💔BENEATH THE CROWN💔
(AMANDA’S TALE)
WRITTEN BY:RuchinaBlog
CHAPTER 34
Ikenna gazed at Amanda lovingly, planting a kiss on her forehead. Words couldn’t describe how he felt having her in his arms again.
“My love! I thought you would still be mad at me. I am so sorry for what I made you go through the last time,” Ikenna muttered.
Amanda sighed and held his hands. “I understand, babe. Moreover, the situation was beyond control, and you know this.”
“I know and still regret it. I shouldn’t have allowed you to go through all of this in the first place,” Ikenna sighed.
“Babe, that isn’t the most important thing. Our people are dying, and we need to do something. Right now, we need to get to the palace,” Amanda said, standing up from the bed and dragging Ikenna with her.
“Before that, I want you to meet someone special,” Amanda smiled as they walked out of the room.
Michael and Ifeoma walked into the room with the babies in their hands. Amanda carried her son and handed him over to Ikenna.
“My love! Meet our lovely babies, Ifechukwu and Ifunanya,” Amanda said with a smile as she placed Ifechukwu in Ikenna’s arms.
Ikenna looked at his son, who cooed in his arms, tears glistening in his eyes. He turned to face Amanda.
“You are the best thing that happened to me, and you have given me the greatest gift a man could ask for. I am really grateful,” Ikenna replied.
“You are welcome, my love. Let’s move; it is time to deal with these people once and for all,” Amanda said with a sharp glint in her eyes.
People trooped into the palace with smiles on their faces, awaiting the coronation of the new king. Everywhere looked lively and colorful. The youths celebrated the coronation of the new king with wines in their cups.
Amadi stood in the throne room in his kingly attire with a smile on his face. His wife walked up to him and held him from behind.
“Love! I can’t believe this is happening finally,” his wife smiled.
“Yes! After a long time of hard work, we finally got it, and no one can stop us now. I will be the king, and you will be my queen,” Amadi replied, kissing her forehead.
“Let’s go; it is time for your coronation,” his wife said as she held his hand, and they walked out of the throne room to the courtyard.
Amadi walked to the center of the courtyard, where Elder Ejike was waiting with the crown in his hands while his wife went to stand beside Adaku and Queen Chiamaka, who was surprisingly present.
Amadi went on his knees before Elder Ejike, waiting to be crowned. “My people, we are gathered here today to crown a new king, who will lead us to greater heights and provide a solution to the current crisis in the land. My people, I give Amadi Obiora, the crown prince of Egonna kingdom,” Elder Ejike said, causing shouts of jubilation to fill the air.
He turned to face Amadi and circled the crown around his head. About to place it on his head, a voice rang out from within the crowd.
“STOP!”
Everyone watched in astonishment as Amanda made her way to the front with Chukwuma and Chidi by her side.
“Amadi! You are really callous. What made you think that you have won the game, a game with people’s lives? How can you be so heartless?” Amanda said as she stood in front of Amadi.
Amadi looked at her in shock, mumbling some words under his breath. Amanda walked closer towards him with a sinister smirk on her face.
“You thought I was dead, right? Sorry to disappoint you,” she whispered coldly, causing Amadi to step back in fear.
“What are you doing here, Amanda? Does this look like a child’s playground where you can misbehave?” Queen Chiamaka asked, stepping forward.
Amanda turned and smiled at Queen Chiamaka. “Dear mother-in-law, why don’t you calm down? It will get to your turn soon.”
“YOU!”
Amanda smiled and turned back to face Amadi before gesturing to Chukwuma and Chidi. “Allow them in.”
Soon enough, Ikenna walked in with his son, while Michael walked in with Ifunanya in his arms, and Ifeoma followed closely behind.
“What is going on here?” Elder Ejike asked.
“You want to know what is going right? Well, I am here to speak the truth and liberate my land from evil,” Amanda replied.
Queen Chiamaka walked towards Ikenna to inquire what was going on, but he only ignored her. Amanda smiled when she saw this and turned her gaze back to Amadi.
“Now, I want to ask our dear Elder Amadi, where is the priest of truth?” Amanda asked.
Chapter 34
“Why are you asking me? I don’t know where he is,” Amadi replied, his eyes to the ground. Amanda smirked and looked at his wife. “You have just 15 seconds to confess, or else you won’t like what will happen next.”
“Woman! I said I don’t know where he is,” Amadi yelled.
“You have 10 seconds left.”
“I said I don’t—”
“5 seconds left.”
“Don’t you underst—”
Amanda smiled and faced the crowd. “People of Egonna land, your chief priest has been missing for the past 9 months, and Elder Amadi is responsible for it. If Amadi is responsible for it, let a sharp pain that will cause his leg to be paralyzed hit him, but if he isn’t responsible, let nothing happen to him.”
The villagers began to murmur among themselves. Amanda smiled and brought out her phone to watch the time. Suddenly, Amadi clutched his legs in pain and screamed. “Ahhh! My leg, oo! My leg, oo!”
Amadi’s wife rushed to his side alongside his daughter. “What did you do to my husband, you this witch?”
“I did nothing to him. He should confess where he kept the chief priest; if not, it will get worse than this,” Amanda said with an eye roll.
“Chiamaka! Can you see your daughter-in-law accusing my husband falsely? What did I ever do to your family?” Amadi’s wife wailed.
Queen Chiamaka walked towards Amanda, raising up her hands to slap her but was intercepted by Ikenna.
“Woman! Be careful with what you do. Do not make me lose my temper,” Ikenna snapped as he held her hand tightly.
“Son! Are you talking to me like this because of this witch?” Queen Chiamaka retorted, dragging her hands from Ikenna.
“Do not insult my wife; I won’t tolerate that from you,” Ikenna said, causing Amanda to smile.
Amanda walked past Queen Chiamaka and crouched down in front of Amadi and his wife. “I will show you mercy if you confess, but if you refuse, I will double the punishment.”
“Please have mercy; I will confess. I kidnapped the chief priest so he won’t expose me and stop me from ascending the throne,” Amadi cried in pain, causing the villagers to yell in shock.
Amanda smiled and stood up to face the crowd. “People of Egonna, we won’t leave here till the whole truth is exposed. Chukwuma! Please lock the gates and ensure no one leaves this place.”
“And who are you to give orders! You are not a queen, you shameless slut!” Elder Ejike yelled.
Amanda opened her mouth to speak but was held back by Ikenna. “People of my land, I greet you all. I want to clarify something. Amanda, my beloved wife, was a virgin, and I am the one that deflowered her.”
“How is that possible? Do you take us for fools, Ikenna! There was no single drop of blood on the white wrapper, and you know that,” Queen Chiamaka said.
Ikenna smiled and faced his mother. “Yes! Amanda didn’t bleed but was a virgin. I discovered not all virgins bleed, and Amanda is one of them. The gods blessed her with gifts given to virgin queens, and that is enough evidence.”
His words shocked everyone present. Ikenna turned and faced Amanda, holding her hands lovingly. Queen Chiamaka opened her mouth but was cut off by Ikenna.
“Let it be known to everyone that my wife was a virgin when I met her,” Ikenna yelled.
Amadi’s wife started laughing and turned to face Queen Chiamaka. “See how your son is making a fool of himself, and he expects us to believe that rubbish he is saying. I am telling you as your best friend for so many years that it is a lie.”
“Did you just say you are her best friend? Abigail, you are really wicked,” Amanda said.
“And what do you mean by that, Amanda? Dont you have respect?” Queen Chiamaka asked.
Amanda looked at her mother-in-law and laughed. “Do you see why I will make a better queen than you will ever be? Don’t you still have insights to know that there is something wrong here?”
“And what could be wrong here other than your coming back?” Queen Chiamaka retorted.
“Abigail! About 27 years ago, you committed a grave sin against your friendship with the queen and against this land. Because of your jealousy and envy, you decided to destroy your friend for marrying the king,” Amanda said.
“What are you talking about?” Queen Chiamaka asked.
“Dear mother-in-law! Your friend was so envious of your marriage to the king. She thought the king would choose her and was so angry that she vowed to deal with you. Your dear friend here was your midwife 27 years ago. Am I right, my dear queen?” Amanda asked.
“How did you know that?” Queen Chiamaka snapped.
“27 years ago, on the very night you delivered Ikenna, you didn’t deliver just one child. You actually delivered a set of twins, and your dear friend took one of the babies to the forest to die.”
“AHHH!!”
The villagers shouted and began to murmur. Queen Chiamaka looked shocked, and her knees became weak and gave way, causing her to fall to the ground.
“No! No! Please tell me it isn’t true,” she cried.
Amanda sighed and continued. “Not only that, she caused the queen to have miscarriages and finally destroyed her womb, making her unable to give the king another child.”
Queen Chiamaka looked at her friend in shock. “How could you! You were my friend; how could you do this to me and still manipulate me over the years?”
“What was so special about you that made the king choose you over me? You had the guts to rub it in my face. I don’t regret it one bit, and it is fun to know that your dear son is dead; animals must have eaten him. I can imagine his cries when I left him in the forest,” Amadi’s wife laughed tyrannically.
“You are very wicked; may the gods judge you,” Queen Chiamaka wailed.
Amanda turned to Abigail, who was busy laughing. “And what makes you think he is dead?”
“Of course, he is. How can he survive that?” she replied.
Amanda turned to face the crowd with a smile on her face. “My people, all hope is not lost. What was lost has now been found.”
“I give you MICHAEL IKECHUKWU TOBECHKUWU, the twin brother to our dear king Ikenna.”
TBC
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