Queen of queens episode 1 – 2

Queen of queens

Episode 1

The forest was thick with the cries of ravens; the lush vegetation bore witness to the lovers that perched on the African Oil bean tree that grew her empire of leaves in the middle of the forest.

His voice was low and comforting as he tried to comfort her. His words were soothing, it was balm to her wounds and she wished she could be with him forever, she wished she could be with this man that she loved.
‘Mma, I have told you to stop crying, everything is for a moment, soon, I would have enough cowries to come for your hand in marriage and I will take you out of that prison’ he comforted her.
‘Ono, I too, I pray for the gods to favour you, I pray for the day they will bless your palms with cowries, I want to be yours forever’ tears rolled down her supple cheeks.

Mmaffiong was the love of Onoitem’s life, her mother died while giving birth to her and she had grown up with her grandmother who had later died leaving her to the claws of her wicked stepmother and half-siblings.
Her father showed no concern for her as he believed her mother had cheated on him with another man and that was why the village deity, Ekpo Nka owo, had decided to kill her during childbirth.
“I wonder why you did not die along with her, you cursed child” those were the words he used on her whenever she made a mistake but he was careful not to use such words on her half-sister and brother, Eka and Ekpo.
The only thing that brought her joy; the only reason she lived and had hope was Ono, the love of her life. He was the kindest man she had ever known; his k-sses were sweet and so where the touch of his hands anytime he car-ssed her neck.

‘She used the wh¡p on me today again, she treats me like a slave in my own father’s house, I haven’t had anything to eat all day; I get so fed up with life and I contemplate suicide sometimes, but then again I think about you, my star, the man that I love and I find consolation’ she looked up into his face and smiled. It was the smile of a woman in love.

‘I know, I feel all your pains and I knew she would starve you again and that is why I brought this’ he lifted his raffia bag and fetched two calabashes and a guord from it.
He loved Mmaffiong with the wh0le of his heart; she reminded him of his late mother; the way her hands soothed him when he was worried, the way her words found their paths to his comfort when he was anxious, everything about her filled the void the death of his mother had created.

And that wasn’t everything that had attracted him to Mma, she was very beautiful; the smoothness of her dark skin was exceptional; it was fine and s₱0tless, perhaps that was the reason her step mother was quick to use the wh¡p on her hoping to scar her beautiful complexion.

Her face was round and well shaped like the crescent of the moon; her eyes were little white pebbles that had a relaxing softness in them; her nose was round and smallish and her l-ips were soft, red and plum and when she smiled, a set of clean white teeth and her dimples could melt a man’s heart.
Mma was not tall, she was short but very round at the bosom and her legs were well shaped like the tubers of the new yam.

Tears of happiness and satisfaction welled up in her eyes as she stared at the calabashes before her; why did he have to be so kind?
‘Ono, my love, you brought me food’? She had lost count of the many times he fed her when her stepmother failed to.
‘I am a farmer, though I cannot gather cowries to marry you, you would never go hungry’ Ono car-ssed her cheeks and fetched a wrapper from the same raffia bag and spread it on the forest floor.
‘Eat Mma, eat my love. All your suffering shall end one day’ he placed a soft k-ss on her l-ips and opened the calabashes.

‘This is lovely, my favourite’ a smile creased her fine l-ips as she stared at the fresh and greenish face of the Afang soup and cassava Fufu.
‘Here, wash your hands, you must hurry before night falls on us’ he reached out for her hands and poured some water from the gourd on them.

‘Thank you’ she smiled and begun to eat.
The palace of Obong Ayang was crowded with the inhabitants of Ajop Kingdom; the people had gotten wind of the fact that Edidem Okopisong, a wealthier and much bigger regal was paying homage to their king and so they had come to prepare the palace for the visit.

The youths were to build a new throne house where the two Kings would stay and engage in conversations bothering their lands; they were to fetch mud from the river and raffia from the palm trees.
‘As for the women, the Nka Iban, your duty is to fill all the water pots in this palace and you will come every morning to sweep till Edidem Okopisong and his family return to their land, is that clear’? Obong Ayang’s wife instructed the women carefully.
“Long live your highness” they all bowed their heads and dispersed to carry out their various duties.

‘My priceless jewel, my Ndoko, I love the way you spoke to the women, you’re such a powerful and confident woman’ the King praised his wife as she returned to the throne house.
The Palace of Obong Ayang, King of Ajop, was a large expanse of land that covered almost half of the Kingdom. There was a throne house which stood separately from the rest of the palaces; it was here the King met his chiefs, his subjects or guests from other lands. A number of seven well-built guards always stood in front of the throne house with machetes, ready to block intruders.

The rest of the palace stood behind the throne house which included the King’s chambers, the Queen’s Chambers and twenty other rooms as well as the rooms where the servants stayed.
‘Thank you my husband, you know how important this is to our family and to this land. We both know how powerful Edidem Okopisong has grown within the years; the Kingdom of Obodom fares better than ours and it is a wise thing to have an everlasting alliance with them’ the Queen replied.

‘You are indeed a wise woman, I am blessed to be your husband, why do you think I insisted that his son, Prince Iboro be betrothed to our daughter, Obot, from childhood’? The King laughed.
‘I knew a time would come when Obodom would be more powerful than us, I tapped into that opportunity’ he said.
‘You are right my King. It is only this marriage that would stop Edidem Okopisong from turning against us like he crushed other kingdoms, I can’t wait to see my daughters get married’ the Queen rose from her throne made of primarily feathers and begun to wiggle her wa-ist.

The Princess, Obot was their only child and heiress to the throne of Ajop; Obong Ayang loved his wife very much and refused to get married to another woman even when his family and chiefs mounted so much pressure on him.
‘Where is your daughter by the way? I hope she is preparing herself to meet her husband’ the king winked.
‘What preparation does she need again? Princess Obot has been going to Obodom for visits, I think those two lovebirds just want to be married so they can make love to each other’ the Queen laughed.

Episode 2

‘True, that would be the subject of discussion once Edidem Okopisong comes here’ the King replied.
‘Saika’! The Queen called to one of her slaves.

‘Yes my Queen’ the girl rushed and bowed before her owners.
‘Fetch me the Princess, I need to speak to her urgently’ the Queen instructed.
‘I am sorry my Queen, but the Princess left the Palace in the company of her maids and her best friend, Afiama’ the slave replied.
‘Why didn’t she go with one of the guards? Why does she have to be this reckless’? The Queen complained.
‘Relax wife, she wants to see her father’s Kingdom, she is very free to do that’ The King grabbed his wife’s hand and car-ssed it.

Obot was the most beautiful maiden in the land and no woman could rival her beauty; she was tall with slender legs; her eyes were green and clear like the color of the stream when untouched; a reason many thought she was a living goddess.

Her nose was sharp and straight, it travelled down to a pair of delicious pink l-ips. Her br-asts were not too big neither were they too small, they fit her body perfectly.
Her belly was flat like that of a starving lizard and her h¡ps were slim but that didn’t make her less womanly; her hair flowed to the middle of her back and when she was not tying it in regal fashion, she would leave the strands of black to cascade down and she would pivot her mane with her crown.
‘Your skin is so beautiful my princess, what do you apply’? Her best friend, daughter of one of her father’s chiefs, Afiama asked.

Afiama was as tall as the princess, but she wasn’t much of a beauty; men only desired her for her large and supple br-asts which threatened to fall out of her upper wrapper piece that was meant for the br-asts.
‘Uri and Mmayang, Shea butter and Kernel oil’ the princess smiled at her friend.
‘Your skin glows like the stars of the night and your green eyes twinkle so beautifully’ Afiama praised her friend.
The Princess’ milky white skin was unbeatable, and she laced it with glorious praise.

‘I am tired of walking round the land and answering greetings, we should go to a place I have not gone before’ Princess Obot turned to her friend for approval.
‘Would you like to go to the shrine’? Afiama suggested.
‘No. I pray to the gods’ everyday in my chambers, what if we go to the forest? I hear it is really beautiful’ a smile warmed her beautiful face.
‘Go back to the palace’ she quickly turned to her maids.
They were hesitant at first but knowing how hot the Princess’ fury was when she was angry, they had no option than to obey.

‘So tell me friend, how do you feel about seeing the love of your life again’? Afiama engaged her in a conversation.
‘Prince Iboro, I cannot wait to set eyes on him; he is the right man for me, I tell you; my parents did the right thing by betrothing us when we were children’ Obot replied.

‘Good for you. You’re very lucky; do you know other princesses from other Kingdoms desire him as well? He is very special and you must cling to him tightly’ Afiama advised.
‘You don’t say, I can’t believe my Prince is being desired, may the gods protect him from husband thieves’ she raised her hands to the sky.
‘May it be so’ Afiama replied.
They continued to talk about her last visit to the Prince’s Kingdom and how nicely his mother treated her; she bragged to her friend about the many gifts the Prince had showered upon her.
‘He gave me hundred wrappers and twenty colorful wa-ist beads; Iboro is such a generous man’ she smiled as she thought about him.

‘I am truly happy for you, friend’ Afiama folded her arms and stared at the princess in awe.
Suddenly, a loud scre-m filled the air and she realized the scre-m came from the princess.
‘Obot, what is it’? She hovered over her friend, who had fallen to the ground.
Blood dripped from her ankle as she realized an arrow had pierced her skin.
‘We are in trouble Afiama, we have to get out of this forest now’ she wailed but it was too late as five men jumped out from the bushes and surrounded the two maidens.

‘What do you want with us? Are you aware that this is the Princess’? Afiama fired at the men whose faces were painted with charcoal.
‘Take off your clothes, both of you’ their leader, whose face was clad by leaves said.
Her face was radiant with satisfaction as she swallowed the last morsel of cassava Fufu; with Ono around, she would never go hungry, he had promised her that.
‘Sometimes, I wish I could just run away from home’ Mma wiped her hands on the dry grass after washing them.
‘We could run away my love, we could run away together’ Ono placed his hands on her round face; he cupped it in his hands.

‘Yes, maybe then we would find peace’ she licked her l-ips nervously as she stared into his dark eyes.
There was no man aside Ono for her, he was charming, he was caring, everything she ever wanted in a man.
He fought with the urge to plant a k-ss on those beautiful l-ips; he was torn with desire, but desire conquered at last as he shifted closer to her on the wrapper.

‘Ono…’ her breath was hot against his’ as her eyes travelled from his bushy dark brows, to the apex of his nose and the valley of his sensuous mouth.
‘I love you Mma, I cannot do without you’ his voice was husky with emotion before he covered her l-ips with his’.
A soft mo-n escaped her as he explored her mouth with his tongue; her l-ips were burning; a sweet s-nsation filled her lower belly, she felt the rise of her n-pples and tingling of her skin.
He loved the taste of her mouth; it was warm and sweet; he yearned to take her clothes right there and make love to her, he wanted to show her how much he loved her.
But he wouldn’t. Ono was a man of dignity and respect for the gods and tradition, so he wasn’t going to defile her.
It took him great restraint and courage to tear himself away from the passionate k-ss.
‘I cannot wait for the night you shall sleep in my arms’ he car-ssed her hair and pulled away from her.

‘Me too’ she smiled shyly and avoided his eyes.
‘What’s that’? She noticed the fire of confusion in his dark eyes.
‘I sense we are not alone in this forest, did you hear that’? He quickly jumped to his feet and fetched his machete.
‘No…I don’t hear anything’ Mma joined him.
‘Stay here, if I don’t return, hurry back home, I don’t want anything dangerous to happen, okay’? He car-ssed her face.

‘But I want to come along, it is lonely here’ she started after him.
‘Mma, wait there’ his voice was stern and commanding, she had never seen him that way and so she decided to obey.
He clutched tightly to the handle of the machete as he combed through the thick vegetation of the forest; trees sprouted up at the oddest places; vines curled themselves like lovers would; the canopy of trees blocked full sunlight from entering the forest but he was still able to see through.
…To be continued