Chapter Eight

Immediately the ceremony was concluded, the first Queen wasn't at ease due to how the ceremony went chiefly the wrapped object. Nothing special was given to any of her children when they were given birth to, that sparkled the rage in her. She thought how could a son of a second Queen be given such regard. At the moment when everything happened, she switched to a melancholy frame of psyche. Her psyche had been crowded with jealousy, resentment and grudge. The king was still outside with the royal guests who were present at the ceremony. The Queen had been in his room since she had left the temple. She thought the king was aware of the wrapped object. Yongo and Yon were in the room with her. She had prevailed in burying the seed of spite in their psyche. She wasn't successful in influencing Diye due to the resentment they had for each other since the second Queen had arrived at the palace. Though Yongo wasn't disturbed by everything that happened at the ceremony, he was always done according to the directive of the Queen. The Queen ordered that both of them, Yongo and Onna should follow her to King's room so he would confess to them what the wrapped object was all about. She was losing her composure as she expected the king to come into the room right at the moment. She had sent numerous guards to inform the king that she wanted to meet him but the king knew what she wanted to discuss so he didn't irk to scoot. Yongo and Onna were seated beside each other on the king's bed while the Queen was standing with her two hands on her waist jiggling her bum. The king didn't plan to go into his room any time soon because he was still going to have merriment with the guests who were present chiefly the kings. 

Everyone was under the large dome which was in the palace compound. It was against the temple rule for people to have any kinda merriment in it. The kings were seated with unique kinds of wine. The king of Woyoe had been looking forward to the moment before it came. He couldn't do a day without hitting the bottle despite several warnings against it. They were all laughing as they were getting a kick out of the wines and celebrating. The king of Ken, Niye, Yeon, Puji, Jeong were those seated kings with the king of Woyoe. Those who intended to have some meals loitered while those who weren't interested took their leave forthwith the ceremony was concluded. All the kings had a very good relationship with one another to the extent that any time they were together they did make fun of one another. The king of Ken was a short man who preferred wearing big clothes. Even in his kingdom, the ministers did make jest of him due to the kinda lifestyle he chose. He had a kinda big mouth. He was a talkative, garrulous and loquacious. The kings have delight in his presence anytime they were together. All the kings who were in alliance with one another did meet once in a month to discuss the course of their trade and promote the inter-personal relationship among their respective kingdoms. Every one of them depends extensively on one another in terms of warfare, economy, politics, etc. They did everything to promote the inter-personal relationship among their kingdom and it had yielded a lot of results for them. The only concern of all the kingdoms was the intermittent assault which they did persist from the easterners, but they had come together to make sure they quelled it. All the kingdoms were intermediate when it comes to warfare. They did seek reinforcements from one another whenever they were under assault. The king of Niye and Yeon were great merchants who were theorist when it comes to strategic prognosis in terms of economy. The relationship among them all had bolstered their economy and merchants from the respective kingdoms did come together if there was any drawback in the economy and they had evolved tremendously due to their cooperation. Puji and Jeong king were born soldier who did put their lives at stake for their respective kingdoms. What had made their military to suffer hitch over the years was down to their unpopulated kingdoms and the peoples fear of death if they joined the military. They constantly had few recruitments whenever slots were made available for the people to be recruited into the military. Despite the huge revenue they had accumulated over years, they were still far behind in terms of warfare, not because they didn't have the financial capability to finance it, but it was down to inadequate personnel. What contributed to the lapses in their defence was because they were enough comfortable careers which the inhabitants could pursue rather than venturing into the army where their lives would be at stake. Lengthy hours of entertainment under the large dome. They bid one another goodbye and everyone left for his kingdom.

After a long hour with other kings. The king of Woyoe had a limited still and he was exhausted after gulping plenty of alcohol. He wasn't in his right frame of psyche. The manner by which he tramped back to the dome after bidding goodbye to other kings was ill because he was staggering as he was walking. He seemed depleted on the concrete chair where he sat. The first Queen, Onna and Yongo had already slept off in his room where they awaited him. After a lengthy period, the first Queen came out to meet him seated and exhausted. She had to call on the guards to help him to his room. 

The second Queen was still in the temple with the priestess where her confinement would be concluded. 

"That wrapped object is a sacred sword, your son is destined to succeed the incumbent king", said the priestess.

The Queen seemed astonished. She couldn't believe what she just heard. She had appeared weary all day, but when she heard the priestess fear gripped her psyche. She held the garment of the Priestess tight, though no one would be allowed to touch the priestess garment except if he or she had been sanctified, since the Queen had been under sanctification for the past seven days she could touch it. She salvaged her wit that no one had the right to touch the priestess garment, but recalled that she had been in the temple and hadn't engaged in any worldly activities or went outside the temple for the last seven days. What she heard from the priestess was still reflecting through her psyche. She thought she was in a dream, she had to rub her two eyes in disbelief. She was frightened because they wouldn't allow her son to rule, he was a dwarf and wasn't the first son of the king. The Queen took hold of the sword and unshrouded the wrap on it. The sword reflection was mirrorlike, its gleam could only enable her to take a glance of it. The priestess made it known to her that the sword represents Jean. It was the microcosm his birth. It represents the kingdom of Woyoe and it must be kept as a treasure. The Queen gazed at the sword and hugged it tightly. The priestess supposed not to have given it to her in the public, but she had to do according to how she was directed by the gods.

It was twilight before the king could salvage her wit after hitting the bottle. The Queen who had waited all day and couldn't wait to ask the king what was the wrapped object given to the second Queen. The king stood up from his bed where he was laid. He peeked around like someone who didn't know where he was. He looked up and was staring at the Queen.

"What was the wrapped object the priestess gave to her?", asked the Queen.

The king knew that was what made her be around his neck since the ceremony had been concluded. The king didn't know the reply he would convey to her that she would believe, because he knew there was nothing he was going to utter that she would believe. She stood opposite where the king was seated shaking her leg like someone who came to fight the king. The king was raising his hand and facing the palm up thinking in his psyche what the wrapped object might be. She then broke the silence.

"I don't know what the object was", replied the king. 

"Really?!", exclaimed the Queen with her eyes wide open.

The Queen didn't take his word. She thought the king lied. The king collapsed on his bed after replying her. She peeked around the room like someone who was looking for someone and then took his leave.