THE CROWN - EPISODE 7

He pulled her along with him and they walked to the Umuagwo Chief priest. She smiled and turned to glance at her Father before kneeling down.

The priest looked up at the sky

“urhmmmmm” his expression turned sour. The chants and claps died down. Something was wrong obviously.

He stood up hastily and turned around shaking his staff upwards

He looked down at Chioma on the floor and touched her with the staff

“Urhmmmmm” he nodded his head

Everyone was silent and confused at this rate

He looked at the calabash his aides each held

“A maiden who took oath of participation has not delivered”

He finally said something

“Eye of the gods, the one who is worthy to dine with the gods. What is the problem? The crowned prince has made his choice, why are you not blessing them?” One of the kinsmen asked

“A maiden who took an oath by raising the Umuagwo palm leaf has not returned it? That maiden must dance for the crowned prince before we proceed” he half yelled to the hearing of everyone

I started feeling scared. I looked at Mmesoma and she was already staring at me.

“Eye of the gods, what’s the essence of that? The prince has picked his maiden so can you kindly proceed” the Igwe added calmly

“Urhmmmmm” he looked up at the sky

“No!!! Your Majesty that maiden must dance” he shouted and everyone quivered

I could see the fire in Mmesoma’s eyes and hear my heartbeats increase

“Who is this maiden?” One of the kinsmen asked

“She’s here, come out drop theleaf and dance for the prince” he yelled.

My feet started tapping

He turned to look at the instrumentalist and gestured them to start playing. Mmesoma and I locked our eyes and I read she was urging me to come out quickly.

I felt like my fever increased and my head ached more.

I slowly walked out, the villagers mumbled amongst themselves, the kinsmen and even the Royal family. Wait! Emenike? Wha… what? What is he….?

Chioma and the prince stood there staring

I walked to the aide with a palm leaf and dropped it in the calabash.

I avoided eye contact with everyone else and slowly began moving my legs to the beat.

I started dancing with different thoughts on my mind. I was weak but I needed to do this

I raised my head and my eyes met with Emenike. I could see from his eyes plenty of apologies.

Why did he lie about who he is? Why did he lie to me?

I was tired but I enjoyed dancing

I wanted to stop but I didn’t see myself doing that

Why did I want to participate at all? What’s the need for this?

I closed my mind to everything else

I moved my gaze from Emenike and looked down

I danced smiling, I danced to my heart’s content before I stopped dancing

Everyone clapped, chanting praises

I looked at Mmesoma and she smiled

“The maiden has danced, can we proceed with the chosen maiden now? The prince has been standing for too long”

Onuwu said… Chioma’s Father

I turned to walk away but not before glancing at Emenike
“Stop!” he yelled

I turned and it was the Chief priest

He walked to me and I got terrified at every step he took.

He walked round me shaking his staff, he stopped in front of me and touched me with it.

He looked up and smiled

“The gods of our land have disagreed the prince’s decision” he said still looking up

It was silent, I guess I wasn’t the only one confused

“What is going on? What are the gods saying?” The King questioned

“The gods are wiser your majesty. Our people say.. a child may be wise but the knowledge of the parents reads many many things”

He answered instead

“Speak to us for we are lost at what is going on”

“The Prince’s choice doesn’t not rhyme with his destiny. The fate of our next Queen of Umuagwo does not correspond to that of the maiden chosen by the prince”

The King stood up from his chair, the Queen too.

I turned to stare at Mmesoma, she was much as confused and afraid as I was.

“Wise one, eye of the gods… Your words are like that of an aimless hunter, speak to us properly” Igwe said

“Urhmmm..”

He brought out two white beads from his animal skin cross bag , he stuck his staff into the ground.

He took my hands and slide the beads into it.

The villagers grunted

“She is the chosen one. She is to marry the crowned prince. She’s the next Queen of Umuagwo. Adenike.. daughter of Olatunde and Obiageli”

“She’s also not a true maiden of the soil” Onuwu yelled after the Chief priest

“Eye of the gods, what is going on?”

“Before the Umuagwo dance for the prince, the crowned prince is blessed by the gods to make the right choice to avoid such situations so what happened this time”

“How can the gods choose her? She’s not a true maiden of the land”

“Yes she can participate but never to be Queen”

The kinsmen kept talking

I was dumbfounded, I couldn’t move nor speak

“The gods have chosen, she’ll be the crowned princess in three Eke market days”

The priest added

“Nooo!!!” Igwe yelled, everyone moved back a little

“I too will not accept this, I will only get married to the maiden who I have chosen” the crowned prince finally said something

My eyes met Chioma and she looked at me with so much disgust.

My head was starting to spin, my fever felt worst…. I felt too weak to stand so I fell

“Adenike? Are you okay?” Mmesoma rushed to me.

“Dear? It’s going to be fine, I promise”

“Mother?” I muttered lowly

I guess she followed us here even though we told her not to bother.

“Eye of the gods, if this is a joke please stop it” another kinsmen said

“Thunder shall strike whoever takes the gods decision a joke…. Igwe! I will be back only to blessing their marriage”

“To my chosen one right? Are we good now?” The crowned prince said

“No, to her. The maiden chosen by the gods”

Mother helped me to get up along with Mmesoma

“Please, I beg of you… Save my daughter from all of this… We’re not interested ” mother said teary

“Mother?” I called weakly

“we all don’t have a say to this. If the crowned prince doesn’t get married to the chosen one, great calamity will befall the land” he took his staff and left with his aides.

I took one last glance at Emenike before leaving with Mmesoma and mother.

We got up and I sat.. Mmesoma rushed to go get me water

I drank

Mother asked her to go get me a wrapper to cover up.

“Mmesoma please stay with her, I will go get some herbs” mother said. She left

Mmesoma sat beside me

I looked down sadly and confused

“Are you okay?” She questioned worriedly

“Emenike lied to me, our friendship meant nothing to him? I thought we were friends” I said sadly

She placed her hand on mine

“Don’t think about it, just rest please”

“And this”

I looked at the beads, I started taking them off

“Don’t Adenike, the chief priest gave them to you himself, you are not allowed to” she said

“Mmesoma.. I don’t like this. I don’t want this”