by Kiru Taye
Does it really matter? Have you forgotten your position in his household, in the palace?
Pushing back the quiet voice in her head, she straightened, ignoring its cautious note. Instead, her eyes scanned the large chamber. The only light in the room was from the wicker lamp flickering on the dinner table, throwing the rest of the space into early evening shadows.
Ezinne liked the semidarkness. She felt comfortable in it. It seemed the darkness was the only time she could let her imagination loose. It also seemed the prince preferred the darkness. It was his idea to blow out the flames from the wall sconces leaving just the table lamp. Ezinne thought it gave the room a rather cozy, intimate setting.
She stood in the shadows without moving or making a noise. If she was required she would be available to attend to their needs without delay.
Watching the royal couple, her gaze stayed mainly on the prince who appeared unruffled, though she could feel the malicious glare coming from the princess.
Gooseflesh rose on Ezinne's skin. Her stomach tightened as if she'd eaten food that had soured.
No person seeing the princess's expression would believe they had once been playmates, friends even, albeit for a short while. It amazed her to think how things changed in a short period of time.
In truth, the princess had grown into a person Ezinne hardly recognized. There was no longer any trace of the child she played with years ago. The little, pleasant girl had turned into a pampered, vindictive woman.
"My prince, you spoil these servants too much. Little wonder they all make mistakes," Princess Nonye said in a sweet voice. Batting her eyelashes, she spooned some of the food onto Prince Emeka's plate.
The feeling of revulsion in Ezinne's stomach increased. She gritted her teeth to stop herself from throwing up, her earlier anger rising, this time directed at the princess.
Who was she to talk about mistakes?
"Nonye, everyone makes blunders. It is no reason to raise your hands to the servants." His tone was sober. However, she detected a note of grief in its depth.
Squinting, her frown deepened as queries disturbed her mind. She wanted to understand the prince – this man – who would come to her rescue when others would have added to her suffering.
What is his purpose? Does he expect favors in return for defending me from the princess?
Her past encounters with men in positions of power had taught her not to let her guard down. No favor was ever given freely. Shrugging, she dismissed the prince's rueful words as the princess's shrill voice jarred her back to the reality.
"How else am I supposed to make them learn from their errors? In my father's palace in Umulari, any slaves or servants who misbehaved were whipped as an example to others. They all soon learned to behave properly."
Prince Emeka's lips twisted and he shook his head in a slow motion. Could it be he was disappointed by Nonye’s words? He certainly appeared unhappy as he poured some wine from the gourd, a crease appearing on his usually relaxed forehead.
More astonishment speared through Ezinne's body causing her heart to jolt in her chest.
"Here in Umunri, we do things differently,” he replied. “Whipping is only reserved for those who actually commit a crime after being judged guilty. Every member of our community is a free person as we do not have slaves."
He paused, chewing on a piece of roasted goat meat.
Nonye turned and glared in Ezinne's direction. It was as if she was telling Ezinne with her eyes not to get any ideas about becoming a free person.
Now that the prince had said it, it made sense to Ezinne. She had wondered why the servants in this palace appeared happier than the ones in Umulari.
In the short time she’d been here—only two cycles of the moon—she’d not witnessed anyone being whipped in the palace. The only time there was any physical punishment was when the princess reprimanded her handmaidens. She gathered was that Prince Emeka was a firm but fair master.
For the first time in years, Ezinne felt she was treated as a human not as her master’s property.
"All servants are compensated for their service. As such, those in my household and in the palace are treated with the same respect we expect as masters. My father has never raised his hands to anyone. Neither have I. I expect you to be as equitable as the princess and future queen," he concluded before returning to his meal.
"Freed slaves? Paying servants for their service? That's the height of decadence. Why would you want to waste the palace resources on paying servants? They should feel privileged for serving the royal family—a household provided to govern them by the gods. Don't say I did not warn you if they all get out of control. I'll certainly not take the blame," the princess grumbled, shooting Ezinne one final glare before turning back to her meal.
Prince Emeka remained stoic, patting his wife's hand on the table. "Do not worry. If the servants in my house should revolt, then the responsibility will be mine to bear."
Glancing in Ezinne's direction, the lamp flame caught the sparkle in the prince's eyes, and his lips lifted at the corners in what she could only guess was a smile.
"You may leave us now."
Distracted by his reassuring smile, it took Ezinne a few moments before she realized he had dismissed her. Stunned, she remained immobile. She had never been dismissed during their dinner service before.
"My prince, what if I need her?" Princess Nonye's mouth thinned in a straight line, showing her renewed annoyance.
The prince's wide muscular shoulders lifted in a dismissive shrug. "Let the poor girl go and have her own meal. If nothing else, let her sit down. She stands at attention all day."
"She can relax when she's asleep. Her place is by my side serving me."
"In that case, she can sit down with us at the table. She will be closer at hand when you need her."
A loud, outraged gasp escaped the princess's lips, and her eyes narrowed as she pinned her gaze on Ezinne. "You are dismissed but don't go too far. This table will need to be cleared soon." She lifted her hand in a dismissive gesture.
Without further delay, Ezinne retreated toward the door. She wasn't allowed to turn her back to the royal couple so she had to walk through the door facing them. Before she stepped through it, she stole one more surreptitious glance at the prince.
His gaze caught hers. His lips trembled with suppressed amusement, laughter lines wrinkling his eyes. It was as if he'd just shared a silent joke with her.
And he winked at her.
Then she understood. He had turned the table on the princess by threatening to invite Ezinne to sit down with them when he knew the princess would never allow it. He'd known she'd have to relent and dismiss Ezinne.
Suppressing the smile that tugged at her lips, she reversed out of the room. With her heart thumping against her chest, she walked to the servants' quarters, still baffled though.
Why would a man like Prince Emeka help me?
She still couldn't understand it. No one in his position was that nice. Not in her experience. He'd noticed her. She wasn't so sure it was a good thing. A part of her wanted to go back to the anonymity of being just another servant. Despite its downside, there was some comfort in blending into the shadows and being faceless.
Now it seemed she couldn’t merge into the shade any longer. Like everything else in life, there had to be a price to pay. Would she be willing to pay it?
Finally sitting down on her pallet in the quarters she shared with the other handmaidens, the fluttering sensation returned to her stomach. This time it was a mixture of apprehension and anticipation.
Several things seemed certain in her mind. She wanted a life away from service. She wanted a life as a free person. She could attain it here in Umunri.
And Prince Emeka held the key to her freedom.
Chapter Two
"I'll be gone for four market weeks," Princess Nonye said, her sing-song voice lowered so no one outside the room could hear her.
For the first time in the two
months since they arrived in Umunri, she appeared excited. Ezinne would go as far as saying the princess was happy. Nonye’s eyes had none of the restless hardness that had confronted Ezinne last night in the prince's quarters. As she spoke, Nonye's lips rose in the corner but didn't break into a full smile. It was as if she was smiling because of some teasing mystery.
This was a side of her mistress only Ezinne, and perhaps Prince Emeka, was privy to. In the princess's quarters when they were alone, it was as if they were as close as they used to be as children. She was glad to be Nonye's confidant even if they were no longer best friends.
"Maybe even longer if I can get away with it. You will have to stay here and cover for me," Nonye continued, her fingertips brushing her lips in a light motion, her stare focused at a point on the wall as if studying the details of the landscape mural. She appeared lost in thought.
Dread crept down Ezinne's spine. Stiffening her back, she froze where she knelt, her nails digging into the wooden traveling case she was packing for the princess's journey. She could guess at the source of Nonye's fledgling happiness.
In her mind, she didn't even want to contemplate idea. Or its alarming consequences.
Creasing her brows in a frown, Ezinne turned to face her mistress, still on her knees. Nonye sat on a high-back hand-carved chair, one of two located near her bed.
Her private chamber was one of the most lavishly decorated in the palace. Only recently, an artist had been commissioned to paint a mural on the wall facing the large, raised straw-padded pallet. Peculiarly, it was the painting of the palace in Umulari.
Ezinne had no wish to be reminded of the place. Her memories of her hometown were not pleasant. However, she understood Nonye's reluctance to let go of her former home.
"That long? Why can I not come with you?" Ezinne asked. Unable to hide her unease, her voice quivered with her agitation. "I'm supposed to stay with you at all times. Remember?"
"Oh, don't be childish, Ezinne. You know very well the festival of light is only for a week, but I've told the prince I need to be in Umulari for longer to spend time with my father." Nonye adjusted her sitting position, uncrossing her legs.
"In any case, I'll be in my father's palace. There are plenty of servants, and no harm will befall me there. I'll explain to him that I needed you to stay here. Don't worry." She flicked her hand in the air in her usual flippant manner.
Despite Nonye's reassurance, Ezinne couldn't stop the nausea that twirled in her stomach. Something still didn't feel right.
She had lived with the princess since they were children. At one point they had played with each other daily. Ezinne's mother had served the queen, Nonye's mother, just as Ezinne now served Nonye.
The two girls had spent enough times together for her to know when all was not right with Nonye.
In this instance, the niggling feeling spread from the pit of Ezinne’s stomach covering her arms with goose bumps.
"My princess."
Ezinne cleared the lump in her throat, taking an immense breath before continuing. She needed to address this issue with fastidiousness and care. Nonye was nothing if not volatile.
"May I ask if you will be seeing Dike while you are in Umulari?"
Ezinne held her breath and watched Nonye flick her gaze back at her.
"Of course, I will. He'll visit the palace as always. It'll be good to see him again."
"But is that wise, my princess? I thought you decided to leave all that behind before you married the prince."
"Oh, you worry too much. I haven't said anything will happen. I just want to see him again, that's all. These past months, I've felt adrift…lost. I know my marriage is important, but so is my happiness. Surely you can see that."
"Surely, Prince Emeka makes you happy. You are the wife of the future king of Umunri. You are revered with practically everyone at your beck and call. Surely all this pleases you."
"You would not understand. You have never desired a man more than anything else. Neither has a man desired you in such a way."
Ezinne flinched, her grip tightening on the clothes in her arms. She frowned, surprised that Nonye's words hurt. She didn't want any man desiring her. Neither did she desire any man.
Still, she couldn't shake the sting of the other woman's words, and it reflected in her voice when she spoke.
"It may be so. But surely no man can be worth risking all this, not one like Dike." Ezinne voice was harsh, surprising even her.
Most times, she hid her annoyance. This time, she couldn't keep her feelings under restraint. Nonye's behavior last night had contributed to it.
"Don't take that tone with me, Ezinne.” Nonye's kept her voice low, her annoyance creasing her otherwise flawless egg-shaped face.
“Dike is more man than most men I know. I won't have you speak of him in that manner. You know very well my marriage to the prince is purely a political move for both kingdoms. Prince Emeka cares no more for me than I do for him."
Ezinne knew she'd hit a sore point about Dike. But she couldn't recant her words. The consequences of Nonye's actions would be disastrous. She had taken a vow to watch out for Nonye. It was her responsibility. Despite the apparent danger to herself if Nonye got angry with her and decided to punish her, she had to make her opinion known.
"I can't believe that. I see the way the prince is with you. He pays attention to you. I have never seen him offended or be aggressive toward you. He must care about you," she said, hoping Nonye would appreciate her reasoning.
Nonye shrugged. "So what?” she said. “This palace bores me. Being stuck here with no excitement.” She paused, shaking her head before turning to Ezinne.
“I have to go to Umulari. I have to see Dike again. All I need is to see him, and I feel alive. The thought that I can't have him, that I shouldn't have him drives me wild with insanity."
"But surely the prince is a good and considerate lover."
"Pah. What do you know about sexual affairs? You who have refused to take a lover. The kind of decadent pleasures you would have been introduced to are beyond your childish imagination. Sure the prince is a great lover, but I crave a lot more than he is able to give me. Do you know that…?"
Nonye came closer and whispered into Ezinne's ear.
The words Nonye breathed into Ezinne’s ears painted pictures in her mind she couldn't decipher, and her face flushed. Mouth agape she stared at Nonye unbelieving of her words.
The tinkle of Nonye laughter resounded in the chamber. "And you could have not just one but two at the same time."
"The gods forbid!"
"The gods have nothing to do with it. It is purely human pleasure, but I'm sure even the gods look upon it and feel jealous."
"Don't say such things. I really worry about you. Don't do this. What if the prince finds out?"
"He will not find out. Who will tell him? I know you will never do such a thing to me."
The princess’s golden eyes hardened as she touched her cheek in a gentle caress. "Remember what we once were. We are tied to each other. You cannot allow my downfall."
She broke the contact and moved away. "Even if he found out, he will be unable to do anything about it. A break in our marriage means war. Prince Emeka is a dutiful prince. He will not risk the future of Umunri for his personal pride."
Desperate, Ezinne tried a different approach. "Do you not even care that he will miss you when you are gone for all that time?"
"That's why you are staying behind. You will take care of his needs and make sure he has little time to wonder at my absence."
"How am I supposed to do that? I'm just a servant in the palace."
"You will be his companion,” Nonye said, in her usual instructive tone. “You will carry out the activities that I usually perform for him. Stay with him while he eats, massage him after his evening bath, and let him take his pleasure with you when he needs to."
Gasping with horror, Ezinne grasped her neck. A burning sensation twirled low in her stomach. "Surely yo
u do not expect me to bed the prince."
"You will see that his needs are met if he requires. You are a beautiful woman, and I'm sure with a little inducement he’ll have no problem taking you to bed."
Nonye glided back to her lounging chair but didn’t recline. She stood erect, her fingers tapping her arm in a gesture Ezinne recognized as mild irritation.
"I would rather it was you than some other social climber trying to get a foot into the palace. I know with you it would come to naught because you can never betray me. But there are others, especially Adaku, Ichie Omemma's daughter. I want her nowhere near the prince."
Ezinne frowned thinking her mistress irrational. "But isn't she already married? What would she want with the prince?"
Nonye’ curved brows lifted, her expression mocking. "What has marriage got to do with it?” she asked. “Just keep close to the prince and make sure she doesn't come anywhere near the palace. If she does, you have to let me know. Do you understand me?"
Ezinne’s chest rose in a defeated sigh and nodded in ascent. Like attempting to capture rain drops with a basket, she’d lost this line of reasoning. She would have to do as Nonye bid her. She had sworn to do whatever it took to safeguard Nonye. If covering for the petulant princess for a few weeks ensured her wellbeing, then there was no other option.
Nonye's downfall was surely hers too. They were bound together. Their link was irreversible.
"Good. I'm going to request the women prepare you and beautify you. I'll present you to the prince myself," Nonye said. A smile lifted her lips as the corners. She appeared content with Ezinne’s compliance.
Ezinne rose from her kneeling position and stood still awaiting further instruction. Oddly, the thought of the prince touching her did not instigate icy sweat to spread over her skin as expected.
Her pulse did not pound with fear.
For years she had avoided men after the trauma she'd endured. The thought of a man touching her body usually churned her stomach with fear and outrage.
With the prince she experienced different sensations—a strange smoldering of excitement and apprehension washed over her body. Why was that?
