BENEATH THE CROWN
(AMANDA’S TALE)
**CHAPTER 30**
**MICHAEL’S POV**
I arrived at Egonna by noon, eager to see my dear Amanda and find the meaning of the dreams I’ve had lately. I keep dreáming of a baby cryîng in the forest. I don’t really understand, but my spirit led me here; I am sure there is an explanation to it all.
I was confused about where to go and needed directions to the palace. I walked forward, hoping to encounter someone kind enough to give me directions. I passed some villagers who paid me no attention. I felt devástated, not knowing what to do, until I felt a soft touch on my shoulders. I turned to see a young lady who looked so much like Amanda.
“Sorry to disturb you, but I have been watching for a while, and you look like you need some help,” Ifeoma (Amanda’s sister) asked.
To say I was shocked was an understatement; the young lady standing in front of me bore a striking resemblance to Amanda.
“Sorry to ask, but do you by any chance know Amanda?” I asked curiously.
“Oh! I get that all the time; I look a lot like my sister,” she smiled, shocking me.
“Wait! You are Amanda’s twîn sister?” I asked.
“No! I am her younger sister, and how do you know my sister?” she asked.
“Yes! My name is Michael, and I am a colleague of Amanda; we work at the same hospital,” I replied with a smile.
I thought Amanda must have spoken about me at home, but I noticed she became ángry at the mention of my name. I wondered what could be the próblem, but what she said next shocked me.
“So you are the cause of my sister’s predîcament. What are you doing here? Oh! You are here to finish what you started, right? It will not work,” she snapped.
“Young lady! I don’t know what you are talking about. Be mindful of what you say to me. What do you mean by I am the cause of Amanda’s predîcament? Where is she? What happened to her?” I asked frantically.
Ifeoma looked at me for a while and sighed before explaining everything that has been going on. I couldn’t believe my ears; I was enraged imagining what Amanda has been through.
“Are the villagers so dáft? Is your king a fóól? How dare he treat Amanda that way? If he doesn’t want her, he should let her go,” I roared furiously.
“That is your business; all I want to know now is if you have slépt with my sister. Did you déflówer her?” she asked angrily.
“What do you mean? I never touched her. Your sister was such a decent woman that I couldn’t help but fall in lóve. I can’t believe that you don’t trust your own sister,” I replied furiously.
She bowed her head in sháme, and I noticed tears escape her eyes. “Hey! I am sorry I sounded hársh, but my emotions are not stable right now, and I láshed out on you. But you should trust your sister; I am sure she is innocent.”
“I don’t know what to believe; it is really complîcated. My family is in shámbles since the whole drama began,” she said, wiping away her tears.
“Hey! It is okay. I am here now; I promise to vîndicate your sister,” I said as I drew her closer to myself. I felt my heárt flûtter at the warmth of her bódy. I took a closer look at her face; she is really beáutiful. I shook out the thought from my head; I have to stay focused on why I am here.
“Take me to the palace; let’s confront the king,” I requested as I slowly released her from the hug.
“Okay! But please, you have to be careful,” she replied.
“I will,” I nodded, making her smile and walk towards the palace.
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**THE PALACE**
King Ikenna sipped his wine slowly as he watched his friends bîckering at themselves. He sighed as different thoughts ran through his mind. I don’t understand myself anymore; I am tired of all this; maybe I should quit the throne and live a peaceful life, he thought to himself.
His friends stopped bickering and turned to face him. “Hey! Stop this, stop being like this. We understand that the situation is beyond control; just have faith in her.”
“I am tired already, don’t you guys understand; I never envisioned my life like this. I wanted a peaceful life,” King Ikenna sighed in frustration.
“We understand; it isn’t easy at all, and I must commend you for that. But you have got to be strong; it will be alright,” one of his friends said.
A palace guard ran into the room, kneeling before the king. “My king! There is a man that requests to see you, and he said he will not leave until he sees you.”
“Who could that be?” King Ikenna asked.
“I have no idea, my king! He doesn’t look familiar,” the guard sighed.
“Let him in,” King Ikenna replied.
The guard nodded and left. A few minutes later, he walked in with the man who turned out to be Michael.
“Good day, King Ikenna,” Michael greeted.
“Good day, young man. How may I help you?” King Ikenna replied.
Michael sighed and went to sit on one of the chairs even though he wasn’t invited to. “I will go straight to the point. My name is Michael, and also a colleague of Amanda, and it came to my knowledge that I am accused of déflówering Amanda, which, my dear king, isn’t true. I lóve and respect Amanda, and I can testify that she was one of the most decent people I have ever come across in my life and wouldn’t do what she is being accûsed of.”
King Ikenna sighed and stood up with the drink in his hands. He walked over to Michael, placing his hands on his shoulder.
“You said your name is Michael, right?” King Ikenna asked.
“Yes, your majesty,” Michael replied sarcastically. King Ikenna smiled and gestured for the guards to leave the room. He then turned to his friends and requested them to leave as well.
Seated close to Michael, the king engaged him in a serious conversation for over 30 minutes behind closed doors. When Michael walked out, tears glistened in his eyes, and King Ikenna followed closely behind. Michael turned back, hugged King Ikenna, whispered something into his ears, and then walked away.
King Ikenna stood there with a lone tear escaping his eyes, watching Michael leave, before sighing and walking towards his room.
“My king! My king!” a guard yelled, running towards the king, stopping him in his tracks.
“What is the problem now?” King Ikenna asked in frustration.
“My king! I was assigned to the throne room to guard it. I went in there and noticed that your staff of justice is missing from your throne.”
“What?!” King Ikenna yelled. The guard trembled in fear, praying to his ancestors that the king wouldn’t sûspect him and that everything would go as planned.
“Assemble everyone in the palace to the courtyard, and I mean everyone,” King Ikenna yelled before walking to the throne room.
The guards rushed out, calling out everyone present to the courtyard. Queen Chiamaka and Adaku hurried into the throne room, heading towards the king.
“My son! What is the problem? Why do you look so angry?” Queen Chiamaka asked.
“The staff of justice has been stólen, Mama,” King Ikenna replied in anger.
“What! Who has the guts to do such a thing and why at a time like this?” Queen Chiamaka asked. Adaku couldn’t help but smile as her plan was already working but quickly covered it up with a frown.
King Ikenna stood up and walked to the courtyard, standing in front of the guards and maids present.
“I am only going to ask this once: Who took the staff of jûstice from my throne?” King Ikenna roared angrily.
“My king! We know nothing about the théft of the staff, and we didn’t stèál it,” the guards and maids chorused in unison.
King Ikenna sighed in frustration and asked, “Is everyone present here?”
The guards and maids looked around and nodded. One of the guards stepped out and knelt before the king.
“My king! We are all complete except for Amanda, who left the palace before noon.”
“Where is she? Hasn’t she returned?” King Ikenna asked.
“No, my king! I haven’t seen her all afternoon,” the guard replied.
“Go out and search for her immediately,” King Ikenna yelled.
The guards ran out of the palace in search of Amanda but couldn’t find her. They returned to the palace, reporting the situation to the king. King Ikenna bowed his head in frustration and áñgér.
Elder Amadi and Elder Ejike walked briskly into the palace upon hearing the news of the théft of the staff from one of the guards.
“My king! What is going on? Hope what I am hearing isn’t true,” Elder Ejike asked.
“It is true, my elders; the staff has been stólen,” Queen Chiamaka cried.
“Ah! My king, hope a search is being conducted, and interrógations are also being carried out,” Elder Amadi asked.
“We are currently looking for Amanda; she is the only one absent from the interrógations,” King Ikenna replied.
“Let the guards go and conduct another search immediately, ask every villager you see, comb the whole village until she is found,” Elder Ejike yelled, making the guards run out once again.
A few minutes later, a guard ran into the palace and knelt before the king, gasping for air. “My king! You need to see this.”
“Young man! What do you mean, speak clearly,” Elder Ejike said.
“My king! Amanda has been found, but you need to see this for yourself,” the guard bowed his head in sháme.
King Ikenna and the elders exchanged glances, nodded, and walked out of the palace.
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Amanda stirred up in her sleep, hearing cómmótion outside. She wondered what could cause such a cómmótion in the palace. She opened her eyes to see the ángry faces of the king and elders.
She sat up on the bed, wondering why the king and elders were looking for something in her room. However, she noticed that this place didn’t look like her room. She looked around and realized she was in a stránge house with a man on the béd, both NÁ+KÊD!
The man looked familiar to her. She tried to place where she had seen him. Then it occurred to her; it was Ifeanyi, the new palace guard. But what was she doing ná+kéd on his bed, and why was he also ná-kéd? She lifted up the duvet to check hérself and noticed the mán’s flû+îd scáttered on her lá+ps. Oh god! I am finally dóómed. She thought to herself.
She turned to face King Ikenna with pleading eyes, who looked really ángry.
“My king! Please, this isn’t what you think. I don’t—”
“GUARDS! GET THIS SL-ÛT OUT OF MY SIGHT AND TAKE HER TO THE PALACE.”
TBC
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Very interesting 😘🎉
Waiting for chapter 31