Prince Obi sat down on his huge bed after he had poured out his rage on everything around him. He sat down the memories and moments he had spent with Linda and his first meeting with her.
It all began when he was celebrating his eight years birthday. The king ,his father had thrown a huge party to celebrate him ,inviting many big men and women far and near .It was on this day that he met Linda. She came in with her father,chief Stephen and they both sat on the high table as one of the Honourable guests.
She was dressed in a beautiful,flowing floral gown and she was looking absolutely stunning. At first, He couldn't take his eyes off her for she was a beauty to behold .Soon ,his father came over to him with Linda and her dad following behind him .His dad said "My son,meet my very best friend chief Stephen and his daughter Linda .This is my son" The king introduced his son to them also ,even though he knew they already knew the prince.
"And you know what?" he continued"This my friend daughter over here,he said pointing at Linda with his index finger ,coincidentally have the same birthday with you .Although ,you're older than her with just a year .In that case I've decided to celebrate you both birthday together"
Prince Obi could not believe what his dad just told him.His dad knew quite well that he doesn't like to share what belongs to him with other people and here was this girl trying to share his birthday celebration with him . Definitely, he won't allow that ."No dad ,I don't want anyone celebrating my birthday with me ,this is my birthday party and I am not going to share it with any intruder!" He blurted out.
The king was shocked with such utterance from his son.He looked at little prince Obi and said ."This is not a matter of you having to share you birthday party with her but her having to be celebrated today .I have made my decision and it's final . Have I made myself clear?" he asked looking at the prince Obi .Little Linda who didn't like the way things were going on because of her tried to persuade the king that she didn't want to celebrate her birthday with him that she was fine with him having his birthday party to himself. But the little prince was already so enraged that he pushed down the birthday cake which fell on little Linda causing a mess to her beautiful gown.
" I don't want her to be in my birthday party!" He screamed as he looked at Linda with a spitting hatred . Queen Ada who didn't know what to do next tried to calm her son but King Daru ll was so furious that he slapped the prince for such insolence. The little prince was stunned for a while . He couldn't believe that his father could raise a hand on him and all because of a girl .He had done a lot of naughty thing before but his dad had never tried to lay a finger onbhim and today he slapped him and on his birthday .
He pushed the chair in front of him down and ran out of the venue of his birthday to his room .He shut the door behind him with anger and began to cry. "This is the worst birthday I've ever had and this was all because of that little bastard I will make her pay for it" He cursed within him amidst his sobbing.
The Queen came over and tried to persuade him to open his door but he was adamant and refused. The king was so furious,he knew quite well that his subject will be talking about what just happened and they will all say that he wasn't training his son well while trying to rule his people well.
That night the king and queen were in a heated argument because the queen blamed the king for what happened saying that he shouldn't have slapped their son like that in front of all the people. While the king concluded that she was the one spoiling their son and that was the reason he behaved the way he did. After a lot of argument the king retired to bed with a very heavy heart while the queen went to see if the prince will open the door for her to come into his room but he still refused to open the door.
The next morning,prince Obi came out with a gloomy face. He refused to talk to anyone including his mother .As he was sitting down on a bench in garden looking at the floor in front of him lackadaisically,he didn't notice the time someone else joined him until he heard her say hi .
He was brought back to the present and when he turned to know who said hi,his stomach churned with anger when he saw her." You again ,what do you want from me? Why are you following me around?" He asked with a spitting hatred as he looked at her murderously. She looked at him ,she was really sorry for what happened to him and she said"My prince am truly sorry for what happened yesterday and I've come to apologize. I promise it won't happen again. You won't see me anywhere near your birthday party next time" . Prince Obi looked at her . He was sure that down within her that she was mocking him. She was only putting up an act in front him. "Get out of here now! " He shouted. Linda was really taken aback,she had never meet someone as rude and callous as prince Obi.
"Get out!" He said again. Linda stood up slowly and said once again" I am really sorry" " Sorry my foot!" The prince said to her. She felt really bad when he said so and when she was a little distance away from the prince she turned back not knowing what got over her and said"You know what ,I've never met a pompous and spoilt person like you before in my life . You're are so rude and heartless and I pray you never destroy yourself with your anger one day" Prince Obi looked at her furiously he came and stood in front of her and laughed wickedly."Who do you think you are ? You little brat .How I behave or what I do is none of your business,get out of here ,I hate seeing your face it disgust me."
He stormed out of the garden. Linda felt like breaking down .The prince was worst than she had imagined. After the incident which took place on his birthday party ,she couldn't sleep well that night as she couldn't stop blaming herself for what happened. When she woke up this morning ,she told her dad that she would like to go to the palace and apologize to the prince for what happened even she knew that she wasn't at fault. Her dad had tried to dissuade her from going but she kept on pestering him until he brought her to the palace and now this was what she got,insult. Tears rolled down her little cheeks ,she wiped it away and left the garden.
After that day whenever Prince Obi saw Linda ,he will pretend like as if he didn't see her and she on her own part didn't care any longer because she can't make friend with someone as arrogant as the prince . Their parents had tried to make them friend with each other but the two children wasn't allowing such and now after many years the king wants the prince to marry her. "No I won't " prince Obi said as after recalling everything. The queen came into the prince's room to be welcomed in a room full of mess and havoc.
She heaved heavily as she shook her head .She went over to the prince and said "My son..please stop doing this to yourself,I don't like the state that you're in.. please my son stop harming yourself like this ..it makes my heart bleed. If you do not want to marry Linda ,then it's fine .I will speak to the king to change his mind on his decision and let you marry the woman of your choice ,please my handsome,my prince ...." She kept on prasing him as she sat down and stroked his head. The prince then calmed down and told his mum to please plead with his dad not to send him to doom in the pretence of a marriage. Queen Ada told him not to worry that she will try her best to make him happy.
Later at night ,the queen kept on persuading the king to change his mind on the decision he had made for their son . She refused to give him a breathing space and kept on begging and pleading to him . After a while the king sat down on the bed and faced the queen he said"My queen ,Linda is the right woman for him . All these girls that are following him around doesn't love him but his money and fame. I am getting old and one day will go and meet our ancestors,our son will rule this kingdom and to do that he needs a very wise woman beside me . You're aware that this position I am in is the cause of enmity between me and my brothers and any slightest mistake we make could spell doom and cause disaster because I know their waiting for the opportunity. I have watched Linda grow into a beautiful damsel with a lot of sense in her and I have decided to make her our son wife for she's the type of woman he needs " The Queen didn't know what to say as she hadn't thought about all these but was just thinking of making her son happy. Whatever the king just spoke now all made sense to her and therefore ,she decided to support him.
After a while the queen said " Am sorry my king , I didn't see the benefits of what you were trying to do I was just focused on making our son happy. I will work with you to make our son marry the right person and life partner" The king then hugged the queen and they both went to bed .
Meanwhile,at the home of Linda,her parents also informed her of their intension for to marry the prince.She was so shocked that she didn't know what to say .She just stared blindly at her father . Then he told her that the king had asked him if he will allow his son ,the prince marry his daughter, Linda and he had readily agreed because he doesn't wants their long time friendship to be at stake and anyway the prince was a good match for her. " Dad you know how much I dislike the prince and you're asking me to marry him,please dad I will do anything you ask me to do if that will make this marriage contract cancelled . I had always been a good girl and had never asked you for anything but today am asking you to please allow me to marry the man I love.I don't have any feeling for that prince ,dad please " Linda knelt down on her knees and continue to plead to her dad .
Her father held her to her feet and brought her to the chair to seat . He said "My daughter, it's not like I hate you and don't want you to marry the man you want but my daughter try and bear with me.
The king had pleaded with me earnestly to agree to let the prince marry you . He had watched you since you were little and concluded that you were the one made for him. He believes that if the prince have you by his side then he will be able to rule well and fight any challenges he's faced with in the later future .Please my daughter reconsider your decision and marry the prince ,please" Chief Stephen begged his daughter. Linda held his hand and said "its okay father ,I know you're my father and want the best for me .For the sake of you and Mother ,I will accept to marry the prince. Her father was so happy that he hugged her and her mother also hugged her but deep within Linda she knew that this marriage she was entering was going to cause her a lot of pain ..