Betrayed

by Ifeanyi Esimai

“Your Highness, I present Nuju Ademola from Nuso.”

  The King looked at me. “Did she bring any gifts? I love gifts.” He cocked his head, eyes narrowed, and his face looked like a storm was brewing. “The one that caused my daughter to make a stupid decision in public? I should have you put to death!”

  A cold chill ran down my spine. Enitan had said don’t talk, and I remembered just before the words left my mouth. It sounded like a grunt. That wasn’t good, either. You don’t grunt in front of a king.

  “What?” asked King Kenzi. His lips pressed together, face tightening.

  “That was my stomach, sir,” said Enitan.

  “I only changed my mind because Segun said you were more useful alive.” His eyes washed over me and seemed to soften. “Young woman, do you have any combat skills?”

  Combat? I looked at the king and then at Enitan. She seemed as flustered as I was.

  “Can you fight?” asked the King.

  “I can hunt,” I said.

  “With a catapult!” somebody in the court yelled.

  Laughter broke out to my left. I was so much in awe and dread of seeing the king I’d developed tunnel vision when we walked in. To our left were about ten noblemen dressed in different cuts of dashiki and kaftans, their attention glued to what was going on. I started to tremble, scared of what the outcome would be.

  “I don’t have time for this,” said King Kenzi, waving his hand dismissively. “The gods have spoken, and we must retrieve the stones. My children's lives are in danger. Others will brief you; now go, and consider yourself lucky.”

  I only stopped trembling after we left the king’s court. It was one thing to be angry with someone but a different matter to stand in front of that person, the center of scrutiny.

  Enitan snorted once we were outside the throne room. “I can hunt,” she said, mimicking me and shaking her head as the door to the king's court shut behind us.

  “What should I have said? I’m not a professional fighter. Hunting is the closest thing to fighting I’ve ever done.” I didn’t add the training Baba had given Dotan and me.

  “You should have said that,” said Enitan and continued to walk. “Don’t pretend; say it as it is.”

  We’d gone down a few corridors and climbed a few stairs and were quite away from the king’s court, but I was still angry from what she’d said. I grabbed Enitan by the arm. “I don’t pretend about anything.”

  “All right,” said Enitan and smiled. “Just checking.”

  We walked some more, then stopped in front of a door. Enitan knocked.

  “Come in,” said a muffled voice from inside.

  Enitan adjusted her clothes, then that mask-like calmness came down her face again. “Shall we?” She pushed down on the door handle and stepped in.

  I walked behind her into the room, and sitting by a table, was Princess Bonetta.

  Chapter Eleven

  The room smelled of rose water, lavender, and ginger, and was decorated in gold, pink, and purple colors. On one wall hung a tapestry of men dressed in turbans and white and blue flowing garments, sitting on a Persian rug smoking a hookah, with trays of food and fruits before them. In the background, horses, camels, and date palm trees. Qtarians, I thought.

  A Persian rug with intricate designs of towers and abstract shapes lay on the floor of Princess Bonetta’s apartment. It was like the one in the tapestry, with deep cushions scattered on it tastefully. Most of the pillows had the image of a snake in the right corner. It must be a Qtarian thing, some symbol, I thought.

  “Hello. Nuju, right?” said Princess Bonetta, the fire and emotion gone from her voice.

  I nodded, too nervous about speaking. What was going on? I’d met the king, now the princess.

  “Your Highness,” said Enitan and curtsied. I did the same.

  The scared woman that had kneeled in front of the king yesterday was gone and was replaced by a confident Bonetta. Close up, the princess was gorgeous, a darker shade of bronze with long black braids that fell to her shoulders. She wore a tunic and a small waistcoat with beautiful embroidery and loose baggy pants tapered at the ankle. She looked and dressed the part of a princess, a princess from Qtaria.

  Princess Bonetta walked around me. “I admire your strength. The way you stood up for that girl, her cries broke my heart.”

  She spoke with confidence, with the same hint of an accent from yesterday.

  “I understand the girl is no relative of yours,” said Princess Bonetta. “Not even from the same village. You only met just before the ceremonies were to start.”

  “Yes, Your Highness,” I said in the common tongue. “I’m sorry, my Edo is not very good. I understand, though.”

  “That’s alright,” said the princess. “My Qtaria seems to be stronger now than my Edo,” she said in the common tongue then.

  I took a deep breath. “I’d met Kamara a few hours before. It was a spur-of-the-moment decision. I… I have a sister about the same age as her.”

  “Maybe, but it doesn’t belittle the fact you’re a good person at heart,” said the princess. “Have you had breakfast?”

  I turned to look at Enitan to help me decide what to say. My stomach let go of an angry growl.

  The princess laughed. “Okay, that means no. Over here.”

  We stepped down into a lower area which had a dining table filled with different fruits, foods, and drinks. Mangoes, guava, eggs, bread, cakes, black eyed pea cake, and other baked goods I’d never seen before.

  “Help yourself,” said Princess Bonetta and pointed to some plates and cutlery. “They gave me enough food to feed an army.”

  I got a plate and piled everything that would fit on it and started to eat. I grabbed bread and made an egg sandwich. A pot of sweet tea sat on the table, and I filled my cup and drank as I chewed. This was a departure from my usual breakfast of pounded yam and vegetable soup at Nuso. I was not a heavy eater, but I was hungry after two days of trials and good food was welcome.

  Enitan did not eat but stood and watched. I ate my fill and drank another cup of sweet tea.

  “Excellent food. Did you make it?” It wasn’t what I’d wanted to ask, but the food was excellent.

  Bonetta jerked her head to her right. “No, Rahima, my companion from Qtari did.”

  A tall copper-skinned girl, about twenty and dressed in similar clothing as Bonetta, emerged from the shadows. I never knew there was a third person in the room. Her hair was jet black. She was pretty, but her cold dark eyes told a different story. She was the same woman who had helped the princess off the platform yesterday.

  The princess turned to Enitan and smiled. “Thank you so much for preparing Nuju. You can now leave us. There are some things I wish to discuss with her.”

  “But, Your Highness,” Enitan protested. “I cannot leave you alone. She might…” Enitan’s voice trailed off.

  “Harm me?” Princess Bonetta cocked her head. “Don’t worry about that.” She raised her head, a subtle signal to Enitan that she was pushing it too far.

  At that moment, Rahima strolled up. Enitan’s eyes moved from the Princess to Rahima.

  “I’ll be outside the door, in case you need me,” said Enitan.

  Enitan headed for the door with Rahima on her heels.

  “Come and sit, tell me all about yourself,” said the princess.

  I sat beside her in her living room and felt shy. I’d never been the focus of so much attention. “Princess—”

  “No, call me Bonetta.”

  A nervous giggle escaped my lips. “Ok, Bonetta, there’s nothing much to talk about me. I’m sixteen, grew up in Nuso. My father was a hunter. We lost him when I was six…” I told her everything up till the harvest day. I excluded how Baba died and recent events, like the bird with the human face and the darkening of the sky when the priestess selected Kemi.

  Hands folded in her lap, Bonetta smiled. “You’ve had an exciting life, and what you did for your sister was noble.” Bonetta sighed. “My life was
very structured and boring. Our mother died young, too. I had a tutor for everything. How to sit, speak right, schooling; nothing unexpected, but challenging. They wanted perfection. Then Father sent me to Qtari.”

  The princess told me about the people there. They had their own problems, but the color of a person’s skin was not an issue. It was more of what was in your mind, your intellect.

  “In some families, the husband is dark-skinned and the wife light-skinned, or vice versa, and they got along just fine.”

  My stomach tightened, but I knew I should ask. “Why am I here? Why are you telling me all these things?”

  Bonetta exhaled, looked down, and twiddled her fingers. “A lot has changed in Ode since I went to Qtari. While I was there, I heard about the sacrifices, but I couldn’t believe it until yesterday.”

  Bonetta looked up and our eyes locked. She still hadn’t explained why she was talking to me. She could have picked any of the other volunteers.

  “My brother Taka is the Crown Prince. He’s waited all his life to inherit the kingdom after Father. When the stones are found, it will be difficult to keep the kingdom unified under one ruler. It will go back to the way it was before Father…”

  Bonetta’s voice trailed off. I knew what she wanted to say; before the king attacked other kingdoms.

  “Other kingdoms will fight the king's military might with magic because I doubt Father, not Taka, would give up the unified kingdoms easily. They can only fight back with the soldiers. Magic seems to have skipped us.”

  I nodded. “So, finding the stones is not in the best interest of your father?”

  “No, not Father, Taka. I love my brother to death, but I’ve seen what love for power can do to people. It changed Father.”

  I didn’t know what to say. I sat there and waited for her to continue.

  “If the stones are not found in four weeks… you, me, all the kids brought in… and… Segun...” Bonetta’s voice quaked like she wanted to cry. “Oh, poor Segun. He came to my rescue.” Her eyes were cloudy with tears.

  I swallowed hard. Bonetta’s whimper and the pounding of my heartbeat in my ears seemed to be the only sounds in the room.

  Bonetta squeezed her eyes shut, and a tear rolled down her cheek. She wiped it with the back of her palm. “If anyone can find the stones, Segun is the one.” She glanced around. “Be careful, be on the lookout for trouble.”

  I frowned. “But why me? Why not any of the other volunteers?”

  Bonetta paused and raised her chin. As she was about to speak, we heard raised voices outside. There was a quick knock, and the door opened a crack.

  Enitan’s sweaty face poked in. “It’s Prince Taka! I—”

  The door burst open, and a young man that looked like a younger version of the king, but handsome, strolled in.

  Chapter Twelve

  Prince Taka? I jumped to my feet, heart pounding. Having him burst in just seconds after hearing about how evil he could be sent a chill down my spine.

  Prince Taka stepped into the room and spread out his hands. “Bonny!”

  “Taka!” said Bonetta. She stood up and ran into his arms.

  Prince Taka lifted her up and spun her around as they hugged each other. At last, he put her down and took a step back. “Look at you! You are now a woman.”

  “Of course,” said Bonetta and turned around slowly. “A lot happens in ten years.”

  “Sorry I couldn’t make it earlier,” said Prince Taka.

  His voice was a deep baritone, his jaw chiseled, and dark brown skin unblemished. I tried to connect what Bonetta had told me to this strong-looking prince.

  He let out a deep breath. “I had to take my regiment on a scouting mission,” he said.

  “You’ve always loved playing soldier, even when we were little,” said Bonetta.

  “Now it’s for real. I have command of my own regiment and can command more, once Father gives the go ahead. Now the king can retire in peace and know that he has a reliable, capable successor. I will keep the kingdom safe and united.”

  I stood there, speechless. Bonetta had just switched to a loving sister within seconds of telling me how bad Prince Taka could be. Prince Taka glanced at me and smiled. It was a practiced smile I was sure he presented to everyone he met, to put them at ease. He was in his military uniform with red, white, green and black ribbons strewn over his chest. The crest of the king, the shield and crossed spears, was embossed in gold on his chest plate. He had a friendly, handsome face, very different from his brother Segun.

  “You’re barely back, and you have gotten yourself in hot water,” said Prince Taka. “I heard you’ve earned yourself–sorry, you’ve earned for Segun–an all-expenses-paid trip around the kingdom.” His eyes drifted to me again.

  “Oh, I’ve forgotten my manners,” said Bonetta. “Taka, this is Nuju. Nuju, my brother, Crown Prince Taka of Ode.”

  Prince Taka walked towards me. I took a step back, and I felt my whole body go tense as his eyes swept over me from head to toe. He bowed at the waist, took my hand, and kissed the back of it. I felt hot all over.

  “My friends call me Taka.”

  “Um… I’m… I’m Nuju.” I stopped breathing. I’d never felt like this before. Something shifted in me. I wanted to run, and I wanted to stay. A feeling I’d never experienced before rushed through me.

  “Which one of the princesses of the North are you? I’ve fallen for you,” said Taka. He raised his head, his eyes never leaving mine.

  Did Enitan alter my looks that much? The crown prince planted kisses on my hand, moving up my arm. My pulse raced, and my mind screamed at me to pull my hand back and put a stop to it, but I couldn’t move. If I yanked my hand away, would he be amused? Offended?

  “Oh, cut that out and leave her alone,” said Bonetta and nudged her brother on the shoulder. “You haven’t changed, have you?” Bonetta shook her head.

  “People never change; they only learn to control their weaknesses,” said Prince Taka. “The gods know I’ve tried, but a pretty face…” His voice trailed off.

  “Nuju volunteered to travel with Segun on the quest.”

  Taka dropped my hand, stood up straight, and cleared his throat. He seemed to struggle to find the right thing to say. “What a shame. I mean, you are a thing of beauty.”

  “Thank… thank you,” I said, my voice coming back after the physical connection to him was broken. I inhaled. “And, I’m… I’m from Nuso.”

  Prince Taka narrowed his eyes. “Ah, I saw the panther pelt hanging by the stables. One guard said it was a lucky shot, and I asked him why he wasn’t the one that took it.” He bowed at me again. “Excellence must always be acknowledged.”

  What's going on? The only boys I’d been close to were my brother and his stupid friends. A lot was happening. A few minutes ago, Bonetta and I were talking about life and death. And how Taka could be front and center. Now they are joking around. Am I missing something?

  Prince Taka turned to his sister. “You’ve been away for what, eight years, ten years? You get home and right away stir up trouble. Are you trying to tell us something? You don’t like it here?”

  “Don’t be silly,” said Bonetta. “I couldn’t stand by and watch innocent people murdered.”

  The prince’s eyebrows shot up. “You call an order from the king murder?” He chuckled and walked towards Bonetta. “That’s… a treasonable allegation.”

  “Spear me,” said Bonetta.

  Prince Taka threw his head back and laughed. “Nice choice of words.”

  “Yes,” said Bonetta. “I can imagine the town crier’s news. ‘Princess Bonetta, arrested for crimes against the state.’ Even the statement sounds ridiculous.”

  Taka’s jaw tightened. It was so subtle that if I’d blinked, I would have missed it. But why does he have so much effect on me? This couldn’t continue. I hoped this was the last time I would have to interact with him.

  As the prince and princess continued to banter, I felt I was intruding
on the personal space of two siblings. Maybe they’d forgotten I was there. I should remind them so they can send me away or, better still, let me excuse myself.

  “Ahem, Your Highness!”

  “Yes?” Both Taka and Bonetta answered, two pairs of eyes on me.

  “Emm, Princess Bonetta, may I wait outside?”

  “Of course you may not,” said Bonetta. “It is you and me until the quest is over and magic is back. My life depends on you, and your life depends on me.”

  I felt the prince’s eyes on me as if he was physically touching me. I just wanted to get away.

  “But crops are failing, the gods must be appeased,” said Prince Taka, his face becoming serious again. “This talk about finding the Eternity stones makes little sense.”

  Bonetta pursed her lips and nodded. “True, rainfall I hear is sparse, but the rivers are still there. I told father the same thing. Crops are failing because they need water. The solution is to divert the Niger River into canals to water the farms.”

  Bonetta walked over to the table and picked up a piece of orange and held it.

  “For example,” continued Bonetta, “Qtari is virtually a desert, and they get a lot less rainfall than Ode in a year. They had no choice but to become masters of the soil and water. Imagine if they’d been sacrificing their citizens; nobody would be left.”

  “That makes sense,” said Taka. “Traveling always broadens one's mind.”

  “Oh, there’s a lot more I learned from them that would benefit our whole kingdom; this is just scratching the surface.”

  “But, do you know the implications of uniting those stones?” asked Prince Taka. “If those stones are united, anybody with the right combination of Oyirian in them can perform magic. Think of all the enslaved Oyirian people here in Ode. How many of them will overnight become formidable forces?”

  Bonetta shook her head. “No, Taka. Remember, magic was already in decline, rare in Oyiria before father’s… ehmmm for lack of a better word, foray. If they had magic, they would have used it to defend themselves.” Bonetta lowered her head. “If father hadn’t destroyed Oyiria and started his campaign to rule everything, I… I wouldn’t have been sent to Qtari.”