Moremi must be found

The white man stepped into the belly of the ship with the torch in hand, its flames casting shadows against the wet, rotting wood.

The room, which had earlier been alive with silent murmurs just moments ago, fell into a deafening silence.

Even the groaning sounds quieted, swallowed by the oppressive presence of the man.

Moremi herself could no longer find her voice.

Her throat burned, her head spun like she would faint any moment and her limbs ached badly.

But it wasn't just her body that trembled—it was her spirit.

This place was beyond comprehension. It looked like a pit for humans that not even beasts deserved. Moremi had once been to where animals were reared in Mandinga and it was not even half as horrible as where she lay.

The air reeked of death and sweat, and the floor beneath her was slimy like all sorts of vomit and dung had been released here.

Now Moremi's once-determined spirit was crushed before her eyes, replaced with the sudden urge to puke.

She needed to get out of here at all costs.

The white man strolled, deliberately, his boots thudding against the wood as he held a metal rod in his hand.

He peered into each corner of the dark space with disinterest, like a butcher inspecting meat before the slaughter.

His face was hard, almost bored, and his eyes were cold and distant—a stark contrast to the torchlight he carried.

Moremi raised her head with the little energy she had left, watching as he passed by the others: a hunched old man, a mother and a child, bound together as well as a boy barely old enough to speak.

He said nothing. Just observed. Like they were animals.

She couldn't take it.

She shifted her foot, making a sound on the metal chain and it was enough to draw his attention.

The man stopped and turned to her.

His torchlight fell on her face, and their eyes met.

She stilled.

Her breath caught in her throat and her skin broke out in goosebumps at the sight of him—his pale face, sharp-edged jaw, the strange red burn on his temple and the bloodless lips set in a hard frown.

This was her first time this close to a white man. And she suddenly understood what people meant when they called them devils.

She fought to keep her voice steady, but the tears betrayed her, falling freely now from the corners of her eyes.

"Excuse me, sir," she said weakly, her voice hoarse and cracked.

The man's brow lowered slightly but he kept silent, waiting to hear what she had to say.

"I am not one of them. I am not a slave." Her voice shook. "Please. I am a princess. The crowned princess of Mandinga. I was taken by mistake. I am not supposed to be here. Please...just let me go home."

A silence followed.

A silence that stretched too long.

Then, laughter.

However, not from the white man. It was from the dark behind her. Bitter, cruel laughter from some of the others.

It was both out of disbelief and mockery.

Moremi's heart pounded as she glanced around, seeing a few heads shaking at her in disdain. Others didn't laugh—they looked away, exhausted. They'd heard these kinds of protests before. Or maybe they just didn't care anymore.

But Moremi was hellbent on proving her point.

"I swear it by the Moon Goddess I serve. I am King Jelani's only daughter, heiress to the Mandingan throne." This time, she looked directly at the slave trader.

The majority of the men who lay here were Azuran villagers, and it was no new story to them about the miracle child born to the Mandingan king.

The one labelled as a curse and a blessing.

But not one single soul believed she was the one.

Which princess left the palace unprotected like a commoner?

Raising her arm, Moremi showed a mark on her wrist that Agatha had given her on her coronation day.

"This is it. It's the mark I got on my coronation. My father was there. The entire kingdom was there. I am telling the truth! I am the princess of Mandinga!" She yelled in exasperation.

The white man blinked slowly.

A smirk formed on his lips.

Then he laughed. Not a laughter of amusement, but of disgust. It was a low, condescending sound.

"You think I care who you are?" he said slowly, his voice accented, harsh and clipped. "You all stink the same."

Moremi stared at him, horrified.

"You think you're special?" He leaned closer, his breath hot and sour. "You're just another savage in chains. And if you ever raise your voice again, princess or pig, I will rip the tongue from your mouth myself."

Moremi flinched, but she didn't stop.

"Please!" she cried out, desperation exploding from her chest. "I am not meant for this! I am not—"

Crack!

The man struck her hard across the face with the butt of the rusted metal rod he carried. The blow was swift and brutal.

Pain shot through her skull like fire. Her body dropped sideways, limp. Her breath caught in her chest.

She tasted something metallic in her mouth as her cheek burned. A ringing took over her ears.

The others gasped in shock and an eerie amount of silence clouded the room.

The white man stood tall again and faced the crowd.

His voice was sharp, cruel, and loud now.

"Next one that opens their mouth," he snarled, "I swear by the sea I'll gut you like dogs. Understand?"

No one answered.

He raised the torch higher, casting the terrible room in full view.

"I don't care who you were. Kings, witches, mothers or bastards. On this ship, you're nothing. And if you want to survive, keep your filthy mouths shut."

He stomped to the door, kicked it open, then shouted something in his language to someone above deck.

Moremi lay still, her vision blurring, her ears ringing, her chest rising and falling in shallow heaves.

The room fell back into darkness. But it was not the same darkness as before.

It was colder now. Angrier. And far more dangerous.

_____

Far away from there was Mandinga.

Chaos ruled the halls.

The queen mothers shouted over one another, their voices trembling with both rage and fear.

Moremi never failed to put them all in panic with her actions.

Servants scurried across the floor, ducking under royal arms, lighting more torches as night threatened to swallow the palace whole.

The king stood in the middle of Moremi's bedchamber. His eyes scanned the room—untouched bedding, the closed windows but open doors. And the confused guards who seemed unable to explain what happened here.

He noticed her royal dress thrown by a corner in the room, almost like she had fled the palace in a disguised outfit.

His heart pounded. Not with anger—but dread.

This was not just any adventure. His daughter was missing.

He came outside, facing the now scared guards who lay bare on the ground in fright.

"She wouldn't have just vanished!" He yelled at them, seeing how they couldn't even make up an explanation.

They lowered their heads in fear, unable to speak. They had been just as confused as others when they had woken up to an empty chamber with Moremi nowhere to be found.

"Maybe she snuck out again," Queen Zaria spoke softly, trying to calm her husband who looked like he would lose it any moment.

As they were speaking, a guard came forward, bowing his head with a grim expression.

"Speak." Jelani ordered immediately and the guard began, "It appears the princess sneaked out to go hunting again, Your Highness..."

He gazed up slightly, not knowing if he should complete his statement, but one look from Jelani sent him talking again, "B-but we searched the e-entire forest and..." he looked behind him, before signalling to a guard to come forward.

Jelani's attention was drawn to this gesture and he raised his head to see another guard who looked just as scared.

In his hand was Moremi's bow and arrow as he brought it forward to show the king.

Jelani's eyes widened horrifically as he dropped his staff to the ground before stumbling back, his chest tightening.

Seeing this, his wives quickly rushed to his side to steady him before he had an attack. As much as they didn't like Moremi, they knew she was his only hope of preserving the throne as well as his only child.

They had to care regardless.

Jelani looked at the bow, stretching his hand forward to grasp it. He knew it all too well. He couldn't miss it. It was definitely Moremi's.

He turned to the earlier guard who came to report to him, "You're certain the white men graced their presence in Azura today?"

"Y-y-yes, Your Highness. Word has it they boughtplenty of slaves. Some say a few were captured in the forests." The guard replied, trembling. Even without being told, he could put the dots together.

"Where is her maid?!" Queen Zaria was the one to speak this time, and as if they had just been waiting, Ayanna was brought forward. Tears filled her eyes but she dared not look into the King's eyes.

She knew it was her fault and there was no hiding it from them this time.

"Please forgive me, Your Highness!" She ran to the queen and lay flat on the ground, her head touching Zaria's feet.

"I knew not the consequences of my actions. The princess ordered me to do it. I...I didn't think she'd go far." She muttered, her voice barely audible.

Everyone turned in her direction as if confirming everything that had happened.

Zaria's face stiffened at her words.

"And what exactly did you do for the princess? How did she escape the palace?" The queen questioned, narrowing her eyes at the girl.

Ayanna hesitated for a moment before she answered, "I...I had opened the sleeping incense on the guards. It was the princess's idea. She'd said she only wanted to hunt around Mandinga's borders." She held her palms together, and cold sweat formed on her head.

Sleeping incense was not something easily found. Only the priestess made it.

Moremi was the only one who knew where most of the ingredients Agatha used for it were and had asked Ayanna to steal them from the hut.

Jelani could feel his life slipping out of him as his world tumbled, hearing all these theories.

His only daughter was nowhere to be found and as it was, she had likely been kidnapped by the most dreaded people.

He didn't speak any further as his blood pressure increased, making it difficult for him to breathe.

It was Zaria who did the talking this time.

"Take her to the dungeons and make sure she rots there for as long as the princess isn't found!" The queen ordered and before Ayanna could protest, she had been dragged like an animal to be locked in the prison cells.

"Take the king to his chambers to rest," she instructed and the servants obeyed, leading Jelani to his room.

Facing the guardsmen, she continued, "Send word to Azura. Find out if the white devils had come across Moremi or taken her and if they did, ask that they bargain whatever price it takes to get the princess back...even if it means giving them more slaves in exchange."

"Do this before the end of tomorrow. We would pay whatever price it takes." Zaria commanded and the guards bowed, immediately running to do as they were told.

Being the queen, Zaria was smart and knew her position was at stake if Moremi was not found as Jelani would be dethroned if he had no heir.

Though she couldn't bear children for him, she was not going to let power slip off her hand like that because of a little girl.

Moremi had to be found.