Ada, Bride of the crown

Chapter One – The Drums That Broke the Silence The morning was like any other in the village of Umuagu — quiet, with the scent of roasted yam drifting through the air and goats bleating in the distance. The dew still clung to the red earth as Ada swept the front of her mother’s hut, humming the same hymn her late father used to sing during harmattan. But something felt... different. The birds had gone quiet. Even the wind seemed to pause. Then came the sound. Drums. Royal drums. Boom. Boom. Boom. Three steady strikes, followed by a long roll — the kind only heard when the palace had a message for the village. Ada froze, her broom mid-air. “Ada! Ada! Come inside quickly!” her mother shouted, her voice trembling. She dropped the broom and ran inside. Her mother was already kneeling, wrapping a scarf tightly over her head, her eyes wide. > “Why are the palace drummers here, Mama?” Ada asked. “I don’t know,” her mother whispered. “But royal drums don’t beat for nothing.” Moments later, the village square filled with murmurs and hurried footsteps. The Oba’s messenger, dressed in white and gold, stepped forward, holding a scroll bound with red string. “By the voice of the oracle,” he declared, “the gods have chosen a bride for Prince Obinna of Umunze. Her name has been spoken from the spirit realm. Her name is—” A pause. The air itself seemed to hold its breath. “Ada Nwanyi of Umuagu.”