Princess from the past

Episode 14

The news of uchayi, the girl that saw the future had spread far and wide. People from far and near trooped into the palace to listen to her story about what she saw in the future.

Kings, dignitaries, and elites from across the villages also came to listen directly from her.

They were astonished on hearing what the future looked like. The crowd kept increasing day by day that the palace panicked. Some even sleep at the palace entrance just to gain access to listen to uchayi.

"They had houses so different from ours, their clothes too, they also had moving houses with carried them all around. Their women didn't look like us. Most of them had longer hairs and their uli was colorful. Everything was magnificent".

Uchayi would talk and talk until anytime she needed to sleep, eat, bath or rest. She enjoyed telling the stories of what she saw. Everyone was excited and couldn't get enough of her story. She would go on and on all day.

Prince Awene was among the audience that morning, Ego wasn't surprised to see him either. Everyone wanted to know. But strangely he didn't seem to be paying attention to the story. He was barely focused, looking around like he was searching for something.

Ego has sighted him among the crowd and she began to force herself through the crowd to him.

"What is his majesty doing in the crowd" she said to him, trying to compete with the noise from the crowd

He jerked in shock "how did you get here. I was look.." He paused and smirked.

"What did you say?" Ego inquired

"I said she is a good storyteller" the noise was increasing

"I can't hear you" Ego said. Prince Awene hissed, took her by the hands and led her to a corner away from the crowd.

"Interesting isn't it?" He asked when they got to a better place.

"It is her vision of the future" Ego sneered.

"It is only mere delusion" he said giving a stern look.

"Don't tell me you don't believe all she is saying" Ego frowned.

"I am only glad it gave me an opportunity to come here.Yes I don't believe anything she's saying. She's probably hallucinating in her dreams. This young girl woke up from the longest sleep in history and you want me to believe a tales she got from her dream" he said smiling.

Ego pushed him away and mocked him.

"Go away onukwu".

prince Awene laughed and said

"It is just what I think, the only way I can ever believe her is if someone else saw it as well".

Those words clicked, Ego turned by the side, paused for awhile and thought deep. The answers she was looking for is already clear.

"A witness" she muttered to herself in a weird manner.

Awene nodded and said "yes".

She screamed in excitement and jumped on him

"Thank you Thank you" she said and ran off immediately.

Awene was still trying to figure out why she was acting that way

"Ego wait where are you going to. What did i say" he followed her pushing through the crowd. But when he saw she was leaving the palace, he increased his pace.

"Ego stop wait Ego".

Ego ran to the shrine, met Aluka chanting around and making fetishism remarks with a palm leaf on his mouth. Ego didn't dare to interrupt, he stood at a place waiting for him to notice her.

Aluka stopped to face her, took off the palm, then smiled

"I now know what I want priest" Ego said.

He put the leaf back in between his Iips and danced around, picked a calabash bowl of white powder from the floor. He then sprinkled the white powder on the floor to make a circle.

Dropped back the calabash bowl and signaled to her to move to the circle.

Ego hesitated then walked into it, as soon as she entered, prince Awene ran panting heavily. His toes bled, from him hitting his leg on a big stone while trying to follow princess.

"What are you doing?" He shouted as soon as he saw her.

Ego turned to the sound of Prince Awene's voice.

"You shouldn't be here, great prince" Aluka said.

"Yes you shouldn't......"

prince Awene interrupted her " come let's go home please" he begged extending his arms to Ego.

Ego ignored her, turned back to the priest and said.

"I wish to travel to the futur"

"What?" prince Awene and Aluka echoed in shock.

"That is what I want, and you don't have a choice" she snapped daringly.

Aluka nodded and said

"In that case, you need to prepare" he feigned a smile.

"No no, you can't do this" Prince Awene shaked his head begged.

Ego ignored him, threw a stern gaze at him and walked away.

Prince Awene said faintingly to Aluka.

"You know you can't do that right?"

Aluka shook his head in disapproval and said

"I promised".

Prince Awene screamed in anger, then ran after Ego.

"How are you this morning?" Prince obiako asked looking into ugomu's eyes.

"I am good my prince" she answered timidly.

Prince obiako had called her for a brief discussion at a lonely place outside the palace. The stood facing each other, under the shade of a tree.

"How did you manage to escape Ego's sight? Where did you tell her you were going?" He asked.

"She wouldn't notice my absence. Especially with the crowd in the palace" she replied.

Prince obiak nodded, put his arm at akimbo, he only maintained his gaze on her in silence.

"Why did you bring me here" ugomu asked avoiding his gaze.

"I just wanted to apologize" he said

She replied "For what?".

Prince hesitated then exhaled and said calmly "About the other day, I shouldn't have said what I said. I mean love isn't weakness. For a warrior". He put down his arms.

"Why are you saying this to me. I don't have problem with what a warrior decides" ugomu snapped.

"Ofcourse nothing" prince obiako shrugged awkwardly.

"Yea"

"Yea" Prince obiako repeated. Then their eyes met again, surge of affection gripped him, he looked so deeply into her eyes as he came closer. ugomu was feeling him too. He lifted her face to his gently and they kissed.

Their lips parted, they looked into each other's eyes, as they made to kiss again, the heard a loud gunshot coming from a distance.

ugomu jerked in fear, and ran into Prince obiako's arms. He held her firmly and said calmly

"Calm down the gunshot came from far". The gunshot sounded the second time and third time. Prince obiako screamed in fear.

"No no no" discharging ugomu from his arms. ugomu lost and wondering what was happening, even though she sensed something what's wrong.

"Whet is happening my prince" she asked.

"The gunshot is a signal. A royalty has departed"

ugomu popped her eyes open in shock "who?".

"I don't know. I guess we will find out" he said and held her by her hand and started heading back to the Palace.