OJADILI The Mystery Boy Episode 7 by Erasmus Ugochukwu Okafor

OJADILI The Mystery Boy Episode 7 by Erasmus Ugochukwu Okafor

**The will of the gods**

The palace was already in turmoil and confusion as the report of the princess’s disappearance filtered into the ears of King Azuamailo. The entire people were in disarray because it was never heard that someone as important as the princess was ever lost. The entire men and maidservants had their lives at stake for letting the princess disappear without a trace. The guards were already charged with the responsibility of finding Anyanwu ututu or face execution.

Many search parties were formed to ensure that the missing princess was found. The entire palace and kingdom were ransacked for the sake of the missing personality but their efforts were futile. Even though they never succeeded, none was bold enough to come back to the infuriated king to report on the unsuccessfulness of their ventures. The only option left for them was to come back with a positive report.

The Queen mother got herself wallowing in anguish and pains for her missing daughter. She wasn’t ready to face another death because the death of Uremma remained serious inevitable pains for her.

King Azuamailo couldn’t understand the recent occurrences in the palace just for one day. His heart was shattered with deep sorrow. He was saddled with thoughts of how to fix the misfortunes that had characterised his household lately. He found it hard to stand or sit because of restlessness, so he sauntered in deep grief. His anxiety for not finding his beloved daughter dwarfed his quest for seeking the revival of Uremma. As he reminisced on the entire events, he began to have the feeling that the gods must have taken the child away. All that occupied his mind was how the princess made use of the flute and even danced the surugede (the dance of the spirits). At a juncture, he began to feel that the gods must have meted out severe punishment on the girl for her sacrilegious stunts.

As the king was in his throne looking absently and feeling so bad, the queen came with tears and knelt before him.

The weepy queen aggravated the king’s gloomy state, making him allow those lonely tears to water his cheek.

Pulling up his wife to his bosom, he muttered: “I think we should have listened to this child when she was insisting on answering the call of destiny,”

The queen was so heartbroken and dejected as she tried to convince herself that the king could be right. She suddenly began to feel that their parental strictness in terms of their daughter’s freedom could have been the reason for her disappearance.

“But why will all these be happening at once?” The queen asked as her heart pounded heavily in sorrow, “what could have happened to her and where would she be right now? I’m bereft of words and ideas but suffice it to say that I couldn’t help but believe that we weren’t fair to her…”

“Hence, her disappearance,” The king added sonorously. “I wish we gave her a listening ear. But could it be that it wasn’t our fault but because she did the abominable by dancing the surugede?”

Mentioning that part got the queen startled as she realised that her husband could be right. “I said it,” she lamented in that gloomy state, “my instincts never lie,” she added assuredly with a nod, “I warned the princess, letting her know that her quest for what she believes to her destiny may lead her to doom. Nna anyi, isi ebukwa muo (my husband, I’m shocked). How do we consult Ujuamara to know if the gods would have mercy?”

“The gods know nothing like royalty,” the king muttered angrily as the flashes of the entire event rioted in his mind’s eye, “Chukwu Abiama is no respecter of persons because, before him, we’re all equals. My daughter just badgered the gods; therefore, she’s paying the price,”

The queen, at this point, began to pray silently within her to solicit to the gods on behalf of Chino. She wished that the gods would understand that her child was just a baby in their eyes.

“But nna anyi,” she said and pulled a seat to sit beside the king but the king shoved her aside and stood angrily. The queen almost stumbled, making her wonder why the king could be so angry to have pushed her.

“This child took after you in stubbornness!” The king hollered making even the guards around to step away to avoid being victims of his aggression. “I have always told you to groom this child to be fearful of the gods but she thinks she is wiser than them or even holier than them all. Now you have brought this calamity on her. My prayer is that it doesn’t…”

The sound of Ikoro was heard making the king pause because he was oblivious of the reason for the sound of Ikoro.

The Ikoro is a talking big drum that signals either a calamity or a thing of great joy. Judging from the circumstance, it was something not good at all.

“Igwe, it’s like we have more problems now than we can handle,” The queen wailed and stood in anxiety, “Guards!” she shouted at the palace guards around, “Go and check what’s going on and come back to us,”

The guards rushed to the location while the royalties remained speculative. Even though they were eager for answers, they were afraid of the outcome; therefore braced themselves.

In a jiffy, one of the guards came back to the king and said: “Igwe, the Ikoro was sounded because the chief priest just returned from the evil forest and said that the princess was found there at Obiakpo…”

“What!” the king yelled and stood even though he was giddy, “Mmiri amaa efi n’anya oo! (The worst has happened)”, After saying this, he dropped on his throne and collapsed, making the guards and the queen rush at him.

They quickly took the king to his chamber so that people wouldn’t know what happened. They made him lie on his back to rest as the palace physicians came to attend to him without delay.

The queen was so restive at this point because she was so confused and dismayed. She was cocooned in deep thoughts concerning how her entire world crashed just in the wink of an eye; her husband just blacked out, her daughter sighted in the evil forest while her daughter-in-law died shamefully. She cried shiveringly and began elegise to the gods; chanting sorrowful songs as her supplication lasted. Her heart pulsated gravely as evening came knocking.

Onodugo felt so bad about the news of her dad and that of her sister. Concerning the disappearance of Princess Chinonye, he was so sad because, even though he’s always harsh on his sister, his love for her has no bounds. He was so dispirited as he began to blame himself for being the reason why the princess underwent the escape into the evil forest. Out of anger, and seeing that the king was already bedridden, he assumed a temporary position as the king. He summoned the cabinets immediately for a meeting on the way forward. The guards and maids were all locked up for failing on their duties to have made the princess leave the palace unnoticed.

During a meeting with the cabinet members of the king, Onodugo who felt that he shouldn’t be the one presiding over the meeting stood to leave.

Even though others couldn’t fathom why the heir to the throne tried leaving the same people he summoned, Ichie Okafo already knew.

“My prince,” Ichie Okafo, the kingmaker said and held him on the shoulders, “Do not do this because the gods above know about this day. Don’t feel bad because even if all of you have lost hope,” he said and pointed at the entire cabinet members, “I’ll not lose hope. You’ll have not just a child but a male child before the king joins his ancestors. I know why your heart is troubled but dibe, nwam (be consoled, my child),”

“Okwu ka ikwuru nwam, (You just said the words, my son)” Ichie Utaba said and smiled but Okafo frowned at that countenance.

“Utaba! Utaba!” Okafo yelled at him pointing his walking stick at him angrily, “How many times did I call you?”

Ichie Utaba began to laugh clownishly as he always does. “Relax, you’re not my elder and I’ll keep saying it. So I’ll keep addressing you as Nwam (my son)”, he jested and sat.

Okafo wanted to caution Utaba but just decided to overlook the clown to avoid a battle of words.

“All I can say is that ebe onye dara, ka chi ya kwaturu ya (where a man falls, that’s where the gods pushed him to). My prince,” he said and helped Onodugo to sit; “this isn’t the end of the world. In this situation, what should we do? Assume that you’re the king and let us know the way forward,”

Onodugo wasn’t in the right state of mind to make meaningful contributions because his wife was still lifeless in his room. He felt so fidgety as if the seat was hot like fire, making him uncomfortable. He looked at the entire aged facing staring at him and heaved a sigh of despair.

“My wife is probably at the afterlife, and the chief priest is as confused as all of us,” Onodugo vented his reservation and confusion, “my younger sister insisted that my wife isn’t dead. Even though Ujuamara said Uremma would be buried in the evil forest, he seems to agree with the little girl. The chief priest wasn’t verbal about it, but for him not to perform the palace cleansing yet, he believes the princess could be right. Now, we’re all confused,”

Taken a deep breath as he thought about the entire scenario, Ichie Okafo looked at Onodugo, and then looked at the entire cabinet members. He said: “With your observation and prudence, what shall we do? What’s your suggestion?”

“We need to throng the evil forest,” he croaked unequivocally, “because the person in question is the princess. I’m willing to lead the adventure to…”

“No, you shouldn’t lead any search,” Okafo interjected cleverly, “you’re the next king if…”

“No, I’m not,” Onodugo barked as he wallowed in self-pity, “the gods have deserted me, so what else do I have to boast for? Nothing!” he hollered in quivering tone, “According to the tradition of Amachara, I can’t even marry another wife…”

“You can marry another wife,” Utaba entered sharply, “Nwatakiria amaghi omenala anyi (this child doesn’t know our tradition),”

“Must you always be sarcastic?” Ichie Okafo yelled at Ichie Utaba. “Why not be humble to explain to him that once his wife is dead, he can go ahead and marry,”

Utaba looked disdainfully at Okafo and said: “I wonder how you were even made the Onowu (kingmaker) when elders like me are still…”

“Mechionu! (Shut up), you’re not older than Ichie Okafo,” Ichie Agwanti retorted. “I think you’re becoming the rotten tooth here; therefore need to be disciplined,”

“Until the rotten tooth is pulled out,” Okafo yelled in anger and hit his walking stick angrily on the ground, “the mouth must chew with caution,”

Onodugo, who was supposed to be happy because he still had the opportunity to marry another wife, began to shed tears.

The cabinet members were surprised because they expected jubilation from him but go the opposite.

“Now, I know why Uremma took her life sordidly,” Onodugo maundered with a heavy heart, “she just did that to give me the freedom to marry another wife and be made king. What then am I doing with kingship if she isn’t alive to be my queen?”

“Tufia! (Abomination). Don’t say such again,” Utaba warned, “I think your late wife did the right thing by sacrificing herself for your good and the good of the dynasty. Or you want to break the chain that your ancestors never broke? You should be happy. After all, the vultures and worms are lying in wait for Uremma,”

Onodugo was fury at the mention of Uremma, making him stare angrily at Utaba. Amid his anger, he still recognised that the old man could be right, so he took a deep breath and calmed his nerves down.

There was grave silence because of the last words of Ichie Utaba. Even though it was a heavy blow on the heir, the sarcastic man made some sense too.

“What about Ujuamara?” Okafo asked and looked around searchingly as if he was meant to be in their midst. “The news about the princess being found in Obiakpo forest was broken by the chief priest but after it, he disappeared,”

“I didn’t disappear,” Ujuamara said and entered the scene, “I was in Uremma’s hut. It may interest us all to know that she is alive and…”

“What did you just say, Uju…?” Onodugo shouted and sprang up from his seat but at the same time felt that such couldn’t happen, “I saw her die as the rope strangled her and snuffed the last breath from her. How come she is alive even without the shrubs that the princess hinted about?”

Ujuamara smiled and said: “This is a mystery but I must tell you that she is alive but still weak,”

It was a shock to everyone because the dead wouldn’t just come back to life without the intervention of the gods.

“Can I see her, please?” Onodugo asked gleefully as he remained perplexed.

Without waiting for the chief priest’s permission, Onodugo dashed out while the entire cabinet members followed. The chief danced to unheard music as he came after them. They all went straight to Uremma’s hut.

Even though they rushed to the location, none could enter out of fear until Ujuamara reached and opened the door. They were surprised to see the princess as she was grinding some leaves and juicing them. She fed Uremma with the juice as she diligently concentrated without acting as if she saw the elders around.

It was so surprising to them all because the princess was supposed to be either dead or lost in the forest. They all felt that the princess could be a spirit and not the real princess.

“I didn’t see this child when I came,” Ujuamara said with great surprise and sprinkled some water on her to know if she’d disappear but she did. Ewo! (Expression of surprise), she’s human. My daughter, how did you get here?”

The princess continued cleaning the body of Uremma as she got herself sunk into deep concentration.

“How did this happen?” Onodugo asked and rushed to the wife to embrace her but the princess blocked him with her arm.

“She needs serious rest,” She said as she took care of Uremma who still looked confused but stable, “let’s avoid mobbing her. She needs some space and fresh air. She should be allowed to feel better. By this time tomorrow, she’ll be able to walk and talk,”

The people still looked surprised, especially Ujuamara who thought that the princess was killed by the wrath of Obiakpo. After looking intently at the girl, he said: “What of your maidservant, Omasiri? Did Obiakpo later release her?”

Ujuamara’s question made Chino remember the humorous boy she met in the forest. She smiled without knowing she did but Achikolo who just entered noticed her.

“I need my mom here because she’d be happy about this,” Onodugo said and looked at Achikolo signalling that he should fetch the queen.

As Achikolo was about to leave, Ugoeze suddenly rushed in panting. “What is this great news I heard?” she exclaimed and jostled the observers to have a clearer view at Uremma.

“Oh my God! Uremma is alive and the princess isn’t dead after all,”

Princess Chinonye smiled and huffed and continued nursing the convalescent. She didn’t reply to anyone but continued attending to Uremma. After ensuring that she was better, she stood up, looked at Onodugo, and said: “The gods just saved your wife. I’m out of here,” As she was about to leave, she noticed that her mom wasn’t as cheerful as she was supposed to be. She went to her and held her by the wrist. “Mom, what’s the problem?”

Ugoeze was filled with feelings of both excitement and pain, so she began to shed tears making the cabinet members leave except the chief priest.

Taking a deep breath as he went to the wife, Onodugo embraced her and said: “I thought I’ve lost you. Now, I’m indebted to the princess because she just proved to us all that she’s a healer,” Looking at the princess who was trying to know what was wrong with her mom, Onodugo said: “Dad is bedridden. He was shocked when he heard that you were sighted in the evil forest. I hope he gets better when he learns that you went to pluck the shrubs for reviving my wife. That’s the reason Nne (mom) is feeling sad still,”

“He believes that you’ve been trapped in the evil forest,” Ujuamara reported, making the princess to be worked up. “But he’s getting better, and I believe that,” he added, even though he wasn’t sure of the situation yet.

The princess looked at the mom and said: “Nne, let’s meet nna anyi to know the situation,” she began to cry as they left.

The princess and the queen came out of the hut and discovered that the entire palace was filled with the villagers.

“They are happy because of Uremma’s return back to life,” The queen said with forced smiles, “I’m happy and proud of you, my daughter,”

The villagers all began to dance and celebrate the princess because they’ve all heard what happened. They were so happy about this. The special Nkpokiti dance group entertained the people as they celebrated the healing prowess of the princess.

Many musical instruments were brought to the palace by the villagers just to mimic the princess. They all danced like she does and mimicked her melodious voice too. It was a hilarious moment for them all.

As this went on, the princess simply showed her appreciation by displaying some cute dance steps for them, though it didn’t last; she was still worried. They began to cheer her expertise in music as the princess and the queen went straight to meet the king.

Getting to the king’s chamber, the princess rushed at him and began to cry holding his barefoot. She just realised that the king was in a coma and couldn’t open his eyes even though he still had pulses, showing he was alive.

“What happened?” Chino asked the chief palace physician and kissed the feet of the king, “is there any sign of improvement?”

“He’s been like this,” Oborochi, the chief palace physician replied respectfully, “we’ve given him some doses of the medicine to revive him but he isn’t responding yet. But soon, he will, I’m sure,”

The princess and the queen came closer and observed the king. They began to weep but the man remained calm as the coma lasted.

After a while of weeping, the princess said to the king: “Igwe, the lion of the jungle, and the great man whose countenance is always pleasant to the people. You’re deep in sleep because of your love for your daughter. I am back, and Uremma is alive too, so I suggest you get up and celebrate with your family,” As she began to weep and sob aloud, she said: “I wish I never subjected you to this lifeless state but I had to save Uremma just to make you happy. Meanwhile, the good news I have is that she’ll be pregnant soon because of the shrubs I used on her. Get up like the lion you are and see as your subjects await your revival,”

The queen pulled Chino into a hug as they wept together.

After a while, the queen looked at the princess and said: “But how did you escape from the palace unnoticed?”

The princess smiled because she couldn’t just explain it. She simply patted the mom’s back and whispered: “The ways of the gods are not the ways of men,” After saying that, she left immediately to her hut to allow the physicians to attend to her dad.

Getting to her hut, the princess sat on the wooden chair and began to think back. It was then that it began to dawn on her that she just revived Uremma from the dead. She couldn’t believe that she did that. As she was trying to remember how it all happened, she just remembered seeing some clustered shrubs that she brought to the palace. At this point, she realised that the shrubs weren’t gathered by her but left for her by an unknown person. She was overtaken by fear as goose pimples possessed her body. The princess just realised that the person that was supposed to heal Uremma was actually in Obiakpo forest and not Ikpa Amachara (Amachara thick forest). If she was allowed to go for the shrubs, she’d have gone to the Amachara forest. It became clearer to her that the proposed sacrifice of her maidservant at the Obiakpo shrine was a divine direction. It was an intervention by the gods to lead her to the medicine for reviving Uremma.

The princess was lost in thoughts, making her not notice when Omasiri, Ochomma, and Chizaram kept knocking at her door.

After a while, the girls entered making the princess be startled on seeing them.

“My princess, ndewo (good day),” They greeted.

“Iga adi, (You’ll live long).” Chizaram said with a curtsy and sat on the bed, “join me, ladies,” she said and smiled, “The bed is warm and welcoming,”

“Remember that you’re still a maid!” Ochomma snarled at Chizaram mockingly, “you can imagine the way you just dropped yourself on the princess’s bed without apologies,”

“But my princess isn’t complaining,” Chizaram reminded her and snorted, “Ochokwu (trouble finer)”,

Omasiri smiled at the dramatic moment and said: “Must you two always fight?”

“She started it,” Chizaram murmured and nudged Ochomma.

Ochomma hissed and rolled her eyes as if she didn’t care. “One day you’d land into deep trouble because of your actions,” she jeered and tongued as she booed Chizaram.

The princess simply smiled faintly and kept looking absently at the girls as if she was lost.

Omasiri noticed that the princess was enshrouded in thoughts, so she said: “It’s night already, and the crickets are stridulating but you’re yet to tell me how you sneaked out of the palace. I’m sorry my princess, but you need to tell us what happened,”

The other girls nodded in agreement showing that they’d discussed it earlier before coming to meet the princess.

The princess was still meditative as she tried to remember anything concerning the shrubs used for reviving Uremma. She wasn’t paying attention but kept trying to solve the puzzle that got her mind enveloped in confusion. As she tried to stomach the uncanny incidence, Omasiri waved over her face to bring her back to the present.

“Oh, sorry,” Chino apologised and looked at the girls one after the other, “what was the question?”

“We came do know how you…”

“Sorry, Omasiri,” the princess cut in, “did you remember who dropped the bunched medicinal shrubs we came back with?” she asked making them to finally ascertain the reason why she was absent-minded.

Ochomma and Chizaram looked at Omasiri as they expected her to answer. They weren’t aware of what happened in the woods so the question got them interested to know.

“Omasiri, ngwa answer,” Ochomma said and smiled at Chizaram who concurred with a nod.

“Yes, you need to start talking,” Chizaram supported.

“At least we agreed on something for the first time,” Ochomma whispered to Zaram.

After some thoughtful moments as deafening silence thrived, the squirrels got the attention of the ladies with their nocturnal disturbances on the thatch.

Omasiri exhaled deeply, looked up, and cleared her throat even though she was confused too.

Ochomma stood to chase away the squirrels but the princess pulled her back to have a seat.

“They can never rest, so allow them to be,” she said and smiled, “uninvited landlords on the roof,” she muttered smilingly.

“I thought it was the princess that gathered the leaves?” Ochomma asked with her hands akimbo, “was there a spirit in the…? Oh my…there was a spirit in the forest oo. It’s true, there was a ghost there because…”

“Must you always talk like this?” Chizaram attacked with words, “what have you been drinking bikonu (please)?” she asked and jeered at her and stifled an incoming grin.

“But she’s right, Zaram,” Omasiri said, making the girl to be bewildered, “the princess didn’t gather the shrubs. I just remembered everything vividly now,”

“The reason why you should help me to solve the puzzle,” The princess said heaving a sigh of relief, “who kept them there because I wasn’t the one that gathered them?” she asked looking thoughtful as she tried to figure out what happened.

“I don’t need to think about that jester we saw in the forest because it couldn’t be him,” Omasiri said smilingly, “that one wouldn’t know anything about shrubs or even…”

“Oh my God!” The princess yelled and covered her mouth with her palm, “he was the one that kept it. I just realised that I missed the saviour who just made Uremma be back to life,”

Silence flared amongst them as the princess tried to mentally trace back her steps to the shrine to remember when the shrubs were dropped.

Omasiri was lost in thoughts too even though she didn’t believe that the hairy clown she met in the woods could be the one.

Ochomma and Chizaram had nothing to say because they weren’t privy to the details of what happened out there; so they gaped at the duo.

“I think you could be right,” Omasiri said and concurred, “He said he was going to hunt but he went to gather the leaves for you,”

The princess began to feel as if she needed to see Ojadili to thank him. At this point, she began to feel so bad because Omasiri reminded her of what she should have done for Ojadili but she didn’t do it.

“I think I should have brought him to the palace as you suggested,” The princess said ruefully, “I feel so terrible right now because someone who said he was lost in the woods needed my help but I didn’t offer any. The problem now is how to go back into the forest to search for him,”

“You did it before,” Omasiri reminded her, “so you can sneak out again,”

“Exactly,” Ochomma supported but Chizaram pinched her to keep her mouth shut.

“You know nothing, so you should say nothing,” Zaram scoffed at Ochomma.

The princess giggled and shook her head.

“Coming to the issue of my escape, everything happened so fast,” Chino said and chuckled even though the girls didn’t understand what she meant by that; hence their heightened curiosity.

“I am trying to understand what you meant by that,” Chizaram said but and got a retaliatory pinch from Ochomma.

“Must you talk because I did?” Ochomma voiced disdainfully and laughed at her.

After a while, as the princess tried to remember everything about her escape from the palace, she smiled and hummed some indistinct songs. “I woke up,” She began as they listened attentively to the details, “I saw no one around. It was as if I was dreaming but it was real. Meanwhile, in my dream, as I remained blacked out, I saw Omasiri being devoured by wild animals and intervened. I got up from sleep immediately and realised that I was meant to be in the palace square dancing the surugede. Looking outside my hut, I saw the guards by the door. I opened the door and continued moving out but they didn’t stop me as if they didn’t see me. I met Ochomma and shouted her name but she didn’t hear me too. I summoned Chizaram as I saw her playing secretly with Achikolo but she didn’t even hear me…”

“Hmmm, Chizaram and Achikolo,” Ochomma murmured and hummed but Omasiri shushed her, making the princess suspicious.

“Hmmm, what am I missing?” The princess asked but the girls all remained mute and didn’t want to divulge what they knew about Achikolo and Zaram.

“My princess, don’t mind them,” Omasiri said and tried to hide the details beneath her secret smiles.

“I can see,” Chino said suspiciously and continued the narration to avoid interfering into private matters of the girls, “everyone I talked to as I strode along never recognised me but continued looking through me as if I wasn’t there. It was then that I realised that I could be invisible. I thought I was dead and my spirit hovering around, so I rushed back to my hut to know if I’d find my body there. I was surprised that I wasn’t there, so I continued my journey out of the palace without anyone stopping me. I’ve never been to the evil forest before but my spirit led me to it. I followed my instincts until I got to the Obiakpo shrine. Getting to the shrine, I met the guards running away. I thought they wouldn’t see me like others but they did, making it obvious to me that whatever was making me invisible just left me. Seriously, I can’t explain what happened but I ended up saving Uremma,”

The girls were all numb to words as they reminisced on the details of the story.

“Ibini Ukpabi just performed some wonders,” Omasiri said as she remained wowed, “I’m now beginning to realise that you’re more than just a princess,”

Chinonye was still shocked because of the experience, making her kneel as she worshipped Chukwu Abiama saying: “gods of our land. I am nothing but a subject to you but you just made me an instrument of peace and healing. May the reason why you allowed me to come into his world at the least expected time be made manifest,”

The maidservants rushed at the princess and pulled her up because they felt it was awkward for a princess to kneel.

“It’s okay, my princess,” Ochomma said as she cried too, “we want to thank you especially for being the best friend we never had. Three of us are orphans but you made us who we are. You made us realise that we can still have life in abundance and enjoy freedom even when we’re supposed to be your slaves. Thank you,”

The three girls began to shed tears as they embraced the beautiful princess that sat in the middle.

Spreading her warm hands, the princess pulled them together and caressed their hairs one after the other.

“You girls have always made me smile even when I’m crying,” the princess eulogised her maids, “I haven’t met such wonderful companions before. I have come to understand that you’re better being my friends than my slaves. I look forward to seeing you all become better girls in the future,”

On a lighter note, Chizaram smiled and said: “For the first time since I knew her, Ochomma talked like a human being,”

The girls all started laughing at Ochomma, but that didn’t deter her or make her ashamed. She began to walk in style with pride to brag about her achievement for her eloquence.

After the fun time, the maids all went back to their huts while the princess remained awake. She couldn’t sleep a wink as she thought about Ojadili, the strange man she met in the forest. Even though she tried to convince herself that Ojadili was of low class and a mere hunter, she couldn’t help but feel pity for him. At a juncture, she made up her mind that she’d bring him to the palace; even if it means making him one of the bodyguards or menservants just to be able to know more about him. The question that engrossed her mind was how to sneak out again. She knew it wasn’t going to be possible, especially when security would be stronger around her this time.

OpraDre

To be continued…