Diamond In The Forest

Episode 6

Remi has seen the Prince
looking at her severally, she
was wondering why he looks
at her the way he did, today as
she was out spreading the
princess cloth on the hang line,
she felt like somebody was
watching her from somewhere,
so she turned but did not see
anybody, she went back to
what she was doing and
suddenly hard a strong voice
behind her which startled her,
she quickly turn and saw the
Prince standing very close to
her, she knelt and greeted him
and he asked her to stand up
she did and stood still with her
head bend

“Bawo ni o wiwa awọn ààfin
lẹwa ọkan (How are you
finding the palace beautiful
one)

Remi thought within her why
the prince addressed her with
“beautiful one” he could have
called her “omidan” (Maid)
which seem to be a normal
way they address female
workers in the palace and
some use their names if they
know the name
Gan daradara omo-oba “(Very
well my prince), I’m glad to be
here, picked out among many
to be the princess personal
maid…please what can I do for
you my Prince…

“Don’t rush my dear…relax and
look up at me…I don’t
bite….see me as one of your
friend…am only here to say
hello, you don’t have anything
to do for me, you belong to the
princess not to me…maybe for
now.. my sister owns you for
the period you will serve her, I
have being seeing you around
and looking for an opportunity
to talk with you, you are
always with my sister and she
seem to be so fond of you, she
always want you within her
reach…you are enjoying the
role of serving the princess…
right?

“bee ni, you are right…i feel so
privileged to work here

“Iyen dara, (that’s good) you
are beautiful Remi…and also a
good dancer, I watched you
dance at the festival, whining
your waist and throwing your
legs with so much energy…
Remi looked up to him, she
was surprise that the prince
called her by her name and it
sound so sweet to her and also
the way he compliments her,
she smiled and the prince
continued,

“Who do you take after in
looks and strength, iya rẹ abi
baba (your mother or father)?
“ni mi iya iya, (is actually my
grandmother) I look so much
like her when she was at my
age…and she was also a good
dancer in her own time
“ I see, it runs in the blood, you
are very special for the gods to
have blessed you with your
grandmother’s nature and I’m
happy talking with you…finish
up with the cloths, I will sit and
wait at the royal shade, come
and sit with me when you are
done…I will like you to tell me
about your grandma…she
sound like an interesting
woman and I will like to hear
more about her…hope you
don’t mind…? Will my sister be
needing you…what is she
doing?

“She was having her siesta
before i left to do her laundry..

“Good then…so will you sit
with me for a while…please…

Leja came out and saw the
prince talking with Remi, he
got angry and decided to hide
and watch them, he watch as
Remi laugh over whatever the
Prince said, his stomach
tightened and he tightened his
fist, he wish to go there and
drag Remi away, he gets angry
at every passing minute, he
watch Remi and the Prince talk
about something and laugh
out together, he wondered
what they were talking about
and wish he can eavesdrop on
there conversation, Leja was
thinking of how to distract
them and take Remi out but no
Idea came, he was deep in
thought when he hard a voice
behind his ear, he turned and
saw Nike
“why are you hiding and
looking at the Prince,
hahahaha…you look so funny
hiding here and watching the
prince talk with that cheap
good for nothing girl..

“Don’t call her names….Remi is
the woman I love but the
Prince want to take her away
from me and I won’t let that
happen…do not say anything
bad about her… I thought she
is your sister…

“I don’t have a sister…am the
only child of my mother…so I
don’t have a sister…I thought
you are smart, you think Remi
will leave the Prince and follow
you, you are day dreaming
Leja. she will do everything she
can to have the Prince, you are
just a guard to her and she will
never have anything to do
with you…don’t you know she
is the daughter of a witch, she
is evil and will have anything
she desired to have…well I
showed interest in you but you
refused to reciprocate so I
moved on…if this is how you
will live the rest of your live
then continue…but it won’t
end well with you because that
girl is capable of doing
anything, her target was on
the prince that was why her
witch mother worked it out for
her to be at the palace…

“She was the best dancer…she
thought you how to dance and
also pleaded that you will be
chosen to serve in the palace if
she wins, she is a good girl and
dances so well more than you
and was also very smart and
intelligent that was why she
was chosen to serve the
princess, nobody work
anything for her, the kingdom
chose her…

“Who run the kingdom…the
king and the queen then you
and I, don’t say the kingdom
chose her just say her witch
mother did everything possible
for her to be here… don’t give
her credit for my effort, I
danced my way into the palace
and not only that I am very
beautiful and smart too and I
got to work in the palace
because I deserved it…she
didn’t teach me anything, I can
dance very well even from my
mothers womb… I can help
you get her out from the Prince
on one condition…
“How do you intend to do
that? And what is the condition
“Don’t ask how just agree
first…do you want me to help
you or not? The condition is
that you will have to pay me
“Okay…go ahead. I’m
listening…

“I will go over there like a
good girl that I am and tell
Remi that the princess is
looking for her so that she will
disappear from the prince…
Leja gave her a go ahead and
she went over to where Remi
and the Prince were sitting and
talking, she knelt down and
greeted the prince before
saying that the princess was
looking for Remi.

Remi quickly stood up and bow
to the Prince before running to
the princess chamber, when
she got there, the princess was
still sleeping, she wondered
why Nike has to come and lie
to her that the princess was
looking for her

She stayed in the chamber and
did not bother going out again,
few days later she ran into Leja
and he dragged her into a
corner

“What is wrong with you Leja…
why are you dragging me?
“Talk quietly, somebody maybe
passing… Remi..you have being
talking with the prince of
recent..

“Is there anything wrong in
talking with the Prince…he is a
good man…and he has being
nice to everyone not just me…
“ooh…I see, he is a good man
right…? You act like you don’t
know what the prince want
from you, I wanted you first…I
made my intention so clear to
you…you told me that you
don’t want to have anything to
do with men because your
mother has not approved of
that…you saw the prince and
now you want to have
everything to do with men…

aren’t you a hypocrite and a
liar
“I don’t have anything to do
with the prince, I talk with you
sometimes too..

“you talking to me ever since
you came to this palace has
only being just greeting, good
morning Leja, good afternoon
Leja, well-done Leja” and the
rest…you have not sat with me
and talk or laugh at anything I
say just as you were laughing
with the prince the other day….

“I see nothing wrong in talking
with prince, opportunity hasn’t
come for me and you to sit and
talk, and that’s why it has not
happened yet, you are always
busy so am i…the prince asked
me to tell him about my
grandma whom I love talking
about and I did..

“hmmm really…you love
talking about your grandma so
tell me about her…I also want
to hear about her…

“Leja, this is not a good time,
the princess need her dinner
and I want to make sure that is
ready…how do you want me to
start talking about my
grandma…with a whisper and
also we are standing…we will
talk next time…now is not a
good time..

Nike who has being listening
to their conversation came out
from nowhere and started
abusing Remi…

“so now is not a good time
because Leja is not a prince…
you cheap w—e…you are here
to use your charm to get the
prince to yourself but your plan
won’t work, my eyes are on
you…you and your witch
mother will be exposed and
disgrace In this kingdom let’s
watch and see…witch
Remi tried to leave but Nike
pushed her back, telling her
she wasn’t done talking with
her, Leja who was still angry
with Remi just stood and
watch Nike insult her, Remi
tried not to get angry with all
that Nike was saying, Remi
knows that anger is her weak
point, ones she is angry she is
ready to tear down the person
no matter who he or she is and
she has tried to keep her
emotions in check and harken
to her grandmother’s advice
but Nike insulting her and her
mother was like pushing her to
the wall.

“Nike, let me go…you are
looking for my trouble…I was
talking with Leja and not you…

leave me alone…stop calling
me names….i am warning
you…this is not home… this is
the oba’s palace…respect
yourself and the environment
that you are into..

“or what…what will happen…

what will you do Remi, witch
and useless fool, show me your
power and I will render you
powerless…I have being
waiting for this kind of
opportunity and I thanked the
gods is finally here, show me
your witch power…what can
you do…you are taking all the
strong and good men to
yourself, I told Leja that you
are a cheap w—e but he
won’t listen…now he has seen
it all…show me what you can
do…if I won’t give you an
everlasting mark on your
body…try me and see…witc…

Before she will say another
word, Remi pounced on Nike
like a prey and threw her to
the ground with so much
ease…she sat on her and
started beating her, no matter
how Leja pulled at her she was
so angry, anger consumed her
as she kept punching Nike like
a punching bag, strength she
did not know where it came
from descended on her and
even Leja couldn’t pull Remi
up, Nike was shouting and
crying for help but Remi was
not letting go, Leja was shock
as he realised that he couldn’t
pull Remi up, he called other
guards and they all came and
lifted Remi from Nike who has
already fainted.

They started pouring water on
Nike and also fanning her, the
Prince was informed and came
to the seem so also the
princess, Remi was breathing
heavily as she watch the palace
worker gather to revive Nike
Leja stood and was looking at
Remi as if she was a ghost,
Remi bent her head and
walked away, she went outside
to a quiet place to cool off, she
did not even understand
herself again, it took time
before she was calm enough,
she knows fighting in the
palace is prohibited but she felt
at peace with herself, Nike’s
cup was full and she needed to
teach her a lesson.

She wasn’t afraid of whatever
the outcome will be she was
ready for anything.

The King hard of the fight and
summoned Remi and Nike, and
they were suspended for three
days,

The princess likes Remi and
knew that she was a good girl
and Nike must have done
something bad for her to be
beaten up by Remi, the
princess did not want Remi to
go but she must obey her
father, Remi and Nike need to
sort their selves out, three days
is not much, she will patient
manage with her other
maidens until Remi Resume
back, it was a normal
punishment for a law
defaulters.

As Remi picked up her few
things she saw the prince
looking at her from his
chamber as she stood outside,
she bowed to him before
walking out of the gate
The prince was not happy that
he won’t see Remi for three
days, he wish she has not
engaged in a fight, he doesn’t
know what caused the fight
between her and her step
sister maybe he will find out
from Leja,

The prince knew that three
days is few days from now but
it seem like a year of not
getting to see Remi but he will
wait.

Nike’s face was swollen and
her body was filled with
bruises, her hands had a
fracture, she couldn’t even
walk properly, it seem like ten
hefty men was beating her up
but it was only Remi, now she
has no doubt that Remi is not
an ordinary person, she can’t
wait to go home and tell her
mother what happen so that
her mother will deal with
them.

Remi intend spending her
three days off at her grandma’s
place, she knows her mother
will be very angry with her, but
Remi was happy for the three
days off, she will get to see her
grandmother who she has not
seen for four weeks and if
Nike’s mother attack her or her
own mother she will give Nike
another dose of beating.

is high time they stay on their
lane and leave her and her
mother alone.

Leja was confuse, if he knew
that a fight will break out for
the two sisters he would have
stopped Nike from insulting
Remi but he was angry and
jealous, he wanted Nike to
insult Remi but he never knew
that Remi has so much power.

the way she handled Nike was
as if Nike was ordinary feather,
he doesn’t know if he still have
a chance with Remi, maybe it
will be better to go for Nike
who has being dying to have
him.

No matter how he thinks of it
his mind was still on Remi, it
was at this time that he got a
message from another guard
that the prince want to see
him.