The survival

Banishment

Chapter five

Banishment

Their love story has become market gossip, it's become the talk of every woman and ladies in the kingdom.

After the royal meeting the prince constantly asks her to assure him of her unfailing love as they both take an oath of undying love.

Troubled by the prince's constant reminder of affection, she decided to ask when he repeated the same action during their mating process.

"What do you mean?" She asked, the prince ignored her.

"If you truly love me you won't keep hide things from me!''she snaps,the prince stands up and sits at the edge of the mattress.

" Why can't you tell me ?" She asked looking at him eyeball to eyeball making him kneel before her.

" Nkeem." The prince half whispered, she demanded for an answer.

"Are you taking advantage of me … or because you have seen me?" She yells at him

"Nkeemmu .. never have the mindset that I loved you because of your body … My feelings for you are pure and natural! "The prince says calmly, she kneels facing him.

" Then what is wrong … I noticed you've changed since the royal meeting." She commented on his recent attitude.

" That is due to stress and I just want to constantly remind you of my love… " the prince replied, caressing her cheek.

" I love you and you should know that ! " She remarks holding the tip of her rapper.

" I love you… to the point that losing you scares me!!" With this he tears up, it was the first time seeing the prince cry.

"Am right here with you!" She says drying her tears as she slowly hugs him.

"Promise me something." The prince says looking at her she nods her head.

"Never tell anyone you saw me cry" he says facing down in embarrassment.

"I won't except our babies" she says smiling and teasing him as they laugh and get dressed.

" That reminds me to make sure not to go to the market square next moon, '' the prince says.

"Why ?" She asks as the prince tells her the king will be walking with the priest and thus doesn't want them to encounter each other yet, knowing it will be difficult to abide, he promised to send a guard to help her get items she might be needing.

Time flies quickly, the market square is filled with a crowd of people as they eagerly await the arrival of the princesses.

It was a day the prince was supposed to pick a crown princess, a wife.

A lot of people made a bet on whether the prince would show up or not.

Soon the princesses started arriving from different kingdoms in the company of their guard and maid, the last to arrive was that of Umudike kingdom.

Princess Ariyma full of beauty and energy, people hail her while other princess stare dagger at her. There was no need for the prince to choose since her beauty already captive the king as he welcomes them all, informing them of the activity that lies ahead of them. Murmuring fills the air as the prince was asked to address the people, instrumentalist starts playing until the reluctant prince stand up. "Great people of Obiora I greet you all… 'they respond to him' am here to say a big thank you to all of you who gave out your daughter willing to serve the royal family and finally to those who had supported my organization alongside the orphanage home … thank you all" the prince paused looking around before he eventually bow down before he continue his speech.

" Today is a special day for Obiora entirely and I promise never never to relent from my good deeds and correct my bad deeds!!" He says loudly people clap for him… on that very day some slave was released he sighted uchenna amidst the crowd, quietly he ordered the guard to exsort her out of the gathering the princess of Umudike was selected to be the crown princess… news spread like fire, the prince limited his visiting uchenna since her friend Nkiru told her of the chosen one and thus advised her to leave the kingdom but she insisted on staying until the prince visited.

The moment the prince visited she quickly pulled him into locking the door.

"Why did you accept?" She ask

" Does it matter … What matters is that nobody is going to take your place in my heart!! "He declared beating his chest.

" If so why did you… why then are you bethorathed … why? " She asks, fighting back the tears threatening to fall from her eyes.

"Am nkeemmu … all this happening is not… I have no say in it…I was told it's to avoid calamity foretold " the prince says trying to touch her but she pulls away.

" Why Umudike of all places?! "She ask calmly

" Why did you choose her?" She asks again, hitting the prince on the chest vigorously.

"You know how much I hate that kingdom … you know of their sin?? " She says in tears that the prince sat her down as he began to tell her the outcome of the royal meeting.

"The royal family had no say in this, the priest wants the chosen maid to come from Umudike, since the mass of the disaster is generally seen to be coming from there, since we do not know where the calamity will be coming from that's why we decided to marry their daughter to see if it can be controlled and overcomed." He explains just as she want to speak she run out vomiting with the prince behind patting her back, helping her clean up afterward he summoned the royal physician for checkup after she was confirmed to be pregnant, lost in the world of his own thought, he assign the physician to care for uchenna while he returned to the palace.

Hearing the news of Uchenna's pregnancy from one of her spies, Ariyma became restless as she headed towards the king's chamber only to encounter the prince.

"Where to ?" She questioned him.

"Somewhere important," he answered.

"Way more important than your fiance … I notice you no longer check on me"she snapped at him trying to control her anger, he walked up to her inspecting her from head to toe.

" Tell me when have you become important … Did I not tell you that your presence makes me feel miserable!! " The prince half yells as she walks towards him whispering.

" You will regret this … I promise!" She walks around him.

"Least I forgot to tell you… tell that slut of yours to flush that thing she calls a child " she said as the prince walked out on her getting more pissed she returned to her chamber yelling at every little thing or anyone she met.

Summoning the princess to his chamber, the queen questions her capacity to comfort the prince. "Am way more capable of my duty but am afraid the prince is cheating " she says bitterly in tears the queen apologized and pledged her full support to her action and further promised to make the king submit to her needs.