Queen of Queens episode 27 – 28

Queen of queens

Episode 27

She could sense his eyes over her; her skin tingled just like the way Ono made her feel. Slowly, her eyes traveled up to meet his. They stared at each other for some moments and then looked away briefly; each to their own thought.

‘Shh, quiet now’ the prince placed a hand against her mouth.

‘You are not coming with us, can you stay here? I don’t want anything to happen to you’ the prince whispered to her as they arrived the edge of the forest.

‘No…I must come along, you cannot leave me here’ Mma protested.

‘She may come, my prince, I promise to watch her’Emana knew she wouldn’t change her mind.

‘Fine’ the prince replied and marched forward.

‘My prince! Look’ one of his men ran towards the corpse on the ground.

‘A dead man’ the warrior pointed at Ono’s body.

‘Watch the bushes carefully, they are around’ Prince Udo hurried towards the body on the ground, Mma followed him closely.

The moonlight was really bright and so she could make out the face; it was really familiar.

She held her breath and hoped it wasn’t what she was thinking.

‘My prince…’ she started in a small voice as she recognized his loincloth.

‘Yes’? He sensed the fear in her voice.

‘Ono…Onoitem’ she stuttered and pointed at the body.

The prince ignored her cries and focused on the man; he had lost a lot of blood as his attackers had pierced him.

‘He is still alive, if we can get him to safety, he can be revived’ the prince rose to his feet, having finished with his assessment and pulled out the machete that was stuck in his flesh.

Ono gro-ned in a weak voice; he was no longer conscious of his environment, he was gradually slipping away from reality.

‘Do you know this man’? He found her crying and sobbing against the body.

‘Yes, my love’ she buried her head on his chest and cried, she could still feel his heart beating.

‘Emana’! The prince scre-med, he couldn’t watch the man die.

‘Take this man back to our tent and treat him, make sure nothing bad happens to him’ the prince ordered.

Emana was about to argue but he decided the Prince knew what was best for him.

‘You must go along with him’ the prince turned to Mma as he sensed danger.

She was hesitant, she had not known the prince for a long time but she didn’t want any bad thing to happen to him.

‘What about you’? She asked.

He stared into her eyes briefly and was happy that she was concerned for him.

‘I have fought more dangerous battles, I promise you I shall be back’ he reached out for her hand and squeezed it.

She suddenly had the urge to show him her gratitude; he had helped her solve the mystery surrounding Eka’s death and he had saved Ono’s life.

She moved closer to him and threw her arms all over him in a warm embrace.

‘Mmaffiong…’ he called her name, he had not expected this.

‘Be careful’ she pulled away from him and hurried behind Emana.

Now she was gone, he could focus; he wondered where his elder brother was; what if the prince was in danger?

‘My prince, there is no one here, maybe we should go back to the camp’ one of his men suggested after moments of waiting.

‘Patience, that bleeding man we found here did not get stabbed on his own, patience is a virtue’ the prince replied.

Unknown to the Prince, the Nkuku cultists were high up on the oil bean tree and had been watching everyone from there.

Ekpo scanned the men beneath him and decided they could win the battle since they were not greatly outnumbered.

It was going to be a battle of five against eight.

‘I sense we are being watched’ Udo released his machete from its sheath and stared around but there was nothing except the moonlight and plants.

Suddenly, there was a loud cry from above and before they knew what was happening; the Nkuku cultists threw themselves now and begun to attack Udo’s men without warning.

‘Fight to the dead’! The prince scre-med and launched himself at one of the cultists.

Tears streamed down her eyes as she peeped from the window and found the silhouette of the man she thought she knew leaving the palace.

Afiama had betrayed her; Afiama had set a trap for her but she wasn’t going to fall into it, instead, she would ruin Afiama and everything she held dear, starting from her father.

The Princess wiped her face and rose to her feet. She knew it was late but she had to tell her father, the king what she had heard.

Surely, he would believe her; he wouldn’t turn her away as she had never lied to him before.

The palace was quiet at midnight with guards standing at every door; the servants were deeply asleep; nothing was in motion, nothing except for her.

The chambers where her father slept was always guarded heavily with ten men who took shifts daily to protect the king.

‘What are you doing up so late princess’? One of the guards asked. They were all startled to see here there.

‘I must speak to my father’ she moved towards the door, even though he was sleeping, she didn’t care. All she yearned for was to see Afiama burn for her sins; all she wanted was to get the burden off her chest.

She pushed the door open and stepped in,side.

‘Father’? Her heart stopped as she found him in bed with another woman aside her mother.

‘Obot? What are you doing here’? The King struggled for his robe.

Tears stung her eyes as she stared into the eyes of the person she had trusted with her wh0le life.

‘So you’re sleeping with my father too’? Tears ran down her cheeks as she stared at Afiama who fell on her knees.

‘What is she talking about’? The king faced Afiama who was confused and lost between the two.

‘I…I can explain’ she stuttered.

‘I want her dead’ Obot said through clenched teeth.

Her eyes met her fathers, anger and disappointment brew in hers.

‘Else I tell mother what I saw tonight’ Obot spat on the ground and rushed towards her chambers.

She was deeply hurt as she had not realized that Afiama was a slut; she had trusted her with her own life; how naïve she had been to think that true friendsh¡p existed.

‘So you also slept with my daughter’s husband to be’? The King scoffed and called to his warriors.

‘Please…he forced himself on me’ Afiama cried as she realized her game was up.

‘Take her away and lock her up’ the king ordered in a gruff voice.

‘No’ she stammered as the guards dragged her away.

Her father had encouraged her to sed-ce the king as that was the only way to get the prince finally.

If she was able to sleep with the King, it would make him weak and effortless when she finally got the prince for herself.

What better night to sed-ce him that now?

She had planned to sleep with the king and meet up with the Prince at the edge of the forest but things had turned sour.

Everything she had carefully strategized for years had been blown away like plants without firm roots.

Tears rolled down her cheeks as she imagined what fate would befall her now that princess had discovered the truth.

Fear gripped her as she remembered the princess’ shocked expression.

How had the princess known about her affair with the prince?

If the Princess had not gone to the edge of the forest to meet Ono, then all her plans would surely backfire on her.

‘Abasi! Show me mercy’ she wailed as the men dumped her in,side a dark dungeon.

Machetes clashed, blood was spilled as the men battled under the full glare of the moon.

Ekpo’s men had fallen and so had the Prince’s men but no party was ready to surrender.

‘We need to run master, we are outnumbered’ one of two men left shouted to Ekpo.

‘Abasi Akan! May the gods forbid’ Ekpo grunted like a wounded animal. Even if they fled, the prince had seen his face and would come looking for him. He was determined to fight with all of his strength. He was determined to fight to death.

‘You seem tired my prince, let us turn back’ one of his men who were close whispered.

‘No, we have come face to face with the men that attacked our land, we cannot give up now’ the prince replied.

Though he felt weak; though he felt exhausted from the fight, he was willing to lay his life for this cause. He remembered the promise he had made to his father to protect his elder brother, this was part of it.

Episode 28

Though he felt weak; though he felt exhausted from the fight, he was willing to lay his life for this cause. He remembered the promise he had made to his father to protect his elder brother, this was part of it.

The prince scre-med in a loud voice, he was enraged and fueled by bloodlust as he launched forward towards Ekpo. He was so swift like a torch of lightning that Ekpo could not resist the edge of the machete that cut into his stomach and had all his intestines pouring out like a fountain.

‘No…’ he gro-ned and fell on his knees.

‘Master’! His two surviving men scre-med.

‘Run! Keep our fire burning…’Ekpo’s eyes grew pale as he stared at the man that had taken his life, a mischievous smile curled his l-ips as death overtook him.

‘Run? Kill them all’ the prince said to his men, who all rushed to have their share in the flesh of the remaining cultists.

‘May the gods be praised for this great victory’ the prince fell on his knees.

He had not expected the battle to be that tough but he had been surprised; the Nkuku cultists were well trained and had fought very hærd.

A bright smile appeared on his face as he thought of Mma, he had kept to the promise he’d made her. He was still alive.

However, the smile slowly faded from his face as he felt a sharp pain pierce his neck.

It was sharp and agonizing; his brain swirled, trying to absorb what had just taken place.

‘The Prince has been wounded’! One of the warriors noticed the arrow that had descended from the Oil bean tree and had found its way into the prince’s neck.

‘You can kill me now you are done with my brothers’ a remaining cultist jumped down from the tree and surrendered his weapons. The Prince’s men did not hesitate, he was beheaded immediately.

‘Mmaffiong…’ he gro-ned, the pain was too much for him to bear.

‘He is dying, we must take him to Emana before he loses much blood’ the men gathered themselves round the prince.

Prince Iboro had arrived the edge of the forest with his machete clearly stuck out; he had heard sounds of gro-ning and scre-ming and had increased his pace.

He wondered if Afiama would show up like she had told him. Maybe she had been right after all about the warriors who would meet up at the edge of the forest.

‘What is happening here’? He moved towards the men once he recognized their loin cloth.

‘The Prince…’ one of them tried to explain as Iboro pushed them away.

‘No…Udo…’ he felt weak as he stared at his wounded brother.

‘Mmaffiong’ Udo gro-ned. He knew he wouldn’t survive it, but he still yearned to see her beautiful face for the last time.

‘Udo…I must take you back to camp’ tears filled Iboro’s eyes as he stared at his brother who was losing life gradually.

‘No, no…’ the pain grew worse, there was no more time for him.

The gods were calling him to the other side of the river, and he had no other option but to reply.

‘Tell…Mma..ffiong’ he struggled to breathe.

‘I love her’ as the last words fled from his pale l-ips, darkness veiled his face and he died.

 

The bleeding had now slowed down but his temperature was high; fear gripped her as she stared at his weak face; he was dying, slowly and there was nothing she could do except to pray to the gods.

Tears poured down her cheeks as she remembered all the good times they shared when he was healthy and still in love with her.

‘It’s of no use crying, he seems like a strong man; if he makes it through morning, then he will live’ Emana dragged himself from the tent where Ono was being treated outside, once his job was finished.

‘Thank you very much for your help, for treating him’ Mma followed him outside.

‘I did as the prince commanded’ Emana replied. Now he was done treating Ono, he quickly fetched his axe and decided he would find the prince and protect him from the Nkuku cultists.

‘Did you hear that’? Mma called Emana to the loud footsteps that approached the camp.

‘Go in,side and hide’ Emana swallowed deeply, afraid of what was ahead.

He clutched tightly to his axe and advanced towards the entrance of the camp that was blocked with heavy and long bamboo sticks.

He could hear the sound of crying and sobbing; his heart raced; what had gone wrong?

His hands trembled as he realized Prince Iboro was carrying another person in his hands; the person seemed unconscious.

What was happening?

‘Get the boat, we are sailing home’ the prince commanded in a sad voice.

Emana’s eyes strayed to the limp body of Prince Udo; he felt like scre-ming; he felt like clawing out the hearts of the men that did this thing.

‘As you wish my lord’ Emana took some men with him and hurried to the place where they had hidden their boats.

Mmaffiong had been peeping through the tent where she hid; she rushed out scre-ming as she realized the prince was dead.

‘Calm yourself, he has been avenged’ Iboro said to her.

‘How could he die like that? He promised…’ the rise of fresh tears clogged her throat. She was hurt, she was deeply broken.

‘You must be Mmaffiong’ Iboro stared at her with tears in his eyes; he felt weak as he gazed at Udo’s young face; how was he going to explain this thing to his father?

‘Yes’ she nodded.

‘His last words were to you, he loved you’ the prince relayed his message and resumed walking as Emana returned with the other men.

‘He loved me’? Her l-ips shook as she cried.

‘He loved me’! Her knees gave way and she fell on the floor weeping. Her tears were mixed with the sand of the earth as they were mixed with fear and despair.

What if the same fate awaited Ono? What if he never opened his eyes when morning came? How would she survive without him?

If the gods could not spare a good man such as the prince, whom would they spare then?

Her shoulders shook as she cried; Ono was her soul; though he had hurt her she had forgiven him; she didn’t want him to die, no, she wanted him here with her.

Slowly, the moon traveled back to the clouds after watching all that had happened that night; slowly, she blinked her eyes and went back into the sky and assigned another for a duty.

Dawn crept in after.

 

The c*ck crowed three times as he awoke from his bed shivering from the nightmare he had.

‘Afiama’? He climbed out of his bamboo bed and trotted towards the hut where his daughter stayed, but there was nobody.

‘Daughter, where are you’? He folded his arms across his chest and stared at the bright clouds, morning had come.

She was supposed to return after she was done with the king like they had planned.

He had asked her to sleep with the king to provide them with leverage, something to back them up when they finally conquered the prince.

What if she had been discovered? What if the King had turned her down in anger and had decided to throw her into the dungeon?

Surely, no man could turn his daughter away, though she wasn’t much of a beauty; men loved her huge br-asts and she was perfect in the art of sed-ction.

He checked the kitchen hut and the bathroom, but she was no were to be found.

‘Chief Nkwo’ a sweet voice called to him, he quickly turned around and was amazed to see the princess.

‘Princess? What are you doing out here so early’? He was surprised to see her.

‘I came here to see you’ Obot smiled at the man.

‘Welcome, but this is not really a good time, I am looking for your friend, Afiama’ he replied.

The princess rarely visited him, and whenever she did, she was always in the company of his daughter or her maidens; he found her lone visit rather strange.

‘Friend? Or enemy’? The princess scoffed and walked closer towards the man.

She was no fool, Afiama wasn’t working alone and she wasn’t working without purpose.

She knew her betrayer was working with someone more intelligent and one with a higher purpose.

To be continued….