Written by, Rejoice Jeremiah. C?
EPISODE 9
The Ceremony?
?Ifeoma?
“I’m not talking nonsense ifeoma. Ebuka that you’ve been throwing insults all these while is the crown Prince. I swear Ifeoma”
‘What? How is this possible… That wounded sheep can’t be the crown Prince, never. He’s a newservant in the palace. I won’t believe this Uju is saying.’
“Ifeoma you know this month isn’t April talk more of April fooling you, I’m telling you the pure truth. Right now, he’s changed into a royal wear and he’s at the upper floor, in the Crown Prince room” she said.
I had no idea what to say or how to react.
“Don’t even miss the ceremony tomorrow. You will confirm this yourself. Even the ten maidens who look like they’ve mistreated him in someway are all shocked when he showed up as the crown Prince. You see ehn me I’m just looking for how to see him and beg him for mercy. I can’t remember insulting him or anything but I sha want to beg for mercy” she said.
“Are you telling me the truth Uju?”
“This is the truth Ifeoma. Ebuka is the Prince… He’s name is not Ebuka o, his name is Prince Eric and you see that his foreign accent, now you know he lied about working for a white man for ten years.”
“”””””””””””””””””””””””””””
(The palace)
?Prince Eric?
The first maiden came forward with her present, I remember her vividly.
Adaora Ekeh, the King maker’s daughter.
Her smile were attractive and her curves too but I see nothing more special about her.
“My Prince, the crown Prince of this great Kingdom. Your handsomeness can’t be defined by just words. I, Adaora Ekeh, the daughter of Onowu of this great kingdom, greet you a wonderful welcome with this present. I assure you that you’ll love it My prince, I plead you to accept it with the whole of your heart”
“Thank you Adaora”
Without taking off her smile, she dropped the present in a medium box, curtsied, turned and walked back making sure her waist danced along.
The second maiden came forward, the third, fourth, fifth, six, seventh, eight then the ninth.
I remember her name too, Rose Okoye.
The only maiden that caught my attention with her politeness in the morning.
She’s tall, fair skinned, slender and beautiful.
Her gap teeth added to her beautiful smile as she came forward with her own present.
“My Prince. I, Rose Okoye welcomes you to the Kingdom and to the palace with this little presence. You…you might not like it but please accept it with your heart,” she said and dropped the presence of small box
“Thank you Rose” I said.
She curtsied, turned and walked back to where the others were.
(Hours Later?)
While I got back to my room and all the presents have been brought to my room, I didn’t hesitate to go for Rose’s presence first.
I opened it and chuckled at the presence.
It was a small
Tea cup with a smiley face.
I smiled. “Cute”
The others bought golds and Jewelries but she got me just a smiling tea cup?
“How cute”
My phone rang and I picked it up.
Charles was calling.
“Charles, you refused to go back, why?” I asked immediately I answered the call.
“Eric, come on.. If Katherine and I are meant to be then my few weeks here won’t be a barrier to that. I love Katherine and I feel so hurt that she called off our relationship but I can’t let Kate control me this way. It’s not like I’m gonna be gone forever. I just wanna help my best friend and she said no to that? D@mn it, I can’t take it.. I’m arriving the palace tomorrow. I can’t miss the ceremony.” he said.
I exhaled.
“Charles you ca-”
He cut me short. “No man, say no word about my decision. I will take cars of this, just keep calm and do what you got to do. What’s up with the maidens, is there anyone your eyes is glued to most yet?” he asked.
‘Rose’
“Her name is Rose..but I’m not sure about her yet. Others brought me golds and expensive jewelries but guess what Rose got me?” I said.
“Uhm probably diamonds?” he said.
I chuckled. “No, not diamonds”
“Then it would have to be anything lesser than Diamond, gold and jewelries. Yes, wow she got you flowers,” he said.
“Nah. She got me a smiling tea cup” I said.
“Seriously? That’s really different from the rest, right?” he asked.
“Yes it is.” I said, smiling.
“And….what about the weird maid, Ifeoma. Have she heard the latest shocking news?” he asked.
“Certainly… I’m hoping to see her tomorrow at the ceremony. I need to see her reaction.” I said with a smirk smile.
“”””””””'”””””””””””””””””””
(Next Day)
?Ifeoma?
I stared at myself at the mirror for awhile then grabbed a handkerchief and wiped the lipstick on my lips and eye pencil on my eyebrows off.
“Do I need to put all these to impress him? If he is the crown Prince and so what? Do I even need to apologize to him when I did nothing wrong? I can’t do this nonsense anymore. I’m going to that palace like the way I always do” I snapped at myself and wiped off the makeup more, making sure all of it wipe off.
A knock came on my door
“Nne are you alright?” Papa asked.
“Yes papa, I’m fine.. I’m almost done, “I said.
“Okay you should go when you are done. You know, I have to follow my fellow men. I will see you at the palace,” he said.
“Okay Papa”
I thought he was gone but then the door opened and he walked in.
“Papa.. ”
“I wanted to ask this thing. About the servant that the crown Prince disguised himself to be, is he not the one who got injured and you helped including using the power you are not supposed to use?” he asked.
My heart skipped and I shook my head.
“No o no papa, he’s not the one. It’s another servant” I lied.
“Eh eh…but it’s all over the kingdom that the Ebuka got injured on his leg just like you told me and the crown Prince isn’t walking very normal, he leaps because he injured his leg” papa said.
I sighed.
‘Seriously there’s no point in lying’
“Okay fine Papa, I’m lying and you are right. He’s the servant that I saved two times and even three times” I said and showed him my injured palm.
“This too?” he asked.
“Yes papa. I’m so sorry about lying to you. The knife would have pierced him if I didn’t caught it” I said.
“Ifeoma,” he called and came closer. “Did you know he was the Prince which made you save him and even got a knife for him, did you?” he asked.
“Of course not papa. How would I? I just saved him because….because because he needed to be saved. I couldn’t be there and watch him die papa” I said.
He went silent for a very long seconds until I decided to break the silence.
“Papa, what are you thinking?” I asked.
“Ifeoma, don’t you think you deserve a big token from the palace for saving the crown Prince?” he asked.
“I thought about it dad and I realized that this phone, the hair, the dresses and everything that Princess Ola did for me was a show of appreciation for saving his brother. How would I have known and there I was, thinking another thing” I said.
“What were you thinking?” papa asked.
I chuckled. “That Princess Ola like the new servant due to the pressure she gave me to forgive him.”
“What are you going to do now?” he asked.
“Papa there’s nothing for me to do, I will just go to the palace, celebrate, dance with bothers and next tomorrow, I resume work and just work, work and get paid.”
“Right. You should do that. That’s exactly what you should do” he said but his eyes were somewhere else, on my dressing table.
I followed his eyes and seeing what his eyes were on, I quickly grabbed the shinning star and hid it inside my folded palm.
“What is that shinning and why are you hiding it?” he asked.
“It’s nothing important papa. It’s something private. I would tell you later but not right now” I said.
“Alright, I will be waiting. Let it not be anything dangerous” he said.
“It’s not” I said.
“Okay. I will see you at the palace. Lock the doors and windows o” he said.
“I will papa”
Once he was gone, I breathed out.
“Oh my…”
Slowly, I opened my palm and stared at the star.
“Hey you.. Was I thinking of taking you to the Prince?”
I chuckled
“I don’t think” I said and without hesitating, I dropped it back in the book and closed the book.
“I’ll just go to the ceremony and nothing more. I’ll comport myself and act like I have nothing to worry about if Ebuka is the crown Prince.. Yes that’s what I will do..”
I grabbed a rubber band and packed my braids.
Soon I was on my way to the palace. Everywhere seem quiet and cold like every single soul are all in the palace except me.
I hastened my footsteps and of course followed the short path so I could get there on time.
As I walked on on the lonely path, I started feeling shivers that at a point I remembered Obinna and wondered why today of all days he didn’t come for us to go to the palace together. Now that we are friends.
But the shivers became too much that I sensed that it was something more than going through a lonely path. I’ve never even felt shivers since the day I started walking through this pathway, why today?
‘Something invisible is watching or following me’
I halted.
“Who are you, show yourself this minute and stop being a coward” I said.
Nothing happened, no wind blew, no chipping sound from either the birds or the insects of the bush. Everywhere was as quiet as a planet without no air and inhabitants.
‘That something stopped them all’
“I repeat, show yourself or continue following me like a coward” I said.
Then just that moment, I got circulated…circulated by jewelries made of golds.
You think I got scared?
No, no not all.
Instead I bursted into a laughter.
“Who are you? Do you sell and buy golds, do you need help…then I’m sorry to tell you that I can’t be of help to you” I said fearlessly.
Immediately I said that, the jewelries turned into same bracelets.
Not just any bracelet..but the exact bracelet that Princess Ola has on her wrist.
“What is this?” I asked. “Why are you displaying jewelries and bracelet to me. Show yourself!” I said but instead, the bracelet turned into a flame of fire, surrounding me.
I couldn’t feel a heat from it or anything. It’s nothing but an illusion from a dark force.
“Get this thing off my way and let me continue my walk. You have nothing to tell me but I have one to tell you. You will fail on your mission” I said.
The fire raised more then vanished.
Birds and insects began chirping, wind began blowing.
I felt like I’ve not been breathing and all I did was exhale, exhale, exhale.
“Ifeoma!” I heard my name from a familiar voice.
I turned and it was Chinyere.
Chinyere is a girl from my village and was my classmate too but we are not close friends and we don’t talk much to each other.
“Ify, thank God I met you o. I’m so late to the palace that is why I decided to follow this way only to realize that it’s just like a graveyard. Thank God for making you follow this path too though I heard you always follow it.. I like this your hair style o. This your dress fine too… But what happened to your hand?”
“It’s not important now. Let’s just hurry to the palace. We are so late” I said.
“Yes yes.. That’s the most important. I heard the crown Prince is drop dead handsome. I Can’t believe he disguised himself as a servant and no one found out for days. Did he use London jazz on you people? If I was a maid in the palace ehn, I will find out o. meeee.. Hmm you don’t know me o”
I exhaled.
“But ehn… Like when he was a servant, did both of you talk? Like did you both talk well..” she asked.
“Not really” I said.
“That means you did the little talking to each other. Wow Ifeoma, I wish I was in your shoes… To talk to the Prince and he talked back, looked at his eyes and he looked back…aw that would be the most wonderful moment of my life..” she said. “You must be so happy that you and The Prince had even the smallest conversation before he showed up his real identity. You see ehn, from now on, all you would be getting is bow your head, the Prince is coming. Leave this place, the Prince is here…” she said.
I just walked on.
“Oh my….I Can’t wait to see him. Right now I’m regretting why my father isn’t a titled man, I would have been among those then maidens. I’m sure Veronica wouldn’t have been the one there, but me, Chinyere..”
I chuckled within.
“Veronica that don’t possess half the beauty I possess. She just lucky say her father na titled man, let her just go and enjoy the palace meals, I know the Prince won’t look at her face two times. Is Adaora or no one else.”
‘I should walk more faster!
“Don’t you agree Ifeoma?” she asked me after meeting my pace.
“What?”
“I said don’t you agree that it’s Adaora or no body?”
“I don’t know..” I said.
“I know that’s what you’ll say. Set of people that hate my Adaora…but wait a second, why are you not in the palace now but still going. Are you not working in the palace again?” she asked.
Geez I can’t wait for this girl to get very far away from my sight.
“””””””””””””””””””””””””””
(At the Palace)
?Prince Eric?
The ceremony had begun and Charles is beside me as the Prince Best friend.
Yes he came.
It was time for the ten maidens to dance for the Prince.
The music began?? and the maidens danced out in line.
And in few seconds they were shaking their waists to the drums and flutes and song.
They were all dancing beautifully but my eyes were only on one of them, Rose Okoye.
She had this beautiful dancing steps that was different from the rest of them.
Her smile only made my day.
But there was someone else my eyes were on but not among the other nine maidens but someone I’ve been hoping to see but she was nowhere to be found.
‘Ifeoma. Why’s she not here. Or is the crowd too much for me to see her?’
“Where are you looking at, concentrate on the maidens” My father, the King whispered to me from the left.
I immediately took my eyes back to Rose.
“Is it Ifeoma?” Charles asked from the right.
“Yes” I said without thinking twice.
“She just came in.. She’s beside the gate, in blue gown” he said.
I looked up and seeing her, my heart skipped, surprising me.
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