Diamond In The Forest

Episode 32

“…so the kingdom has being
torn apart and the gods are
silent in all of this…Oba is on
sick bed and the Queen mother
joined in, the king makers are
not left out in this and so many
other people are equally
affected…no English or native
doctor have being able to give
a positive answer in all of this…
I’m place in between and I am
not handling it the way I
should because I am deeply
troubled… when my sister, the
princess came to give me the
news of your granddaughter I
was shock…Iya. I understand
the calamities that befallen you
and yours, most especially your
granddaughter being
banished,i am so sorry about
everything, it was not in my
power to save her but I could
have still do something, I was
confuse that period on what
exactly to do and when I later
went to speak to the Oba…it
was already too late…like you
know she was caught trying to
poison the Oba, that was her
sin, and a sin against the Oba is
a sin against the entire land…
and judgement was passed on
her, I know she was pregnant,
she got entangled in a love
web with one of the guard,
Leja, who is the head of the
guard and my right hand man.
Leja told me they were lovers
and she later became pregnant
for him…he asked her to keep
the child but she had other
plans of her own which is to
get me into the scene, she
came to me claiming I la!d with
her and I couldn’t remember
such happening…well, it was
all exposed that Leja was
responsible…I can’t deny the
fact that I use to feel
something strong for her…yes,
I wanted her but I never knew
she belong to another man and
when I found out I washed my
hands off…she was banished
and i noticed that the palace
has not remain the same ever
since…everyone believe she
was long dead with her unborn
child not until few moment
ago when the princess came
with the news of Remi being
alive and living in the forest…it
baffles me on how she survive
the forest…I thought you could
throw more light into this and
I will send my men into the
forest at once to bring her
back…even if she is not the
answer to this kingdom…it
sound funny but I’m trying
everything and anything
possible on the restoration of
this great kingdom…so if Remi
got nothing to do with all this
trouble hovering around our
kingdom at least I will be glad
to have her safe here with us…I
will be happy to save her from
the forest suffering…
“shhhh…my grand daughter is
not suffering, you have said
enough already and you need
not say more…but my grand
daughter is safe and well cared
for, her son…ohh her diamond
child, the seed of crown is
doing perfectly well…don’t act
like you are doing her a favor
by saving her…because you are
not…rather the gods has place
her to do so….now move closer
to me…yes Omooba…move
closer and close your eyes…
shut it…

The prince obeyed and moved
closer, he closed his eyes and
Remi’s grandma gently placed
her hands on his head, she held
his head on both side, she put
her finger to his ears and
stayed that way.
The prince memory went back
to the party day, when he
whispered something to Remi’s
ear and she blushed, he called
her to take him to his chamber
because he was drunk, Remi
lead him to his chamber.
It was like his past sin staring
right at him. His eyes remain
shut as he saw himself with
Remi, everything he has told
her that night came rushing
back to his memory
“I told you earlier that I love
you, I whispered it into your
ears and you didn’t take me
serious because you thought I
was drunk, am not drunk or
maybe I am, the fact still
remain that I love you…yes…is
true…you got into me right
from that first day at the
festive dance…when I first set
my eyes on you…I have always
wanted to tell you this but I
don’t know how you will take
it…so today I decided to drink
so much…yes…I drank enough
to get high…so that I can find
my boldness and voice to
declare all my stored up feeling
for you.…I wanted to tell you
this when you came to clean
my chamber the other day…
that was more reason why I
told my sister to send for you
but I still couldn’t find my gut…
but today I have a full gut to
tell you that I love you Remi…
and I will tell the Oba that I
want to marry…marry you…
you will be my queen…come…
come closer to me…are you
afraid of me…don’t be afraid of
me because my love for you is
real…it can cast fear out of
you…aaah…look at you…ni fe
mi…emi ni ore re (my love, I am
your friend) your real friend,
don’t see me as a prince, son of
the Oba of this great kingdom,
see me as your friend, if I have
a son with you I will call him
Ademi, my crown…because he
came from a beautiful maiden
who is after my heart. oruko
mi ni Aremo, yes that is my
name because am a heir to this
great Oba’s throne, and I need
a queen like you to
compliment my kingship when
the time comes…with you by
my side I will rule with honor…
you said you love your
grandmother because she was
also a good dancer when she
was young…right Arewa…
(beauty)

“Remi…my name is Remi, you
are drunk my prince you need
to lie down, I will tell them to
bring cold water for you…stop
talking…the drink is taking too
much effect on you…you don’t
even know what you are
saying again…
“shhh…I know what am
saying…I still need more drink,
I was talking about your
grandmother…one day you will
take me to her…I will like to
meet her and I will also love to
meet your father and your
mother…
Remi’s grandma held him tight
as he began to breathe hard.
The prince saw everything
being played right to his face
again and when he vomited
and mess up his chamber,
when he grabbed Remi and
made her to sit on his lap
before pulling out her b—-t
cloth, when he gently lay her
on the bed right on top of his
favorite wrappers given to him
by his mother. he carefully la!d
her on the bed and he push
himself into her, he saw the
blood after the hymen of her
virginity was broken but was
too weak and slept off.
The prince started screaming
and Remi’s grandma released
him and he fell back, he
opened his eyes while still
breathing hard, the prince tried
to understand exactly where
he was.
One of the guards came to help
him to sit properly, he was
shaking all over
“She was right…I did it, the
blood stain on my trouser, my
missing wrapper which I never
took notice off. The child was
mine, yes Remi was carrying
my child…I la!d with her and
broke her up…oh the gods I
have being a terrible person,
the child was mine…I… I saw
everything…all the things I
can’t remember I remembered
them now…Remi…oh Remi…I
knew something happened…I
felt strange when I woke up
that morning and the blood
stain on my trouser confirmed
it…I called and asked her but
she denied it….she told me
nothing of such happened…oh
the gods…I should have
known…I should have known…
I truly loved her Iya, I wanted
her not to just warn my bed
but my heart truly beat for her
until Leja came with…wait
Leja…that means Leja was
lying…could that be possible…
did Leja and Remi’s step sister
feigned her up…Iya…

“when you return to the palace
you ask Leja…this time maybe
he will tell you the real truth…
hold onto what you just saw
and ask…It will surprise you to
discover more hidden secret…
which will lead you to my
grand daughter’s innocence,
and you have to hurry because
the kingdom are counting on
you to rectify what has being
damaged…
The prince left quickly as the
older woman instruct, with a
heavy heart rush back to the
palace and asked the guard to
fetch Leja and Nike quickly.
After the guards brought them
and stationed them before the
prince. The prince looked at
Leja for a long time before
asking
“…one more word of lie from
you I will have them chop off
your arms and your legs, I will
make you cripple so that you
will suffer…where you truly in
a relationship with Remi and
who has the child she carry…
With fear and trembling, Leja’s
heart began to beat like a
drum. Over five guards where
stationed around him and Nike
as if they were criminal.

Nike was shaking in fear as she
bent her head in shame
“…guards strike him hard for
delaying with his answers…
One of the guard double strike
Leja across the face, the
princess hard the scream and
ran out with Ope and the other
maiden came to watch the
scene. Ope saw Nike kneeling
along side Leja and she silently
began to thank the gods.
“Nemesis has finally caught up
with her” Ope said while
smiling.

“If I ask a question, I expect the
answer immediately, any delay
from you will be tasting my
patients…i remembered that
night..Leja, the night with her
in my chamber and everything
you have ever told me was all
a lie…I feel terrible right now
and do not worsen my mood
or I will unleash terror on both
of you…speak up quickly…
“I have nothing with her…I
wanted her my prince…but she
did not want me…I did
everything possible but yet she
refused me…I got jealous when
you started showing interest in
her…and the worst is that she
was also interested in you…I
know the night you took her
virginity…I knew it happened
and I was very angry when I
discovered she was carrying
your child…after she kept on
denying it…I hated her and I
hated you too…I was willing to
do anything so that you won’t
end with her and that was why
I…
The prince screamed in terror
and asked the guards to hit
him severally and they did
until Leja tasted blood in his
mouth, he fell and they pulled
him up…Nike craw away from
where the guards where
beating Leja she doesn’t know
what to do or what to say, she
has never expected things will
turn sour.

Leja tried to hit one of the
guard but two other pounce on
him, blood poured from Leja’s
mouth as he looked up at the
prince and said angrily…
“I saw her first…she was
suppose to be mine not yours…
I saw her first before you, even
before she came to serve in
this palace, I have already
made my intentions known to
her…I wanted her and you
took her away from me…how
do you expect me to feel, you
la!d with her and got her in
with a child…I couldn’t take it
anymore…you are a royalty,
you are omooba…you could
have all the royal maiden and
any kind of woman you
desire…why must it be the only
one I wanted you decided to
pick interest in and you want
me to fold my hands and
watch…I fight for what I want
because I am a man like you…
“I hands off from her when you
told me she was yours, you lied
to me about everything Leja,
no…Leja I trusted you…and
that was why I believed you
over her…what exactly was my
sin for you to have gang up
against the innocent maiden,
so you could have killed me if
you have the gut to do so…and
her step sister supported you…
you planned with her…she is
your alibi…and I guess you also
have a hand in the poison…Leja
you planted that poison in the
Oba’s eating room and make
Remi the escape goat…oh the
gods…you…
“I have nothing to do with the
poison… but this small witch
called Nike has… She wanted to
kill the Oba so that you will
marry her and make her your
Queen, she master minded
with her mother and when she
told me of the plan the gods
bear me witness I refuse to join
in such evil but she went ahead
anyway and while she was
trying to do that Remi caught
her and she turned it against
Remi…
The whole people screamed in
shock as Leja kept talking, the
princess held onto Ope from
falling from the shock, some
guards and maiden placed
their hands on their head while
others opened their eyes in
shock. Everyone was shock to
know that Remi was innocent
all this while, a great wrongs
was done against the innocent
girl, the prince tighten his first
in anger as he kept breathing
hard. Leja’s confession was like
a bomb to him. He looked at
Nike and she was crawled up
like a cat. Leja kept talking
“…this Nike you see here is so
evil…she talked me into
making out with her, I have to
lay with her severally until she
became pregnant so that she
can say the pregnancy is for
the prince which will make the
prince not to have a choice
than to settle with her but her
plans failed and she wanted
me to make it right…Nike and
her mother are the master
mind behind the evil done to
Remi, her mother has more to
do with Iya Remi’s death. They
wanted to destroy the whole
family out of jealousy…my sin
was that I knew this evil but I
couldn’t talk because I was also
involve…and I was angry with
the prince for taking Remi from
me so I said if I can not have
her then nobody will…
Nike manage to speak up
“is a lie…he is lying, I don’t
know what he is talking
about…he told me he hates the
prince and would have left him
in the river to drown. He said
he wish nothing but death for
the prince…Leja is an evil soul…
and he is lying against me and
my mother…I am innocent…
Ope rushed angrily and slapped
her right on eyes, then another
heavy slap to her ear, Nike
screamed and held her ears in
terror

“I have being wanting to beat
you up like this for long, I have
waited for this opportunity to
come and is finally here. …
because you wanted to be
Queen by all means you
decided to poison a whole Oba
of this great kingdom Nike, you
have no fear to do such evil,
aaah… you made them to
banish Remi who was
innocent…if the land did not
kill you Nike and the gods
delay in striking you dead…I
will personally do that myself…
you and your mother are
doomed…your end has come…
what goes around comes
around…the gods has fought
for Remi…she has being
vindicated…curse is yours… you
are even pregnant…very
good…your suffering is yet to
begin..
The prince asked the guard to
lock Leja and Nike up. He
stationed ten hefty men to go
into the forest in search of
Remi and his son, Leja and Nike
will remain there until Remi is
found and returned back to the
kingdom safe with the son that
she bore for him.