The chief and all the kings wives prepared them del to return to the palace the very next day. It was as if some large scales has fallen out of their eyes and they were ashamed of their actions and they were reeling to right the wrong done to the King.
Queen Idia has already been prepared for the sacrifice she has removed her royal robe for the red up and down loin cloth for the sacrifice, the only thing she still had on were her power beads and a fountain of tears.
The king waited for a while for the Queen then stood up and went out to question the busy seer over preparation for the sacrifice and when the sacrifice will be expose to him, the seer reassured him that in a little while he can come to the place marked out for the sacrifice and all will be clear.
For some strange reason the king got a strange foreboding more like a bad feeling no matter how he tried to shake it off, it just won't drop.
Oh! Osanuobuwa! save your people the king cried..... as he sang some soulful Benin song... it was so sad to see.
******
Ayanna and almost everyone else were in one state of teary eye or the other, her voice kept breaking ad she tried to narrate the true picture of the past incident, just that the narrative was coming in short bits.
Ayanna take your time and if you need to rest and continue some other time then let us know Prince Ade Ade cajoled.
No...no rest...I really must finish this.....this her pa ....path I must finish it today, its just that.... sniffling, which the Prince handed her a tissue to blow his nose.
I can feel ...can feel and see her pain, her heart is breaking.
******
The time came for the seer to perform the sacrifice and he went and called His Majesty the King to come join him through the duration of the sacrifice.
But where is the Queen? the King questioned.
Come with me my King there is no more time but the sacrifice is prepared and ready lets do this, be strong and courageous my king.
On getting to the back of the shrine where a massive pit had been dug sitting in the pit with her legs stretched out and her painted all over with a white paint and rivers of tears pouring out her eyes.
Oghene! what*** what seer????? the king was furious Queen Idia what is going on here oh Oghene no! no!! noooo!!! Queen Idia get out of there right now, he ordered as he rushed forward to pull her out but the Queen only shook her head outrightly declining to come out meaning it was her choice, my king, .... this I do for you... my love .... and great Benin kingdom, this is a small ..... sacrifice to get all back..to ... to the way it was.
Please Idia come out eh! Ogheneme!! this is not happening.
As she shook her head in determination to carry on with being the sacrifice. The King cried out in a sad and soulful Benin folk song again and moved away as the seer placed a palm frond in between her lips.
Then he gave the diggers the go ahead and cover the pit.
The Queen cried, the king sang and the seer watched with tears in his eyes as he intermittently shouted, oh! Benin! oh! Benin .....
Just like that and gradually the Queen was buried alive.
The King was heartbroken he stayed by that grave and refused to leave, he sang till his voice was hoarse, he laid on that mud ground and sang till no one can hear him again, throughout the night chill, and mosquito's he never felt he was lost in his loss and pain.
The seer lite a lamp for him once he understood that the king had no intension of leaving at first light he went and practically dragged the king who refused to still leave.
He then left him and hurried to the palace to see if anyone was around to help him get the king back to his palace on getting there there were two of the chief there waiting to see the king and the seer quickly told them to hurry and follow him to bring the king, they all rushed out after the seer, it was at the shrine at the place where Queen Idia was buried alive that they heard they tragic story of what went down and they broke down for they had seen the queen the previous day who would have taught that she would go and do some thing so massive?
Lifting the King up they consoled him as he pointed at the site and kept muttering Idia oh Idia Ogheneee...
They practically had to drag him back to his palace which was suddenly filled with running princes and princess and all the Queen's were back too? what happened? all the Queen's wanted to do was see Queen Idia but the countenance of the king and his Chiefs were not bright at all what happened, when they heard what happened there was loud wailing in the palace ground everywhere.
It was then the Chiefs narrated there encounter with Queen Idia even the Queen Amanze also had to narrate how Queen Idia came to her and how they came to their senses because of her and decided to come home. she actually volunteered to sacrifice herself like that?
What a great Queen Benin Kingdom has lost.
Come head Queen you need to assist the king to get a hot bath as we try and arrange new men servants for him and guards also.
And just like that the life of Queen Idia ended and I woke up in the pod with all her beads complete on me this time, as I struggled in the healing pod so much so that the healers rushed to it and opened it and I half crawled and half stood up from it completely healed and out of coma.