💔BENEATH THE CROWN💔
(AMANAD’S TALE)
WRITTEN BY:RuchinaBlog
**CHAPTER 31**
**AMANDA’S POV**
I was dragged out of Ifeanyi’s room by the guards, bowing my head in sháme as the king and elders stared at me in dîsgust while passing them. I looked up, pleading with King Ikenna with my eyes; I was innocent, and I didn’t understand how I got here myself.
“My king! Please listen to me; I don’t know how I got here,” I cried as I struggled with the guards.
“Guards! Move her away immediately,” Elder Ejike snapped.
“My king! My lóve! Please believe me, I don’t know how I got here, I am being frámed for what I didn’t do,” I pleaded as I struggled to crawl to King Ikenna’s feet.
King Ikenna looked away while the guards dragged me away from his feet, pushing me out of the compound. Tears ran down my face as I looked back at King Ikenna. I felt paîned by his silence; I really wished he would believe me, and this would just be a nîghtmáre.
I was dragged to the palace like the biggest thîef in the village; the guards didn’t have mercy on me while dragging me. The villagers looked at me with dîsgust in their eyes; some were cûrsîng at me for a crime I didn’t commit. All I could do was bow my head in utter sháme.
I was finally pushed into the palace and made to kneel before Queen Chiamaka. I looked up with pleading eyes, mumbling some words under my breath.
“Mum! Please believe me; I didn’t do it. I will never do such a thing against my husband,” I pleaded, crawling towards Queen Chiamaka.
SLAP!
“Who is your mother? I have always known that you are a dîsgráce to my son and this kingdom, but see today, all that will end. I will make sure you get your fîlthy self out of this kingdom,” Queen Chiamaka snapped as she landed a tight slap on my face.
“My queen! Please believe me; allow me to explain how it all happened,” I pleaded, not relenting despite my croaked voice.
“Explain what! Explain what exactly, something we saw with our own eyes,” Elder Ejike yelled as he and the king walked in.
I immediately crawled to King Ikenna, not minding my hurting knee. “My king! Allow me to explain, please. It isn’t as it seems; I am being frámed.”
“And you expect me to believe that rûbbîsh, right? Ok, let me hear your explanation,” King Ikenna said furiously.
“Thank you, my king. The truth is that I really don’t know how I got to Ifeanyi’s house. I left the palace by noon to get herbs to use for something, but I was kidnápped on my way to the forest. I must have been brought to Ifeanyi’s house uncónscious. This is the truth, my king; that is all I could remember before I went unconscious,” I said.
SLAP!
“Liés! These are all lîés. Do you take us as fools and expect us to believe the rûbbîsh you just spewed out of your mouth?” Queen Chiamaka snapped as she landed another tight slap on my cheek.
“No! No! I am not lyîng; please believe me,” I cried, looking at King Ikenna.
King looked at me intently before removing his gaze from mine. “Amanda! You must really take me for a fóôl then. Have you asked how we got to know you were at Ifeanyi’s house? Well, that is because you casually walked to Ifeanyi’s house, and someone saw you, which made him curious to know what business you had with Ifeanyi. He followed closely to avoid arousing suspicion and saw you kîss and hug Ifeanyi. He was the one who informed the guards of your whereabouts.”
“Liés, my king. It is a lîe, and I am sure this is a cónspiracy against me,” I said boldly.
“Do you think he will say it without evidence to back it up? Well, he prepared evidence, knowing you would deny the claim,” King Ikenna said as he flung an envelope in my direction.
I stared at the envelope curiously, picked it up, and slowly opened it. The content of the envelope shocked me to the core, causing it to fall to the ground. Pictures of me entering Ifeanyi’s house, hugging and kîssîng, stared back at me. I slowly picked up the pictures to examine them because I was sure that it wasn’t me, but how was this possible? I was unconscious all the time.
“My king! This is a lîe; I am sure it is fabricated. These pictures do not show my face. This could be anybody with the same stature as me; they made it all up to fráme me,” I said.
King Ikenna laughed in my face. “I knew you would deny it; well, let’s hear from the horse’s mouth. Ifeanyi.”
The palace guards dragged a now beaten Ifeanyi to King Ikenna’s feet. I stood there confused about what exactly was going on. I still couldn’t wrap my head around the whole thing. Who took those photos? I watched the guards pour water on Ifeanyi to wake him up.
King Ikenna looked at Ifeanyi in ángér. “Young man, who is Amanda to you?”
“My king! Amanda is my lôver, and I really lóve her, and she lôves me too,” Ifeanyi said, shocking me.
“My king, that is a lîe; I don’t know this man and have nothing to do with him. Ifeanyi, I beg of you, say the truth; I don’t know you,” I pleaded.
“My lóve! How can you say that? Remember how you told me you lóved me and only me; why are you denying our lóve now? My king, the truth is that she has been my lóver for a while, but we didn’t do anything until three nights ago. Today makes it the second time we had each other. She told me she was tired of the way you treated her, and that is why she came to me,” Ifeanyi said.
“My king! This is a lîe, please. Young man, please say the truth,” I pleaded, going on my knees.
“I said it, I have always known that this girl was shâmêless and a slût. See it now, you have been exposed,” Queen Chiamaka smirked.
“ENOUGH!! Let’s get to the real reason I was looking for you. The real reason you were being looked for is because my staff of justice is missing, and everyone claims it isn’t with them. So I want to ask you, where is my staff of justice?” King Ikenna asked.
I looked shocked because I knew nothing about the staff of justice. Why should I be blámed for the king’s carelessness?
“My king! I don’t know anything about the staff of justice, and I definitely didn’t steál it,” I said calmly.
The king looked at me as if believing me, but laughter broke out from behind me. I turned back to see Ifeanyi laughing, making me curious.
“Excuse me! Why are you laughing?” I asked curiously.
Ifeanyi stopped laughing and faced me. “My lóve! Don’t you think it is time to say the truth; let’s be free once and for all.”
“Young man! What do you mean? Speak clearly now,” Elder Amadi yelled.
“My king! Amanda stole the staff of justice because she didn’t want to get caught for cheáting on you and also to bláckmaîl you into making her the queen of Egonna land. She always wanted to become the queen of Egonna land. I know where the staff of justice is; right now, the staff of justice is under her bed. My love! The truth is finally out, no need to hide it anymore,” Ifeanyi said with a smile, shocking me to the core.
This can’t be true. I never stóle the staff of justice. How did it get into my room? I looked at King Ikenna, who signaled to the guards to check my room. I really hope Ifeanyi was lying, and the staff of justice wasn’t in my room. I prayed silently that this wasn’t true.
A few minutes later, one of the guards walked out of the palace with the staff of justice, shocking everyone present at the courtyard. The guards walked towards King Ikenna and knelt before him, presenting the staff in his hands.
King Ikenna looked at me with anger and yelled. “How dare you, Amanda! You have the guts to stèál from me and still lîe about it. What has this kingdom done to you to put it in such jéópardy?”
“No! No! My king, please, I didn’t do it; please believe me. I am being frámed for what I know nothing about,” I pleaded, going on my knees.
“Amanda! What exactly is the offénse that my son committed? Is it a crîme to marry you? Ever since he married you, it has been one problem after another. Answer me! Was it a crîme to marry you?” Queen Chiamaka hissed.
“Queen Chiamaka, please believe me; I am being frámed. I didn’t stèál the staff of justice or even sléep with this lów+life guard here. I will never stoop that low,” I replied in a croaked voice.
“You must really take us for fóóls, with all the evidence labeled against you; you still deny it and expect us to believe your lîe over the truth. You must be stûpîd,” Elder Ejike snapped.
“Please believe me, my king and my elders. I say nothing but the truth; I am innocent of all the accûsations leveled against me. I swear this by the go…”
“WOMAN! THAT IS ENOUGH!” KING IKENNA YELLED.
“I am sick and tired of your lîes, Amanda! The truth is out, and you still have the guts to swéar by the gods. You didn’t feár the gods when you slépt with another man; you didn’t feár the gods when you stole the staff of justice for your benefit. You are really déspicable,” King Ikenna snapped.
I looked at King Ikenna with a heavy heart, wondering what I have ever done wrong to deserve such cónspiracy. Why won’t anyone believe me? This bûrden is just too much for me to bear.
“Here is my judgment, Amanda! You have been found guîlty of all charges leveled against you, and by the custom of the land, you are supposed to be exiled for such a heînous crîme. But I will show you mercy. You shall, therefore, live like an outcást in this community and shall cut off all communications with people close to you. You shall henceforth live in the house by the outskirts of the village. There you will spend the remainder of your days,” King Ikenna yelled.
“Son! That is too easy for her; let her be exîled. She is of no use to this village,” Queen Chiamaka smirked.
“Woman! That is enough; my judgment is final. Guards, take her away,” King Ikenna snapped.
“My king! Please, I am innocent; please believe me.” I cried as the guards drew closer to me.
King Ikenna ignored my pleas and faced Ifeanyi. “And for you, young man, you will spend the remainder of your life in prîson; you will not see the sunlight until you dîe.”
I watched as Ifeanyi smiled, as if grateful for the punishment. Why is the king so unfair to me? What did I ever do to deserve this? Tears streamed down my face as I was dragged away from the palace. I looked back to see Adaku and Queen Chiamaka smirking at me and King Ikenna staring at me expressionlessly. I could feel my heart break; no one believed me.
Villagers gathered around and were cûrsîng at me; some followed as the guards dragged me roughly toward the outskirts of the village. I bowed my head in sháme with tears running down my eyes. I couldn’t bear this heárt+break anymore.
Soon I was pushed roûghly into the house by the outskirts of the village; I refused to look up as the guards threw my bags and clothing before leaving. I knelt down on the floor, thinking of my life, as heavy rain began to fall.
I stayed like that for some minutes when I suddenly felt a sharp paîn in my abdómen. I struggled to stand and check what was wrong when I saw blôód streaming down in between my laps. No! No! This can’t be happening.
“NOOOOOOOOOOO! NOT MY CHILD!!”
TBC
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