💔BENEATH THE CROWN💔
(AMANDA’S TALE)
WRITTEN BY:RuchinaBlog
CHAPTER 24
AMANDA’S POV
I strolled through the village, enjoying the scenery. It would have been wonderful to interact with the villagers, but no one wants to speak to me or reply to my greetings. I didn’t mind; all this would soon be over, and I would enjoy my freedom again.
I walked on until I got to the southern side of the village. Walking through the area, I saw things I had never seen before. I thought people in this village were enjoying because the late king tried his best to make the kingdom flourish. How come we still have béggárs and hûngry-looking children?
I was snapped out of my reverie when I felt an unfamiliar touch on my shoulders. I turned to see a young man dressed in râgs standing behind me.
“Aunty! Good evening. Sorry to disturb you,” he greeted.
“Good evening. How may I help you?” I replied, wondering what could be wrong.
“Ma! Please, can you help with money? Any amount. My mother is dyîng,” he cried.
I was shocked at his words. I really didn’t understand what was going on. Why does this feel like an outskirt of our village? I looked around and saw hûngry-looking children crying and couldn’t stop myself from crying. I looked at the young man and asked, “Why didn’t you take her to the hospital?”
The young man sighed as tears rolled down his eyes. “Ma! The village doctor refused to treat my mom without money.”
“I thought treatment was free for people in need. What is going on?” I asked.
“Ma! We are like outcâsts in this village. No one cares for us, and right now, some of us are seriously sîck; some are even on the verge of deâth. Please ma, help me with whatever you can,” he pleaded.
I thought for a moment and decided on what to do. “Young man, take me to see your mother. Let me have a look at her condition.”
Surprisingly, he agreed. He walked towards the direction of his house, and I followed. We walked past other hungry people and children who were dragging for crumbs of food, leaving me to wonder what went wrong. Why did things turn out like this? I had so many questions running through my mind with no answers to them.
Finally, we got to his house and met a scrawny-looking woman lying on a mat outside the house. She emanated a fôul smell, but I didn’t mind. I watched as the young man went closer to her and sat beside her. I could feel more tears run down my face at the sight of the sick woman.
I couldn’t stop myself and went to touch the woman’s forehead. “When did this sickness start?”
“Ma! I can’t really say. She has been in and out of this sickness for a long time, and it has been really disturbing,” he replied.
I looked at the woman as she winced in pain. I stood up and walked towards the bush in search of a particular leaf. A few minutes later, I walked out of the bush with the leaf and some other needed leaves.
I turned to the young man and smiled upon seeing curiosity on his face. “My name is Amanda, and I am the king’s wife. I want to help your mom and everyone here, but I need you to trust me and do as I say.”
“Yes, ma! I would do as you say. Please save my mother. She is all I have left. My name is Chidi.”
I nodded and requested for a bowl and mortar and began to prepare a concôction. Soon I was done and shared the concôction into smaller portions, giving one of the portions to him to feed his mother.
I watched as he fed her the medicine and waited for the effect to take place. Not long after, the woman vomîted some black substance with blôôd, making me smile. The medicine worked.
I looked at the young man, who was worried, and smiled. “The medicine worked. You have nothing to worry about; she will be perfectly okay by tomorrow, that I assure you.”
“Thank you so much. I can never repay this kind favor you have done for me, but I am ready to serve you at any point in time you need me,” Chidi said.
I nodded satisfactorily and requested a tray, which I placed the other pôrtions before walking out, with Chidi following me.
I fed the medicine to the other sick people after assuring them of my identity. I watched as they improved greatly after vomîting the blackish substance and went back to Chidi’s compound to make another concôction to improve their health more.
Night came soon, and I headed for the palace with a fulfilled smile on my face. I assured Chidi that I would visit the next day and gave him the little money I had on me to get food to manage for the night.
I got to the palace, and I met Queen Chiamaka and Adaku in the garden. I wanted to ignore their presence but decided otherwise.
“Amanda, where are you coming from?” Queen Chiamaka asked, giving me no chance to greet her.
“Excuse me! Is my movement now being monitored? I don’t understand,” I asked.
“You better watch how you talk to me. I am your queen, and I have every right to know your whereabouts,” Queen Chiamaka snapped.
“My dear queen, it is not your business where I go. You don’t need to concern yourself with me, and don’t worry; I won’t disappoint you or bring shâme to you or our dear king,” I said with a note of sarcasm.
“YOU…”
“Mum, leave her. I told you she has no respect for you. As you can see, I am not lying to you. Even the maids can testify,” Adaku said, grinning at me.
I just stood there, looking at them. I was really in no mood to banter with them because I was tired.
“Amanda! Is it true you disrespected Adaku and the maids?” Queen Chiamaka asked. “Have you forgotten who you are in this palace? She is your queen,” she added.
I rolled my eyes at them. “Ma, with all due respect, she is not my queen. As long as I remain the king’s first wife, I remain her senior and also demand my respect.”
Adaku got enraged by my words, but I couldn’t care less. I háte the way they expect me to grovel at their feet. Never!
Adaku stood up from where she sat and walked towards me. “Amanda, I understand your paîn, but look at yourself. Who will want the daughter of a kîller as a…”
CLAP!
I landed a slap on her face, shocking everyone present. ”Keep my father’s name out of your mouth. I will not tolerate any insûlt directed towards him.”
“YOU! How dare you…”
CLAP!
“I am ready to slap you all night long till you learn to respect me and keep quiet when I talk with the queen,” I snapped.
The whole place was engulfed in silence, with Adaku sobbing silently. I don’t care, but if they cross their boundaries, I will make sure all héll breaks loose.
“You claim to be a queen, but you refuse to carry out your queen duties. All you do is intimîdate me, when there are people out there that need your help, but you refuse to help, and that also goes for your dear Queen Chiamaka,” I said furîously.
Queen Chiamaka stared at me with shock and refused to say anything. Olanma and the other maids walked to Adaku to comfort her. I saw King Ikenna walked towards us, making me keep quiet.
Adaku started crying hysterîcally as King Ikenna got closer to us; she ran to him, crying on his shoulders.
“What is going here? Adaku, what is the matter? Why are you crying?” King Ikenna asked, looking at crying Adaku, who refused to say anything.
“Won’t anyone answer me? Mama, what is going on?” he snapped.
Olanma stepped forward and bowed before the king. “My king! Amanda here slapped Adaku and even insûlted the queen mother because they were trying to caution her for coming home late, sir.”
“Amanda, is that true?” King Ikenna asked, staring intently at me.
“Yes, sir. Everything I said is true. She was trying to deal with the fact that her kîller fat…”
CLAP! CLAP!
“I have told you to keep your mouth out of my family business. You are nothing but a maid here. Let it be the last time you call my name without respect. I am ready to slap all the teeth out of your mouth. Last warning,” I said, staring straight into her eyes.
I watched as she backed away fearfully. Did she think the presence of the king would stop me? She must be a fôôl.
“Amanda! What is the meaning of this?” King Ikenna asked.
“Oh, my dear husband, don’t worry. I just want to teach some people a lesson they won’t forget in a hurry,” I said with a note of sarcasm.
“Even in my presence?” he asked.
“Oh, my dear, you won’t give the justice I want, but since you are here, please tell your wife to stay on her lane and avoid me. If not, it will be worse than this,” I retorted with an eye roll.
King Ikenna looked at me intently before turning towards Adaku. “What happened here? Don’t worry; she won’t hûrt you while I am here.”
Adaku looked up and cleaned her eyes. I saw her lips curve into a smirk, but I smiled. I am so ready.
“My king, I only wanted to caution her for coming late, but she got hostile with me. I only wanted to know her place and the damage she and the kîller…”
CLAP! CLAP!
I slapped her, finally shutting her up. I loved seeing her cheeks swollen. My actions shocked everyone. Not my business.
“I told you I am ready for you this night; I am going to slap you till you learn to respect me. No one can stop me, not even him,” I said, pointing at King Ikenna.
Queen Chiamaka stared at me speechless before looking away. “My son, you can finally see her for who she is. I told she wasn’t good for you, and she has finally proven it.”
“Oh, yes, my queen. I have also proven that I would have made a better queen than you will ever be in your entire lifetime,” I said, shocking everyone. “I told you I am ready this night, and I won’t stop till everyone learns to respect me as I respect you. Réspect is recîprocal.” I added.
King Ikenna burst into laughter as he walked towards me, lifting up my chin. “Always feisty. I know where all this is coming from; you are frustrated that I no longer pay you attention, my dear Amanda. But I want you to know this Adaku is now my wife and presently demands my attention. Deal with yourself.”
His words caused Adaku to smile, but I only laughed, pulling myself from his grip. “Do you think I care about you? I don’t give a dámn about you. The way you treat me is the way I will treat you. Deal with it,” I said, looking into his eyes. I loved the ways they looked shocked at me.
I took a deep breath to calm down because I am beginning to get all worked up. “Look, I mean no dîsrespect, but let everyone stay on their lane and leave me alone; I won’t be nice next time.”
“Amanda, I really want to know what gave you the effrontery to question my leadership as the queen. What makes you feel you will be a better queen than I am?” Queen Chiamaka asked curiously.
“If you were really a queen, your duty would be to have the interest of the people at heart, but no, you simply don’t care. You have people you care about and people you don’t, and that is no attribute for a good queen,” I said, not caring about anyone. I am going to voice my mind, and nothing will stop me.
“I took a stroll round the village and couldn’t believe that we have people sûffering, no good food, no access to good health; they are busy sûffering, and we have a queen in this kingdom. Sorry to say, you are no queen,” I snapped.
I looked around as everyone stared at me in silence and sighed. “Sorry to say, my dear king and husband has faîled in your duties,” I said, finally walking away, giving no room for a reply.
I got to my room and met the shock of my life.
“WHO ARE YOU!!”
TBC
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Chapter 25 please