THE CONQUERED PRINCESS

THE CONQUERED PRINCESS 

WRITTEN BY: SAFIYA T IDRIS 

 EPISODE 2

Wàr! running away from their kingdom meant wàr, and seeing her father, king Lamido looking so worried meant that he was not prepared for what was coming.

"Father, you haven't answered my question, what is happening?" Princess Rahila asked again.

"I can't explain right now, I just want you to know that our kingdom is on fîre and I must get you to a safe place." King Lamido said hurriedly.

"Our kingdom on fîre? Hope it is not what I am thinking father." Princess Rahila asked worriedly.

"It is, we are facing an attàck from the Zuma warriors and from what I heard, luck is not on our side this time." King Lamido said sadly.

"Don't say that father, we don't need luck to win any wàr. We are capable of dèstroying the Zuma warriors with or without luck. 

"Who are they before the people of Noma? We shall kîll them all and take over their land. We shall add their kingdom to our empire.

"They shall bow before us and I will make their princess who thinks she is as beautiful as I am my personal servant." Princess Rahila bragged.

The princess of Zuma had approached her for friendship a long time ago.

They met in a market at the boundary of Zuma and Noma a long time ago.

Princess Rahila who was just sixteen at the time felt that the princess of Zuma was trying to compare herself with her.

She arrógantly turned down the friendship and since then, she had been keeping grudges against the princess of Zuma for daring to ask her for friendship.

" I will bèhead them all!" Princess Rahila shouted, running to get her swórd from where it was hung.

She was not an ordinary princess, she was also a well trained warrîor who had only joined the bàttlefield once.

Princess Rahila did very well when she joined the bàttle, but her father never let her join the warrîors again because she sustained a little cût during the fîght. 

"Your majesty... your majesty...your majesty...the Zuma warriors are approaching the palace led by their crown prince." A servant who had ran into princess Rahila's chamber announced.

On a normal day, the male servant would have been bèheaded for daring to enter the princess chamber but the king had a bigger problem on his plate so he let it slide.

"My jewel, please come. You must follow my most trusted servant kado to a safe place right now." King Lamido said, grabbing his daughter's hand.

"Father, I don't have to run like a cóward, please let me stay, I can fîght for myself and I am sure you will be there to protect me too." Princess Rahila argued as her father led her through some secret route in the palace.

King Lamido who was determined to keep his daughter safe ignóred all her tantrums as he led her to Kado, his most trusted servant.

"Kado, please keep my daughter safe, no matter what happens, do not come out of hiding." King Lamido said to Kado who smiled secretly.

His king just said please, this was someone who never begged for anything. When the king wants something he just command people for it.

"I will protect her with my bloód your majesty." Kado promised, bowing down before the king.

"My jewel, we will meet again if our ancestors will's it. Take care of yourself and remember that I love you more than my own life." King Lamido said emotionally.

For the first time in his life, he was scared of wàr. Maybe because he wasn't the one that started it this time.

He was always the first to start a wàr agaînst other kingdoms. 

For the past 15 years of his reign, no kingdom had ever dared to attàck his, he didn't even give them the chance to.

King Lamido had spies in all the kingdoms close to his and they give him information immediately they see any sneaky moves.

He wondered why his spies failed him this time. How could a kingdom as small as Zuma plan an attàck agaînst his mighty kingdom and he didn't even get a wind...of it!

Now he was unprepared, he hadn't even gotten the chance to assemble his wàrriors and the wàr was already at his doorstep.

How could king Lamido know anything about the wàr when he had already stepped on too many toes.

When you are too wîcked to people around you, they will surely pray for your dównfall.

That was what happened to king Lamido. All his people were already tired of his cruèlty so they preferred to dîe by the swórd of Zuma warriors.

Living under king Lamido rules was as bàd as dyîng so they didn't even care as long as the king would go down with them.

.

"Kado please take care of my daughter. She's all I've got." King Lamido said for the tenth time.

"Yes my king, I shall protect her with my life." Kado promised again and again.

"Father please, let me come with you." Princess Rahila pleaded.

From her father's reaction, she could tell that nothing was going to go right that day.

She didn't want anything to happen to her father because she would be nothing without him.

"Go Kado go now, take my jewel with you." The king said hurriedly as he turned around to leave.

Princess Rahila who was already in tears, ran to her father and hugged him from behind.

The king stood motionless as tears stream down his face. He didn't turn back because he didn't want his daughter to see him cry.

No matter what happens, he would want his priceless jewel to remember him as the brave king and warrîor he was.

After a while, princess Rahila released her arms around her father and he left almost immediately without turning back.

"Father.... father... father... At least look at me once again." Rahila cried, falling on her knees, but king Lamido never looked back.

His daughter must not see his tears.

"My princess, we must leave now." Kado said, trying to help the princess up, but she pûshed him away róughly , warning him never to lay his dîrty hands on her again. 

So much pride even at the face of dànger.

After her outburst, Kado who didn't mind her bîtchy attitude led her into a secret tunnel which only he and the king knew about.

.

When king Lamido returned to his palace, he was surprised to see that half of his palace had already been dèstroyed by Zuma warrîors.

Some of his wàrriors were already fîghting the Zuma warrîors but it looked like the Zuma warrîors came prepared for them.

King Lamido quickly entered a secret room where he had hidden his arms and ammunîtîon. 

He changed his regalia and prepared for wàr. He was no cóward, he was a powerful warrîor before and after becoming king so he would not run away, no! 

A while later....

King Lamido joined the bàttlefield, ready to conquer his enemies, To his surprise, he met the king of Zuma and not the prince like he was earlier told.

King Lamido fóught like the bèast of wàr that he was, his sword bèheaded so many people.

In a short period of time, he was already covered in blóod. Blóod of people that he had slàughtèred like animals.

He stràngled some of his enemies with his bare hands too. He almost kîlled the king of Zuma if not for the timely intervention of Zuma warrîors.

King Lamido was still fîghting when he saw something scary! something that bróke his spirit and made him fall on his knees.

"No... this can't be happening!" He screamed in anguish