Queen of Queens episode 9 – 10

Queen of Queens

Episode 9

‘But sleeping with her friend is not acceptable, you promised you would end things with Afiama’ Udo felt disappointed as he realized his brother was still having an affair with the Princess’ best friend.

‘I will end things with her after I get married to Obot, I promise. It’s not like I have feelings for her, I just enjoy sleeping with her’ Iboro confessed as Afiama was good in bed.

She knew how to give and receive pleasure; his attraction towards her was purely lustful and he wished his younger brother would understand this.
‘Still, that is not excuse enough. I think you should end the affair before you both are discovered; something about Afiama tells me she is not as harmless as she looks. If she truly cared about the princess, why didn’t she tell you about the attack in the forest? Word spread that she was also there when those men attacked’ Udo returned.
‘No, she couldn’t be. Why would she keep something like that from me’? Iboro pushed the thoughts away from his mind.
‘End things with Afiama before it becomes too late’.
Tears streamed down her face as Ono carried her in his arms back to his house; people came out from their huts to see where the noise was coming from as he kept shouting: ‘She is innocent, she had been vindicated’.
‘Ono…’ she called him weakly.
‘Yes’? He paused and stared into her face.
‘Take me home’ Mma jumped down from his hands.

‘Home? No! you can never go back there, those people framed you up, do you know what they will be planning next’? Ono was startled by her suggestion.
‘Have you asked yourself why the gods did not require their blood for accusing me wrongly’? Mma asked.
‘No, but that doesn’t mean you should be foolish, you cannot go back there’ Ono gripped her hands and drew her closer to him.
‘I know you are worried about me, but if the gods chose to spare their lives, it means the gods would protect me from them. I cannot follow you home’ she dragged her hands gently from his’.
‘Why’? He felt sad she would object to his request.
‘We are not legally married and that is an abomination’ she replied.
‘I know, but I just want you alive; I don’t want anything evil to happen’ Ono said.

‘I promise, I would be fine, thank you for believing in me, thank you for standing by me when everyone turned their backs on me. Thank you, Ono’ tears rushed down her cheeks.
‘Don’t cry my darling, I love you Mma, I am willing to lay down my life for you’ he wiped her face with his bare palms.
‘I must go now, I love you’ she looked into his eyes, amazed by the depth of his love for her.
‘Promise you will pay me a visit tomorrow’? He smiled. He couldn’t wait to spend time with her again.
‘I promise, what would you keep for me’? She felt excited.

‘Roast plantain and oil, your favorite’ he winked.
‘Thanks, Ono, greet little Onoifiok for me’ she sent regards to his younger brother.
‘Surely, I would’ he waved at her, watching her as she left for her father’s house.
‘My heart’ he pressed his shaky hands to his chest. He couldn’t wait for the day Mma would finally be his’.
As he was about leaving for his own house, he heard footsteps approach him and he quickly turned around.
‘You’! One of the rough looking men pointed fingers at him.
‘Me’? Ono paused, they were from the palace.
‘You must follow us back to the palace’.
‘Why? My business with the palace is over’ Ono replied defiantly.
‘The Princess wants to see you and you must not deny her request’ another guard spoke.

‘The Princess’? Ono wondered why the princess would want to see him. He decided to go along with the guards, whatever reason she demanded his presence, he was going to find out once he got there.
Princess Obot had fully recovered from her attack and she felt really strong now.
She sat by her mirror and brushed her long hair; her raven black hair slept with the comb as she brushed through it; when she was satisfied that it was well combed, she placed her crown on her head.
Thoughts of Ono consumed her wh0le being, she had never seen a man so adorable; he was a complete Adonis and she was interested in knowing him more and more.

Not even the Prince, her betroth had touched her the way Ono’s eyes had melted her heart; her growing desire for a total stranger confused her but she couldn’t let her desire for him to wane; she was prepared to explore this.
‘How do I look’? She turned to Afiama, her best friend.
‘Magnificent, where are we going today’? Afiama asked her friend.
The Princess looked all dress like she was about to tour the village again or she was expecting another visitor.
‘Nowhere, we both know that my parents wouldn’t let me leave the palace after my attack’ she replied.
‘Yes, about that, has the King heard the word of the rest of the men that fled’? Afiama made inquiries.
‘No, but we are sure that my attackers are not from the Ajop Kingdom, they are from somewhere else. I wonder who would want me dead, what would they stand to gain’? Obot wondered.
‘Well, there’s a lot they could gain’ Afiama said.

‘There’s the prince, for example, maybe one of the princesses of another kingdom is envious of you and the alliance your kingdom would have with Prince Iboro’s own’.
‘You make a really good point, all I know is this, we would get to the bottom of this’ Obot waved the matter aside.
‘You seem really happy these days, have you heard a word from the prince’? Afiama inquired.
‘No’ Obot looked away as blood crept to her cheeks.
‘You’re blushing, you only do that when you are hiding something from me, what is it, talk to me’ Afia straightened on the bamboo bed.

Obot knew what she felt for Ono was abominable; for it was a crime to crave for another man when she was still betrothed to the prince but could she help it? He had saved her life when no other had.
‘Nothing’ she replied.
She didn’t want her friend’s disapproval and criticism.
Afiama wasn’t convinced her friend was telling the truth, was the prince coming earlier than planned? Her heart raced as she realized that would hasten his marriage plans towards the Princess and infringe on her plans as well.
She would watch the princess steadily; the prince was hers and she would win his love at the end.
‘Who is there’? The Princess called as somebody rapped on her door.
‘My Princess, we brought him’ the gruff male voice replied.
‘Stay here Afiama and that is a command’ Princess Obot fetched her staff and rushed out of her chambers.
She didn’t want her friend to know what she was up to.
Afiama opened her mouth to protest but quickly shut it as the princess’ stern eyes silenced her.
That was strange, she thought, the princess never hid things from her.
‘What are you up to’? She murmured and rose towards the only window in the hut.
Her eyes landed on the handsome stranger that had rescued them both back at the forest; she sighted Obot walking towards him, she was all smiles as she approached their savior.

Afiama took a closer look, the way Obot’s eyes brightened while she smiled and scanned her eyes on the young man reminded her of how she usually spoke about the prince, her betrothed.
A glimmer of realization waved past her eyes as she realized that the princess was in love with the man.
‘This is so perfect’ she laughed and returned to the bamboo bed where she once laid.

Episode 10

‘This is so perfect’ she laughed and returned to the bamboo bed where she once laid.
She wasn’t afraid to go back home; she felt no longer hurt that she had been set up by her own family; she suddenly felt better that the gods who rescued her from being killed would save her from her family.

As she walked past the neighboring huts that crowded her father’s compound, people came out and stared at her with shock written all over their faces; they were speechless and surprised that the King had not passed the verdict.
She ignored their stares and went on towards the house; Ono was right, staying with her family was not the best, it was not really safe but she had no option but to live with them.
As she approached her father’s compound, she noticed her stepmother and her step-siblings who were all seated by the frontage.
‘What have you come here to do? You daughter of a thief’ her stepmother, Nkoyo, jumped to her feet immediately.
‘There is no place for thieves in my father’s house’ Ekpo joined her on his feet.

Tears welled up in Mma’s eyes as she sensed great hatred and opposition emanating from them; she watched the trio quietly and wondered why her stepsister, Eka had not joined them in harassing her.
‘Mother…’ Eka dragged her mother’s arm gently.
‘What’? Nkoyo turned and glared darkly at her daughter.
‘We should tell her’ Eka replied.
Mma took a deep breath, what were they whispering about?
‘You have no business here Mmaffiong, go back to wherever you came from; this compound and everything in it belongs to me and my children’ Nkoyo pounded her hand against her chest.
‘I am not here to struggle, I came here to live; this is my father’s house too’ tears poured down Mma’s cheeks as she spoke.

‘How dare you? How dare you talk back to me’? Nkoyo was infuriated by her insolence.
‘You accused me falsely, yet the gods rescued me from the King’s wrath, I fear no one; not even you or father for the gods shall protect me from you all’ Mma sobbed.
‘I wonder if they would protect you now’ Ekpo moved towards her and launched her a heavy slap.
She gave a loud scre-m and fell on the muddy earth as she stared at her half-brother.

‘That serves you right, now get up and walk away from this compound, never you come back’ Nkoyo warned sternly.
Her tears were mixed with the sand of the earth; she was totally helpless; where would she go? She couldn’t go to Ono’s house, that was an abomination; besides he had done enough for her; she didn’t want to bug him anymore.
‘Mother’! Eka cut in.
‘If you call me another time, I shall throw you out of this house especially now that your father is dead; I am answerable to no one’ Nkoyo replied.
Mma’s sobs lightened as she heard the strange news; was her father dead?
‘Father is dead’? She rose to her feet and searched their faces.
‘That is not your business, Ekpo fetch her baskets and all her calabashes, I don’t want to see her again’ Nkoyo instructed her son.
‘Please I beg you in the name of all the gods that we serve, don’t do this thing; I beg you….where do I go from here? I have no one’ Mma fell on her knees and begged.
‘Mother…’Eka felt horrible as she stared at her half-sister begging to live in their father’s house.
‘One more word from you and you will join her’.

‘Here are your baskets and your cowries, don’t ever come back here; there is no place for you’ Ekpo threw her belongings to her.
She saw that they had already made up their minds to inflict her with so much pain; what was the point of begging? She wiped her face and packed all her baskets.
‘The gods will judge you all for your deeds’ she wiped her face, stared at them one last time and decided to go where her legs led her.
‘That is a wicked thing to do mother, I am not in support’ Eka cried.
‘You don’t have any choice; now your father is dead, this house and his farms are ours; take it or leave it’ Nkoyo replied defiantly.
‘You forced me to join you when she was being accused; now you force me to take sides with you while sending her away; when will your wickedness end’? Eka asked.

‘Father died in a mysterious way; there was a strike of lightning before he scre-med to death; don’t you think the gods are really fighting for Mma? If I were you, I would repent’ Eka advised her mother and then ran towards her hut.
‘You are as weak and foolish as your father was! Useless child, you will come back to me soon’ Nkoyo hissed angrily.
‘Don’t let her words affect you mother, we are doing the right thing’ Ekpo squeezed his mother’s hand reassuringly.
‘You are the son of my womb and you always make me proud’ she smiled.
‘So, what do we do about father’s corpse’? Ekpo asked.

‘We bury him in our backyard, if we tell the villagers what happened; the mystery surrounding his death would raise brows and I don’t want that; we would bury him together tonight’ she instructed.
‘Okay then, I have something for you’ he fetched a wrap of dry leaves and handed it to his mother.
‘Where did you get this? May the gods enlighten your path and enlarge your coast’ a wide smile appeared on her face as she unfolded the leaves and they gave way to cowries.
‘I don’t have to tell you that; your son is very hærd working’ Ekpo replied.
‘Yes he is’ she laughed and hugged him excitedly.

At the sight of his brooding dark eyes, her heart stopped; waves of excitement overwhelmed her; she felt alive as their eyes met at that instant.
‘My Princess…’Ono took in her beauty, he was breathless.

‘…Tell me your name’ she stuttered.
‘Onoitem’ he bowed his head.
She looked like a Queen, of course she was a queen; royalty hovered around her like a canopy of trees in the forest.
He loved the clean scent of her as she approached him; her hair flowed down to her back and her crown sat proudly on her head.
He noticed her green eyes had a sed-ctive tint, she lined her eyes with Tido and her l-ips were reddish; he had an odd feeling as he stared at those cute l-ips.
‘Thanks for saving my life’ she smiled and stared into his face. A warm feeling enveloped her as their eyes met. She felt lost in him, lost in this moment.
‘I should be thanking you’ Ono replied. It was the princess that had convinced her father to consider releasing Mmaffiong.

‘For’? She laughed, it was low and it tingled his ears.
‘The gods rescued your lover and not me, you are yet to have your reward’ she suddenly felt jealous as she remembered how he had carried the accused maiden in his arms.
He was in love with her, love couldn’t be hidden; they had stared at each other like no other person was there. Like the wh0le Kingdom of Ajop belonged to them.
‘Ah, but you played a part in it’ he smiled.

To be continued….