It has been days and no news about the king has been made known to the villagers in the kingdom. It has been rumoured the king is in a critical situation and might be gone just like his sister did, but since the emissary, who is the trusted spokesperson to the king, has not made any statement yet, the rumours will be disregarded and hoping for the recovery of the king. But behind closed doors, the king is beginning to regain his consciousness, and he was able to speak to the emissary after he went out to demand some silence from the elder and finally getting them going back to their various homes.
As the Chief priest and the king's herbalist entered his chamber, they met the king leaning to the walls behind his bed with his emissary standing right next to him. They quickly attended to the king and handed him some herbal liquid to assist in his recovery.
Ever since the bruhaha started, the king, who is the mother to the princess, has not been herself and she has been devasted with everything that has been happening. She could not believe all these are happening and are being mastered and engineered by her only daughter, the daughter she taught will be the most noble amongst all the women in the kingdom since she is of a royal blood. Due to the gravity of the situation, the queen mother tried ending her own life because the daughter's behaviour will be seen as a reflection of who she was before getting married to the king.
The queen is known to be someone who is not of any royal blood but dude to the love the king had for her presented her a life changing opportunity of being a royal. She lived a life of modesty and honour, yet her only daughter decides to take a different route of life. She is hardly heard of because of her shyness in public and would always prefer to execute her duties as queen of the Ptolemaic Kingdom behind doors. This has been a remarkable achievement as no one can say any foul thing as far as she is concerned. It will be suicidal for him if the princess if finally executed.
Hakeemi has failed to convince his father as to why he would want to go on another journey to a place he has refused to disclose to hie parent just a few days after coming back from similar journey. He is much aware that if he discloses where he would be on his next journey, his father himself will be the one to lead the soldiers who will be sent to fetch him if the princess finally tells who her true accomplice is. This has been a really frustrating situation for him and will be of great concern he fails to leave the kingdom as soon as possible.
As the king is being attended to by the chief priest and the chief herbalist, he requests a moment of privacy with his emissary and requested the priest and the herbalist excuses them for a moment. As they left the room, the king immediately asked the emissary what the noise coming from his palace amongst the elders was all about and the emissary was loyal enough to tell him all that was being discussed in his absence. The king is already aware that the eldest among the elders, the 1st elder, has already been eying the throne for a very long time now and will do anything to make sure the princess and her cousin are executed, and when that is done, his family will be the next in line to take over and rule the kingdom. Regardless of knowing all these, he has always kept him really close to him and made sure he contributed almost all the time in governing the kingdom.
The emissary already made the king aware that he sent them back to their home and tries to be a console to the king. After a wide moment of discussion between the king and his emissary, the king summoned the priest again to proceed with their examination regarding his health issue.
The elders are back at the palace again. The king has summoned for their presence, and they continued with the discussing, hoping they arrive at a common and favourable punishment against the princess and her cousin.
As they were ushered in by the emissary and kickstarted the discussion of the day, the elders went back again to the discussion discussed earlier and try to see if they can convince the first elder to see if he can let go off his ambition of taking over the throne away from the lineage of the king.
King: I welcome you all once again my elders. The information reaching me states that you had a series of discussion when I was not well, but I hope we all have a beneficial discussion today.
1st Elder: Yes, your highness. We had a series of discussion and hoping we carry out the duties imposed unto us by custom.
2nd Elder: My honourable elder, can I ask a question if you don't mind.
1st Elder: Unfold your tongue young man.
2nd Elder: My elder, can we not reconsider the death penalty placed on Akinidad's head?
1st Elder: Why?
2nd Elder: It has been revealed that it was noy her fault that she was brought up a boy instead of a girl. Her mother must be blamed for it and not her, and I think the gods and the spirits in their anger and wisdom quickly put her to death. So why should we make the mistake of making her suffer for the crime committed and championed by someone else. We think and believe the ancestors and the gods have already taken their course by punishing the mother and would not be angry if lenient measures are taking against her daughter.
Elder: (A general murmur of agreement) Yes, that is very true.
1st Elder: Young man, you are not saying that because the lizard has eaten pepper the frog be made to sweat it out in the pond. Am I right? (No one talks as he made his statement)
Emissary: My elder, what of the unborn child in that protruded flesh of the princess? Can't the child be spared for it is innocent of any crime. It has committed no crime so why we must allow the axe of customary justice to chop it. Why?
Elder: (General agreement) Yes, why…why…why?
1st Elder: Because that is the hard customary bone of contention we are gathered here to chew. The seed in that womb is the cause of this gathering. That seed is unwanted and must not be watered. The Ptolemaic Kingdom has no place for bastards!
The elder have had enough of the 1st elder since he has not changed his mind regardless of the statements made by the other elders and not only does he want Akinidad be killed, but wants the princess together with her unborn child be made to bear the consequences assigned by custom.
At this point, if it is possible, the 2nd elder together with his colleagues will have to wait for the turn up of the audience in the palace to share their concerns. However, it must be carefully orchestrated and moderated.
The king still remains speechless as he has no powers not to undertake the laws laid by custom against his two children. He then agreed to the 2nd elder and his colleagues to call for the audience of the people in the kingdom, to hear what they will have to say regarding the punishment against the princess and her cousin.
The king will now have to take his leave and head back to his chamber in other to take his rest and contemplate on how the judgment will be if the village are mobilized and their consent and requested.