It was just another flight home after a long weekend of activities for Warrior King, and an equally exhausting trip for Leslie-Anne Johnson, who was a master’s student at the University of the West Indies, Mona, at the time. It was 2014, and she was returning to Jamaica from Trinidad, where she went to attend her sister’s birthday celebration.

Johnson had no idea who Warrior King was, and he only introduced himself using his birth name, Mark Dyer.

The Virtuous Woman singer told THE STAR that he was smitten by Johnson from the moment his eyes met hers.

“I was like, ‘Wah happen to this Rastaman’, because he kept on peeking at me through the seats the whole time,” said Johnson.

As the two disembarked the Caribbean Airlines flight that April 5, Warrior King decided he could not contain his thoughts. The words ‘You are so beautiful’, escaped his lips at the door of the plane.

Both of them were at the front of the line, making the rest of the passengers their audience.

“I could a just melt down, not because I felt charmed by his compliment, but because of the embarrassment. I have never been fond of all that attention or of men who try to make conversation to look me,” Johnson said.

Warrior King remained close by and even assisted with finding her lost bag. “All I could think is, ‘Lawd God, him still here and I caan find mi bag with all my roti and doubles’,” she said.

The porter, who should have been the one to help with her bag, was too busy taking pictures with Warrior King, she said.

Still, she entertained the singer, sharing ideas about astrology and life, until their rides came.

They then parted ways with the intention of meeting at Kingston Dub Club in a couple of days at least that was what Warrior King thought would happen.

“I put her bags in the van that came to pick her up, with hopes of seeing her soon. We never exchanged telephone numbers,” said Warrior King. “I scoped out the entire Dub Club and awaited the arrival of Leslie-Anne. I could not tell mi bredren seh is a girl make mi reach up deh.”

But she did not show.

“I did tell him seh if I finish my work I would meet up at Dub Club, even though I never plan to go link up no man that was talking me down on a plane,” said Johnson.

Apparently Warrior King did intrigue the Trinidadian empress, as a few months later, he received a Facebook message from her which read: ‘Greetings Mr Dyer, this is the girl you met on the plane and was hoping to speak more about astrology with you’.

“I was actually on my knees praying before touching the stage at a show in Miami. Mi seh, ‘Jah, if you give me the woman I desire, I promise to be a very good person’, and is the first I ever see a prayer answer so quick,” Warrior King told THE STAR.

On his return home, the reggae artiste stopped in a duty-free airport jewellery store to purchase a ring, although the plan was just to have a lunch date.

“When we meet at this uptown pizza place, all I could think a one high-maintenance girl dah one yah, plus she eat nuff,” he said.

He proposed to her on that second time seeing her, and she accepted.

The two eventually got married on January 1, 2017.

“She lifted me up,” said Warrior King.

Like the lyrics of Virtuous Woman, ‘No real man can live without a woman. Like night to day, is a woman to her man. She’s essential to his purpose and his mission’, the now Mrs Dyer took on the role to manage Warrior King’s career and accompanies him on the road. The two now have a 10-month old boy (Warrior King’s fourth child) with plans for more.