Episode Four – The King’s Wife Is Not Okay

Toriola scowled deeply. She had counted on the Chief Priest’s son, Yemi, for inside information about Adeyeri, but he hadn’t said anything of value all evening. She had even missed the folklore night, following him back to his family house to give him her body as a bribe in exchange for information about how Adeyeri really felt about the Chiefs’ decision not to crown his wife.

“I forgot how amazing you are in my bed.” Yemi said, pulling up his trousers.

Yemi wanted her back, yet he wasn’t going to show loyalty to her by betraying the King, and it irked her. What was it about Adeyeri that made people feel that they had to be on his side? As far as she was concerned, Areo’s loyalty to Adeyeri was why he was now a dead man.

“Is this how you plan to get me to become your woman again?” Toriola threatened gently as she tied her wrapper firmly.

“You know I would give you anything if it guarantees that I get you back, but where the King is concerned, I know nothing.”

“He is your friend. You used to drink and chase women together with Banji and…”

“Banji is the King’s friend because he remained loyal to him during his darkest hour, while I escaped to save my head from whatever assassin was trying to kill him, so he no longer holds me in high value. Besides, ever since he married that witch of his, it is as though he has become a new person who no longer has time for anything apart from matters of the village and his wife. My father hates her. I think I do too. Ever since she came into Iludoyin, things have not remained the same.”

Toriola scowled deeper. “I have no business with the witch Adeyeri married. It is him I hate!”

Yemi’s eyes widened in shock, and he quickly rushed to cover her mouth. “Why will you say such a thing about the King? It is treason.”

Toriola pushed him away and hissed. “I don’t care. Your so-called King used my brother till he died for him, and without any concern about how we, his family members, are coping. He moved on without even a simple courtesy visit. Now, my family is poorer than ever before because our back bone is gone.”

Yemi sighed. “Don’t make such assumptions. I may no longer be friends with Adeyeri like we used to be, but a truth I cannot deny is that he has the kindest soul. The people’s love for him was earned, just like your brother’s love and loyalty to him. Adeyeri gave Areo’s life meaning, and paid him three times more than any servant…”

“Yet, in the end, it would seem as though he was feeding him fat for the slaughter.”

Yemi moved closer to Toriola. “My dear girl, do not take this the wrong way because it is the truth; your brother died because of his lack of self control. If he hadn’t eaten Adeyeri’s food that night, he would still be alive.” Toriola swung her hand to land a slap on his cheeks, but he caught it. “Why would you even think of slapping me?” he asked angrily.

“How dare you say that about my brother?”

“How dare I say the truth? Toriola, give up your ambition. It doesn’t make sense. All you need to do is go and see the King. Tell him you are Areo’s sister, and see how much he would compensate you.”

Toriola hissed and snatched her hand away from him. “You are such a coward with only foolish ideas. I am going to get more than a few pitiful cowries from the King. All I need is information that can help me plant my friend as his Queen. Then, I will make my move.”

Yemi held Toriola by the shoulder. “Let me take you to the King. I will tell him that you are my wife-to-be, and that Areo was your brother. Adeyeri will give us more than cowries. He might even give us…”

Toriola shrugged out of his hold, cutting him off sharply..“You are an idiot who is simply watching out for his pocket. You want to use me to get closer to the King, and I will not allow it,” she said, then stormed out of his room.

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The whole village was supposed to be at the folklore night, so Toriola had carelessly left Yemi’s room without watching out in case someone was coming. This was how she walked into the Chief Priest, Oluawo, who had in fact, been eavesdropping on her conversation with his son, Yemi.

“I am sorry, Oluawo,” she begged, going down on her knees in fear, but the man simply smiled and pulled her up.

“Come with me!” he commanded, and she did so in fright. He was the spiritual powerhouse of the village, and there were tales about how he had turned a child into a goat just for crying too loud and disturbing his sleep.

“Sit down!” Oluawo commanded again when they got into a room with so many relics, it could be the highly revered shrine of Iludoyin, where the deadliest spiritual decisions and incantations were made.

“I am really sorry sir.” Toriola begged again, going down on her knees instead of taking the seat she was offered. She regretted that her desperation had led her here, when the fear of the Chief Priest was the main reason she had broken up with Yemi in the first place.

“Sit down!”

“Let me remain like this, Oluawo.”

The Chief Priest shrugged, unbothered by her choice. “Why do you want your friend to be Queen? Why can’t it be you?”

Toriola’s face widened in shock, her greatest fear, realised. She was certain that the Chief Priest had heard her conversation with his son, and feared that she would be sacrificed to the gods, or banished to the evil forest.

“I didn’t mean it like that,” she said shakily, but the Chief Priest simply smiled.

“Don’t be afraid. We can help each other. Sit!” Toriola rose slowly, confused. “The Chiefs and I need a woman who can become our Queen. With your beauty and voluptuous body, I believe you are the best person for the job.”

“Queen?” Toriola wondered if she heard wrong.

“What my son told you is the truth. King Adeyeri is a good man. There is no point blaming him for something that was not his fault. What is really painful for you is the poverty your family is suffering because your brother is no more. If you become Queen, all that will be over.”

“Queen! I wanted my friend to be…”

“Forget it! Your friend can never be Queen. The King’s head is too lost in that witch of a wife, he cannot be lured by just anyone.”

“I am just anyone.”

“No, you are not! You are the sister of his beloved servant. He won’t turn you away so easily, and that will be the advantage you have to be able to get your hands on him. It won’t be as easy as getting into my son’s bed, but I believe you can do it.”

“With all due respect, Oluawo, sleeping with the King won’t make me Queen.”

The Chief Priest smiled. “You are a smart girl,” he noted. “You are right; sleeping with the King won’t make you Queen, but getting pregnant would do the trick.”

Toriola turned away. “It won’t be easy,” she said, but her head was already calculating how to make it work, and the Chief Priest noticed.

“Nothing good comes easy, and the gods have chosen you to take the Kingdom away from the witch who wants to rule it through King Adeyeri.”

“Marrying the King won’t avenge my brother,” she declared, musing over the idea of seducing the King, and betraying her friend in doing so. Abike was desperate to become Queen.

“What is a bigger revenge than killing Adeyeri’s first born son before it can be born?”

“Haaa!” Toriola exclaimed. “I just wanted a chance to deplete his coffers, enough to change the fate of poverty in my family, not hurt an innocent, unborn baby.”

The  Chief Priest laughed briefly then stopped abruptly, frowning. “What you wanted has changed! You were playing a smaller game before, but now, you have a real chance to become the Queen. Do you really want to miss it?”

Toriola shook her head. She really did not want to miss it. A better revenge was to share Adeyeri’s life with him in glory; the life that was saved because her brother’s life was sacrificed to preserve his.

The Chief Priest smiled in excitement. He had been right about the girl! “Give me your hand!” he commanded, and Toriola gave it to him, only for him to turn it around and in a blink of an eye, pulled out a knife, and cut a part of her palm.

“What are you doing?” Toriola shrieked from the unexpected pain, shocked.

“We are going into a partnership, and the guarantee of trust is your blood. If you betray me, you will choke on your own blood.”

“Haa!” Toriola snatched her hand away, but the Chief Priest took it again and squeezed some blood from her into a bowl.

“If you remain loyal, you shall be the greatest Queen Iludoyin has ever known.” Toriola nodded in understanding, even though she was very afraid, and the Chief Priest saw it in her eyes. “You have nothing to fear. Your reign begins tonight, and as a sign, there shall be tears in the palace.”

“Tears?” 

“Yes. Tears for a Prince who will never be born.”

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Tade woke up from deep sleep, sweating and panting. The sleep had been dreamless, but she couldn’t help feeling like she had been chased. Adeyeri woke up too, the sound of Tade’s panting loud enough to distract him from his sleep.

“Are you okay?” he asked, worried to see her sitting up on the bed. “You should be too tired from our dance last night to be awake so early.”

“It’s not yet morning,” Tade said, hearing footsteps and whispers of some of the palace inhabitants. “I don’t think we have slept for more than an hour.”

“In that case, what woke you up?” Adeyeri asked, guiding her to lay back in his arms, where she was sleeping before, even as he wiped her sweaty forehead with his palm.

“I think something is about to be wrong, but I don’t know what it is.”

Reflexively, Adeyeri touched her pregnant stomach as though to connect with the baby, and in response, he felt a kick, which excited him. “Our boy is active,” he boasted proudly.

“Who told you that he is a boy? She could be a Princess,” Tade said, trying to join in Adeyeri’s humour, but it felt flat.

“My love, we need a Prince to make it easy for me to…” Adeyeri was almost going to tell her about how difficult it was getting the Chief’s approval to crown her as Queen, but he stopped himself.

“Make it easy for you to do what?” Tade asked curiously, shifting out of his arms, but Adeyeri pulled her in closer.

“What woke you up, Tade?” he asked, changing the topic swiftly.

“I don’t know, but I feel heavy, jolsted. It’s probably nothing, let’s go back to bed!”

Adeyeri gently helped her back to bed, putting her head on the pillow. He was going to turn on his side to continue sleeping, but she was still panting. “Are you sure you are fine?” he asked. She simply nodded without answering, her breath changing. “I think we should pray. I am worried.”

Tade smiled. “Don’t be fearful, I am fine. Pregnant women go in and out of weird phases all the time.”

“I am not comfortable,” Adeyeri said, wiping the sweat that was building again on her forehead.

“Let’s sleep, Adeyeri!” 

His wife’s recommendation was not compelling enough, especially since he felt his peace leave him immediately. It may seem normal for Tade to wake up, panting, but he couldn’t bring himself  to calm down, so despite her closing her eyes and attempting to go back to sleep, Adeyeri began to chant in worship, inviting the presence of the Holy Spirit into their room. Soon, Tade began to sleep, yet Adeyeri continued in prayers, speaking in tongues till he felt peace, and slept off too.

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Few Hours Later

Adeyeri was convinced that sleep was a luxury he was no longer permitted to have now that he was King, because something more important than sleep always needed his attention with the Council of Chiefs. When Atoyebi came to alert him to their presence, he had been tempted to simply roll over, and cuddle his wife, who was still fast asleep, despite the intrusive knock that had taken him to the door. However, he couldn’t bring himself to do it. They were probably there because of his proclamation last night, and the earlier he concluded the matter with them, the better. Tade was going to become his Queen. The resolve gave him strength to bathe, dress up, and leave the room. He was surprised that despite all the noise he was making, Tade was still sleeping, unbothered and undisturbed. Usually, just a yawn was enough to wake her. 

“A woman is here to see you. The guards tried to send her away, but she said you will want to see her, and that they will get into trouble for turning her away, so they came to me,” Atoyebi said to Adeyeri before he could enter the throne room.

“Does this woman have a name?”

“She said her name is Toriola!”

Adeyeri considered the name for a few moments then shook his head. “I don’t know anyone by that name, but I will see her after my meeting with the Chiefs. If she says she is important, we can’t discard her without knowing for sure if she is telling the truth. Who knows, she may be a long lost family member from my mother’s side,” he said, then left Atoyebi to join his Council of Chiefs.

“Kabiyesi ooo,” all the Chiefs bowed as soon as he entered the throne room, and remained so until he sat and waved his hand that they could sit too.

“What brings you here today? We don’t have a meeting.” Adeyeri slightly accused the Chiefs without returning their greeting.

“Is our King tired of us already?” Osi replied, smiling to ease the mood.

“What brings you here today?” Adeyeri asked again, looking from one Chief to the other.

Balogun rose, his hands behind his back, solemn. Unlike Osi, he didn’t seem to be in a good mood. “My men have captured one stranger from the land of the Igbos, and two white demons at our borders. The Igbo man said they were in search of someone, but couldn’t really make a point. We have arrested them and brought them to you for judgement.”

Adeyeri shifted in his seat. This was a real issue! He had assumed the Chiefs were here to sing their usual song of discouragement about his choice of wife. “White demons? Do you mean white men? The ones that come in through boats?”

“Yes, my King! They have been wreaking serious havoc in Igbo land, forcing their children to learn their ways, and now they are invading our lands too. Just last month, I heard they came in numbers to see the Ooni of Ife to propose a similar deal. These are really scary times! I heard his Chiefs convinced him to take the deal, or else he could risk an invasion. Those white demons have arrows that can kill instantly at the click of the finger.

“Eh!” Iyalode exclaimed. “And now they have come to Iludoyin?”

“I suggest we sacrifice them to the gods before they go and report findings about our Kingdom,” the Chief Priest opined.

“No!” Adeyeri said firmly. “There shall be no human sacrifice. These people are humans like you and I, not demons.”

“Why are they in Iludoyin? We don’t want them,” Iyalode said, looking obviously disturbed.

“How can you say that you don’t want them when you don’t even know them?” Adeyeri replied.

“What we know is that they have been introducing a strange god everywhere they go, but before this, we know they were stealing our people, taking them away in their big boats, never to return them,” Osi explained.

“What does Kabiyesi suggest we do with them?” Balogun asked, looking genuinely confused and worried.

“Bring them here. We will question them to find out why they are lurking around our villages,” King Adeyeri commanded. “It is after we have spoken to them that we can declare them enemies.”

Balogun signalled to his men to bring in the prisoners.

“How do we question them, when we do not speak their language? Not even the Igbo man’s language.” Iyalode retorted, but Adeyeri simply smiled.

“This is where my Queen comes in. She can speak both Igbo and the white man’s language,” Adeyeri boasted.

“She can?” Iyalode couldn’t hide her surprise, while others gave knowing looks to indicate that they were not surprised that a witch could have such powers.

“With all due respect, Kabiyesi, you don’t have a Queen,” the Chief Priest said.

“In that case, organise the event as soon as possible. I want my wife to be crowned.”

“Kabiyesi!” Osi protested.

“I am not a King if I cannot choose my own Queen.”

“You are our King!” Iyalode said quickly, getting on her knees, and the others followed suit, bowing in reference.

“Tade is my Queen!”

“We cannot crown a pregnant woman, the gods will not permit it.” 

Adeyeri hissed. “You are always quick to create rules that are not verifiable to suit your plans.” 

“We are working in your best interest,” Osi said quickly, not trusting the Chief Priest to give a response that Adeyeri wouldn’t find offensive, but before anyone could say anything, Atoyebi entered the room.

“Yes?” Adeyeri summoned him.

“I have a message from the King’s wife.” ‘

“Is she okay?” the Chief Priest asked, unable to control himself.

“Yes, she is…” Atoyebi started to say, but the Chief Priest cut him off.

“Are you sure?”

Adeyeri observed the Chief Priest closely. “Don’t you want her to be okay?”

“Oh no! I want her to be, I was just worried. I had a bad dream about her last night, and I have been very worried.”

“Hmm…” Adeyeri muttered.

“If Kabiyesi will not mind, can I examine her just to be sure she is fine?”

Adeyeri scoffed. “I mind! You shall not be examining my wife. She is absolutely fine. Am I right?” Adeyeri faced Atoyebi.

“Ehmm, actually Kabiyesi, I would like to speak to you in private!”

“How is my wife?” Adeyeri bellowed, rising from his throne, about to storm out, when two guards came in with the prisoners, further silencing an already cowering Atoyebi.

“This will have to wait!” Adeyeri said to Balogun, who was ushering the prisoners forward.

As though they knew the King was the only person who could save them, the prisoners began to mumble words of explanation that no one could understand.

“Silence!” Balogun commanded, but they continued as though they too could not understand him.

“Deal with this, but don’t harm them,” Adeyeri commanded before he stormed out.

He thought he heard “Joseph” multiple times from one of the white men, but he wasn’t sure.  Even if it was what he heard, that could simply just be his name. Yet, Adeyeri couldn’t shake the feeling that it might be that they were looking for Brother Joseph. It was unlikely, but it was possible, the thought overwhelming him with worry, but Tade was foremost on his mind, and he asked Atoyebi again as soon as they were away from the Chiefs.

“Is Tade okay? What is her message?”

Atoyebi shook his head in fear. “Kabiyesi, she is not okay!”

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Ah! What is wrong with Tadeyeri? Is she fine? Is the baby okay?

Hmm… There is so much to find out in the next episode. Tell us, what emotions are you feeling right now?