Queen of Queens episode 21 – 22

Queen of Queens

Episode 21

Though they had fought earlier, he missed her so much and couldn’t wait to see her again.

He loved the feel of her smaller hands in his’, it was a perfect fit; this was the perfect moment he had experienced and he could do anything to hold her hands for the rest of his life.

‘Were you close with your sister’? The Prince asked.

‘Not quite, we just became close recently’ she replied, leaving out the part where she had been accused of theft.

‘Really? What changed’? He wanted to know everything, nothing was to be left out.

‘Well…I don’t really know but she had been really sad when her mother sent me away. She packed all her baskets and chose to go with me, she told me about the hut my father built and we moved in together’ she replied.

‘Tell me about your stepmother and why she is so mean to you’? He had briefly wondered if her stepmother had sent the assassins after Mma but had killed Eka instead, but it didn’t make sense.

That was not how they operated; they dealt only with the members of the higher echelon of the society.

They killed and maimed for kings and chiefs.

‘Very mean…’ Mma paused and looked into his face; she now understood why he was asking her all those questions; he suspected Nkoyo.

‘I don’t think she hates me that much; she would never plot to kill me or her own daughter for that matter. She just wanted me out of the way so her son and daughter could have all of father’s properties’ Mma replied in a sad voice.

He felt really bad as she spoke, her beautiful eyes showed signs of pain and neglect; why would someone want to harm such a beautiful soul?

‘I know, I guess my suspicions are wrong; I must send word to my brother, he needs to know about this’ The Prince called Emana to his side.

‘Go to the Palace and meet with Ekpo, tell him what we have discovered though it is just a hunch; the Nkuku Cult group may be in Ajop; tell him to be very careful. He must not trust anyone and he must not tell anyone not even the king about our findings till we are absolutely sure with what we are dealing with.

‘It shall be done, My prince’ Emana bowed his head and took a different route towards the palace.

The Prince walked hand in hand with Mma as they stepped out of the forest into the mainland.

‘Which way do we go’? The Prince asked.

‘This way’ she pointed a finger at the path which led to her father’s hut.

‘Wait’ the prince dragged her backward.

‘What’? She gazed into his dark eyes.

‘You have to be strong, we don’t know what happened to your sister so we have to assume the worst; if she is dead, you must accept it and don’t put the blame on yourself. I am here with you. Everything would be alright’ he looked straight into her eyes, he felt the sea of brown calling him, drawing him closer.

‘Thank you’ she replied in a shaky voice. No man had such great influence over her like this; no man save for Ono.

She felt safe and secure as she looked into his eyes. She felt assured by his kind words; there was a strong pull, a magnetic one that drew her into the angelic darkness of his eyes.

‘Mmaffiong’ he spoke her name in a whisper, so she couldn’t have heard him.

His heart soared as he found her looking into another man’s eyes just like the way she had always looked at him.

Tears welled up in his eyes as he stared at Mma and the strange man; his father had been right, another man had won her heart.

He had been on his way to the Forest when he had s₱0tted Mma in the company of the strange man; now, he felt too weak to go there; too weak to draw near.

A tear slipped from his eyes as he hid himself at the bark of the huge Oil bean tree that placed itself at the entrance of the large forest.

‘You are so beautiful’ The Prince adored her with his words.

She was lost momentarily but not completely; she remembered Ono, the man that loved her with his wh0le being; the man that could sacrifice his life for her.

‘We must continue’ she pulled her hands away from his and quickened her steps feeling more confused by what she had felt while staring at the Prince.

What was happening to her? Her sister was either dead or missing and there she was getting sed-ced by a prince who cared less for people like her.

She knew the criteria that Princes used to take their lovers; they were always from a noble home and had been trained since birth for a nobleman. She reminded herself that she was the perfect fit for Ono as they were not of noble birth.

He stepped out of his hiding place once they had both left.

‘My father was right, she has fallen in love with a wealthy man’ Ono muttered to himself.

A jealous rage filled him as he stared at their backs; what had Mma seen in him that she will stare into his eyes with so much longing? So much desire?

‘Cowries, she is no different than her mother. Wh-re’ he spat angrily and decided to ask the princess for help.

Jealousy started a fire in his heart; a fire so strong that it turned to hate; hate quickly burnt the love he had once felt for her. Jealousy and hate burnt everything and all that was left of his love for her was ashes.

The prince and Mma arrived her father’s compound moments later.

‘You need to be strong’ he grabbed her hand.

Tears welled up in Mma’s eyes as she heard Nkoyo’s loud wailing and crying. She desperately prayed and hoped that her thoughts were wrong; she loved her sister very much and wouldn’t forgive herself should any harm befall her.

‘Abasi o! gods of Ajop land, how have I offended you’? She wailed and rolled on the floor.

‘I am sorry I accused Mma wrongly, she did not deserve it’ Nkoyo cried.

‘Were you accused’? Prince Udo looked into her face.

‘Yes’ a tear slipped from her eyes as the memories of that horrible day glared into her face.

‘Of theft but the gods vindicated me and promised to send their wrath to my accusers’ she added.

‘No’ she pressed a shaky hand upon her chest.

‘What is it’? The Prince asked.

‘What if…what if all these is happening because I was wrongfully accused by them’? Mma asked.

‘Only the gods know the answer to that, be strong, my beautiful one’ Prince Udo held her firmly as they walked deeper into the compound till they were faced with the corpse of Eka.

‘Mma, you’re here’ Nkoyo dried her face and jumped to her feet.

‘I am sorry for what happened’ Mma cried.

‘No, don’t be. I should be telling you that I am sorry. Please beg the gods to spare I and Ekpo; truly we are paying for our sins’ Nkoyo knelt at her feet.

Anger welled up in Ekpo as he stared at Mmaffiong; he still held a grudge against her as she was the reason he killed his own sister; if she had been in the hut at the time his men appeared; then maybe Eka’s life would’ve been spared.

‘What do you want here’? He scowled at her.

‘Who is he’? The Prince whispered in her ear.

‘My brother’ she replied.

But he wasn’t curious about the blood relationsh¡p she shared with him; he felt the red bead in his left palm; the young man before him was wearing the exact same bead, but this time not on his hand. It was placed on a necklace, round his neck.

What if he was their leader?

‘Don’t speak to her that way, come let us beg’ Nkoyo beckoned to him.

‘It is not her fault that Eka was attacked by a wild animal, come on…’ She kept calling to him.

‘A wild animal’? Mma was stunned by this version. She was very sure that Eka was attacked by a human being owing to the quantity of blood that she had lost.

‘Yes’ Ekpo cut in, he noted the suspicion that was written all over her face. He had another reason to end her life.

‘Come, we must leave’ the prince took her hands.

‘But’ she was about to argue.

‘I am your Prince’ he replied and she had no other option but to obey him.

Together, the both strolled to where they usually met in the palace; their special love grove was underneath the oil been tree that provided shade.

‘You never said anything about the gifts I bought you’ Prince Iboro said to his betrothed.

‘I…I liked them’ she looked away, she couldn’t stare into his dark eyes anymore, there was nothing left there for her; her heart yearned for another man; it craved for another man that wasn’t Iboro.

‘You look so beautiful my love, tell me all that has happened while you left Obodom; it has been a long time since we last saw each other’ he drew closer to her on the bench they sat on.

‘I have been fine, thanks to the gods’ she replied.

‘Tell me more’ he wasn’t satisfied with her answer.

She paused and licked her l-ips feeling nervous as she looked into his eager eyes; she wasn’t feeling the attraction and the love she once felt for the prince. He was a different person to her and she was a stranger.

‘There is nothing to tell…’ she blinked and evaded his gaze another time.

Iboro felt something was missing, this beautiful woman that sat before him was entirely different from the cheerful and happy princess he knew; that he had fallen in love with.

Her eyes were distant from his; they did not meet with his’; they spoke a different language; of disinterest and unhappiness.

Episode 22

Her eyes were distant from his; they did not meet with his’; they spoke a different language; of disinterest and unhappiness.

‘Why are you sad my princess? Tell me, who has offended you’? He showed concern.

‘No one’ tears welled up in her eyes but she fought with them. Her heart ached because she was in love with another man, one she could never keep to herself. She even felt more hurt as she remembered what Afiama had told her about the prince.

All her life, she had adored him; she had found happiness in his embrace only to find out that he wasn’t different from the other princes of the Annang Lands. He was just as promiscuous as the lot of them.

She had thought she was special; she thought she was the only one in his world not until she discovered he was sleeping with his servants.

‘But you aren’t happy my love, talk to me’ he cupped her face gently in his hands.

He wanted to k-ss her pain away; he wanted her to be happy again; he wanted her to pour out her heart to him.

Their eyes were glued to each other; he felt the intense passion as he stared into her lovely orbs; he was drawn to her perfectly shaped l-ips and felt a strong urge to k-ss her.

‘I love you…’ he leaned forward so he could a k-ss on her face but she pulled her hands away from his grip and rose to her feet.

‘I am sorry…I cannot do this’ she hurried away from the prince, leaving him pondering on what he had done wrong.

‘My princess’! He rose to his feet towards her when a familiar voice called his name, she felt the urgency in the manner he was being called.

‘Emana, what are you doing here? Is my brother alright’? The prince swirled round and faced the warrior.

‘My Prince, your brother is alright. He sent me to you’ Emana bowed his head.

‘Go on’ Iboro urged him.

‘The Nkuku cult group members are here and we think they were behind the princess’ attack; he warns you to be careful and alert till we find out who had hired the cultists to attack the princess’ Emana relayed the message.

Iboro didn’t like the sound of this message; though he was a trained warrior and he feared nothing; the mention of the Nkuku secret cult brought a feeling of despair over him.

He and Udo had encountered the cult group on a mission which their father sent them; they were dreadful and ruthless. They maimed their victims and slew them without mercy. They raped women and children without pity. They were a budding evil and had to be wiped out.

‘Tell my brother to meet me in the palace soon. I have my own part to play, I shall question the princess and Afiama about their attackers; we need a vivid description of the men they had seen…’ the Prince paused as Emana was about to say something.

‘Your brother, the prince, also asked me to tell you, that you shouldn’t discuss this with anyone, not even the princess. He wants this to be a top secret between us as we don’t know who is our friend and who is our enemy’ Eman quickly ch¡pped in.

‘Go on then, tell him I shall keep it a secret. I trust his judgment’ The Prince dismissed Emana as he caught sight of the Princess strolling towards her chambers with a strange looking man.

‘May you live long’ Emana bowed and hurried away from the palace.

He felt a jealous rage pour over him? He was surprised to see her smiling with the stranger. Wasn’t this the same woman that had acted up for him? That was suspicious indeed.

‘My Prince’ a female voice drawled his name.

‘Afia…’ he forced a smile and stared into her face, his eyes traveled down to her huge br-asts.

‘Why have you been avoiding me’? Afia blinked sed-ctively.

‘Meet me in my tent tonight…’ lust cradled his loins. He was going to taste of her, just this one time. This was the distraction he needed to get over the princess’ strange behavior towards him.

‘You came’ her face lit up as she led Ono towards her chambers. She felt joy the moment she set eyes on him; his presence brought her sense of fulfillment that she had never felt even with the prince.

‘Yes…Princess’ Ono bowed his head.

He had come to seek her help to enable him to pay the healer; he was determined not to ask Mma for the cowries he gave to her, she could keep it. He was no longer interested in being with someone that was unfaithful to him. How blind he had been to her behavior earlier.

‘Princess, please you must help me…’ Ono fell to his knees, he needed the cowries urgently.

‘Rise…no, don’t ever kneel before me’ she raised him up, now, they were in front of her chambers.

Didn’t he know how special he was to her?

‘Tell me…what shall I do for you’? She could see he was greatly troubled and she would do anything to help him.

‘My younger brother, Onoifiok is ill, the healer demands a bag of two hundred cowries for treatment else she would pull out from his case; I don’t have that kind of money, but if you give it to me, I’ll be willing to work for you as repayment’ he said to her.

‘Is that all’? Tears brightened her eyes as she stared into his face.

He looked so hopeless and pained, he seemed greatly troubled. That was when she remembered what Afiama had told her, Mma was dead, maybe this was part of the reason he looked so sad.

‘Yes, please help me, I have no one else to turn to’ he begged.

‘Don’t beg me; you saved my life Ono; now I must save your brother’s’ she reached out and car-ssed his face.

The feel of her warm hands calmed his fears; it drove away all his worries. He found peace as he stared into her eyes, but he quickly pulled away. No one could touch him this way, only Mma was meant for him.

Why would the princess make such a gesture towards him? He quickly moved backwards as he realized the emotion that clouded her emerald eyes.

‘Ono…’ she called his name gently and moved closer, this was the time to tell him what she felt.

‘My Princess’ his eyes ran suspiciously all over her.

‘I will give you the cowries but you must give me something in return’ she paused.

‘What shall it be’? Ono wondered and hoped it wasn’t what he was thinking.

‘Meet me by the edge of the forest at midnight, I shall bring the cowries to you there; I will tell you what I need’ she replied. She could sense the reluctance in him and she didn’t want to drive him away.

‘Why can’t you tell me now’? Ono wondered.

‘Let it be at midnight, will you come’? She asked.

‘Yes’ he nodded. He was ready to do anything to save Ono.

‘You may leave now, wait until midnight’ she dismissed him.

‘Thank you princess’ he bowed his head and hurried back home.

He almost bumped into the Prince on his way out of the palace; Prince Iboro was accompanied by six fierce looking warriors but he wasn’t intimidated by them.

‘Stop’ the princess called to him in a stern voice.

‘May you live long’ Ono hurried back towards Prince Iboro and his warriors. He didn’t need a soothsayer to tell him that was the prince; he had a strong semblance to his younger brother, Udo, the one that had stolen Mma’s heart.

‘What business do you have with the Princess’? Jealousy ripped the Prince’s heart apart.

Ono was baffled by this question; he raised his head up and looked directly into the angry black eyes. What was the prince implying?

‘I saved her life your highness, I came to seek help from her, my brother is dying’ Ono decided to tell him the truth.

All at once, his anger and envy fled, Iboro suddenly felt stupid as he stared at the innocent young man.

‘You may be on your way now’ he dismissed him.

Ono continued walking without a word to the prince or looking back as he felt insulted by Iboro’s question.

‘Why didn’t you show me to the man that saved your life’? Prince Iboro asked.

The Princess had observed him questioning Ono and she was a bit bothered, so she had stuck around, watching both men. The prince could never know about her attraction to the man that saved her life.

‘He is a very humble man, he didn’t even want to be rewarded at first, till his lover was accused wrongly and he came seeking for my help’ she replied.

‘A man of repute he is, I must go rest in my chambers, we will talk later’ he moved towards her and planted a swift k-ss on her temple before walking away.

His k-ss meant nothing to her; it was cold and lacked passion; all she yearned for was Ono.

‘So, have you finally confessed your feelings to Ono’? Afiama asked as she crept behind the princess.

‘By the gods! You startled me’Obot swirled round quickly.

‘I am sorry’ Afiama laughed.

‘Well, I have not told him about my feelings yet’ the princess replied.

‘Why? Why can’t you tell him that you love him? That you need him more than you need the Prince’? Afiama asked with a worried look on her face. If the princess failed to confess her feelings then her plans wouldn’t work.

‘Isn’t it too soon’? Obot was nervous.

‘No. It is not, you must confess your feelings’ Afiama replied.

‘Well, I would be meeting him at midnight at the edge of the forest; I need to give him some cowries to treat his brother. I plan to sed-ce him’ the Princess whispered.

‘That is a good idea, now we’re talking’ Afiama curled her arms around her friend.

‘Now that Mma is dead, he is all yours’ Afia reassured her.

To be continued….