Episode 2
992 Words
Ugomu returned shortly walking sneakily towards Ego where she sat on a mat.
Surprised at her, Ego asked inquistively
"Bia ogini" "Come what is it".
She chuckles,clapped lightly and sat next to Princess Ego.
Ego understood what the clap meant. she knew that Ugomu definitely had a juicy gossip to share.
"Biko ogini na afio" "Please what's going on".
Ugomu chuckled again, getting Ego more anxious.
"my Princess, guess what?"
Ego throws a haughty stare, Ugomu reticence immediately on sensing her anxiety and said
"Ifebuche is here at the palace"
Ego startled and said almost too loud.
"what?" then restrained her emotions, said faintly.
"what's he doing here? where is he now?".
Ugomu gives an insinuating remark
"he is with your brothers, at their regular spot". Ugomu replied
"what are they doing?" she said almost whispering.
"I don't know. I think breakfast but I am not sure what your brother Prince Ubonwa is having is breakfast" Ugomu replied,
Then a familiar voice called out loudly startling Ego and Ugomu.
"Ego you need to come with me now please."
It was Prince Ikedi, the third son of the king.
Ego stuttered "To where, to whom, how, why?"
"Ndewo Nwaeze" "greetings son of the king" Ugomu greeted
Prince Ikedi threw an insinuating stare at Ego, ignoring Ugomu totally
"you are acting weird and equally talking weird, very unlikely but father wants to see you".
Ego began to lament.
"Oh no. Not now. How did he say that when he barely talks. I really need my space, especially this moment. I just finished working and..."
"Ozigo nne. Ogini" "It is okay girl. What is it?" Prince Ikedi interrupted
"Is not like you go there to do basically anything. Please just come I beg you. Afere is waiting too". He extended his hand to Princess Ego.
Ego hissed knowing she had no choice than follow, especially when Prince Afere is involved. She stood, adjusted her dress, then took his hand and Prince Ikedi helped her up.
They both walked out, leaving Ugomu all by herself.
She sat there for a while then lays on her back for better relaxation.
Ego entered inside the king's hut walking timidly behind her step brother Prince Ikedi.
Prince Afere was sitting next to their father's oblivion body on a mat.
"Are you going to just hid at his back"
Prince Afere said to Ego.
She frowned, stepped forward and murmured
"I am not hiding"
Prince Afere smiled at his sister's behaviour
"Why are you even smiling. Odira ato mu ochi" "It is not funny to me". Ego snapped
"Kedu ife icho ka ogwa gi. O ya kpo gi" "What do you want him to say. Is he the one that called you?" Prince Ikedi replies.
"Then what am I doing here. Nna anyi is sleeping now" Ego yelled.
Prince Afere shunned her immediately "Shhhh.... he can hear you. Don't disturb Nna anyi".
Ego looked away in anger.
"Okpalaeze ka mu bia godu, kamu rie nri ututu" "Okpalaeze I am coming, let me have some breakfast". Prince Ikedi said to Prince and leaves. Okpalaeze is another name everyone called Prince Afere. It means The King's first son.
Prince Afere and Ego exchanged awkward glances before Afere broke silence.
"It is not your fault. Don't ever blame yourself for this" he said softly
"You have said it to me many times, more than the number of stars in the sky and my response will always be the same. I never blame myself for anything"
Ego spoke audaciously staring into his eyes.
Afere could sense the anger in her gaze but his manly demeanor played better.
"That's a lot of confidence playing out"
he said sarcastically, looking back sternly into her eyes, bringing her to conciliation. Ego looked away, he smiled and said calmly to her.
"How are you sister?" she ignored him. He stood and said again "I am leaving now. If you won't stay for long, send for me. Don't leave him alone with the maids or the guards".
He left.
Ego goes to sit where he was, then slouch over, running her palm over her father's face to see if could blink. She hissed at her feeble attempt, then leans back and began to think.
The king married three wives and her mother was the third. The first wife; Ijeoma, had two girls Ezinne and Ulonma.
The king panicked, he needed a son that would take over the throne, because only the men succeeds the throne in Igbo land.
He married the second wife; Anuri, she gave birth to another baby girl called Anayo and without hesitation the king took in another wife, Agbomma; the arrogant queen.
Not long after Ego's mother was married in, Queen Ijeoma put to birth and had Afere, the king excited by this, almost ignored his new wife.
Queen Anuri had Akudo and Ifedi after.
Agbomma took in shortily and had Obinwa. Queen Ijeoma took in again and gave birth to Prince Obiako.
Queen Agbomma's stubbornness caused the king to banish her from the palace, but he never knew she left the palace pregnant.
The very day Princess Ego was born, the king lost his sight and from that day onwards his health deteriorated. No one knew the cause of his blindness.
People thought it was because of Agbomma but even after the king took Ego and his mother back to the Palace, he still never got better.
Queen Agbomma couldn't bear to stay around the palace where everyone blamed her for everything that happened to the king, so she left.
Ego has remained her father's favourite ever since. Even in his sick bed, anytime he opened his mouth, he always asked of Ego.
Ego stared at her father in his vulnerable state, she always feel guilty for what is happening to him but she never showed it.
She hissed, already bored of the environment, crawled her knees to her chest and began to sing.
- Writer
