Chapter 50 - The Death of Amanirenas

Amanirenas is set to face the shame she has bestowed upon herself for her selfish ambition and using her only daughter disguising her like a son so as to take over the throne when her brother, Masinissa Linette Duah II is finally not fit enough to rule as king of the Ptolemaic Kingdom. Akinidad on the other hand, is set to face the wrath of the land as to why he allowed himself to be used by his ambitious mother.

Princess Nala has been left with astonishment as she sees her lies come out under the sun. She wanted her cousin so bad that she was keen to jeopardizing his life just for her selfish and lustful gain but ended up backfiring against her. He is left with the boggest of her life as she will now be forced to tell the whereabout of her lover so as to bring him to book and face the judgment pronouncement made by Amanirenas her cousin.

Amanirenas is now rushed to a nearby room so as to be able to regain her strength and will have to answer to the whole kingdom as to why her so called son turned to be a girl as proclaimed by the executioner.

1st Elder: (Shouts for help) Somebody hold her…She is falling…Hold her…Hold her… (He continued as he helps her from falling to the ground)

Emissary: She has fainted.

King: (Orders the women working at the palace) Take her to the women quarters and pour some cold water on her body. Make sure nothing happens to her. Hurry up...Hurry I say!

Amanirenas is quickly taken away from the durbar ground into the palace to the women's quarters and the palace doctor was assigned to check up on her to see if everything is fine with her.

As the chaos erupts on the durbar ground due to the news exploded by the executioner, and as the king waits patiently but in total surprise and awe, the guards walk in with Akinidad Linette Duah now looking like a girl. Very pretty.

King: And what is HE wearing on his chest? Can it be my eyes are playing tricks on me? Someone should tell me this is not real.

Elder: (All surprised) Breasts? How possible?

Executioner: Each of you can come and feel them to satisfy your curiosity. (Says as he intends to clear that he was saying nothing but the truth about her)

The elders rush to go and touch the breast. A loud shout from the Emissary sends them back into the seats immediately.

King: Bring him here let me first feel them with my own hands… (The king orders authoritatively while Akinidad is being taken to him. He then feels them)

What…my…my…people…it is true. He is a she!

Princess Nala: (Still shocked and speechless begins to speak) Oh no!...no!... I don't believe it. He is a man. There is no way he will be a woman. He sowed this seed in me.

Akinidad: (Turns to the princess) It is true, my cousin. Look at me. See what I have beneath me. Touch them, feel them. Now tell me, Am I your REAL MAN?

Princess Nala: (Screams loudly and throws herself on the ground) Oh no!...no!...

Akinidad: (Coolly) I am a girl just like you. I have everything a woman has, just as you do. There is only one person on tis earth who has the key to tis riddle. That person is no one… but my mother.

The king could not believe his eyes and ears as he stands watching in complete awe as to how this is possible. It never would have crossed his mind if his sister could truly pull such an act of bravery.

He angrily orders for his sister to be brought before him if she is awake.

King: Bring my sister here at once! (Amari and Zibo enters as they sing a dirge)

Amari: My Lord...my Lord… Your sister, the great leopard, Amanirenas Linette Duah has poured away the salt. (Amari and Zibo continued to hum the dirge)

King: What are you talking about? I hope you do not intend to tell me my sister has…

Zibo: My Lord (Still humming the dirge) It is difficult for the tongue to pronounce it to you and the kingdom, but she has really poured away the salt.

King: (With a heavy heart and almost felt like falling to the ground) It is so unfortunate! Death has taken away from us the only key to this complex puzzle. (He turns to Amari and Zibo) Gather some few women, go and prepare her for burial.

As the news was broken to the elders and the dwellers of the kingdom, there storm a loud voice of chaos and mourning, as the king, with the help of the emissary and some elders, was taken back to his seat and allowed to get some rest.

At this point, the king is left in between the lies of his sister and the lies of his daughter. It will be upon him to pass the judgment unto his daughter and his only nephew who he thought would have made a great king after he descends the throne. It feels like his world has come crashing right before his eyes and feels more worse since he is helpless and does not know what to do.

Akinidad was so shocked to hear the death of his mother at the time he needed her the most. He has lived his life just to quench the thirst of his mother and has forgotten who he really was in the process. What will he do now that his real identity is being revealed to the whole kingdom. Who will believe his story is he says it was never his intentions to live under false identity but rather was the will of his late mother. who would understand nor believe that he did not connive with his mother just to ascend on the throne of Ptolemaic Kingdom. Who would believe him that he has always to live a woman to enjoy what womanhood is? He sobs so bitterly as all these thoughts keep running through his mind. He then turned to his cousin, the princess and said to her.

Akinidad: (Turns to the princess) If only you had said the truth of who the real man or the real father of this unborn child of yours was, none of these would have been unfolding and the culprit would have been punished other than you.

Princess Nala: What a selfish cousin I've got. Even in situations like this you care for no one but yourself and your selfish ambition. (She continues to speak to him harshly while she sobs, knowing of the consequences that waits her lies.

The king finally rises from his seats and is expected to bring the durbar to a closure. The emissary helps him up and walks him towards the palace while the rest of the elders stand on their feet in respect to the king while he took his leave.

Princess Nala and her cousin Akinidad are then taken into custody by some palace guards while they await their questioning on the following day.