Moremi took a deep breath, bracing herself for the inevitable.
She knew her father very well. He would press on for answers as to why she was completely out of sight when he arrived from his cumbersome journey.
She had prepared to weave her usual story of exhaustion, a lie her father had accepted time and time again.
Sauntering out of her quarters, she saw both her maids standing in a corner with their hands intertwined.
Usually, whenever she had to report to her father, her maids were to be behind her as a show of respect and regard to the king for Moremi.
She looked at both of them who held her gaze, waiting for her command and with a simple nod, they followed behind her as she strode to the grand hall.
___
The grand hall of King Jelani's palace radiated both splendour and timeless tradition, a monument to the power and history of the Mandinga kingdom.
Carvings depicting scenes of their ancestor's bravery adorned the walls. Intricately carved pillars stood tall on either side of the hall, each etched with images of animals and symbols representing strength, unity and wisdom.
The room was dimly lit by large iron sconces that flickered with the light of flames, casting a warm, amber glow over the crowd that had gathered to witness the king's return.
As Moremi entered, her father, King Jelani, sat on his throne with a commanding presence, his face as unreadable as stone.
She walked in with measured steps, her expression calm but her mind racing. Though she ignored it, she could sense the tension in the air.
The crowd murmured, some whispering about the princess's absence upon his arrival.
Moremi straightened her shoulders, her heartbeat steady despite her awareness of the eyes on her, the anticipation of judgment heavy in the air.
She was used to it now. Being the only daughter of a king, there was so much expectation from her and when she failed to meet them, it was whispers here and there.
However, she could care less.
The people were never tired of making her the topic and she had experienced this many times before. It was nothing now, she chided herself.
"Father," she knelt on one knee before bowing her head as Ayanna and Nyala followed along with her.
"Rise," King Jelani ordered in approval of her greeting, and Moremi stood up, curtsying to her stepmothers, who were sitting not too far away from her.
Queen Zaria sat on the throne close to the king while the other wives sat on the couch away from them, depicting the difference in their status.
There was only one 'Queen' while there were 'the king's wives' before 'his concubines' and the difference was evident in the room.
The concubines stood behind with their heads lowered among the crowd as they had no seat or say among the wives.
Moremi always ignored these women.
No.
Actually, she avoided them like the plague. If there was one thing she knew, none of them were fond of her but as the only child of the king, they could do nothing to her.
They had no children of their own due to her father's barrenness, so it was only reasonable that they respected her as the only future queen of Mandinga.
"Remi," King Jelani's voice reverberated across the hall, calm but with an edge. Moremi's attention turned to him.
"You failed to greet me upon my return." He went straight to the point, not ready to beat around the bush. "Why?"
"My apologies, Father," she began, her voice calm and poised. "I meant to meet you at the gates but I was exhausted and must have fallen asleep." She lied through her teeth.
The room was eerily quiet after her statement as her stepmothers looked at each other, their expressions unreadable. They were very cautious and knew not to make any faces when the king was speaking.
"Is that so?" King Jelani raised a brow at her, replying to her with an unsettling gentleness, and for a moment, Moremi's eyes flickered with unease.
His expression remained unmoved as he waved his hand, gesturing for his daughter to continue.
Moremi hesitated for a moment, thrown by his silence.
Normally, he'd chastise her by now, or at least acknowledge her excuse begrudgingly and warn her never to do it again- something she was surely going to do again.
Now, however, it wasn't just that.
There was truly something off about him today.
She didn't let that discourage her though. She wore her deceptive smile once more.
"Yes, Father," she replied, maintaining her composure. "Forgive me my insolence. I regret missing your arrival and have been eager to speak with you since then but I was informed you were resting." Another lie slipped through her mouth.
King Jelani glinted. "How loyal of you, my daughter," his words were laced with sarcasm. "So loyal that you slept soundly in your chambers...where no one saw you."
Moremi's heart thudded and panic shot up in her, "Where no one saw me?" She asked holding her father's gaze. "No, father. I indeed fell asleep in my chambers due to my preparations for your return last night,"
In her attempt to not be caught, Moremi spewed this lie, forgetting that she had not been aware he would grace with his presence this morning.
She was very smart. If she knew the king would come that early, she would never have left the palace in the first place because she knew how much her father loved to be properly welcomed from his journey.
"Strange that the entire palace saw something different," the king commented with his gaze lingering on her. "I was told that you were spotted returning early this morning, and not from your bedchambers."
Another gasp escaped the room, and her maids, Nyala and Ayanna, turned to look at each other in shock, their faces turning pale.
Blood drained from Moremi's face, but she kept her composure, forcing a slight laugh, "T-that..." She stuttered, "I-I believe those are rumours, father. You know how people talk and how quickly their words spread," she defended, her voice firm again while her heart was in turmoil as she looked at her stepmothers who held a sinister gaze.
King Jelani gave a slight nod. "Indeed, rumors do have a way of finding eager listeners. But I thought it wise to seek clarity."
His words left Moremi confused for a while, not until he gestured with one hand and everyone's heads turned simultaneously when the heavy hall doors swung open.
Moremi's heart froze in horror when she saw two guards entering- dragging a bound figure between them.
"Akan?" she whispered, a flash of confusion crossing her face.
King Jelani leaned forward, his gaze piercing. "Moremi," he said slowly, his voice a quiet, cold accusation,
"Did you truly believe I wouldn't know? Did you think I wouldn't hear about my own daughter defying my rules despite my warnings?"
Moremi's composure slipped, confusion sweeping over her.
Akan's wrists were bound with shackles and the clinging sound of metal echoed in the silent room as he was brought forward and made to kneel before the throne.
His head was lowered and his face held no expression, as if this betrayal were nothing to him. There was no fear, only a resigned acceptance.
Moremi didn't completely understand what was going on right now. Had Akan been the one to report her to the king? He would never do that.
As much as she knew he was angry with her, Akan was a perfect definition of loyalty.
Even if it would cost him his life, he would not think twice before covering up for her.
She glanced back to her father, eyes wide, but she held onto her defiant air, refusing to let him see her fear.
"Father," she said, forcing her voice steady, "I...don't understand... what is the meaning of this?"
King Jelani's face hardened, the playful pretense finally falling away. "I was aware of your treachery, Moremi," he said coldly. "The women of my court see much more than you realize. Your stepmothers watched you slip into the palace with your guard at dawn. They knew you'd been in the forest, sneaking away again. Yet, instead of owning up to it, you would come before me with your lies."
Moremi stiffened, her jaw clenched as she stared at her father, the certainty of her lie now crumbling in her hands.
She took a brief moment to glare at her stepmothers who dared not meet her gaze as they looked in another direction.
The only one amongst them bold enough to stare back with a smug smile was Queen Zaria and Moremi could tell she was the master mind of this situation.
She remembered Ayanna telling her about Zaria going to the King's quarters.
Did this old woman know nothing about minding one's business?
Moremi always stayed out of their business for reasons like this and she expected the same from them. Why couldn't they just stay out?
Her mind raced, but King Jelani's stare was unforgiving. "Your disobedience is a disgrace, Moremi," and truly, the King's words held no lie.
It was indeed a disgrace for royalty... the only heiress to the throne to downgrade herself enough to go hunting in the forest like a man.
"Today," he continued, his gaze shifting toward Akan, "I am tired of punishing only you. Perhaps I have been too lenient, too quick to excuse your disobedience..."
Her heart pounded as her father leaned forward, a chilling intensity in his gaze.
He tapped his hand on the armrest of his chair, gauging his daughter's every expression and her fear was all over the place.
He continued, "...So this time, I will punish the one who enables your defiance. Maybe then, you'll learn that your actions bear consequences, not only for you, but for those you care about."
Moremi's eyes widened, finally understanding what her father was trying to do.
If there was anything King Jelani had learnt about his daughter, it was that she cared so much about those around her.
He didn't know if it was the fact that she was a gift to him from the Moon Goddess but he was aware her selflessness and care was a great virtue she possessed over the years as she grew.
He was fond of it himself, how she put others before her, regardless of who it was or what station the person held. But today, he was going to make it her weakness.
The only way to make her feel genuinely guilty was to harm the ones she loved. It was the only way to make her obedient.
Moremi, however, was caught off guard. She knew her father had caught her being disobedient to his rules many times and had even punished her for it but she never imagined he would bring Akan- of all people- into this.
She stilled herself, trying to think think of the next action to carry out to appease her father in this predicaments.
Closing her eyes for a brief moment before opening them, she apologized, "I'm sorry, father. Forgive me please." She said with her head lowered but even her maids gave each other a knowing look, aware that she was not one bit sorry.
"Akan was only following my orders. If you wish to exact punishment, then I would take it myself." She continued, ready for whatever penalty her father had set in place.
She didn't mind getting whipped or forced into hard labour, perhaps even locked in the dungeon like her father would order whenever she misbehaved but she didn't like the idea of getting Akan involved in this.
"No." Her father's cold answer reverberated in the room, his face cold as steel.
The people in the room kept mute as they looked at each other with grim expressions but they knew that sternness in the King's eyes when he had decided on something.
Moremi was done for.
She raised her head to look at her father, narrowing her eyes as he spoke on...
"I believe you need to learn the pain of losing someone who has protected you, someone who has been loyal even when you have not."
Moremi was taken aback by her father's words but that was not the only thing that caught her attention.
Losing someone?
What did her father mean by the pain of losing someone? Wasn't Akan just supposed to be punished with a whip or perhaps locked in the dungeon?
King Jelani understood what she was thinking. He stood up from his throne and stepped down to come in front of his daughter.
Immediately he rose, everyone in the room sitting, stood as well, knowing the king was about to pass a verdict.
"Your guard, Akan will pay for your disobedience... with his life." He turned to one of the guards behind Akan and with a curt nod, the man came forward, unsheathing his sword.