Thirty -Six

Love was a feeling that had always felt foreign to Apeke. She had never understood how someone could sacrifice so much for one person. She didn't understand how anyone could choose to live or die for someone but standing in front of the crown prince now listening to those words she finally understood.

Even though she had prayed for him to agree to this she wasn't prepared for the reality of those words.

She couldn't handle it so she ran. She just had to leave. She stopped at a spot that felt quiet and burst into tears. She never thought she'd ever have to marry someone she didn't love especially not when her heart belonged somewhere else. Her heart belonged to another,how would she even be a good wife to the crown prince. This wasn't fair to him.

She had to see Michael. This wasn't the time to feel sorry for herself. She went to the place he was held hostage. She almost burst into tears again at the sight of him in pain.

She dejectedly walked towards the Queen's chambers. She didn't have to lookfor her. She saw her laughing at her mother who was dancing from afar.

What was her mother doing here? Did she have something to do with this? No,it couldn't be. Right? Her mother wouldn't do this to her no matter the outcome.

She walked over to where they were.

"It's done." She said.

"Oh we know, Apeke." The Queen smiled.

"Congratulations,Apeke." Fabumi said.

"Did you have anything to do with this,mother?"

Fabumi was caught off guard with Apeke's detached voice.

"What if I did? It's all for your own good." She defended.

"No, it's for your own good,not mine." Apeke said. She was so dissapointed in her mother.

"Please cure Michael now."

The Queen smiled.

"Why not? But just in case you have a change of heart I'm going to keep Michael hostage till you get married to my son."

"That's ridiculous!" What was wrong with this woman? How could she do this things?

"Please let him go. Who knows when the marriage would take place?" She tried to reason with them.

"Then make the marriage happen quickly. Let's go cure your old lover." The Queen left for the shed. Michael was left hidden where the animals were kept.

The Queen made him swallow some substance and he began coughing.

"What did you do to him?" Apeke said as she went to him.

"He's cured but it will take some time for him to get better."

"How long?"

"A day, probably."

"Give him sometime to heal. Come on let's go home."Fabumi said.

"You can go, I'm staying here."

She wanted to protest but decided against it.

"Fine." Fabumi said.

They thought it best to leave her be.

..

"You've finally done it."Adeniyi said to Adelaja.

"I have." He sighed.

"She'll be pissed."

"Pissed? That's putting it lightly." Adeniyi said.

Adelaja didn't want to imagine how Jumoke would take the news. She would be heartbroken. He didn't want to know what she would do as a result of this.

"I'll keep an eye on her."Adeniyi said already knowing what Adelaja was thinking.

Adelaja bowed and left.

"You are indeed your father's son."The King said to Adelaja as he came in.

"You got a new bride in such little time and not just any girl,Apeke."

Adelaja chuckled. "Take it easy,old man."

"How did you do it? How were you able to convince her?"

"I didn't. She came to me herself."

"Why?"

"Apparently,whoever she was with left her."

"He was white. That's probably why. It was a relationship bound to fail from the very beginning."

"Hmmm."

..

"What?!" Jumoke yelled.

"That's what I heard,my princess." Her maid said to her feeling nervous.

"Then something must be wrong with your ears because it isn't possible." Her worst nightmare was coming into fulfillment. Adelaja was leaving her. He was going to marry that Apeke and leave her all alone.

No this couldn't be. It's not possible! The maid must have heard wrong.

"No!" Jumoke yelled.

The maid wished she suddenly wished she had magical powers so she could disappear from the witch's sight. Ah,this was her fault to begin with. She should never have responded to her friends words in Jumoke's presence.

Her friend,a fellow maid had told her that she heard some news that the crown prince was no longer getting married to Jumoke. She had been so surprised by the news that she responded in an audible enough voice for the witch to hear. She was so good at whispering.

She didn't know what happened this time. This wasn't her first year in this job,how had she been so careless. Now she was being punished for something she had no business with.

"This cannot be. I have worked too hard just to loose it all now." Jumoke stormed out of the house. She had long requested for a house built to be for her in the palace, seeing as she visited often. The royal family had agreed so easily that Jumoke was reassured that she was getting married to Adelaja bit it had all been a lie.

She had to confirm the authenticity of this first so she chose to hear it straight from the horse's mouth.

"What is this I hear about our marry being cancelled?" She asked him.

Adelaja sighed. He was standing at a lake behind the palace that he often goes to r

to clear his head. The place was so serene it brought him a sense of inner peace but he didn't seem capable of getting that today.

Jumoke had gone straight to his chambers at first but after confirming his absence ,she went to the lake knowing how much he likes the calm place especially when he was anything but. She felt proud when she saw him there. She knew him. She understood him. Only she should get to seat by his side.

"I knew you would come here looking for me." He replied instead.

"Because I know you so well?" She smiled cheekily. There's no way that rumor was true. He was hers and there was nobody that could separate them.

"Because you think you do." He smirked.

Jumoke's smile fell.

"What do you mean?"

"Why do you think I come here?"

"Because it's nice and quiet." She confidently said.

"Yes but this isn't the only place that's nice and quiet in this Kingdom,even in this Palace. I come here because it reminds me of someone. You claim to know me so well because we have spent a lot of time together. we have known each other a long time,yet you do not know that simple fact."

"I'm sorry." She was truly embarrassed. She didn't even know who it was he was talking about. Who would he feel connected to with a lake?

"There's no need for that. You do not need to concern yourself with that anymore."

"Wha.. what do you mean?"

"You and I are no longer getting married."

Jumoke burst into laughter. Adelaja looked at her and wondered if she had gone crazy.

"What did you just say ?"

"I'm sure you heard me well. I don't like repeating myself."

"You must be joking. You can't do this to me. Everyone knows we are to be married. Everybody knows! I will be a laughing stock. What reason do you even have to call it off?"

"You. You are the reason. What as come over you? What have you become? The person in front of me is way too different from the person I became friends with years ago. You have become so selfish and blind. You have gone too far as a result of your obsession. "

"Is that all? You're leaving me because I thought that commoner a lesson?"

"You don't get it, do you? The fact that you do not understand the gravity of what you've done is why we can't be together."

"Don't let that girl fill your head with lies. Do you really think she's pure?"

"I don't care about purity! You claim to know me,yet you think that's what I'd be after? Purity is a myth. It doesn't exist. You have become so insecure that you don't even see reason. What made you see her as a threat." Adelaja didn't know how to convey his words to her anymore. How could she do that to them? They were so good together. What made her think he would leave her? Why hadn't she trusted him?

..

Michael finally stopped groaning in pain.

Apeke placed her hands on his face.

"It worked." She sighed.

He was going to be okay. She thought.

"Why are you crying?" Micheal said as he wiped the tears away from her eyes.

Instead of being consoled she simply cried more.

"I'm so sorry. Please forgive me."

"For what? What are you talking about?"

"I had to..I had to.."

Michael was getting nervous as a result of her facial expressions. What was going on?

"For the antidote... I had to agree to.."

What antidote? He immediately remembered that he had been given a substance to take and admidst all that pain he could faintly remember some negotiations making him come to a painful conclusion..

"You agreed to marry him."