DIAMOND IN THE FOREST (episode 10)

DIAMOND IN THE FOREST
© Amah

Remi walked to the wash room but couldn’t wash the stained wrapper because of the pain in between her laps was excruciating, she wrapped up the bundle up and hide it away, she Will Wake up early in the morning to go wash it, she thought within herself

The guest has all Left to prepare for another party tomorrow, the maidens were sweeping and cleaning the big Oba’s Compound

Remi washed up herself and changed into her night wear, she prepared The princess bath, made her bed and set out her night wear before going out to look for Nike

She saw Ope and beckoned on her to come

“Have you seen Nike…she is not here… where could she be?

“I saw her following the Queen like fly follows corpse, she just want the Queen to make her among her personal maidens, who knows all The lies she’s telling the Queen mother just for her to be recognized, that your sister is too desperate, all she wants is to start robbing shoulders with you, she is a pretender…she is not humble or real like you…

“Is okay Ope…alright, I know you two are always fighting each other and is normal but Nike is still my sister and she can’t be like me, even identical twins don’t have same behaviour…so is very normal for Nike to be a little different from me…I will go and search for her…

As Remi was about leaving she Saw Nike walking down with a full smile on her face, when she got to Remi, she began to talk very loud so that Ope and the other maid can hear her

“Sister mi, the gods has done it for me…

“,Nike, I was searching for you, I need to speak to you urgently… there is something I need to tell you and is…

“Remi wait let me finish with my own announcement, so that my enemies can go and die, well… finally… finally the Queen has agreed for me to be her personal maidens…haaa…it wasn’t easy o.. but The gods has decided to remember me, now I’m one of the Queen personal maiden, may the gods be praise, while some will remain an ordinary palace maiden till they die, my position is higher now, by tomorrow I will resume my new acquired duty…aah…aahh…I can’t wait to tell iyami, iyami will be so proud of me…who the gods has blessed nobody can curse, now I will get to even see the oba and the prince often than before, I told somebody here that she should watch out for me… she will be surprised at what the Future holds for me… the gods has already started working very soon some people will start dying of jealousy…

Ope turned from what she was doing and face Nike in anger

“You are very stupid Nike, so you are indirectly referring to me…I don’t even see anything big in serving the Queen, after all you are still a palace maiden or did your title also change from being a maid, so what’s the fuss about. You that was ready to sell your soul to the devil just to be like Remi, Remi did not need to struggle, talk or cry her way into the office that she presently occupied, the kingdom chose her and she was favored among all but you…your case is just so opposite and you are only doing this because of Remi not me because I have no business with you, you want to be equal with Remi by all means but she will always be ahead of you in everything…

“See this fool, Ope did I mention your name now, please did anybody hear me call Ope’s name…see what jealousy is doing to you, just because of this my new Post you want to kill yourself… please get ready to die because the gods may decide to make me a Queen of this kingdom soon and I will have you serve me, you will be my footstool…

“, May the gods forbids evil, such abomination will never happen so stop day dreaming Nike, the best you can ever be is a palace maiden nothing else, the gods chose wisely, they chose beautiful, humble loving, and Royal maiden of the land, if they ever decided to chose a commoner then it will be somebody like Remi, she poses all that quality, I will love it if the gods chose her because she will rule with all fairness, just like our present Queen… while you…

“Shut up that your filthy mouth, who made you The mouth piece of the gods, just watch and see what the Future holds for me… The gods has already started a good work in me and very soon they will lift me higher than my enemies, I hope you won’t die before then out of jealousy…

“Must two of you fight all the time… and you will likely drag me into your argument,, i’m out of here…I have enough trouble already…

Remi started walking away, Nike left Ope to meet up with Remi

“Sister mi, don’t mind that witch, she is always jealous of me… you said you have something you want to talk to me about…

“Yes..I do but I guess your new acquired office is very important to you than anything else, mine can wait…congratulation anyway…I need to go and lie down, I don’t feel too well…

“Aahh…ahh.. Pele…you can tell me what borders you… I’m The only one you can trust here, don’t ever trust somebody like Ope, do you hear what she said earlier, she said the gods can chose you to be a Queen of this kingdom but the gods can’t chose me because it will be an abomination, how can she say such rubbish, what is the difference between you and I…aah, I swear by the gods I will surprise that girl, I will…

“Nike, please stop, I said I have enough trouble of my own, whatever Ope said was only because you two are always at log head… don’t take her serious, she doesn’t even know what she was saying, ofcurse you can be the next Queen of this kingdom if the gods says so…

“Yes… certainly, I like what you just said…I can be the next Queen of this kingdom, I will rule in power, I Will be greatly feared, I will squash all my enemies and make them lick my feet…so tell me what troubled you Remi…

“Let’s talk tomorrow, I’m tired and I need to attend to the princess before going to bed…Aram kole Dara Dara (I’m not feeling too well)

Remi walked into the princess chamber, leaving Nike outside

Nike wish Remi could just tell her all that troubled her, if Remi who seem to have the gods favour over her could be in trouble that means the gods has turned their back on Remi and chose to favor her instead by making her to be among the Queen’s maiden, Nike thought within herself as she turned and walked away with a smile

she can’t wait for tomorrow to come so that she will finally hear what Remi has to say, she want to know how useful the information she will get from her will be, it may help her in her next plan.

Re
mi could not sleep well that night, when she finally slept she had a terrible dream of her mother and brother again, she woke up amidst sweat and couldn’t sleep back till day break

She wish she can bare her trouble to somebody that is trust worthy and who will understands her without being judged, she thought of her grandmother who always understand, “will she understand if i tell her that I lay with The prince, he disflowered me while in drunkenness, I could have stopped him but I didn’t, I just lay there and whist in pain as he dig into me, now I’m no more one of the proud V-rgins of this great kingdom, every one will mock me and treat me like a criminal they will think I sed-ced a drunk prince and lay with him, they will think I was defied even before coming to the palace to serve, who will believe me, Maybe iya will understand, nobody has to know, it will be a secret I will hold forever…

Remi kept on thinking about the wh0le thing to the following morning.

She got up early in the morning to go and wash the stained wrapper she hide away but it was no more where she kept it, she searched around the wh0le place wondering who could have taken it away, somebody spoke behind her and she startled ad turned to see that it was Leja

“Is it The wrapper you wrapped up into a bundle and hide in between those plants that you are looking for, you told me it was just some ordinary dirty cloths that you wanted to go and wash, despite how I tried to collect it from you, you refused to hand it over, you said it was just wrapper the prince vomited on but I saw a blood stain on it, where did the blood come from Remi…

“How…how do you know I kept it in between this over grown plants, how…

“I’m the Chief guard here have you forgotten, one of the guards on last night duty brought it to me, he told me where he found it and on seeing the bundle

I knew it was from you, I was curious and opened it only to see blood stain on it, so that takes me back to my previous Question, who’s blood is that and how did it got into the prince wrapper which was spread on his bed yesterday morning, answer me Remi…

“The blood is from my injury, I told you I stumbled on a chair and sustained an injury from there… that was why I couldn’t Walk well…

“Can I see the wound, and why do you have to hide it here if it was an so ordinary, and why is there blood on the prince wrapper…I have questions but you haven’t given me a reasonable answer, hope is not what I’m thinking Remi, you can confide in me if there’s a problem, did the prince force himself on you…did he…I know this sounds ridiculous because the prince is not that kind of man but the way he has being looking at you with desires in his eyes was enough to raise such Questions…

“Leja, I don’t know what you are talking about, the blood stain was from the wound I sustained on my th-gh when I stumbled and fell down, and I can’t show you my thighs, the blood got to the prince wrapper when I was trying to clean up the prince vomits, so I bundled up everything to go and Wash but I was too tired and couldn’t wash it that yesterday so I put it here just to avoid this same questions you are asking me now from anybody that may see it in the wash room… and becarefull the way you accuse the prince, that can be very dangerous for you… now that i have answered your question can I know where you kept it..

“Well, I’m not yet convince but I will let the sleeping dog lie, I kept it in the wash room, go there you will see it.

Remi nodded and left, Leja stood looking at her as she walks away, he was having trouble believing her, he felt like something was wrong, he remembered how Remi was shaking yesterday, he has tried to touch her but she stepped away from him, he silently hope is not what he was thinking

Leja breathed deeply before walking away

Remi tried all she could to wash off the stains but she couldn’t, she started regretting of not washing it yesterday, if not for the pain she felt in between her legs that prevented her Leja wouldn’t have seen it or suspected anything.

Remi hanged them like that hoping that when the sun dries it the stain won’t be obvious

On her way back to the chamber she saw Nike, Nike who couldn’t wait for the day to break so that she can hear what Remi got to tell her, greeted Remi warmly before asking her to tell her what troubles her yesterday, Remi told her that it was too early for such talk, Maybe later in the day they will talk about it

After Remi finished up with her morning duty to the princesses she decided to ask her if she can visit her grandmother briefly

“Jowo semole yoju si iya agba (please can I go and see my grandma)

“Hope there’s no problem Remi, why the sudden urge to visit your grandma…

“Nothing, my princess, is being a while i saw her, I just want to check up on her

“You know the party still continues today and even tomorrow, your help is greatly needed here, just wait when the party finally comes to an end, which will be in few days from now then you can go, I will give you a day off to visit your people…

In the early afternoon as Remi, Ope and other maiden prepares for another party day as guest were already filling in the Oba’s large compound

Leja came to inform Remi that the prince sent for her

Remi’s heart skipped as she hærd that, she went to the prince chamber and found him pacing the wh0le place, he had a worried look on

Leja stood behind the close door and place his ear close to the door so that he can hear what is going on between the prince and Remi,

he wanted to eavesdrop on them but Remi sensed it and gave the prince sign not to say anything yet, she quietly walk to the door and forcefully opened it and Leja fell with a heavy thud to the ground.

the prince was shock, Leja quickly stood up in shame

“Leja… what are you doing… wait a second… are you eavesdroping on my conversation…

“Rara o..omooba…(no prince) I was just relaxing on the door waiting for when you will summon me, I’m sorry my prince…imabinu…

The prince ask him to leave immediately and he flew out without looking back, he closed the door and face Remi, who’s heart started beating again.

To be continued… 

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