Chapter 22
"My lady" Yhuri called.
"Yhuri, come in" I replied.
Yhuri entered looking sad. She always looked cheerful even though she doesn't talk much.
"Why are you sad?" I managed to ask Yhuri.
"My Lady, Prince Diemo is dead!" Yhuri said and burst into tears.
"Huh?" I asked feeling shocked. "Where is His Highness?"
"He is at the scene site"
"Where is Eyeki?"
"She's bathing"
"Yhuri, what do I do now?"
Yhuri looked helplessly at me. I didn't want Eyeki to find out soon. I had to act before Eyeki finds out. I walked out of my hut and waited for Eyeki to come out of her hut. She didn't look very well when i saw her. Just then Jabari appeared. He told me he wanted to talk to me. I went to stand under a tree in the manor with him.
"My Lady, His Highness wants you to stay in the manor. He wants you to be with Eyeki. You must console her. Prince Diemo is dead" Jabari said.
"I will stay in the manor to console her" I replied.
"Please make sure she doesn't leave the manor"
"I will" I replied. "Jabari, is His Highness alright?"
Jabari nodded.
"What happened to Diemo? Who killed him?"
"He was poisoned"
"Hmmm" I sighed.
"I have to leave now, My Lady"
Jabari left and I walked to Eyeki's hut. She didn't seem sad, neither was she happy. I greeted her politely and sat beside her on the mat.
"Is His Highness around?" Eyeki asked.
"Since when did you start calling him, His Highness?" I asked looking amused.
"At least I have to respect him when you are around," Eyeki said. "You don't look well, Zui. Is everything ok?"
"I am very ok. Just that I miss Nana and Buka"
"You can visit them"
"I moved into the palace only three days ago, I can't visit them so soon"
"You're right. But you can invite them over. Just tell Mbaku, he will have everything set for you"
"Then I'll do that one. Thanks, Eyeki"
***
Queen Abiola sat on her mat unable to move immediately the news was broke to her. She hit her chest with her hand and let out a loud cry. She couldn't be consoled. She wept throughout the day, refusing to eat anything or even leave her hut. She recalled her conversation with Mbaku. Was this what he meant by "give up on him"? Was Mbaku that mean? He told me; he was going to save him. Why now? Somehow, she felt like Mbaku would not kill her son. Someone must have acted before Mbaku did. He would have died anyway. She tried to console herself.
"Where is Eyeki?" the Queen managed to ask her maid.
"She's at Mbaku's manor" the maid replied.
"Is she alright?"
"Yes, Your Highness"
Queen Abiola sighed and changed her clothes to mourning clothes.
"How is Zima? And, where is he?" the Queen asked.
"All the princes are at the King's court. I think he is there with them"
The Queen was beginning to feel Zima had a part to play in his brother's death. She recalled the conversation she had with him the previous night.
***
(The Queen recalling their conversation after Mbaku had left her).
"Zima, I am giving up on Diemo. He has lost his right to the throne. I will give you all the support you need to be King" Queen Abiola told Zima.
"Mother, let's not act in a rush. You can't give up on him now"
"You know there's no way to save him now. The throne must be ours. Our bloodline must succeed the throne. You know I have only two sons, Diemo and you. Now that he has lost his right to the throne, I have to give you all of my support. I know you have been living in the shadow of your brother. It's time for you to shine as well. Don't you want the throne?"
"I do"
"Then let's join forces. We will think about the way forward later"
***
The look on Zima's face when his mother had finished talking to him, made his mother know that he had something to do with Diemo's frame. Somehow, she felt guilty because she raised Diemo like a King and raised Zima to be submissive to Diemo. Zima might have been nurturing feelings of hatred for both Diemo and her. The Queen laid on her mat to rest.
***
The King called all his sons and other subjects for an emergency meeting.
"Diemo is now dead, you now have to stop the search for a way to save him. His burial rites would be performed this afternoon. You all know we can't give him a royal burial. He would be buried at the outskirt of Wailand.", the King said sadly.
The King knew one of his sons was behind it but didn't want to probe the situation more.
"Yes, Your Majesty", they all said simultaneously.
Diemo's body was carried to the outskirt of Wailand for burial, as the king has ordered.
No one was supposed to sympathize or mourn him because he was a traitor. The only people who were at the burial site were the princes, the second in command of the king's army, some of the guards and slaves.
***
Mbaku arrived home and heard Eyeki and me conversing. He smiled and approached us. Eyeki rose from her seat to meet him and asked anxiously;
"How is he? Has he been released?"
"Yes, he has been released," Mbaku said preventing Eyeki's gaze.
"No! He's dead right?" Eyeki asked tearfully.
"I am so sorry, Eyeki. I did my best to save him"
Eyeki burst into tears and let out a loud cry. Jabari held her mouth and told her;
"The King has ordered that, no one should mourn him. You can't cry out here"