Episode Fourteen: Change My Fate

Tade stared at Adeyeri, speechless. It didn’t make sense. Adeyeri had proposed marriage to her casually as though he was offering her a meal to solve her hunger issues, and not a decision that could change their lives forever.

“Are you not going to say anything?” he prodded after a few minutes of roaming the room, waiting for a reaction. 

Her response was to scoff, roll her eyes, and go sit on a wooden stool near the door. Her insolence irked Adeyeri. She had reacted as though he was the town drunk who had just made a foolish suggestion. He scratched his forehead in frustration as he turned to the window and looked out,

hoping to find inspiration. She was the only one in Iludoyin Kingdom who treated him like he was simply any other person, and even though it irritated and upset him, it also endeared her to him. 

If things were different, if he hadn’t just found out that she was his Abobaku, this idea of marriage wouldn’t have been absurd. A monarch married for allegiance and to get more influence, but rarely for love. Tade wouldn’t give him either, or the rare love some Kings found, but she would give him wisdom and the power of her god. If he was also being honest with himself, he would enjoy having her in his bed. His attraction to her was undeniable.

“I was only trying to help,” he said, turning to face her, but she refused to meet his eyes.

“Is marrying you the only thing that can be done?” she asked, musing over it.

“I am not even sure it can be done, and the Chiefs will never allow it. I need you to be crowned as King.”

“But you said it doesn’t have to be me, that I can change my fate as Abobaku if I am no longer a virgin.”

Adeyeri scowled and charged towards her, stopping himself at her feet. “Are you willing to jump into bed with anyone and lose your virginity just to avoid your fate?” he accused.

“Do I seem like that kind of woman to you?” she retorted, rising to her feet, the ire in her words unmistaken.

Adeyeri turned away from her, trying to calm himself. He realised that the idea of Tade escaping to marry another man who could sleep with her was more troubling for him than losing the Abobaku that would make him King.

“You really don’t want to be my Abobaku?” he asked, solemnly.

“Who would happily embrace a fate like that?” she inquired of him.

They were both calm now, but the frustration and helplessness of the situation left them reeling.

Tade took deep breaths, struggling to keep herself from bursting into tears, and would have probably succeeded if Adeyeri hadn’t asked what was wrong with her.

“Isn’t it obvious?” she asked sarcastically then burst into uncontrollable tears, heaving and panting as the tears flowed.

Adeyeri had never been in a situation where he had to comfort a woman, so he did not know what to do. He leaned against the wall, and just watched her cry.

She shouldn’t have come to me.

I can’t change her fate.

She has to be my Abobaku.

Changing her fate could ruin my destiny.

I have to be King.

I need her!

These thoughts raged in his heart as Tade’s tears continued, and she dropped to her knees. Her tears had moved him, but seeing her on her knees shook him. The scar on her back was also a reminder that this woman had been willing to die for him because she thought he had so much to achieve in the world.

Why was the thought of dying with him at old age then bothersome for her?

Even as the thought formed, he knew why. A quick death was what every warrior prayed for, and Tade had the heart of a warrior. She would never be okay to just become a Chief, ordained to die, her life not amounting to anything; no husband, no children, and no family. He could also die young. There was currently an assassin trying hard to make it happen.

Adeyeri moved away from the wall and approached her, pulling her up. Her face was a mess, and he cradled it with one hand, while wiping her tears away with the other. “Tade why did you come here? I am the last person that can help you,” he said, searching her eyes, and he found his answers there even before she said them in words.

“You are the only one I trust to help me. I can’t be an Abobaku. I hate the title. It can’t be my fate.”

She trusted him.

“Trust me Tade, none of the past Abobaku liked it at first. Your father didn’t, but in the end, he lived a good life…”

Tade didn’t let him finish. She shrugged his hand away. “What exactly are you saying?”

Adeyeri raised his brows in confusion. “What do you mean?”

Fresh tears began to brew in Tade’s eyes. “Are you saying that my father was alive when I arrived in Iludoyin Kingdom?” 

Adeyeri sighed. The situation was getting out of hand. “Didn’t you know?”

Tade looked away, her vision blurred by her tears. “I didn’t know… I don’t know him… They abandoned me!” she said and began to cry again.

Adeyeri couldn’t watch her pain this time. It was raw, and it broke his heart to imagine the kind of confusion she must have gone through growing up. He pulled her into his arms, and she buried her face in his chest, her tears soaking his shirt, while his arms rubbed her back, carefully avoiding the part where her wound was still mending.

I have to help her!

It’s foolish, but honourable.

I am a man of honour!

This time Adeyeri did not ask questions, he had made up his mind to ease her worry. Tomorrow, he would seek out Otun to see what could be done to avert her destiny as Abobaku.

“I am going to marry you,” he announced.

Tade lifted her head to look at him. “Does it have to be you?”

Her question confused him, and she saw it in his eyes. “You are going to be King. This can affect your future.”

Adeyeri sighed, understanding her meaning fully. “Our future,” he whispered, as he put her face back on his chest.

“I have no family. How will you pay my bride price?” she asked quietly, the impossibility of the situation gawking at her.

“I will think of something,” he replied, his hand gliding over her back in a comforting manner. 

For the first time since she could remember, Tade felt safe. The problem was going to be handled by someone else, and it was the sweetest feeling ever. However, as Adeyeri held her in his arms, he was thinking of another way. He liked her, but there was no way he could marry her and still become King. Even if she was no longer an Abobaku, she could never be the Queen, and more than any affection he may have for her, Adeyeri wanted to be King. Becoming King was how he was going to avenge his father’s death and continue the family dynasty.

Alani felt like he had just hit a jackpot! He couldn’t even wait till the next morning when he and Queen Wuraola had agreed to see each other so that he could deliver the message from the errand she had sent him. He knocked on her door, but hid when her maid opened instead.

Wuraola,whose instincts were on high alert, told the maid to go away for the night and not disturb her till morning. She said it loud enough for anyone who did not want to be seen visiting her to hear.

“I heard a knock,” the maid said, not wanting to leave, but Wuraola’s scowl sent her racing away.

A few minutes later, Alani knocked again, and this time Wuraola herself came with a thin sharp knife to open the door.

“Ahh! My Queen!” Alani exclaimed when he saw the knife.

Wuraola moved aside to let him in, putting the knife under her pillow. “This had better be good. I wasn’t expecting you.”

Alani smiled widely, happy to be able to please her, and from the clues he had put together from the errands she had been sending him, this would please her.

“Stop smiling and get on with it! Did you see my son?”

Alani comported himself quickly. “I am sorry, my Queen, I saw him. I gave him your message. He said he couldn’t trust me with his feedback, but you should expect to hear from him soon.”

Wuraola sighed. It wasn’t the feedback she was expecting. She needed to know when  Adeloye  would join her in the fight to take back his destiny. Too much was happening now to leave anything to chance, and she didn’t know her son enough to predict his strategy, even though they had been sending messages to each other for a while now.

Thankfully, Adeyeri had gotten the Chiefs off her back by insisting that she must not be made to swear. She smiled at his foolishness. He was such a dear boy, and a part of her hoped that he could leave with his life after all this was done. She didn’t want him to die, but whatever had to happen to give her son the throne that was rightfully his must happen. Sentiments be damned!

“Why are you still here?” she asked Alani, who was still standing before her. The man was useless and looked very untrustworthy. Maybe that was why Adeloye did not want to send a message through him.

“I have information that would interest you,” he said, beaming, but his smile evaporated when he saw that the Queen was in no mood for suspense. “Prince Adeyeri has a woman with him in his room.”

Wuraola raised her brows, wondering why this needed to be brought to her attention. She didn’t expect a man of Adeyeri’s age to be a virgin. Even though he never brought women to the palace, she knew he always went out to meet them. “Why is this important?”

“I heard her crying, but Prince Adeyeri also mentioned that he was going to marry her.”

Wuraola looked keenly at Alani, wondering if he was spinning this, but it appeared he was telling the truth. “Is the woman pregnant?”

“I didn’t hear that part,” Alani said, scratching his ears.

Wuraola shook her head in irritation. “How does this information help me? What else did you hear?”

Alani looked down in dejection, wishing he had not brought the news to her. He had thought it would serve as a reason to earn more cowries and win her trust, but now it made him look foolish.

Wuraola saw how he felt, and didn’t want him discouraged. The information could prove valuable.

Adeyeri was considering marriage.

“Thank you, Alani. You were right to bring this to me. You may leave.” Alani turned to leave. “Wait!” she said, and picked up a small bag of cowries from under her pillow. She threw it at him. “Keep the information coming!”

Alani smiled brightly at the small fortune tossed at him. “I am yours till I die, my Queen.”

Wuraola smiled. His life in service to her was all she wanted. She waved him away, and he exited. His revelation had given her work to do. Adeyeri could never hide this from her. She had to find him and learn what this was all about. If he had impregnated a woman who he was willing to marry, his claim to the throne would become stronger with a possible heir. Such a woman, and the baby in her womb, must be killed quietly.

Two Weeks ago

“The plan must not fall apart because of your stubbornness. Do you want the Chiefs to suspect that you do not want to do your duty?” Otun asked Tadeyanju.

He had gone to greet him in the prison where he was kept till the King was buried since he attempted to run away and Iyalode had caught him.

Tadeyanju laughed. “It is all part of the act. We need them to believe that I am going to die with the King. It is only normal for anyone to resist death. If I surrender too easily, they will suspect us, and that will throw a scent on our plan.”

Otun nodded in understanding. “We will send for your daughter tomorrow as part of Adeyeri’s coronation plan.”

Tadeyanju raised his brows in confusion. “My daughter will not be made to suffer the Abobaku fate! Isn’t that why I am doing this? We killed King Adeyanju, I escape dying with him, and that way, we can ruin his path as King, and my heritage as Abobaku. Have you forgotten?”

Otun scratched his head. “Let’s have this conversation after the burial, when we have successfully swapped you with the volunteer from Ilameji kingdom.” He’d barely finished when Tadeyanju pulled him back, chains still in his hands. “What are you doing? You will alert the guards!” Otun whispered.

“My daughter is not going to be Abobaku!” Tadeyanju declared.

“Just calm down. Let’s get through with the plans tonight and save you from your fate first. Then we will talk about your daughter.”

Tadeyanju scowled, but helpless in chains, he watched Otun go. He was determined to fight with all he had because his daughter was not going to become an Abobaku.

Present Day

“Tadeyanju, you are alive because I helped you,” Chief Otun said.

The two men were in a secret hut where they carried out their meetings about their future. Changing Tadeyanju’s destiny as Abobaku, and helping Otun become King had been the plan all along. Everything had worked well so far, until now!

“I am alive because you need me. My first job is done. Adeyanju is dead. You can become King.”

Otun laughed wickedly. “I am not foolish,” he said, glaring at Tadeyanju. “Adeyeri was supposed to die. He is alive. How can I become King when there is an heir?”

Tadeyanju poured more palm wine in his bowl and drank it. “Trust me, Adeyeri will die. My men are set to get him.”

Otun shook his head, not liking Tadeyanju’s plans. “Your men are desperate, and so far, they are doing a messy job. They shot a girl instead of the Prince. We don’t even know if the girl recognised them.”

“It doesn’t matter if she did. She is nothing.”

Otun rose. “Tadeyanju, the girl has been lurking around the Prince for a while. Your men should go and find out who she is. Why is she with the Prince? What if she is protecting him?”

Tadeyanju laughed. “Your desperation is making you paranoid. The girl is nothing, but if she makes you uncomfortable, I can tell my men to finish the work. They will find her and kill her for good this time.”

“Kill her and kill the Prince. I don’t want loose ends.”

Tadeyanju poured a drink for Otun. “Sit and drink. I will sort this out.” Otun did as he was told. “You will be King, but my daughter cannot be your Abobaku. I am doing all this to keep her alive. If you won’t keep your end of the bargain, let’s stop this here and now.”

Otun dropped the calabash of palm wine. “I am not trying to give your daughter this fate. It’s her destiny. To be King, I need a legitimate Abobaku.”

Tadeyanju rose, walked to the door then opened it. “Leave!” he bellowed at Otun.

“Why are you being unreasonable, my friend?” Otun said, rising.

“We are not friends. We are partners. I will do my part, and you will do yours. My daughter’s fate must change.”