking to?” a voice asked behind you and you whipped your head around to discover Princess Shuri of Wakanda in your presence. You bowed in greeting, the scowl quickly wiped from your face

“Princess Shuri, I-I’m sorry you had to hear that , I swear I was-” Shuri held up a hand to silence you and your promptly shut your mouth

The princess ignored you and walked right past you to greet Izogie. White hot embarrassment ran up your back but you kept your eyes glued to your feet and your hands tightly clasped behind your back

“Zo, my friend, it’s been too long” you heard her say

“Far too long, I hear stories of your engineering genius more than I hear from you” Izogie laughed, and you didn’t need to see her to know her brilliant white teeth were on display 

“We’ll have to make more time to visit, won’t we, great warrior” Shuri teased her, then cleared her throat. Your skin pricked as you felt two sets of eyes staring at your back

“So, this is the one you told me about” the dirt shifted under her steps as she made her way over to where you were standing, “She seems to still be keeping you on your toes” 

“Unfortunately yes, I’m one smart word away from throwing her out into the streets” Izogie joined Shuri in appraising you up close, like predators inspecting their prey. 

You felt hot all over, petrified at how turned on you were at being spoken about like you weren’t even there

Shuri stepped in front of you, her hand grazing the hem of your training gear, and you chanced a look into her eyes but quickly averted them when you saw the fire that burned inside them 

“Keep your eyes on the ground”

You felt Izogie press her hand into your back from where she stood behind you, to test your balance, but you tensed your abs and stood firm against the warm pressure of her hand 

“Hmmm” Shuri hummed,”Maybe she needs some reinforcement” 

“What did you have in mind?”

.......... ..........

The inside of the talon fighter was beautifully decked out with the latest wakadan technology, but you could hardly enjoy your surroundings with the sight before you. The warrior and the princess sat in respective chairs, wearing identical stern expressions. Your eyes flicked back and forth between the two, your mind overwhelmed by their beautiful faces. Izogie’s voice interrupted your blatant ogling and brought you down to earth. 

“Do you understand what we ask of you?” 

You nodded

“Ah ah, use your words” Shuri instructed you

“Yes, I do” you answered immediately 

“So”Izogie continued, shifting in her seat to spread her powerful legs, “what do you say?”

“I want it” you said, your voice just above a whisper

“Good”, they said it at the same time and somehow that one word made you weak in the knees as your stood before them awaiting instructions

“I think you owe Izogie an apology, why don’t you get on your knees and show her just how sorry you are” Shuri gestured to the floor and you slowly went down. The carpet of the talon fighter cushioning you as you crawled over to where Izogie sat, looking quite bored.

You leaned in and pecked the inside of one knee, then the other. Gently, you kissed and licked the soft skin of her inner thighs, alternating between them. You paused with your face before her clothed core, and looked up at her as if to ask permission. 

“Go on, we don’t have all day” Izogie regarded you with one thick brow raised

You reached a shaky hand forward and pushed her undergarment to the side. To your absolute delight, you saw her inner labia peeking out and glistening wet. Your mouth watered, desperate for a taste, desperate to prove you were worthy of such an honor.

You closed your eyes and placed a chaste kiss on each lip, as if you weren’t burning with the desire to consume the most intimate parts of the warrior. You nippled at the sensitive skin and her legs quivered on either side of your head. 

Above you, Shuri and Izogie started talking about trade agreements and war strategies, your presence reduced to a mere object for their pleasure. This only spurred you on and you dove in, lapping at her like you were starving. Your tongue worked into her, gathering up the sweet slick of her arousal which you swallowed down greedily. Using your nose to stimulate her sensitive bundle of nerves, you moved your head side to side, your tongue rigid inside her smooth walls. 

You could tell she was close from the way she clenched and relaxed in rhythm around your tongue. The heady taste of her left you brainless, fueled only by the desire to please, and they both knew it. 

“Look at you, so desperate to please, this is who you really are, huh?” Izogie’s voice was raspy as she finally addressed you 

You moaned into her dripping sex and latched your lips around her clit, sucking on it with reckless abandon. Two of your nimble fingers pushed easily into her, and you curled them, twisting this way and that. 

Her abs tensed, her thighs shook and her hips rolled faster, chasing the climax you were determined to give her

“Bring her over the edge, show her what a good little slut you are, yeah?” Shuri instructed you from her seat beside Izogie

The words shot right through you and you felt your own arousal running down your thigh, your hole clenched pathetically around nothing. The pads of your fingers brushed up against the bumpy spot inside her and you pounded them into her, and hit it with every thrust. Your arm ached and your jaw burned, but you couldn’t stop, not when she was so close. 

You bit down gently on her clit then pulled back to blow cold breath onto the abused little bud

“Oh yesss, you dirty fucking whore” Izogie’s voice sounded foreign as she tipped over the edge, climax forcing her body forward. The trimmed curls of her sex tickled your nose and her thighs clamped down on your head, keeping you in place. You hung your tongue out of your mouth and panted, allowing her to use you as she rocked her hips steadily and came down from her high. 

When she was sufficiently recovered, she grabbed your hair in one hand and pulled you away from her. You took your first breaths of air that weren’t overpowered with Izogie’s arousal. You sucked off the remainder of her slick from your fingers, moaning around them while you licked them clean. 

You barely had time to catch your breath before Shuri was summoning you, with the crook of a slim finger. You crawled over to her and sat on your feet, waiting for her instructions

“What do you think Izogie, is she really sorry?”

Izogie put her hand to her chin and pretended to consider it,”Hmmm, not quite but she’s getting there. How about you put her across your lap? Maybe then she’ll be sorry”

The two women laughed together, mocking you. You throbbed between your legs, and a bead of sweat ran down your back, though the room was chilly from the A/C. 

“Strip. Then come lay across my lap”

You quickly disrobed then clumsily climbed across the princess’ lap. Your round ass was turned up to her and your breasts were pressed uncomfortably into the armrest

“How many spanks for this greedy little thing?” Shuri kneaded her hands into your ass, pulling them apart to expose your wet, pulsating cunt.

“Ten will suffice” Izogie’s voice floated to your ears, but you were already high off the thought of what Shuri was going to do to you 

“You must count each one and then thank me for teaching you to be a good girl. Understood?”

Your mind scrambled for the word you were trying to say, “Ungh..Yes”

As soon as the words left your mouth, her hand came down on one cheek. The sting was gone as quickly as it came and garbled out, “One. Thank you” 

The next slap was harder, your ass bounced from the impact. “Two, thank you” She continued to rain down her abuse on your ass, until tears ran down your brown cheeks and dripped onto the once immaculately clean carpet. The tenth slap she spread your cheeks with one hand and brought down the other with punishing strength on your pussy.

The skin reddened and tingled with the current of a thousand nerve endings set on fire.  You wailed loudly, thrashing around on her lap until she grabbed a fistful of your hair and pulled. You stilled in her lap, gasping quietly as the tears continued to fall

“What do you say, slut?” Izogie asked you on Shuri’s behalf

“T-ten, thank you princess” 

“Good girl. Now lie on your back on the floor” 

You stood on shaky legs and lowered yourself to the floor once more, gritting your teeth at the sensation of your sore ass rubbing on the carpet. You watched as Shuri stood up and got something from a drawer. It was a dildo, black with glowing blue throughout. Shuri took out a harness and secured it on herself, then handed an identical strap-on to Izogie who did the same.

“Why is it glowing?” you asked them

“It’s made from vibranium, which means it feeds the sensation of inside you to us, so we can feel it” Shuri explained easily, as if it wasn’t a feat of engineering genius

She knelt before you and Izogie did the same, both sets of eyes assessing you from head to toe. Izogie licked her lips, her eyes trained on your breasts where your nipple were hard from being stimulated on the arm chair

“You’re so beautiful,” she told you reverently, “but so very bad” 

Shuri took hold of your knees and spread them, the chilly air doing nothing to cool the heat from your wet cunt, “Now that she's apologized so well, do you think we should show her what good girls get?” she was talking to Izogie but her eyes were piercing into yours

Izogie grinned “You fill her mouth so she’s nice and quiet and I’ll fill her right here” she trailed a digit from your knee to your pussy and ran it up and down your slit. You hissed, already worked up. 

Shuri moved to kneel behind your head and tapped the strap lightly on your cheeks, rubbing it onto your plump lips. You took it in and sucked sloppily at the head, saliva running from the side of your mouth. Shuri groaned as your warm tongue work languidly to please her

Izogie worked one digit into you, then quickly added another, then another. Your pussy ached delightfully as she stretched you to take her. 

Suddenly Shuri pulled out of your mouth and held your jaw in her skillful hand. Your forced yourself to focus on her words, even though you were being pumped full of fingers

“Repeat after me. I will listen to Izogie” she told you

You could hardly get the words out

“I will listen to Izogie” tears pricked at your eyes as you were overwhelmed by the attention of both women

Izogie leaned down to your ear and whispered “You will be a good little slut for me, won’t you?”

“I’ll be a good little slut for-”

You barely finished the sentence and Izogie stuffed your pussy full of her cock, drawing out mewls from your mouth, but the sounds were quickly silenced by Shuri. 

Your head bobbed up and down in time with each expert stroke of Izogie’s hips. The louder your garbled moans, the harder Izogie fucked into you. You screwed your eyes shut as Shuri forced the strap deeper into your throat. You relaxed it and allowed her to fuck your face. 

Both women’s strokes became faster, more sporadic and you could tell they were close. You clenched you walls around Izogie and reached a hand up to rub at Shuri’s clit below the strap

“Oh fuck yes, gag on it, whore” Shuri’s hips stuttered and your mouth filled with the slick of her climax that being fed into your mouth from the vibranium strap. It choked you.

 She pulled out and allowed you to catch your breath but it was quickly knocked back out of you when Izogie built up a punishing pace. Both of her hands grabbed hold of your breasts, slapping them and pinching and rolling your nipples until you writhed beneath her. With one last tug on your clit and her hip angled up to hit your g-spot, you toppled over the edge. 

White light burst behind your still closed eyelids and you screamed, squirming desperately while Izogie reached her own high. You felt her hips stutter and you grabbed handfuls of her ass and pulled her deeper into you

“Come inside me, please” you begged her

She obliged, your cunt leaking with the combination of both of your juices. 

Eventually, she pulled out and lay on her back alongside Shuri, showing you for the first time that she was pleased with you. Your heart swelled with pride. 

The room was silent, except for the quiet gasps of all three of you catching your breath 

Shuri spoke up from where she lay on the floor, “Just to review, who’s a good girl?”

Your voice sounded positively destroyed as you answered, “Me”

“That’s fucking right” they said it at the same time, and somehow your fucked out hole still quivered miserably. 

“Now let’s get you cleaned up, yeah?” 

You could only nod and allow yourself to be lifted off the ground by the two women who had just wrecked you and fucked out every fibre of defiance from your body

…

[dailyflicks]

We fight, or we die. We fight for Dahomey, for our sisters, for our great king. You will be revered. You will be paid for your work. Your opinions will be heard. No tribe or kingdom in all of Africa shares this privilege. For this honor, we live out our lives in these palace walls. We take no husband. We will bear no children. Mahi women, no harm will come to you for the sins of your men. I offer you and your people a choice. Any woman who does not wish to stay, may leave.

THE WOMAN KING | 2022 dir. Gina Prince-Bythewood

[panafrocore]

The Rise of the Oyo Empire in West Africa

The Oyo Empire stands as a testament to the rich history and culture of West Africa. Spanning across present-day southern Benin and western Nigeria, this powerful empire emerged as the largest Yoruba-speaking state, thanks to the indomitable spirit and strategic prowess of the Yoruba people. At its zenith, the Oyo Empire was a beacon of influence and authority in Western Africa from the mid-17th…

[soulwrit3s]

jealous

[izogie x reader]

summary : you’re the king’s first wife, the one he trusts the most. You’ve loved him for so long but after years of him being with other women and his other wives, you became lonely. The only person that was there for you was Izogie, one of the most skilled warriors in Dahomey. She’s been there for you in more ways than one.

It’s early morning. Too early. But as usual, you’re the first up. You’ve always loved early mornings and you always will.

“There’s so much going on, y/n, I can’t let the Europeans stay.” Ghezo speaks to you as he massages your waist with one hand. You stroke his arm and kiss his temple.

“I trust you’ll make the right decision, my king.” You whisper. It’s what you say every time he’s having trouble making a decision. You run your short nails across his coarse and thick Afro to soothe him. He leans into your touch, his stubble tickling your collarbone.

The two of you always have mornings like these. It feels like the start of your relationship, when you were the only one he had eyes for. When he didn’t seek anyone else. Your king and his queen.

You remember when you were both younger, less aged and more excited. You’d wake up together, rinse your faces and he’d finally get to wear the Royal garb he’s wanted to wear. You have mornings of bliss, with you sitting on his lap on the throne and talking about nonsense.

You were his first wife. The first woman to ever win his heart. You were going to become a part of the agojie but your beauty caught his eye.

“How do you always know what to say?” He asks and all you do is give him a smile before kissing his cheek. All that you know to say, you’ve borrowed from your one true love. Izogie.

You place a hand on his chest, right above his beating heart before kissing his forehead.

….

you walk through a sea of trainees, watching them train with each other, laughing and grinning as they do. They pause to bow for you and you can’t help but smile. Oh, how you wish you had continued being a soldier. The hot sun beats down on your body as you continue to walk.

You run a hand across your forehead, taking in a deep breath as the sun does it’s work on you. A familiar hand squeezes your waist.

“You must not be in the sun like this, my queen.” Izogie’s voice lightly teases behind you. She’s too close for comfort but you can’t blame her. You take a step forward so her hand is no longer on you and stand next to her.

She looks just as beautiful as she did last week when you saw her. Her chest and biceps are glistening with a mix of shea butter and sweat. Her nails still sharp as ever. As she moves you hear the leather and shells clacking against her pretty skin.

“I’m used to the heat.” You say, smiling as a fellow trainee walks past you. No one suspects anything between the two of you. Your friendly nature is reknown throughout the kingdom and no one dares accusing the first wife of the king of doing anything like adultery.

You crave izogie; you need her more than the throne, the king or anything he has to offer. Her eyes trail down to your reddened-lips. You feel stained with the king’s touch and you need her to wash it all off.

“I will see you around, love.” She whispers only so you can hear before turning around and going to correct some trainees.

“You’re moving like a SLOTH!” She yells, looking back at you, smiling before correcting a the frightened trainee.

…

It’s late at night, the only reason why you’ve been able to sneak out is because the king is currently in bed with his third wife. You can’t be noticed because of the simple white robe you have on, your curls are out, untouched and a mess but you don’t care. Completely opposite of your normally kept look. The only way one would be able to tell is if they saw your face up close.

You end up in front of izogie’s hut, the one she’s built herself. You see the light from her lantern illuminating the inside before her hand grabs you to pull you in.

Her lips crash against yours as her nails graze your scalp.

“I missed you.” You admit, kissing her lip and then her neck and her shoulder, feeling the muscle bulge beneath her pretty brown skin.

“You as well, darling. I love your hair.” She whispers lowly, exhausted from all her fighting and hiking for the day. She gently kisses your forehead, like your made of glass.

“Long day?” You ask, laying against her broad chest.

“The longest.” She replies as her nails slowly rake down your back, leaving goosebumps in their wake. She smells like wood and shea butter that she mixes with something you can’t put your nose on.

You notice the little set up she has, a single mat laid out to sleep and a small bowl of stew she had been eating, made by the chef here. You both end up sitting down in front of each other, her face beautifully lit by the lantern as you speak.

“Had I known you were coming, I would prepare another mat and get you more food.” She sighs, feigning irritation as you hold the bowl of half eaten stew. You bring it to your lips and savour the taste.

Yes, the palace offers the tastiest food but nothing beats a well-cooked meal, one that’s made straight from the village. Oh, how you’ve missed it.

“It’s okay, my love, I’m comfortable here,” you grin as she sits up and grabs the bowl from you.

“Let me go get you some more.” She insists and you know better than to try to deny her so she leaves you with a peck on the lips before exiting the hut.

You get comfortable, laying down on the mat and taking in her scent. You don’t even hear her walk back in so her voice startles you.

“Getting comfortable already?” She asks. You turn around only to find that amused grin on her face as she settles a steaming hot bowl of stew in your palms.

“I don’t mean to bother-“ you begin.

“Eat.” She interrupts as she rolls her eyes. She moves toward you and settles right behind you so your back is flush against her front. Despite how many times she fights a day and how aggressive she can be with her trainees, she’s so soft with you. Impossibly soft with you.

Her eyes are practically glued to you and you’ve gotten so used and comfortable with it. But you don’t understand how one can stare at you so lovingly with a mess of curls and stew staining the corner of your mouth.

You finish the stew in no time and she kisses your temple before speaking.

“Maybe he should start taking your favorite meals into account.” She jokes and although you know it’s a joke. You so desperately want to laugh but you can’t. Ghezo doesn’t know anything about you, anymore, not a single thing, not your favorite activities, or your favorite meal.

But izogie does, she knows you like neutral colors, that you love taking naps even though it’s impossible for you to, she knows you love playing music and that you can’t swim for the life of you.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to hurt you by saying that,” she apologizes as she strokes the soft skin of your thigh.

“I know…I just—you’re right.” You agree as you lean back. She crosses her arms around you and kisses your shoulder. She grabs the wooden bowl and sets it aside from your grasp while lowering her hands to your hips.

“I will always be here, however you need me to be, darling.” She promises and with all that sincerity in her voice, you can’t help but feel how deep her words go. She would go to war for you and you know it.

You both breathe in and out, together.

…

You and Izogie spent the night together, she spent more time reassuring you that she would be there for you, in more ways than one and leaving reminders for you to look at throughout the next week.

Her grip on you was desperate, she eventually let go of your throughout the night, allowing you to turn around and face her.

You turn over on the small mat that can barely fit the two of you. The sun isn’t up yet and neither is your lover. You look at Izogie’s face, her face free of wrinkles and body relaxed against your own. Her uniform is on the floor far from you and you admire her while you can.

The relationship isn’t purely physical no but Izogie is attractive and you can’t deny it. She has so many scars from training and fighting but she’s so beautiful. You cup her face in your palms and gently kiss her plump lips.

She scoots closer, still half asleep and mumbling while she wraps an arm around your waist. She rests her face in the crook of your neck as she continues to sleep. She’s full of warmth, so much of it that you want it to envelope you for years to come. Her lashes flutter against your collarbone as she continues to move around.

“Izogie,” you speak her name like a prayer. She hums from deep in her throat and if you weren’t exhausted from last night you swear you’d have another round with her.

“I must go get cleaned up, accompany me, please?” She’s never denied you and she doesn’t see why she’d deny you now. You chuckle as she blinks her eyes open. You use your thumbs to wipe the crust from her eyes as she stretches awakes.

You both get up and she stuffs spare towels in her arms as you wear the white robe you were in previously.

“Why must you move so slow?” She grins already dressed by the time you finish up getting dressed.

…

You’ve never really like the water. And you’re sure you never will but when Izogie is on you the way she is. And her hands are doing their job, the water feels like it barely exists.

“Izogie, what if we get caught?” You ask as her body breaks through the surface of the steaming water. She hums and shrugs without care like she wants to get caught, almost like she wants everyone to know that she’s yours.

“Then so be it.” She murmurs while fiddling with your waist beads that sit beautifully on your waist.

Ghezo crosses your mind. He would be furious if you left him for Izogie. She’s a strong warrior, stronger than he’ll ever be. It would upset your people, everyone around you. It would break your heart to watch all the other wives and your own people turn on you.

But you want her more. You want her more than you know. You want her more than Ghezo, more than your people and more than those wives.

“You think too much.” She points out, gripping your bare hips and pressing gentle kisses to your neck. She tilts your head back while running her hands down your curls. Her nails dig into your scalp, massaging the worries away.

You feel so soothed that your vision begins to blur. She scoops up water in those hands of hers and runs them down your hair.

“I know you‘ll have a choice to make, I know what you’ll pick,”’ She whispers, wet lips trailing down your jaw.

“How are you so sure that you aren’t a choice?” You question, picking up your head to look at her troubled face. She chuckles but not her regular one, there’s so much sadness masked behind it.

“Y/n….He was there before me, you love him, he’s a king while I am just a warrior.” She says blankly. You’ve never seen izogie so unsure before. Insecure, almost.

You cup her face so she’s focused. Her torso melts into your own.

“I love you.” She erupts, her heart beating so fast that her chest moves against your own. Your lips press against each other, forcing a shocked groan out of her.

Her lips linger for a moment, letting your lips graze before you begin to speak.

“I love you too.” Neither of you know how long this is gonna last. It could end tomorrow. In a year. In a month. Either way, you’d pick each other each and every time, now, then, and anyday in between.

[please let me know what you think via comments :)]

playlist: who hurt you by Daniel Ceasar, yebba’s heartbreak by Yebba + drake, say yes by floetry, shame by summer walker, none of your concern by jhene Aiko, promises by jhene Aiko, 20 something by SZA.

@sweetalittleselfish-honey @xenaizogie couldn’t tag anyone else :(