Chapter ten

MMA'S POV,

Visiting my mother during weekends is what I always look forward to every week, I hastened up my feet when I sighted the small hut I and my mother lives in.

"Mama I'm back" I shouted once I entered the empty room we use as our sitting room. I stopped and searched the room with my eyes when I heard no sound.

"Mama" I increased my voice but there was no response.

"Did she went somewhere without locking the doors?" I asked myself as I kept the cellophane bag containing foods I was holding on the ground and went outside. I sat down on a log of wood we usually use to relax outside as I wondered where my mother might have gone to.

I was taken at the sound of strange noise coming from the bathroom at the extreme of our compound which I ignored. The sound came again and I was curious to know the cause of the noise. I took a long stick near me as I gently walked towards the bathroom ready to strike any intruder.

My eyes widen at the sight of my mother in the bathroom struggling with her breath.

"Mama" I screamed dropping the stick as I immediately run towards her.

I tried to carry her up which was not easy for me.

"Mama, what is happening to you, why are you lying down in the bathroom?" I asked while trying to lift her up.

"I'm okay, h..e..lp me u..p" she said with an inaudible voice as I supported her to get up.

"Mama you don't seem fine to me" I said while applying hot water on her forehead.

"Mma, you worry too much, I'm fine" she said with a faint smile but that also increased my worry.

"Mama, you can't tell me you are fine when I saw you lying down in the bathroom, mama what is happening to you" I said as tears trickled down from my eyes.

"My child, you know I hate seeing you cry" she said as she cleaned my tears with the back of her hands "I promise you I will be okay, I have met mazi Uche the herbalist and he gave me some herbs so there is nothing to worry about" she said as I stared at her not knowing what else to do. I felt like I can't leave her to stay alone while I serve at the palace.

"What if I was not around today, she might had been in the bathroom even till now" I thought to myself while staring at her as she was already dozing off.

Mrs Obi's POV,

I escorted my daughter to the wide road that leads to the palace as I went back to the house, I placed my hand on my left breast as I tried my best to endure the deep pain I was feeling on my left breast. I sigh when I remembered the words of the herbalist when I visited him because of the pains.

"Mrs Obi, your sickness is a strange one and I think what you need now is the help of a medical doctor which is hard to find in our kingdom. This is above my specialty so I advise you seek the help of a medical doctor" the herbalist said.

"But how can I get a medical doctor" I had asked because I knew Medical doctors are rare in the kingdom.

"As far as I know, there is no medical doctor in our kingdom but they are found in the city which is very far from our kingdom" the herbalist said.

"Maxi Uche, can't you help me? Atleast you can give me any herbs that will make the pain lessen, this pain is too much" I begged.

"I will give you some herbs that will help reduce the pains but they can't cure the sickness and you might die if you don't see a doctor anytime soon" the herbalist said.

"Woman watch where you are going to" I was interrupted by the voice of a bicycle rider as I looked around and found out I was really walking in the middle of the road.

Osondu's POV,

I was setting the table as the prince was busy with his phone. He suddenly kept his phone as he took one of the plates.

"I will serve myself" he said as I was surprised.

"My prince the queen will sack me if she sees you serving yourself" I said as he looked up at me.

"Can you do me a favour by not mentioning that woman's name?" He said almost like a question as I kept mute.

"You can join me" he said surprising me the more.

He walked towards me as he slowly sat me down on the seat opposite him. I sat down dumbstruck watching him serve the food.

"You don't have to stare at me like that, eat up" he said as he dug his spoon into the plate of food.

I gently scooped a little amount of the food into my mouth while watching him too.

"My personal maid, it seems you two are fond of each other" he suddenly said while busy with his food.

I looked round the dinning room in fear praying no one bargs into the room, I will automatically get sacked if anyone sees me eating in the same table with the prince.

"Are you okay" his voice brought me back to present.

"Uhm, I'm sorry I didn't heard you" I said.

"I'm talking about one of my personal maids, her name is Mma, what's your relationship with her?" He asked as I almost choked on my food.

"My prince, she is no one to me" I said immediately.

"That wasn't my question" he said as he fumbled with his phone.

"My prince I have no relationship with her" I said not understanding his weird behavior.

"Still not my question" he was still staring at his phone.

Sudden sweats appeared on my forehead as I ran out of what to answer him.

"I have not seen her since two days, do you have an answer to that?" He asked again making me wonder the sudden interest from him.

"She went to visit her mother" I replied.

"I see" he said as he kept his phone and focussed on his food.

Mma's POV,

I gently knocked on the door while waiting for the permission to enter, I wouldn't like to meet any obscure sight so I choose to stay outside until I get an approval to come inside as I was not in the mood to be reprimanded.

"Come in" I heard his deep voice as I gently pushed open the door.

I entered the room but was surprised as the vase of lily has already been replaced with a fresh one and the bed dressed.

"Good morning my prince but who.." I said pointing at the bed and the vase.

"I did" I was surprised by what he said.

"I heard you visited your Mother?" He asked while staring intently at me.

"Yes my prince, I'm sorry I left without informing you" I said as I almost knelt down.

"Hey don't kneel down, so how is she?" He asked as I was taken by surprise by his question. At a point I considered disclosing my suspicion about her looking unhealthy to him after all he was a medical doctor but I decided against it, I can't possibly expect him to help me out, the queen will kill me if she hears that.

"She is okay my prince" I replied while avoiding his steady gaze at me.

"Okay, your morning duty has been done already, courtesy of me so you can leave" he said as I nodded.

"Mma" he suddenly called as I turned to his direction.

"Stop overworking yourself, you are looking skinny" he added as I stared at him in surprise.

"Okay my prince" I replied.

"You can get some rest now" he said as he went towards his bed and lied down.

CHAPTER TEN

PRINCE POV,

I knew something was wrong but I couldn't place my hand on any solid fact, the Mma I know is always bright but the one I saw today was dull and something about her countenance was so dark.

"I shouldn't be bothered about her anyway" I said within myself as I stood up to leave my chamber.

Walking out I met Osondu who was heading towards the kitchen.

"My prince" he called with his head bowed.

"I want you to follow me to somewhere important" I said as he looked up.

"Where my prince?" He asked.

"The site for the school have been provided, I want to see how vast it is" I said as I walked pass him.

Mma's POV,

I met an empty room but that was what I needed most as I don't need any noise at the moment, I lied down on my bed but was interrupted by the sudden voice of Miss Margaret.

I stood shocked wondering how she managed to locate my room as she is not one who visits the maid quarters.

"Good morning Miss Margaret" I greeted not failing to notice the visible anger on her face.

"You know at first I thought they were all lying but I just confirmed it now" she said as I was confused on what she was talking about.

"Are you tired of this job?" She suddenly asked as I stared up shocked.

"No miss Margaret" I answered immediately.

"I don't think you are still comfortable with your work here, one of the rules here is never to play with your duties but you are guilty of it" she said while staring at me.

"Ma, I always do all my duties" I said.

"So why are you here on your bed when other servants are busy with their duties?" She asked while glaring at me, I felt like being swallowed up by the ground.

"I'm sorry ma, it's just that I'm done with my morning duties" I said in a voice that depicts pity but miss Margaret was having none of it.

"Is that so?" She asked in a mocking tone " I guess your work is the less tedious of all duties here, follow me" she said as she turned and left the room as I followed after her.

I followed her into the kitchen as three servants were mobbing the floor while I wondered why she took me there.

"Wash those used plates over there and I want them sparkling clean, atleast be useful for once" she said with disgust on her voice.

I walked slowly towards the piles of plates as she left the kitchen.

"Look who we have here?" My trouble maker roommate said with a mischievous smile on her face.

"Thank you Mma, atleast I won't have to wash any plate after I'm done mobbing the cupboards" one of the maiden chipped in with an evil grin on her face.

I ignored them as I focussed on washing the plates, the plates was much and mostly ceramics. I sigh wondering why I have to wash dishes which is not related to my duties in the palace.

"If only the prince didn't cleaned his room by himself this morning, I wouldn't had been in this situation right now, he always has a way of making life hard for me" I said within myself.

I was lost in thought that I didn't know how a plate fell from my hands, I looked down almost in tears at the shattered plate.

"Good of you, you just got yourself into trouble, I always knew you are good for nothing" my roommate said with hands akimbo.

"Miss Margaret must know about this before she blames it on us" she added as she made to leave the kitchen.

I hastily held her left hand with tears in my eyes.

"Please I beg you with everything in me, don't tell her, she will kill me if she sees this" I almost knelt down while the other two servants laughed at me.

"See who is begging" one of the servants said while pointing at me.

"Oh dear Mma, I feel pity for you but I'm just doing the right thing, miss Margaret has to know about the broken plate so what can I do?" She said with a puppy face as she dragged her hand from me and left the kitchen.

I bent down to pick the pieces of the plate while expecting my doom from miss Margaret. Picking the pieces of the plate, I knew it was a special plate which might belong to the king as it seems very costly.

"What have you done?" The voice of Miss Margaret filled the kitchen as I looked up in tears.

I was tongue-tied as I knew begging cannot set me free from the trouble I've gotten myself into.

"This is the height of it" she said as she dragged me up and I met her angry eyes at me.

"I'm sorry miss Margaret" I pleaded as more tears flowed out from my eyes.

"Shut up" she shouted as she raised her right hand up.

I tightly shut my eyes in anticipation of the effect of her palms on my face which was forthcoming.

I slowly opened my eyes as I met the servants frozen at a spot with their mouth wide open.

"Miss Margaret stop" I heard the prince said as he forcefully released miss Margaret hand.

I was really surprise and at the same happy. I wonder how my cheek could have been hurting if not the interruption of the prince.

"My prince, why, what… are you doing here?" Miss Margaret stammered.

"Why the harsh treatment?" The prince asked back ignoring her question. My hearbeat increased at his question.

"What if he gets really angry if he finds out I broke one of the costly plates?" I wondered while praying to get spared.

"She broke the king special plate" miss Margaret said as I stared at the prince. His countenance was unpredictable which gave me much concern.

"Is that all?" He asked as almost every one in the kitchen stared at him in surprise.

"My prince, I mean the plate she broke is the king's special plate, it is worth more than.."

"It is special doesn't make it less of a plate, does it?" He asked as miss Margaret was obviously speechless.

"Look miss Margaret, no one is above mistake and I'm confident enough that she didn't break the plate intentional, so why make a big fuss out of it?" He said as it was my turn to get speechless too.

"But my prince, the plate is the king's own, what will I tell him?" Miss Margaret was hesitant.

"I will get the plate replaced before tomorrow, I hope this case is closed" he said.

"Okay my prince" Miss Margaret replied while staring angrily at me.

"Good" he turned to leave the kitchen but stopped at the door.

"By the way, why is my personal maid washing the dishes?" He asked as miss Margaret was visibly scared.

"Uhm my prince, she was less busy so I I "

"Miss Margaret, I respect you alot but making use of your position to torment others is what I hate most, I hope you know that?" He asked as miss Margaret nodded.

I felt like laughing at the sight of the obedient miss Margaret, I never knew she could be this loyal and pitiful, what a world!

"This should not happen again" the prince said as he suddenly stared at me.

"Bring me a bottle of water to my room" he said while staring at me. I nodded as I made to pack the broken plate before getting the water.

"I said now, leave that someone will attend to it" he said and left the kitchen.

Miss Margaret glared at me before leaving the kitchen as all the servants went back to their duties without saying a word. I felt like the black sheep.