💔BENEATH THE CROWN💔
(AMANDA’S TALE)
WRITTEN BY:RuchinaBlog
CHAPTER 21
AMANDA’S POV
TWO WEEKS LATER
It had been two weeks since my father was imprisoned, and the palace had become a living hell for me. Queen Chiamaka had made it her mission to frustrate me, blaming me for her husband’s dëath. I became an object of rîdicule in the palace
To make matters worse, King Ikenna refused to see me on numerous occasions when I went to plead with him. He made it clear to the guards not to allow me an inch near him. I was beginning to lose my mind because I loved him so much, and he no longer paid me any attention. He was no longer the sweet man I fell in love with. All I wanted was his love and care, even if it was just a little bit. I wanted him to cuddle me and tell me everything would be alright. I sometimes cried myself to sleep to numb the paîn I was feeling in my heart.
I found solace in helping Mama and Chukwuma on the farm, taking my problems off my mind. But today was different; I wanted to face my problems.
Today was the king’s wedding with Adaku, and I couldn’t watch my husband get married to someone else; I didn’t want to share my husband.
I walked to his room like I had done in the past weeks but with the resolve to see him no matter what. Getting to his door, I was confronted by the guards stationed there. “Please, I request to speak to the king. Kindly inform him of my presence.”
“You know, you make me laugh. What makes you think our beloved king will want to see your sorry self on this auspicious day? Don’t you reason?” one of them smirked.
I sighed, knowing this would be difficult, but I had to get him to speak with me today. “Please, I won’t take much of his time. Just tell him of my presence; I am sure he will grant me access.”
“Are you deáf? He said he doesn’t wish to see or speak to you,” the other guard yelled.
The door to King Ikenna’s room opened, and he stepped out in his full glory, looking really handsome. I couldn’t stop myself from gawking at his finely chiseled abs, visibly through the cloth he wore. I was so swooned by his looks that I didn’t notice him staring at me until his cold voice snapped me out of my reverie.
“What are you doing here? I thought I made it clear that I do not wish to see you or speak to you.”
“My king! My love! Please stop this; you are hûrting me, hurting my feelings. You said you love me, but you are acting contradictory to your words. Please don’t marry Adaku; I will do anything you want, just don’t marry her,” I pleaded desperately.
King Ikenna seemed to pause, thinking of my words before revealing a sînister smirk on his face. ”You just said you will do anything, right?”
“Yes,” I nodded.
“Then I want you to go down on your knees and beg me one more time, maybe I might consider and even take you to bed from here.”
I nodded with a smile and without hesitation went down on my knees just to please him.
“Do you know that you are really pathetic? Do you think this will be enough to stop me from getting married to Adaku and focus on only you? You must be dreaming,” he said, causing the guards to laugh at me.
He crouched down to my level, holding up my chin, making me pout my lips with anticipation of his kîss. Instead, he spat on my face and pushed me down to the ground.
He stood up without remorse in his eyes and glanced at me. “Let this be the last time that you will come to look for me without me sending for you. If you fail to obey, you won’t be able to bear the consequences. Stay on your own before you hurt yourself more.”
His words were like knives pierced in my heart, but the love I had for him overshadowed it. I stood up from the ground and ran to hug his legs.
“Please! Consider the love we share; please don’t do this to me. I love you.”
“You really make me sick. Do you think I don’t know you want to climb into my bed and use love to deceive me into releasing your father? Do you really take me for a fóôl?” he yelled, attracting more maids and guards to the scene.
“No! No!…it’s not…”
“Oh, shut it. Do you think I don’t know your plan? You are acting as if you dësperately love me so as to free your father. Amanda, be warned; don’t repeat this and stay away from me and my wife,” he said, walking away without looking at me.
I couldn’t believe he said that to me; my heart ached from the paîn caused by his words. I stood up, walking back to my room when suddenly two guards came and dragged me to the courtyard where the wedding was being held. King Ikenna ordered for me to be present at the wedding by force!
I was forced to sit on a chair with two guards stationed besides me, looking at my husband exchange marriage vows with another woman, playing lovey-dovey to spîte me, I guess.
Tears ran down my cheeks as I watched him finally kiss her with the same lips he used to kîss and profess love to me, symbolizing the beginning of their union.
Celebration filled the air as everyone began partying and eating, but I was the only one who was crying. King Ikenna stared at me with a smirk on his face, drawing Adaku closer to whisper something in her ear; I guess I was the one they were talking about because she looked in my direction with a grin on her face, before continuing their lovey-dovey act.
I tried to get up from the chair I sat since the marriage rites were over but was forced to look on until the night fell when it was time for the king to consûmmate the marriage. I couldn’t bear to watch because it brought back memories I was trying so hard to forget.
A few minutes later, the door to the king’s bedroom was opened as King Ikenna stepped out in all smiles, raising the white cloth for all to see which contained a blôôdstain signifying that she was a vîrgin.
Jubilation filled the air at the sight of the cloth, with everyone singing the praises of Adaku. I couldn’t take it anymore as I stood and bolted out of the palace straight to Mama’s house, into her welcoming arms where I cried my heart out. I give up.
It took 2 hours for me to calm down; Mama made my favorite-okpa just to console me. Chukwuma wouldn’t let go as he sat close to me, reassuring me everything will be alright.
A knock on the door interrupted the atmosphere; Chukwuma stood up to open the door, allowing the person to walk in.
I cried even more upon seeing who it was, making me jump into his awaiting arms.
“Shh! Shh! It is okay; I am finally here,” he said as he rubbed my back reassuringly.
He made me sit on his lap, kîssing my face, my lips not minding the presence of Mama and Chukwuma.
“My love, I am sorry for what you have to go through. The king is wîcked for making you endure this,” he said, making me giggle.
“My love, I just want you to love me and only me. I want you to love me for who I am. I can’t live without you; you are the only one in my heart. No woman can replace you. I will do anything to prove how much I love you,” he muttered softly, his eyes filled with love.
I opened my mouth to speak, but he cut me off with a kiss, biting my lips as he got lost enjoying the taste of my lips. I had to push him away to remind him of Mama and Chukwuma, causing him to blush. I blushed as well, seeing how cute he was.
“I love it when my cutie pie blushes for me,” he said, kîssing my hands.
“My love, don’t worry; we will get through this. Everything will be over soon, and we will get to live as we like, with no one stopping us. I am going to fight for you, for us. I promise you that,” he smiled. His words comforted me.
“All I want is for you to stay with me,” I said as I placed my head on his broad chest.
“No problem, my love,” he said, kîssing my forehead.
TBC
🏃♂️🏃♂️
KING IKENNA OO