The Lost Prince

The invitation

One day Igwe Odimegwu was enjoying his afternoon refreshment of fresh palm wine and bush meat when a messenger came from Agbala Ancient Kingdom.

Agbala Ancient Kingdom is a land that is very far away. It usually take market women of Uhuru five days to reach their market to buy or sell their products. The people of Agbala and Uhuru people are friends. They attend each others festivals, traditional marriages, coronations etc so it was not a new thing seeing their messenger who was bearing a letter which looks like an invitation letter.

When the messenger came in, Igwe Odimegwu ushered him in and offered him palm wine and bush meat to welcome him after a long journey from Agbala land. After taking the palm wine and bush meat, he thanked Igwe Odimegwu for his warm reception and told him the reason for his coming, which was to invite the royal house for the coronation of Prince Ndubueze, the crown Prince of Agbala land who is to replace his dead father who was now late. According to their tradition, this has to be done before the burial of their late king Igwe Okadigbo Agba 2 of Agbala land who passed on three market weeks ago. After delivering the message, Igwe Odimegwu thanked him for coming but, he told him he will not be available that day as he is attending an important meeting that day. He promised to send his son Prince Ikenna to represent him. After further discussions, the messenger went home.

While the royal family of Uhuru was eating in the night, Igwe Odimegwu opened up and told the family about the message they got from Agbala land. He informed Prince Ikenna that he is going to represent him there. Prince Ikenna was happy about the news and promised to represent him very well. Igwe Odimegwu on his own promised to provide him with everything he will be needing in his journey and told him to start preparing at once since the coronation is the next four market days.

The Queen on her own was not happy with the journey as she was having strange feelings. She kept quite and went to bed. On her bed she can't sleep she woke her husband up and told him that he is not feeling alright about the journey their son is trying to embark in the land of Agbala. The King promised her that nothing will happen to their son and also promised to send six guards with him. After that they went to sleep.