Diamond In The Forest

Episode 12

*
Remi walked to the wash room
but couldn’t wash the stained
wrapper because of the pain in
between her laps was
excruciating, she wrapped up
the bundle up and hide it
away, she Will Wake up early
in the morning to go wash it,
she thought within herself
The guest has all Left to
prepare for another party
tomorrow, the maidens were
sweeping and cleaning the big
Oba’s Compound
Remi washed up herself and
changed into her night wear,
she prepared The princess bath,
made her bed and set out her
night wear before going out to
look for Nike

She saw Ope and beckoned on
her to come
“Have you seen Nike…she is not
here… where could she be?
“I saw her following the Queen
like fly follows corpse, she just
want the Queen to make her
among her personal maidens,
who knows all The lies she’s
telling the Queen mother just
for her to be recognized, that
your sister is too desperate, all
she wants is to start robbing
shoulders with you, she is a
pretender…she is not humble
or real like you…

“Is okay Ope…alright, I know
you two are always fighting
each other and is normal but
Nike is still my sister and she
can’t be like me, even identical
twins don’t have same
behaviour…so is very normal
for Nike to be a little different
from me…I will go and search
for her…
As Remi was about leaving she
Saw Nike walking down with a
full smile on her face, when she
got to Remi, she began to talk
very loud so that Ope and the
other maid can hear her
“Sister mi, the gods has done it
for me…

“,Nike, I was searching for you,
I need to speak to you
urgently… there is something I
need to tell you and is…
“Remi wait let me finish with
my own announcement, so
that my enemies can go and
die, well… finally… finally the
Queen has agreed for me to be
her personal maidens…haaa…it
wasn’t easy o.. but The gods
has decided to remember me,
now I’m one of the Queen
personal maiden, may the gods
be praise, while some will
remain an ordinary palace
maiden till they die, my
position is higher now, by
tomorrow I will resume my
new acquired
duty…aah…aahh…I can’t wait to
tell iyami, iyami will be so
proud of me…who the gods has
blessed nobody can curse, now
I will get to even see the oba
and the prince often than
before, I told somebody here
that she should watch out for
me… she will be surprised at
what the Future holds for me…

the gods has already started
working very soon some
people will start dying of
jealousy…

Ope turned from what she was
doing and face Nike in anger
“You are very stupid Nike, so
you are indirectly referring to
me…I don’t even see anything
big in serving the Queen, after
all you are still a palace maiden
or did your title also change
from being a maid, so what’s
the fuss about. You that was
ready to sell your soul to the
devil just to be like Remi, Remi
did not need to struggle, talk
or cry her way into the office
that she presently occupied,
the kingdom chose her and she
was favored among all but
you…your case is just so
opposite and you are only
doing this because of Remi not
me because I have no business
with you, you want to be equal
with Remi by all means but she
will always be ahead of you in
everything…

“See this fool, Ope did I
mention your name now,
please did anybody hear me
call Ope’s name…see what
jealousy is doing to you, just
because of this my new Post
you want to kill yourself…
please get ready to die because
the gods may decide to make
me a Queen of this kingdom
soon and I will have you serve
me, you will be my footstool…
“, May the gods forbids evil,
such abomination will never
happen so stop day dreaming
Nike, the best you can ever be
is a palace maiden nothing
else, the gods chose wisely,
they chose beautiful, humble
loving, and Royal maiden of
the land, if they ever decided
to chose a commoner then it
will be somebody like Remi,
she poses all that quality, I will
love it if the gods chose her
because she will rule with all
fairness, just like our present
Queen… while you…

“Shut up that your filthy
mouth, who made you The
mouth piece of the gods, just
watch and see what the Future
holds for me… The gods has
already started a good work in
me and very soon they will lift
me higher than my enemies, I
hope you won’t die before
then out of jealousy…

“Must two of you fight all the
time… and you will likely drag
me into your argument,, i’m
out of here…I have enough
trouble already…

Remi started walking away,
Nike left Ope to meet up with
Remi

“Sister mi, don’t mind that
witch, she is always jealous of
me… you said you have
something you want to talk to
me about…

“Yes..I do but I guess your new
acquired office is very
important to you than
anything else, mine can
wait…congratulation anyway…I
need to go and lie down, I
don’t feel too well…

“Aahh…ahh.. Pele…you can tell
me what borders you… I’m The
only one you can trust here,
don’t ever trust somebody like
Ope, do you hear what she said
earlier, she said the gods can
chose you to be a Queen of this
kingdom but the gods can’t
chose me because it will be an
abomination, how can she say
such rubbish, what is the
difference between you and
I…aah, I swear by the gods I
will surprise that girl, I will…
“Nike, please stop, I said I have
enough trouble of my own,
whatever Ope said was only
because you two are always at
log head… don’t take her
serious, she doesn’t even know
what she was saying, ofcurse
you can be the next Queen of
this kingdom if the gods says
so…

“Yes… certainly, I like what you
just said…I can be the next
Queen of this kingdom, I will
rule in power, I Will be greatly
feared, I will squash all my
enemies and make them lick
my feet…so tell me what
troubled you Remi…

“Let’s talk tomorrow, I’m tired
and I need to attend to the
princess before going to
bed…Aram kole Dara Dara (I’m
not feeling too well)
Remi walked into the princess
chamber, leaving Nike outside
Nike wish Remi could just tell
her all that troubled her, if
Remi who seem to have the
gods favour over her could be
in trouble that means the gods
has turned their back on Remi
and chose to favor her instead
by making her to be among
the Queen’s maiden, Nike
thought within herself as she
turned and walked away with
a smile
she can’t wait for tomorrow to
come so that she will finally
hear what Remi has to say, she
want to know how useful the
information she will get from
her will be, it may help her in
her next plan.

Remi could not sleep well that
night, when she finally slept
she had a terrible dream of her
mother and brother again, she
woke up amidst sweat and
couldn’t sleep back till day
break

She wish she can bare her
trouble to somebody that is
trust worthy and who will
understands her without being
judged, she thought of her
grandmother who always
understand, “will she
understand if i tell her that I
lay with The prince, he
disflowered me while in
drunkenness, I could have
stopped him but I didn’t, I just
lay there and whist in pain as
he dig into me, now I’m no
more one of the proud virgins
of this great kingdom, every
one will mock me and treat me
like a criminal they will think I
s£duced a drunk prince and lay
with him, they will think I was
defied even before coming to
the palace to serve, who will
believe me, Maybe iya will
understand, nobody has to
know, it will be a secret I will
hold forever…
Remi kept on thinking about
the whole thing to the
following morning.
She got up early in the
morning to go and wash the
stained wrapper she hide away
but it was no more where she
kept it, she searched around
the whole place wondering
who could have taken it away,
somebody spoke behind her
and she startled ad turned to
see that it was Leja
“Is it The wrapper you
wrapped up into a bundle and
hide in between those plants
that you are looking for, you
told me it was just some
ordinary dirty cloths that you
wanted to go and wash,
despite how I tried to collect it
from you, you refused to hand
it over, you said it was just
wrapper the prince vomited on
but I saw a blood stain on it,
where did the blood come
from Remi…

“How…how do you know I kept
it in between this over grown
plants, how…

“I’m the Chief guard here have
you forgotten, one of the
guards on last night duty
brought it to me, he told me
where he found it and on
seeing the bundle
I knew it was from you, I was
curious and opened it only to
see blood stain on it, so that
takes me back to my previous
Question, who’s blood is that
and how did it got into the
prince wrapper which was
spread on his bed yesterday
morning, answer me Remi…

“The blood is from my injury, I
told you I stumbled on a chair
and sustained an injury from
there… that was why I couldn’t
Walk well…

“Can I see the wound, and why
do you have to hide it here if it
was an so ordinary, and why is
there blood on the prince
wrapper…I have questions but
you haven’t given me a
reasonable answer, hope is not
what I’m thinking Remi, you
can confide in me if there’s a
problem, did the prince force
himself on you…did he…I know
this sounds ridiculous because
the prince is not that kind of
man but the way he has being
looking at you with desires in
his eyes was enough to raise
such Questions…

“Leja, I don’t know what you
are talking about, the blood
stain was from the wound I
sustained on my thigh when I
stumbled and fell down, and I
can’t show you my thighs, the
blood got to the prince
wrapper when I was trying to
clean up the prince vomits, so I
bundled up everything to go
and Wash but I was too tired
and couldn’t wash it that
yesterday so I put it here just
to avoid this same questions
you are asking me now from
anybody that may see it in the
wash room… and becarefull the
way you accuse the prince, that
can be very dangerous for
you… now that i have
answered your question can I
know where you kept it..
“Well, I’m not yet convince but
I will let the sleeping dog lie, I
kept it in the wash room, go
there you will see it.
Remi nodded and left, Leja
stood looking at her as she
walks away, he was having
trouble believing her, he felt
like something was wrong, he
remembered how Remi was
shaking yesterday, he has tried
to touch her but she stepped
away from him, he silently
hope is not what he was
thinking
Leja breathed deeply before
walking away
Remi tried all she could to
wash off the stains but she
couldn’t, she started regretting
of not washing it yesterday, if
not for the pain she felt in
between her legs that
prevented her Leja wouldn’t
have seen it or suspected
anything.

Remi hanged them like that
hoping that when the sun dries
it the stain won’t be obvious
On her way back to the
chamber she saw Nike, Nike
who couldn’t wait for the day
to break so that she can hear
what Remi got to tell her,
greeted Remi warmly before
asking her to tell her what
troubles her yesterday, Remi
told her that it was too early
for such talk, Maybe later in the
day they will talk about it
After Remi finished up with her
morning duty to the princesses
she decided to ask her if she
can visit her grandmother
briefly

“Jowo semole yoju si iya agba
(please can I go and see my
grandma)
“Hope there’s no problem
Remi, why the sudden urge to
visit your grandma…
“Nothing, my princess, is being
a while i saw her, I just want to
check up on her
“You know the party still
continues today and even
tomorrow, your help is greatly
needed here, just wait when
the party finally comes to an
end, which will be in few days
from now then you can go, I
will give you a day off to visit
your people…
In the early afternoon as Remi,
Ope and other maiden
prepares for another party day
as guest were already filling in
the Oba’s large compound
Leja came to inform Remi that
the prince sent for her
Remi’s heart skipped as she
hard that, she went to the
prince chamber and found him
pacing the whole place, he had
a worried look on
Leja stood behind the close
door and place his ear close to
the door so that he can hear
what is going on between the
prince and Remi,
he wanted to eavesdrop on
them but Remi sensed it and
gave the prince sign not to say
anything yet, she quietly walk
to the door and forcefully
opened it and Leja fell with a
heavy thud to the ground.
the prince was shock, Leja
quickly stood up in shame
“Leja… what are you doing…
wait a second… are you
eavesdroping on my
conversation…

“Rara o..omooba…(no prince) I
was just relaxing on the door
waiting for when you will
summon me, I’m sorry my
prince…imabinu…
The prince ask him to leave
immediately and he flew out
without looking back, he
closed the door and face Remi,
who’s heart started beating
again.