I have failed you Again!

Elim was on his knees, and so was Asha, while the Odmudo held a sword to Elim's neck, waiting for the king's order to execute him. The queen wept, pleading with her eyes for the king not to kill her son, but he stared right into her eyes before giving the order for Elim to be beheaded. The queen saw the glint of the sword as Odmudo raised it with all his might to land it on Elim's neck, and that was when she woke up abruptly. Breathing heavily, the queen hugged herself in a bid to console herself. She couldn't lose her son just as she lost her husband. If Elim dies, there might be no chance to save them from the king's wicked rule. She couldn't possibly kill him without fingers pointing at her, but Elim could. He was destined for it. She walked to the window to breathe some fresh air, and that was when Nena walked in after knocking.

"My queen."

"Tell me you've brought good news," the queen said as she pulled Nena slowly to her bed.

"Yes!… I have…"

"Wait… go and make sure no one is listening to us!" She instructed, her eyes looking rather worried.

Nena did so and hurried back to the bed, suddenly concerned about the Queen's worried look.

"Now, tell me… is Nemere back? Did she find my son and your sister?"

"Yes, they will be on their way soon," she whispered, her voice filled with anticipation. "She said we will be communicating with them through the river banks. And tomorrow night, we can let him into the palace while the festival is happening. This could mean freedom."

"Yes!" the Queen replied, her tone tinged with nervousness.

"Is there a problem, my queen?"

"Odmudo! He's the problem. He's been trying to get to the king to tell him of something important. I feel he knows something! But how?"

"I must tell you something, my queen. The other way my sister and I went to the river, we stumbled upon a spy from Soma, and we had no choice but to keep her locked up, so she wouldn't expose us."

"Why didn't you tell me about this?"

"I…"

The queen breathed heavily as she moved towards the window to watch Maribah. Tomorrow night, Maribah could be free or become even worse, and it would be all her fault.

"I think Soma may have other spies or even if she doesn't, there might be others!"

"It doesn't matter! This must happen. Be alert. I must go see the king now and make sure Odmudo never gets the chance to see him. As for Soma, her time will come! But keep a watch on her too! Everything must work as planned tomorrow!"

The queen walked away with a determined look while Nena bowed to her. "It will work out!" she murmured to herself.

As the queen entered the king's chambers, she was taken aback to find Odmudo seated beside him, with Denna also present by his father's side. She paused for a moment, observing Odmudo whose gaze bore into her with a stern expression. How had he managed to bypass the guards? Questions flooded her mind as she cautiously approached her husband to check if he was awake. The king's sharp turn to scrutinize her only added to her unease—was it suspicion she detected in his eyes or merely a figment of her imagination? Even her son, Denna, regarded her with a wary gaze, making her swallow hard. For a moment, she feared the guards would close the door, trapping her and compelling her to confess.

"My dearest queen, I have missed having you by my side!" the king exclaimed, extending his arms towards her as she regally entered his embrace. Odmudo's watchful eyes heightened her nervousness.

"I feel much stronger today... no more stomach troubles. I am fit to rule my kingdom as I see fit!" The king's smile radiated with joy. "Denna has informed me of the upcoming festival. The timing couldn't be more perfect!"

"My king, I am delighted to see you well. Together, we can eradicate our enemies once and for all!" Odmudo interjected, casting a sidelong glance at the queen, who shivered because she believed the threat was directed at her.

"Now, now, my king, you must rest," she urged. "I fear you may not yet be fully recovered to assume control of the kingdom."

"Enough, woman! I am perfectly capable and tired of lying idle! Leave us, Odmudo. I don't know why you continue to sit beside me. Your failure disappoints me. I thought you had taken care of that girl. I do not wish to see your face any longer," the king dismissed Odmudo with a wave of his hand.

"But, father, he had something to say—" Denna tried to cut in, only to be interrupted by his mother.

"Denna, you shouldn't be here this morning! You were supposed to ensure everything is in order for the festival. Your brother is unwell, and you seem incapable of taking charge!" his mother scolded him. Odmudo stormed off in anger while the queen scolded her son, knowing she couldn't be exposed for now. She had won this round, at least.

As she watched Odmudo leave, the queen rejoiced inwardly, vowing to cut off any further contact between him and the king. Perhaps they needed to eliminate him somehow.

"You look as radiant as the first day I laid eyes on you! I've missed having you in my bed," the king proclaimed, smiling at the queen. She nodded, harbouring resentment for him for killing her husband and taking her as his own. 

"Denna, we must talk later," the queen told her son as he walked away. She couldn't shake the feeling that he was somehow involved in Odmudo's presence in the king's chamber.

"What were you and Odmudo discussing if he hadn't found the girl?" she probed, hoping to extract some information from the king.

"Nothing, I simply saw him with Denna, and it spoiled my mood. But then you arrived, and my spirits lifted," the king replied.

The queen smiled inwardly, relieved that Odmudo had told the king nothing of his suspicion.

——-

The next morning came quickly after Nemere's departure. It was time for Asha and Elim's journey to Maribah. Tomorrow night was their D-Day—the moment that would decide the fate of their loved ones and the people of Maribah.

"Victory! Victory for great Maribah !" cheered the rich man before they left the room. As they made their way to where their horse was tethered, Asha's heart raced with excitement, but Elim's reassuring glances helped calm her nerves.

However, their optimism didn't last long. In the early morning light, Elim accidentally bumped into another man, who recognized him from a previous altercation and quickly scurried off to rally his friends

. Elim noticed his movement and told Asha that they must hurry. 

"What is it?" Asha asked 

"I have enemies everywhere! We must leave now!" 

Confusion and fear gripped Asha as they rushed towards their horse. When they mounted, they were met with a group of angry men blocking their path. "Who are these people, and why are they in our way?" Asha asked, her voice trembling with anxiety.

"They're my enemies," Elim whispered, drawing his sword with one hand while he held the horse with another. 

"Let me through! We've fought this fight before and I have won!" Elim yelled at the man seated on a horse with three other men beside him. It was the same man whose wife he had slept with on his first arrival at the village. What a costly mistake he had made!

He would have ridden past them, but he knew it wouldn't be possible since they had blocked his exit. Plus, he had to think of Asha.

"Stop it! Leave me alone!" He heard Asha scream as someone dragged her from behind. Without hesitation, Elim dismounted his horse to confront the man bothering Asha.

"Stay close, hold the horse, and run when you have the chance!"

"No, please! We have to go to Maribah together!"

"We will, but first I must confront them. If you stay, you might get hurt. Once one of those men moves from their position, run towards the exit and wait for me somewhere safe!" He instructed, assuming a warrior stance, waiting for the men around him to attack first. 

They came from different sides to attack him and he fought them off gallantly . But Asha's heart raced in fear because Elim was just one man against Severn men. Surely he couldn't win this battle!

Yet he was dismantling each of them one after the other with his fatal slashes, causing the man who was the leader to frown. In a swift move, he urged his horse forward to grab Asha, but she seized the opportunity to dash past the opening he left. Despite her racing heart and fears for Elim's safety, she couldn't afford to look back. Meanwhile, the man pursuing her spotted her escape and gave chase. Elim, though aware of the danger Asha was in, couldn't immediately pursue them due to more attackers closing in on him.

 "Nothing must happen to Asha!" he reminded himself as he angrily slashed at his attackers. Slowly backing away, he scanned for an opening to flee between the three men toward the exit. He must escape them! And he did after finding a way to run.

"Asha!" he screamed, sprinting down the road leading out of the village. In the bushy outskirts of the village, Elim could see the leader galloping fast toward Asha, who struggled to control her horse. What could he do now? He was with no horse! Determined to save Asha, Elim ran as fast as his legs could carry him.

Suddenly, he spotted another rider from the man's group heading towards him. Swiftly, he dodged the rider and hurried to take cover behind a nearby tree. With the element of surprise on his side, Elim struck the rider off his horse with a hefty blow from a large stick.

As the rider tumbled to the ground, Elim wasted no time in mounting the horse to search for Asha. "Asha!" he cried out, scanning the surroundings desperately. There was no sign of her, but he noticed his horse standing beside a bushy path.

Meanwhile, Asha could hear Elim's calls, but she was unable to respond as the furious man had his hand firmly over her mouth, pinning her down.

"He has enjoyed my woman! Now I must have his, even if I must claim to be a man again!" the man grunted as he violently tore at Asha's clothes. As he assaulted her , Asha managed to bite his hand and let out a scream before he silenced her with a slap and continued to tear at her dress. It made her remember how prince Denna had done the same to her.

In her desperation, Asha cried out for Elim to save her as she struggled against her attacker. She was still locked in the struggle when she saw a knife piercing through the man's chest, causing him to collapse onto her.

"No! Get off me!" she screamed, frantically trying to free herself from his weight while he bled over her.

Elim pulled the dead man away and helped Asha to her feet.

"I am sorry! I apologize for what you have just suffered… did he…." Elim began, concern etched on his face.

"No!" Asha interrupted, feeling ashamed and traumatized. The weight of everything overwhelmed her, and she couldn't hold back her sobs. "When will it end?"

"Come," he urged, reaching out to comfort her, but she recoiled. "I don't need another man consoling me. We must leave for Maribah! There's no time!" she insisted, hastily covering her nakedness with her clothes.

"I have failed you again," Elim lamented.

"Don't blame yourself. You couldn't have known they were waiting for us. I must toughen up and face what lies ahead. I want my family free!" Asha wept uncontrollably as the reality of their situation sank in.

Elim approached her slowly, gently wiping away her tears before enveloping her in a warm embrace. "I promise to defeat all your enemies and bring you the peace you deserve, my dearest maiden," he whispered in her ear.

"But for now, we must leave! We must depart before more of his men come for us! And then we shall prepare for our victory tomorrow against our mightiest foe!" he declared, his eyes narrowing as he envisioned killing the king . 

When he was sure Asha's emotions were under control, he helped her unto the horse and they continued their journey in silence. If they rode all through the day without stopping, they should be in Maribah by nightfall.

Since she found out that Nena and her sister had a secret plan they were hatching, probably at the riverbanks, Soma tried her best to tell Odudu all about it. However, after returning from her spying activity, she had seen no sign of Odumudo. 

Eager to share with him what her eyes had seen, she searched all over the palace for him to no avail. The only place she hadn't looked for him was his own room. But she was afraid to venture there because as the wife of the prince she wasn't allowed to visit another man alone.

 The more she thought about the Dramidis winning or taking them by surprise, the more frustrated she became.Taking a deep breath, she resolved to visit Odumudo herself, giving a light knock on the door while discreetly checking her surroundings for any servants. 

Odumudo was surprised as he opened the door to find Soma standing there.

"Uh... Have you lost your way, Your Highness? Does the prince know you're here?" he asked, puzzled.

"No! You have to let me in now. I've got something urgent to tell you!" she insisted.

He hesitated before opening the door, and she quickly entered, only to be met with a troubling sight. A tired-looking girl sat on the floor, her eyes silently pleading for Soma's help as three men loomed over her.

"We need to act fast! I can't risk getting caught with the prince's wife in my room!" Odumudo urged, pulling her attention away from the distressed girl.

"Yes... I followed your instructions and went to the riverbank. I found out that Nena, the sister of the girl whom the king sent you to find, was up to something suspicious. She climbed up the cliff and went down to that road. If you ask me, she's definitely up to something! No one in Maribah ever ventures beyond the river like that!"

"Did you discover what she was doing up there?" Odumudo's voice echoed, sending a shiver of excitement down her spine as she observed his towering figure.

"No," she licked her lips seductively as all three men watched her, "I couldn't risk it. The cliff was quite high, and I didn't want to injure myself. But this isn't the first time I've seen her conspiring or acting suspiciously. If you ask me, they're plotting to harm the king for the sake of their sister!" She exclaimed, her eyes widening in alarm.

Odumudo sighed heavily. The king was in danger, yethe didn't want to hear him out! But he must share this very information. If they could get to the river banks and scout it with some men they might find something. Or even force the girls to confess! 

"Can you tell the king about this?" He asked Soma

"The king? I may be the Prince's wife but I am nothing to the king. You have more chances to speak to him than I ever will. This is why I am relaying this message to you. The Dramidis cannot succeed!" She stated passionately. 

"Thank you. I'll need you to leave now. I'd rather not be seen with the prince's wife. But thank you," Odumudo said politely as he escorted Soma out, though inwardly, Soma felt a tinge of anger, expecting him to try to take advantage of her. She held her head high as she was ushered out, stealing a glance at the girl on the floor, but saying nothing about her to Odumudo.

"You'll speak to the king about this and let me know what we're to do next!" she reiterated before hurrying away, checking cautiously for any servants nearby.

"I must see the king," Odumudo muttered to himself as he changed into more presentable attire to approach the king once more. However, he found himself barred from even entering the passageway leading to the king's room, let alone gaining access to the door.

"What's going on? I'm an important guest of the king!" he grumbled, frustrated as the guards denied him entry.

It was the Queen's doing and he knew it. He knew it all! She was plotting something but she will never succeed. He must go to the riverbank himself and find out who or what the queen and her colleagues were up to, he resolved. 

When he got to the riverbanks that hot afternoon, he ignored the few people at the stream and climbed the cliff as Soma had described. He was shocked when he saw a servant tied up in an abandoned house. 

"Who did this to you?" He asked as he untied the lady's mouth, allowing her to tell him everything she had heard while being tied there. 

"Someone's planning to attack the king and his household. And they're coming soon!" she warned, her lips bruised and her throat dry.

Odumudo rushed out of the abandoned house to search the area himself, but found nothing.

"Please, untie me!" the woman called out.

"Untie you? You have been of no help to me! And besides letting you free will let them know I'm unto them and I want to take them by surprise. I will mount my own spies to watch this place for me and if they see any sign of an intruder, they will let me know! They wont succeed under my watch!"

With that, he left the lady held captive in her bondage and walked back to the stream. But as he walked away, he had no idea Nemere was amongst the people who were fetching water at the stream and that she was observing him. 

"There was trouble! She must alert the queen and Nena" her heart hammered as she balanced her pot of water on her head. 

When Odmudo got back to the palace, he dispatched two men to keep Watch at the river after he had paid them some money. He tried yet again to gain access to the king but there was no success. He will stop them all on his own and the king will be happy when he finds out! 

——

"This can't be true! Asha will return to us! You're saying she'll be here soon, and tomorrow, the king..." Nena began, but Nena quickly covered Zeep's mouth, preventing her from saying more.

"Yes, tomorrow, during the festival. But Odumudo is here too! We must be cautious!" she said, trying to control her own squeal of delight that things were about change.

"Do you truly believe we'll emerge victorious? That father will be out of prison and we will be happy again?" Zeep asked, with concern in her voice as she tended to her dress.

Before Nena could respond, Mayo burst into their room. Nena sprang to attention while Zeep sat there, feeling uneasy.

"What is she doing here? I won't repeat myself!" Mayo barked, reverting to his old habit.

"She..." Zeep started to say.

"Your sister is nothing but a servant and should have nothing to discuss with you! Get out!" he ordered, forcefully removing Nena from the room.

"And you! Consider yourself lucky I haven't fully regained my strength, or I would have given you a severe punishment! Foolish woman! Go fetch me some fruit and ensure it doesn't upset my stomach. If I fall ill again, you'll regret it!"

Zeep tried to avoid his angry and irritating gaze as she exited the room to carry out his orders. But she wasn't upset. Things were about to change. Tomorrow, the king and his sons would pay for all they had done to them.