💔BENEATH THE CROWN💔
(AMANDA’S TALE)
WRITTEN BY:RuchinaBlog
CHAPTER 32
A man clad in black entered the house on the outskirts of the village, searching frantically for Amanda. He combed through the entire house but couldn’t find her anywhere. Where could she have gone? he thought to himself.
He noticed a paper and pen on the table in the corner of the room, picked it up, and began to read:
“If you are reading this, I must have left by now. I have to protect my life and my child’s life. I really wanted the best for this village, even though all I have ever really got in return was háte. I won’t lie; I háte the king now, I háte the queen who couldn’t function as a queen to her people, but I promise you this isn’t over. I hate the people responsible for my predicament, and I will have my révenge on every one of them. All those responsible for this cónspiracy and my predîcament will face my wráth; they won’t escape it. This, I promise you. I WILL BE BACK FOR MY RÉVENGE. TAKE CARE TILL THEN.”
The man felt tears drop from his eyes onto the paper. He looked at it, and a sád smile appeared on his face.
“It is for the best.”
THREE DAYS LATER
THE PALACE THRONE ROOM
Silence lingered with every man lost in their own thoughts. It had been three days since Amanda was sent out of the palace for bringing cálámity to the land, yet the cálámity persisted. People were beginning to dîe from the strange illness, and the chief priest was nowhere to be found. Elder Ejike looked up and cleared his throat, breaking the silence.
“My king! Our people are dyîng; this cálámity refuses to go away. Even the priest has refused to speak on what is going on. We can’t watch our wives, brothers, and sisters, even children dîé. Something has to be done,” Elder Ejike said soberly, looking at King Ikenna, who was lost in thought.
“Elder Ejike! You are right; we need to do something about this and very fast, for that matter. People are already dyîng, and you, my king, are not doing anything about it,” Elder Amadi said, stomping his foot on the floor.
King Ikenna stared back at the elder and sighed. “So what exactly do you want me to do now? Can’t you see I am paîned too by the recent happenings in this land? Do you think I lóve watching my people suffer?”
“King Ikenna! Then look for a solution before this thing gets out of hand,” Elder Amadi retorted.
“Ok! What is your suggestion, Elder Amadi? What is your solution to this próblem?” King Ikenna asked tiredly.
Elder Amadi smiled and sat forward. “My king! Since our priest has refused to speak, why don’t we invite another priest from another village to know exactly what is wrong?”
“I support this suggestion, my king!” Elder Ejike smiled.
King Ikenna thought about it for a while then nodded in agreement. “Nice suggestion! Search for a powerful priest and bring him to me.”
“Yes! My king. But if I may ask, we have sent the perpétrator of this cálámity away and even done cleánsing of the land, but this cálámity refuses to go away. Could it be there is another reason for the cálámity that we don’t know of?” Elder Amadi asked.
King Ikenna sat silently, thinking about the words of Elder Amadi and sighed. “I don’t know, but if there is any, it will be revealed.”
“This meeting is dismissed,” King Ikenna muttered, standing up to take his leave.
“But my king, we haven’t finis—”
“No buts, Elder Ejike! This meeting is dismissed,” King Ikenna snapped and walked out of the throne room.
King Ikenna got to his room and slumped on the couch tiredly. He sighed, thinking about his life. He didn’t even notice when his friend walked into the room.
“Bro! You know I don’t like this at all, I don’t like the way you look,” Tony said as he sat down beside Ikenna.
“Tony! You of all people understand me best, and you know I am not happy,” King Ikenna replied.
“I understand—”
“IKENNA! IKENNA!” Queen Chiamaka yelled as she barged into the room.
“Ikenna! What is your problem? Why are you behaving like this? For the past two days, you have refused to see the elders once they summon you, and today you agreed to see them; you had the guts to walk out on the elders of this land. Is something wrong with you? Ever since that wîtch left this—”
“WOMAN! Hold it right there, do not make me lose it. I have always listened to you and given you the respect as my mother, but you see today, all that will end. You don’t deserve to be a mother,” King Ikenna snapped, shocking Queen Chiamaka.
King Ikenna stared at his mother with so much ángér and hátred. He stood up from the chair and walked towards Queen Chiamaka, bending to her ear level.
“If you know what is best for you, stay the hell away from me,” King Ikenna whispered gently in her ears with a sinister glint in his eyes, releasing a cold aûra from his body. He stood upright, revealing a smirk on his face; he glanced at Queen Chiamaka one last time before walking out of the room.
“What was that? Why do I feel so cold all of a sudden? Wait! What does Ikenna mean that I don’t deserve to be a mother?” Queen Chiamaka asked no one in particular.
Tony stood up and walked towards Queen Chiamaka. “Truly, you don’t deserve to be a mother, and if I were you, I would heed his advice and stay very far from him.”
“And what do you mean by that, young man!” Queen Chiamaka retorted.
Tony looked at her, smiled, before walking out of the room, leaving Queen Chiamaka to her thoughts.
ELDER AMADI’S POV (THE UNKNOWN)
I smirked as I walked into my house, into the arms of my lóvely wife. I smiled and pecked her forehead.
“My lóve! We are these close to achieving our dream; our handwork of 27 years will finally pay off,” I said, releasing her from the hug and taking a seat while she poured some wine into two glass cups.
“Ha! And it is all thanks to the stûpidity of the láte king and queen. The stûpidity even passed to their son who thinks he is a wise king,” my wife hissed as she took a sip from her wine.
“The little brát had the audacity to walk out on us just because he is king. I don’t blame him; he should enjoy it while it lasts. From what I heard before leaving the palace. That brát refuses to speak to his mother and spends his time móping all day which is even better for the next phase of our plan.” I smirked.
My wife smiled and placed her glass on the table, looking intently at me. “Now that we have gotten Amanda out of the way, how do we get Ikenna déthroned and kick that stûpid mother of his out of the palace?”
“That is simple! Who needs a sóber king who can’t make difficult decisions and save his people from a crîsis? All we need to do is to get Nonso to instigate the youths as always to threâten Ikenna to step down. He is just as soft-hearted as his father; he will do what is best for his people and step down willingly, and I will step up as the king and sávior of the land,” I replied, smiling, taking a sip from my cup of wine.
“Ikenna is a real fóól to lose such a rare gém as Amanda. Hope the priest can’t escápe from where you kept him; we don’t want anyone ruîning our plans,” my wife scoffed.
“He is safe and won’t be seeing the sunlight anytime soon. As for Ikenna and his mother; they won’t know what hit them, my dear!” I smirked.
TBC
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