CHAPTER SIXTEEN

" I don't have the luxury of time to start chatting with you, lay on the bench, you will be flogged 100 times, that's my punishment for you" Shewa said and Eliza narrowed her eyes, she shifted her eyes away from Shewa to look at Araromi whose expression remained blank, then Adejare, the last prince spoke,

"a 100 times!" he exclaimed, "Shewa don't over do it, it's not like she stole something, she only insulted you back, which I think you deserve" the last statement, came in a whisper

"Quiet!" she yelled at him

"he his right" Iwa said to receive a glare from her younger sister

"don't glare at me"

"anyways" she said, shifting her attention back to Eliza, who still had a look of disagreement on her face. "Lay down, or I will ask my maids to help you" she said and when she didn't receive a response from her, she commanded her maids, "help her lay down" and they obeyed, they held her by the arm violently and she looked up to where Araromi had been standing, with the hope that he would rescue her but to her suprise, he was no longer there and fear gripped her heart. The maids violently. layed her down on the bench and held her down, so she wouldn't stand and Shewa collected the whip from one of the maids and landed a stroke on her buttocks and Eliza cried out in pain and a satisfactory smile appeared on Shewa's face. She landed stroke after strokes each earning her a cry from ElIza. When she had hit her about 50 times, Eliza could no longer bear the pain and she pleaded for her life,but her cry and her plea fell on Shewa's deaf ears and she continue to whip her. She raised her hand to flog her the 53th stroke, when a hand gripped the whip to stop her,

It was Araromi

"that's enough" he said and pushed her to have her stagger backward.

"the king gave me the permission..."

"what permission, he asked you to punish her not kill her" he said and lifted Eliza up from the bench and she looked up at him with teary eyes and asked

"why did you come so late?" and before she could hear a reply from him, she collapsed in his arms and he hurriedly carried her on his back and headed for his room and Iwa and Adejare, followed her.

"why are you overreacting, do you know that girl before?" Adekunle asked her and she shook her head

"you over did it" he said and faced his younger brother, "tell Araromi I will call for the royal doctor" he said to him

"alright" he said and they both left, walking in different directions and leaving their sister. When he reached his room, he placed her on the bed still unconscious and minutes later, Ajisafe arrived with the royal doctor who examined her.

She had thought she was really going to be beaten to death by the evil princess and was really grateful when Araromi intervened and stopped her from getting beat to death, somehow, within her, she knew the only person who could save her was Araromi and he did. She slowly opened her eyes after falling unconscious for hours and her eyes met with a set of deep blue eyes that was looking right into hers."Are you awake?" he asked and she nodded her head and closed her eyes back not wanting to talk to him. "are you mad?" he asked and when she didn't reply, he said, "there was nothing I could do, she layed the matter before the king and the king gave her the permission to punish you, it was a royal command". She then opened her eyes and looked at him, "after scattering your room and having me arrange it,I still got flogged"

"I argued that fact"

"I want to go home" she whispered to herself and looked away from him,it was then she noticed her environment and realized that she wasn't in her room but Araromi's room, she noticed the darkness that surrounded them and saw that night has fallen, then for how long has she been unconscious, it was still morning when Shewa dragged her and flogged her and what was she doing in Araromi's room? She asked herself this questions. She tried to pull herself up to a sitting position and she felt a sharp on her buttocks and her back and she cried out in pain, drawing the attention of the man who was sitted beside her on the bed.

"are you okay?" he asked

"of course am not" she yelled

"why are you yelling at me,at least I saved you, you should be grateful"

"alright, thank you" she said sarcastically

"that's no appropriate way to say thank you"

ignoring his words, "why am I in your room?" she asked

"so you could get treated"

"won't the treatment work efficiently in my room?" she said with an hint of sarcasm in her voice

"it seems like the beating hasn't thought you to shut your mouth, you still have 47 strokes left, I can call Shewa and ask her to flogged you the remaining 47 left"

"I was just wondering why I was in your room" she said politely

"good" he commented

"I want to go to my room"

"why, are you scared that I might rape you"

"why do you have to be straightforward?" she asked, embarrassed, he asked her such a question

"am a straightforward man but don't worry,I won't touch you, at least for now" he said the last part to himself

"but still, it's not appropriate for a lady to sleep in a man's room"

"you talk too much, do you know?" he asked and she shook her head

"that's what got you into trouble"

"she insulted me for no reason, she called me a wench, how was it my fault" she argued

"nobody is saying it's your fault"

"that's what you just said"

"alright, have heard"

"I want to go back to my room"

"are we still on that?"

"of course, I can't possibly sleep on the same bed with you, I can't"

"why, the bed is big enough for the both of us, you will sleep on that edge and I will sleep on this edge"

"but still...

"Ewa, you sleep here tonight" he said with a commanding tone.