Miserable Daughters of Japthan

In the small room where the light-skinned girl had led to wait for her father, Asha observed Elim and noticed he was restless. He kept tapping his feet impatiently and Asha wanted to ask him what the issue was. But he looked towards her direction then as if he knew she had in mind to bombard him with more questions.

"Just stay mute and let me do the talking here. Don't ask any questions or reveal anything about yourself" he warned

As soon as he finished saying that, the door swung open and Ada's father entered the room not looking too happy with Ada beside him, keeping a plain face.

"You know if you hadn't saved me from Odomodu and his men, I would never have let you step foot into my house. How could you have left with no word? Why?"

"I am not a gentleman and I won't pretend to be one. There's no need getting all emotional about my decision to leave. What I had to do was urgent!"

Ada's father turned to Asha as if to ask if she was what was so urgent.

"In my line of work, anything can come up and I will need to leave without saying a word. Don't take it to heart!" Elim answered, pinning the man with a superior look that dared him to object to what he said. 

"Fine, what has brought you back to Akwara village?" 

"I need your help to keep her protected from those who wish to harm her."

"Who wishes to harm her?"

"You don't want to know!"

The man's face looked suddenly tense as he moved away from Elim. "You know I'm just an ordinary man trying to make ends meet. I can't take anyone that will bring me trouble!"

Elim brought out a bag of coins then and placed it on the floor in front of him. The man's eyes lit up with greed as he licked his mouth. 

"You are not doing me a favor. You are rendering a service to me!" Elim added coolly. "It's all yours and all you have to do is keep her hidden!" 

Asha couldn't barely believe her ears as he spoke like he was destined to protect her. Why? Why was he doing this? She wondered, her eyes studying his rugged but handsome face. 

"Of course, I will make sure of that. Just trust me! Ada, show her to her room and make sure she's fully comfortable" the man said, stretching his hand to collect the bag of money. Elim stopped him by holding his hand at that moment and the man gasped in fear. 

"Do you understand how important it is to keep her hidden?"

The man nodded 

"The people who are after her are powerful people and they wouldn't hesitate to… just make sure she's kept safe!" With that, he let the man go. 

"Come let me show you to your room!" Ada feigned a fake smile as she spoke to Asha. 

Reluctantly, Asha followed Ada, but not before stealing another glance at Elim. Their eyes met, and it felt like they could communicate without words. Ada stood there impatiently, sensing the chemistry between them and hating it.

"Why do you sound like you're going to leave me behind?" Asha asked softly.

"I have responsibilities to attend to. You need to learn to navigate the world on your own now. But I won't leave until I'm certain you're settled," he reassured her kindly.

"Let's go!" Ada said, tightening her grip on Asha while maintaining a fake smile. Asha couldn't understand her, but she resolved to keep a low profile in the strange village and act less like a chief's daughter. Her safety depended on it. 

After Ada showed Asha to her room, she hurried back to the room where Elim was.

"How could you? Why would you do this to me? Bringing another woman to my father's home, despite how I feel about you!" Ada exclaimed, her emotions trembling.

"Ada, I know we parted ways on bad terms. But it's not entirely my fault. You offered yourself to me, and I never made any promises. So why act jealous when we have no commitments?" Elim responded, as Ada shook with emotion.

"Do you love her?"

"What?"

"Do you?"

"What is this? No! What is this? You can't destroy the good relationship I have with your family with this. I warned you about forcing yourself on me. And I am not in love with anyone! I am not the type that falls in love!" Elim stated firmly as he approached Ada.

The tension between them was intense, and Asha could sense it from where she stood at the connecting door between the two rooms, listening. Why had her strange protector brought her to the home of his jealous lover? She wondered.

"Even if you don't love me, Elim, can you please make love to me tonight?" Ada pleaded.

"No! I have obligations to attend to, and a woman isn't part of them!" With that, he dismissed her, leaving her filled with anger and tears.

"Elim, his name was Elim," Asha repeated to herself, still curious about the man and why he had chosen to save her.

———

It was Soma and Mayo's wedding night and all around Maribah bubbled with excitement despite the fact it was just a week after the guards were killed and Asha's escape from their kingdom. No one was happy but they had to put up smiling faces. Even Zeep and Nena had to pretend to be happy as they served the king and his household, enduring different forms of ridicule from others.

"We should head to our chambers for our wedding night, my dear bride," Prince Mayo declared loudly, making sure Zeep heard him. Zeep kept her head down as she poured more wine for the guests, feeling a surge of anger that Soma was living the life she had hoped for.

"You! Come with us, now!" Mayo ordered, and Zeep quickly obeyed, leaving her duties behind.

"Being a servant suits her perfectly, don't you think?" Soma mocked Zeep as she touched Mayo. "The mighty Zeep, thinking she could have the prince, is now just a servant, and he's all mine."

Zeep clenched her teeth as she followed behind them, trying hard not to respond to Soma's words.

"They should thank my father for sparing their lives the same day he dealt with the guards, considering what their sister did. Now their father's behind bars while his daughters serve us, and soon Asha will be found once Odomudo and his men answer my father's summons," he said, turning to make sure Zeep heard him clearly.

"Oh, how the Dramidis have fallen," Soma laughed as they continued to their room.

"Wait here!" Soma instructed Zeep as they reached the bedroom, waving her hands at Zeep like she was a mere fly. "This is a sacred act for married couples only."

"No, let her in. I want her to watch!" the prince insisted.

"What? Isn't that inappropriate?" Soma hesitated.

"I want her to witness how it's properly done, so she'll know how to please me when it's her turn. Do you object to that?" the prince demanded sternly. Soma sighed heavily and reluctantly allowed Zeep to enter the room.

Zeep couldn't believe what she was seeing and hearing as the Prince began undressing Soma, kissing her all over in the well-lit room. It was too much to bear! It wasn't fair that she had to witness this! She turned her gaze away in disgust, her body trembling with anger.

"I said you must watch and learn!" Mayo moved swiftly to where Zeep stood frozen, forcibly lifting her face. "This is why I chose her over you! You were dull, and I knew marriage to you would be boring!"

"Come, my love! Let me have you! But wait! Do you want to know why your sister was accused of plotting the king's murder?" He asked Zeep between kissing and caressing Soma while she moaned softly.

"Tell her, my queen," Mayo softly instructed Soma. But she hesitated to speak, uncomfortable with the prince's insistence on her watching.

"Tell her!" Mayo insisted.

"She caught us in a compromising situation"

"What compromising situation? Tell her! Soma come on!" He breathed heavily, squeezing her soft behind and kissing all over her body. 

"She caught us making love on the prince's balcony the same night the king was almost killed!" Soma finally revealed.

"Did you hear that? So yes, she's innocent, but who will believe any of you! You're just a servant now!" He bellowed as he pushed Soma onto the bed, taking control of her body while forcing Zeep to watch. That was the moment Zeep truly began to despise Prince Mayo and the royal family.

——

In the pitch darkness, servants were expected to swiftly clear the wedding hall once the guests departed. Nena, feeling sleepy and weary, was tasked with the chore of returning plates and cups to the kitchen by the head servant. She hurried to do so with her lamp which was burning dimly. 

It was during this task that she unexpectedly stumbled upon Prince Denna and his friends in the palace hall.

"What do we have here? The daughter of the disgraced chief! Which makes her a servant! My servant!" Denna taunted Nena in the dim passageway.

Rather than pleading as she might have done in the past, she remained silent as he ridiculed and insulted her, while his friends chuckled.

"Come here! I almost had my way with your sister, but my foolish brother ruined everything. Perhaps I can have you tonight? Will you come willingly, or should I use force? Before you speak, remember you are merely a servant, and I am the son of a king!" he boasted, while Nena breathed heavily with anger and fear.

"No words!" he demanded, suddenly pressing her against the wall, his hands slowly pulling down her servant clothes.

"Denna!" came a commanding voice, and the prince immediately turned to see his mother standing in the dark hallway.

"Remove your hands from her and go to your bed!" his mother ordered.

Denna hesitated, attempting to utter another threatening word to Nena, but his mother's authoritative voice interrupted.

"Now!" she commanded, and he backed away from a trembling Nena.

"I apologize for this ordeal. You are Japthan's daughter, correct?" the Queen asked in a gentle voice as she approached Nena to straighten her dress. Nena nodded, still trembling with fear.

"You have nothing to fear from me, alright? I understand what it's like to be in your position. Your family has endured a lot. If you ever have any problems, even with my sons, don't hesitate to come to me," she said kindly before dismissing Nena.