Hakeemi has returned back to the Carthage and is yet to be welcomed by the news about the princess and her cousin the crown prince he fought with side by side against the Punt Kingdom. Although the princess has already made it known to him about her pregnancy but had no clue what awaited him after the king knew about it. He is filled with so much of excitement as he returned from a long journey he embarked on. The remorse all this while was that he escaped knowing that he got the princess into the family way and without properly following the instructions of custom and sowing a wedlocked seed into the princess.
As he returned home and it being a nighttime, it was not possible for anyone to enlighten him of the situation on ground even remorse has reached him where he was and wanted to verify things by himself. He was eager that when he did not allow the ears of his old parent get any rest until he was filed in with the ongoing new.
He was terrified when he was told everything about what the princess did which led to revealing of the true identity of the prince and how they are both under in the cells awaiting their call to death, but nothing was more terrifying to him than the news of the punishment being pronounced by the prince before his identity was revealed, and how the elders are keen to keen to making sure the judgment is carried out. Him knowing there is none other deserving of the punishment was him scared him more and more. He wished he has not stepped his feet back to the village and his family will have to pay the price if he escapes and goes hiding.
The sun was rising so fast as of today and its another day to proceed with the discussion on the ground, and if the princess speaks of him being the accomplice, thing will get much more complicated for him and will wish for his own death to come after him.
The morning has finally appeared in Carthage in the Ptolemaic Kingdom and the first thing that was done to go see if the king has regained his strength so as to proceed with the business of the day. It is forbidden to start or proceed with any discussion without the presence of the king and can only be done without the king if he is unwell or probably attending to other duties then he gives his approval. In this situation, even though the issue at hand is more of an emergency than anything that has ever happened in the kingdom, the king still needs to grace the ground with his presence otherwise his approval will have to be given before anything is being done, yet the king is still not fit enough to grace the grounds neither is he conscious enough to give his approval. The king has been in the state of shock and disappointment by his daughter, who allowed herself to be impregnated without properly following tradition and custom, yet his sister has also left a scandal of identity that has dirtied the throne, leaving behind no answers to it, jeopardizing the freedom of her only daughter subjecting her to a penalty she is face.
Hakeemi is definitelu on the verge of meeting his ancestors soon and in other to prevent this happening, and knowing how much the princess loved him, he will have to find his way to the prison where the princess is being kept and plead for her respite before he will be given the opportunity to live as a free man. But as it stands, it is totally impossible that to happen, even so he will have to come face to face with Akinidad who is being locked together with the princess in the same prison. Seeing all his possibilities being impossible, he said to himself "how did I get myself into this. There will be no respire for me after the king regain his consciousness neither will the princess lie any further".
His father saw how restless he has become ever since he got back from that journey of his and has become worried about his son. He tried to confine in his son about what was actually bothering him, and Hakeemi knowing his father so well, he wouldn't dare to explode the truth surrounding the princess to him. His father, being so truthful and loyal to the throne, without having any second thoughts will report him to the king and will definitely be executed. So as worried as he has grown, he tried making up a story to tell his father so he can escape to somewhere very far away from the kingdom, where it will be difficult to reach to him even after the truth is being told by the princess.
One night, when the moon has set right above the kingdom, with its shinning through every corner of the kingdom, Hakeemi came forth to his father with the story he has prepared to gain his blessing in other to leave the kingdom yet his father did not see the story to be catchy enough to leave the kingdom for that period of time he is requesting, but with his persuasive attitude, the father agreed to think over it and possibly grant him his blessing when everything he has said to him sits well. At this point he knew is just a "YES" step away to run away from the fate that has befallen him.
While the king still lies down unconscious, his Kinsmen and other elders of the kingdom kept the discussions going on amongst themselves in aiding him when he finally arises from his slumber. While some kept insisting of easing the harsh punishment placed against the two siblings, the first elder, who is assumed to be the eldest amongst them all insists on proceeding with the judgement pronounced by Akinidad before his arrest. Some elders gave their reason of Akinidad not being the culprit to the princess even though his situation isn't that much of a difference from the princess's. He, Akinidad, was only caught in the space of desperations fuelled by the words of his ambitious mother, and a faithful child as she is, all she did was walk and live through the life assigned to her by the mother. Her crime is not that enough reason to be executed. Same goes to the princes, as if she is executed, the lineage of the Linette family will be gone for good, and nothing will be left in their remembrance other than the shameful act of the princess that led to their total disappearance.
1st Elder: So far as I am alive, I will sit to witness the shameless act of putting the custom aside for the respite of others. (He says angrily)
3rd Elder: Is it that you are after the throne, or you are truly in the execution of the wills of custom? (He asks the 1st elder)
1st Elder: You can say all that you want, but all I know is custom must take its cause and the culprit will live to face their fate.
As the argument among the elders begun to take a heated stage, the emissary came in and shouts at them
Emissary: Silence. (There was a total silence) Have you no shame or respect for the king anymore? The kingdom is at its difficult times and all you do is sit here and argue amongst yourself? What has gone over you all?
1st Elder: Young man, know who you are and who you are talking to. It took us for you to get the title as the king's personal spokesperson so speak to us with respect. Or have you suddenly forgotten.
Emissary: It might have taken you to get me the position of as the personal messenger of the king, but I do believe it was of my competence that I was deep right to serve the king as his personal messenger, so do speak to me with respect as well.
There was a murmur of agreement to what the emissary said to the elder since everyone is getting g sick of his attitude.
1st Elder: I can see you have grown some wings and lack respect for your elders. But to assure you all, (Turns to the elders) custom will take its course no matter what you all do. I will reserve any other thing till the king regains his strength. (Leaves the palace as the rest of the elders looked on)
After the elder left the palace, the rest of the elders and other kinsmen followed as he, the emissary, goes back to check on the king. As soon as he enters the chamber of the king, he saw the king seated on is bed asking of what had happened and the emissary only called for the priest and did not answer the king yet.