Chapter Three

The prime minister entered the king's bedroom, the king was loose and free with everyone. Even in his room, he doesn't allow his guard to stay with him because he believed there was no danger in as much as he was not in dispute with anyone. in the usual ministers' dress, the prime minister entered.

"His Majesty", the prime minister said joining together his two hands raised and his head bow.

"Welcome, my able minister", said the king.

The King believed the prime minister was his closest friend after his wife. Even if there was something that he couldn't discuss with the Queen he did in the prime minister. The prime minister knew almost everything about him. Everything that did happen between him and his wife. He always discussed everything with some minister. For the fact that the prime minister was loyal also contributed to his tremendous love for him. If anyone was going against the prime minister among the ministers the King was always ready to defend the prime minister and some ministers envied the kind of relationship between the King and the prime minister but it seems normal to some ministers.

"Hope you remember that the annual festival remains a month?", said the prime minister seated on a wooden guest's chair beside-opposite the king's bed.

"Huh! So trueeeeeee! It skips my mind this time around. The Queen did not even me" t  king replied looking astounded.

After the long-short discussion, the prime minister was about to take his leave. The king ordered him to tell one of his guards to come to him right away. The prime minister takes his leave walking gently like a tortoise that has been hungry for years. The prime minister was always being mocked by other ministers due to the way he walked. It happened numerous times but the unforgettable one was the day after they met with the king, the king usually be the first to take his leave before any other minister move an . The prime minister called for a short discussion immediately at the palace after the king left. After the discussion. As norms the prime minister must be the first to take his leave also before other ministers can leave when the prime minister was walking, other ministers burst into laughter unknown to him because he was already at a remote distance. The laughter was very serious to the extent that other ministers joined their colleague pointing their hand at the prime minister as he walked out of the palace. 

The prime minister did as ordered by the king. The guard entered with a sword held on the left-hand side and his head bows down. He bends down to listen to what the king had to say. 

"I am here his majesty", said the guard bending down with his right-hand arm on his knee.

"Do you know where the Queen is?", asked the king.

"Yes his majesty, she is in her room with his maids", answered the guard.

"Tell her to attend to me right away", the king ordered.

The guard moved out immediately. Different thoughts began to run through the king's psyche. Looking at the ceiling like he was trying to remember something. Even the injury made him lost some weight he now looked skinny compare to before. Though he was not that fat the sickness made it worst. He has recovered but hadn't regained his lost weight. Seated on his bed expecting the Queen. He looked back at the wall clock.

"The Queen should attend to me on time", talking to himself.

Also thinking about the preparation that was supposed to have begun sometimes ago. Though it was not too late things should have begun and it should have been announced. It was his injury which later led to sickness that all what's happening if not everything was supposed to have started being in shape. He noticed a sound outside like someone walking down his door. He thought it was the Queen but it was the air that blew the entrance texture. He started to look worried.

"I haven't seen the Queen today what happened? Or was there anything happening I am not aware of", he soliloquized the guard entered?

"His majesty, the Queen is on his way"... Said the guard.

"Okay, you can go back to your post", replied the King looking at where he sustained an injury when fighting with Tang.

"Is like she is doing something", the king said in his psyche.

He looked back to check the time again. His eye flashes through the stain on his bed. It was his bloodstain when he was injured. He initially thought they didn't wash the bedsheets but he later recalled that the Queen packed everything to the maids to wash and it was recently changed. 

"Maybe they didn't wash it very well", he said, talking to himself.

He started thinking of the first step to take since he has learnt of the festival.

"I should have asked the prime minister to wait", he said to himself.

He heard a whistle at the door. He knew it was the Queen.

"Come in my Queen", looking somehow worried. 

"Thank you His Majesty", the Queen said, entering the king's room.

He used his right hand to give her a sign to sit on the bed when he was standing. Though the king was still in this sleeping cloth seated at the upper side of the bed where the pillows were. The colour of his sleeping cloth was blue because blue was his favourite colour. Almost everything in his room was coloured blue including the royal gown he did wear and his underwears. The Queen on the other hand favourite colour was red. But she was not a red addict like the way the king was to blue. Though she still had dresses of other colours compared to the king who had few other. Even the bed sheet the king did sleep on was blue. He believed blue was the heavenly colour. There was a period ago when he was discussing with one of his daughter, Onna, about his favourite colour. He said anytime he slept with a bed sheet of other colours like red, black, green, etc. He did have a serious incubus. Though the princess jokingly laughed at his statement and she even discussed it with the Queen because it sounds somehow odd to her that the King, his father believed in such myth about colours.

"Why did it you that long?, I have sent for you minutes ago", the king asked.

The Queen replied, "I was arranging some clothes, I don't want those maids to do it. They don't usually do it to my satisfaction. If I should leave it when the guard came calling, they will surely do it and I don't want them to, I am sorry his majesty", touching his arm romantically.

The king smiled, "Okay, are you aware that the annual festival is in a month?".

The Queen thought of what the king just said for some second and she immediately breaks the silence in a surprising mood, "haaaaaaaaaa! I have forgotten, your injury could be the reason why I forgot because I was so worried when you were down to the extent that I couldn't think of any other thing".

"This moment onward we have to take swift actions and decisions, we have a few weeks left", said the king.

The Queen took his leave to begin the preparation for the coming ceremony. When she walked out, two of her maids who did follow her was at the door waiting for her to come out so they could follow. 

The king called one of his guards and they had a short discussion when he concluded the one he was having with the Queen. They had to inform the ministers that the regular palace and daily activities had picked up where one left off in the palace. The King moved out to take some fresh air because it had been long he did so. His eyes immediately moved to the fighting ground as he was looking around the small houses in the palace compound. He remembered how he got injure and recalled how Tang defeated him. Different thoughts began to run into his psyche. He blamed himself for the defeat thinking he should not have attacked Tang the way he did the other day and he was determined to face Tang again maybe during the festival were different competitions did take place or maybe after the festival at his leisure time. He already compromised that since Tang was staying back in the camp this time around he must m to get the f m in other to participate in the fighting contest and he would be announced that the winner would face the king and also be rewarded especially if he defeated the king. He knew Tang would win the contest so facing him was a sure deal for someone to have possessed such great martial ability. 

Walking down through the steps outside the palace. Another thought came to his psyche concerning how the festival ceremony was going to take place. He looked by the left and saw some maids occupying some cemented made chairs under the small houses. He was looking for where to sit to enjoy the fresh air. He then looked forward and also saw some maids again occupying the ones at the front of him. He was such a humble man not to have approached any of them to excuse him but he rather looked for an empty one to have his sit. He embraced and taught humility both to his children and ministers. One great attribute that also contributed to the immense love he had for the prime minister. One of the guards approached him as he was looking around. Though the guard didn't know what the king was up.

"His majesty, what do you need?", asked the guard bending down and looking at the king's face like someone looking at the sun squeezing his face.

The king didn't utter a word but, gave him a sign with his index finger out like someone waving the full hand in goodbye, meaning he shouldn't bother himself. The guard immediately returned to his post. The king later saw an empty sit when he moved forward to the other side of the palace. He then had his sit. One of his ministers that did always visit since the suspension of palace activities also visited at the moment, though when he entered he didn't see the king but thought the king would certainly be in his room as usual. When he was heading towards the king's room, a guard who knew where the King was, told him to wait first to inform the king if he opened to welcome any guest. The king told him to allow the person to come. The guard did as the king ordered. The minister went to where the king was. As he was heading towards the king's direction, he waved his hand to greet the palace maids who were sitting under some of the small houses. 

"Good afternoon His Majesty", said the minister greeted the king with his head bowed.

It was a few minutes after the morning period. The king initially thought he was wrong saying afternoon but, he later remembered he left the room remaining some minutes to the afternoon. He used his hand to direct the minister where to sit. He welcomed him looking somehow worried.

"Welcome", the king replied looking somewhere else like someone who didn't notice the minister's presence but later turned towards him.

"You are looking strong now", the minister said.

The king replied, " of course, I am good now, thanks", Smiling.

He and the ministers had a lengthy discussion that lasted for about two hours. The main subject of discussion was the festival coming in a month time. Though the minister didn't know discussion would take so long because he only came to check on the king's health. But when the king swift in the subject of the festival, the discussion took longer than the minister expected. At the same spot, the kind ordered for food. The minister was surprised because he thought the king was supposed to go inside to eat his food. He thought it wasn't ethical for a king to have his food outside where everyone did walkthrough. The king saw the minister's reaction, he knew what he was thinking and he immediately did as if he didn't  anything. The king was served some minutes later. Though had it been the Queen knew the king was outside he would have halted the food not to be given to him right there but the dinning instead. When the food was served, the king told the minister to join him, he initially said he was okay but the king forced him. He knew he must be hungry. For someone to have engaged in such a lengthy discussion and later said he wasn't hungry, was a lie, that's why even after the weekly meeting with the ministers he did insist they must be served. The Minister though later joined but he did reluctantly.

Some minutes after they finished eating the minister took his leave. The king sat down for some minutes but as he was about to stand up, he saw Tang and the Yoe minister entering the palace. They were walking slowly like a sloth. Tang in his normal martial art wears with his sword on the left-hand side. Who the king saw the sword he remembered again how he was defeated thinking he should have done better. Tang was a lefty, that also gave him an edge if being attacked unknowingly as he could defend himself immediately without changing his sword to the right hand. It saved him a particular day when an assassin was sent to kill him when he was about to be chosen as the assistant army of Yoe, the assassin was sent by one of his contender who couldn't stand his martial ability. He didn't even ask the assassin the person that sent him, he killed him immediately. He was usually referred to as a man of no mercy by his army men in Yoe. It was a norm military guide that a soldier should the sword on the left hand, any soldier that did otherwise could be referred to as a novice. 

Tang and the minister on the other hand didn't see the King and were moving straight to the palace. But the king immediately notified one of the guards that weren't far from him. He walked straight to their direction and they meet along the narrow path designed with flowers both by the left and the right. The minister and Tang greeted each other and the Yoe minister and Tang bow but, the king reciprocated as a show of respect.

The Yoe minister and Tang visited to inform the king of their imminent departure. Though Tang, his army men, some males, and the maids weren't going back with them as planned in Yoe before they came to Niyeye. Those departing were the merchants and the prime minister as they only came for their yearly exchange. The bartering of goods went even better this year compared to the last one because the Yoe came with numerous horses for exchange. The number of goods exchanged was always determined by the worth and the number of horses brought by the Yoe Merchants as the Niyeye Merchants had salt and gold in abundance. 

The King, Tang, and the Minister head towards the palace to have their discussion. As they were walking the maids were gisting, one pointed at Tang, though the three of them didn't see them. The maid was discussing how Tang defeated the king and one of them cut the discussion as it is against the palace rule. 

They entered and settled down. Tang looking around the palace rooms, it was the second time he came to visit the king. The first was when the king was still on the sick bed caused by the injury he sustained in the duel he had had Tang. But, the second time he visited, he was more comfortable as he enjoys the atmosphere compare to the initial visit. That might be because of the change of environment and for him to have enjoyed the environment the second time might be because he had adapted to the Niyeye environment.

The discussion which the King and the Yoe minister had was a lengthy one. The king informed the minister of their annual festival that was in a month time. The minister was surprised because it usually remained about two months to the festival when they did take off. This year rainy season was later compared to the preceding one because it was supposed to remain about two months to the festival before they depart Niyeye. He decided to wait this time around to witness the festival for the first time. He was already comparing it to the one they did have in Yoe and he compromised that Niyeye own must also be great. As the Yoe minister and the King were discussing, Tang was standing unnoticed by the King. Immediately the king noticed him standing, he reiterated that he should have his sit and some wines were served.

Tang and the minister were to take their leave after the discussion ended. The king escorts them to the gate. Immediately they left the palace they perambulated around the market to survey how things did go in the Kenne market. Tang was a kinda quiet person. This sometimes made the Yoe minister somehow bored when with him and the Yoe minister did accuse him of being too quiet as he was outspoken. The Yoe minister was a garrulous man. The minister wasn't happy about it because he did spend most of his time in Niyeye with Tang. The prime minister enjoys chatting only if he was with the merchants they came to Niyeye with. The Yoe saw some of the ladies he came with at the market with some men. He didn't even do as if he saw them. The noise at the market was so boisterous that Tang couldn't stand it anymore because he did complain anytime he passed through there. He insists they should head to their camp. Tang didn't like any other thing than fighting on the war ground. Even talking, the only period Tang did smile was only if he was with Huchi because they were a very close friend. It showed in his reactions that he missed being with him.

When they arrived at the camp, a messenger was sent to Yoe to inform the of everything going on in Niyeye and their plan to stay longer than expected in other to get in and out of the kingdom. Also to foster the relationship between them and the Niyeye.