Dawn has set on the Ptolemaic Kingdom and the citizens are beginning to head their ways to the palace of the king in other to hear the final verdict of the king on the two daughters of the kingdom and would much be waiting to see it executed as custom demands.
The elders are back to the palace with their arguments on whether or not the death penalty imposed on the two girls is fair enough to set them executed, especially the one imposed on Akinidad. Ever since his true identity of being a girl instead of a boy was revealed, the elders, as seen earlier, think it is not right to get her executed for the crime committed by her mother's greed and ambition, which denied her the right to live as the girl that she is born to be.
The king is being ushered in by his emissary, and is also being accompanied by the queen mother, his wife, and some elderly from the kingdom. The elders have begun to start with another argument as soon as he took his seat on the stool in the middle of the chamber.
2nd Elder: Emissary, are you there?
Emissary: My elder I am all ears.
2nd Elder: Hear and let it reach the ears of his majesty that it has been days since the atrocity done by the passed queen, Amanirenas was revealed and the abomination committed by the princess, and we were all hear when the supposed king, Akinidad, made a judgement in regards to the offense committed by the princess, which was to execute the accomplice that got her into the family way without following tradition and his brings me to the point I am trying to make so it may reach the ears of his highness, at if we all want to justify our positions as far as the death penalty imposed on these two daughters of the kingdom is concerned, the dawn after tomorrows morrow shall go and come back to meet us here still arguing. Our elders have said that when two children bring a knotty argument before an elder who is wise, he does not hesitate to pick the sword of decision to cut the argument into two. On behalf of the elders and citizens of Ptolemaic Kingdom herein assembled, I beg to ask our Great King, his Highness Masinissa Linette Duah II, father of the kingdom and the repository of the wisdom of our ancestors, to step in and give a final verdict. (He turned to the rest of the elders and speaks) Have u spoken the minds of everyone here?
Elders: Yes, you have.
Emissary: Well, Your Highness so says your elders and the subjects. That far away on the river of life they can see a capsized canoe and three souls in two flesh about to drown. They are calling on their king, father of the land for their respite… They are on their knees pleading with you through tears to extend to them the royal arm of rescue.
Now to you my king, will you do as they say?
As soon as the emissary turned back and addressed the king, the whole place is swept in silence and tensed. The king Masinissa Linette Duah II looks very tormented at this moment. He steps down from his dais and gazes at the would-be victims, the executioner, then back to the two girls. He heaves a heavy sigh and begins to address his elders and the subjects.
King: My elders and my respected subject, it is with a grave heart that I am made to make a final verdict in regard to my two daughters. They have committed a taboo against our custom and regardless of them being from royal blood, custom need to take its course. It is of no denial this will piece through the flesh into the bone and might or probably will see the end of the Linette lineage of the Ptolemaic Kingdom, but as the elders have said. I must make my verdict and allow custom to take its course even if it is at the expense of the Linette lineage. But my honourable subjects and elders, do we not see it to be fair to at least allow the princess to pronounce the accomplice associated to her pregnancy, and do we not see it unfair to end the life of am innocent child who knew nothing of the deviance behaviour of the princess.
As the king continued to address the crowd gathered at the palace and his elder, there come a sound from behind the crowds as it gets closer and closer to the king.
Voice: Your Highness!... Just a moment! (There is total silence)
1st Elder: (Impatiently interrupts) Aaagh! What again?
Old Woman: Emissary!
Emissary: Awo!
Old Woman: Hear and pass it on to the king that even though it is he, only he, whom custom decrees, must have the last words, but I, the oldest lady of the kingdom, who have been listening to the proceedings from the outside the palace walls be allowed to say a word of two.
1st Lady: (Rudely interrupts again) You are too old. What better contribution can you make to that which we have already made?
Old Woman: I do agree I am old, in fact very old. But when a man is swollen it does not mean his teeth are also swollen.
Emissary: Well, Your Highness, so says the old woman, that he recognises when it is a new dawn. But, out of respect makes way for the rooster to crow it. She would wish, with your permission and the same token of respect, to be allowed, at a time such as this, since she has not been heard of in the kingdom, to also crow a bit. Yes, just a bit.
King: (Crosses to take his seat) Emissary!
Emissary: Your Highness! (The king beckons his emissary to his side and whispers into his ears)
Koom Ye!... Awo, hear what His Highness says. That for the hen to want to crow to announce a new dawn whilst the rooster is around is quite abnormal. However, since the very situation confronting us now is equally abnormal, adding one more abnormality to it would not stop the sun from rising, so you unfold your tongue.
Old Woman: I am most grateful, my King. I shall be brief (Goes forward towards the princess and starts to ask her question in parables)
As the old woman starts to question the princess, it was beginning to irritate the 1st elder, who sees it to be a waste of time as it may hinder the chances of his family being the next in line for the throne. As wise as she is, she asks the princess in a away that will make her comfortable to answer the answer with ease.
Princess Nala: Awo
Old Woman: I am here to bid you farewell before your father the king gives his final verdict because it will not be revoked after the verdict. And also, I am here to ask you for two favours before the sun suddenly sets on your young life. Will you grant me my requests?
Princess Nala: Ask Mame, and they shall be granted if its within my power to do so.
Old Woman: Tell me, and the people here, whether he who sowed that seed in you is a sack wearer or not? (Princess Nala and some of the people around are completely baffled at the question)
I see, you do not understand my language (She says to the princess).
All I want to know is whether the man is circumcised or not.
After the old woman asked the princess the question, everyone at the ground got curious as they await to hear the princess mention the name and state of the man who sowed the unwanted seed into her womb. The premises is getting more intense as the king himself got more interested into the conversation between the old woman and his daughter the princess.
King: Princess, would you answer your elder at once. This is all we have been waiting to know so as to know the right measures to take without taking the life of the innocent.
1st Elder: (Jumps to his feet interrupting again) Your Highness, I object. That question I irrelevant, obnoxious, out of context, unnecessary and time-wating. We should allow the executioner to take them away and deal with them as custom demands. This has taken way more time as expected, and it shows no respect for tradition. As we all know, when it come to tradition or custom, no one is above the law, and they must and should be dealt with. As far as I am concern, whether the rest of the elders accepts it or not, agrees to it or not, they will be executed and that stands no matter what.
2nd Elder: My elder. At least we can show some respect to the king and allow Awo finish with her question so the king can take his stand.