King: Emissary!
Emissary: Your Highness! (He responded quickly to the king)
King: Let it reach my chiefs and elders, without whom I cannot govern this kingdom, that if I called them here today, it is to discuss a very serious matter affecting the kingdom, the kingdom our forefathers left in our care so we can also gladly hand it over to our children and to their children to come.
Emissary: (Turns to the direction of the chiefs and elders) Honourable chiefs and elders, so says the king, that since two heads are always better than one as it can be traced back to our forefathers, he is no fool to attempt to carry all the bunch of firewood on his head when he can tie it into two bundles for his household to carry one half, thereby making his load lighter and easier to carry. (General murmur of "God forbid that the king should be a fool… his highness won't do that at all" and the murmur continues as Emissary chip in sharply)
Emissary: And if he has called you all here today, it is to help him carry the bundle of firewood on his head if you won't share it with him. (Another general murmur of--- "Why not" we are servants to the king, and he need not carry any firewood on his head while we are still alive)
King: Alright. Some of you already know what has prompted this durbar. All the same, I shall not hesitate to forestate it…
(At this moment, the look on the king's face is beginning to look more and more unlike him as he is yet to state the condition of his daughter, which will change the subject of the durbar)
Emissary: The king says, since we don't only ask to know the unknown, but at times ask to know that which we already know, and in doing so, makes us double sure of that which we already know, he, his highness, shall repeat to both fed and unfed ears, the purpose of this durbar.
King: (Authoritatively) Let my wayward daughter come forward.
Emissary: (Shouts to the guards) Guards! Bring the wayward daughter at once!
At this point, the whole kingdom is in great shock at to why the king, the one who loves his daughter more than even his life, refer to the future queen mother of the kingdom wayward, and as to why the emissary would also refer to her just as the king has done. The atmosphere at the durbar is beginning to take a different look from how it began.
(Two guards step forward from behind with princess Nala with a single cloth around her, standing in between them)
The king takes the authority again as he speaks while he looks so furious towards his daughter
King: (Pointing at the princess) She who stands there before us, is a product of my loins. Nala Masinissa Linette Duah is her name. A daughter of royal blood. The only daughter to the most trusted king of our great kingdom and a promised queen mother to the kingdom as well. She harbours in that protruding flesh of hers a seed secretly and wrongfully sown out of acceptable wedlock.
(A cry of shock and disbelief emanates from the gathering)
(The king continues as the crowd are still engulfed in shock)
Oh yes!
Is that not a shameful deed for a princess of her calibre to do? (The king is beginning to grow more angrier as he continued to address the situation of his daughter)
I have a good mind to slap… (He attempts to get up and move towards the direction of the princess, but he is quickly restrained by the elder sitting close to him)
Well, by our ancient custom the penalty is obvious. However, I shall not sit in judgement, lest I do it with partiality. I shall therefore ask Akinidad Lenette to take over and pronounce judgement. Take the sword of office.
(Akinidad suddenly rise and reluctantly takes the sword of office from the king)
Akinidad: (Standing in front of his stool) As a matter of fact this is most unexpected. (There was a quick eye lock between Nala and Akinidad)
All the same I shall proceed to the solemn duty that has been devolved upon me…
1st Elder: (Sitting in the audience) Not there, your highness not there!
It is not lawful to pronounce judgement upon any of the stools except the great judgment stool!
Akinidad: But…!!...!... That is not for me…
King: It is so, my nephew. You ought to rest your buttocks on the judgement stool at least three times, before whatever pronouncement you make shall be binding. It is the custom.
(Murmur of general approval)
Akinidad: I…I… Can't
It is really… (Akinidad exchanges glances with Elder Agu. The latter gives a nod) Alright, I shall do as custom says.
(Akinidad moves slowly but steadily. He is assisted by few elders and made to rest his buttocks on the stool three times. Upon the third he sits, and the horns are sounded after which he rises to address his cousin with some renew boldness)
Dear cousin of mine, it grieves my heart a great deal to think that I am with my tongue, should condemn you to death.
Oh! No...no!
I refuse to think of it. The thought of it revolts my mind. I wish I had a chance to choose a by-path, a by-path that by-passes this narrow mountain-pass of our customs. A path on which humanity could intercede on your behalf. But I don't have that chance.
Who am I to suggest that the narrow mental footpath of our customs be widened. To accommodate the free spirit of reforms, forgiveness and reconciliation. I'll be told in no uncertain terms that log before my grandfathers' fathers' great grandfathers' mother was born, the customs were there. All the same my cousin, be bold and tell us who did this foul deed. I decree that he who did sow this unnatural seed in you should not live to see the dawn of the day after the apprehension. If he has escaped, I will order the soldiers to chase him and bring him to face the punishment of his crime upon the royal blood. Should he be hiding in the grounds, and we shall smoke him out like a rat. Should he be in the clouds, and we shall plug him down like some fruit. And when he is brought, he shall not be given a hearing. The genitals with which he sowed the unwanted seed in the royal soil, shall be severed from the rest of his body and presented in a wooden bowl before all the chiefs, elders and people of the land at a durbar such as this.
If he is uncircumcised, both the mother and father shall be killed. (Seizes a state sword from the courier)
May the gods of our elders and the spirit of our fathers grant me no respite till the culprit is found and duly punished. If I fail to fulfil these words, may my people take my life.
(The horns are blown to seal his vows)
Crowd: Well spoken, son of a leopard, well spoken.
1st Elder: Brave words well spoken, young prince.
Akinidad: So, produce the partner of your guilt. And let's deliver him up to the executioner for him to die in your stead. Embrace this opportunity. Save yourself while yet you may. Name the father of the unborn child and go free!
Emissary, let my cousin know that we are listening.
At this moments, the whole village is waiting to hear from the princess who the father of her unfortunate unborn child is, and to witness the judgement passed by the latest king Akinidad unfold into reality, to serve as an example to the upcoming generation in the kingdom.
As Akinidad keeps asking his cousin to tell who the culprit is, she has already planned out something very destructive, which will go a very long way in the memory lane of her father's legacy as king. Hopefully she will not be the only member of the royal family to go through such grave humiliation but will rather take along with her some member.
At this point, the king has had enough of the embarrassment and wishes everything comes to the end. The princess is still proving some stubbornness refusing to bring out the culprit of which she got pregnant but rather playing the whole kingdom as they all watch in surprise.