King Jelani was thoroughly furious right now, he only managed to control it.
He had returned from his journey this morning with tiredness, hoping to see his only daughter welcome him warmly but he had been greeted with unreasonable excuses of numerous counts.
He didn't think much of it though, considering he had been very tired.
However, after taking a nap, he had woken up to see Zaria, his queen in his chambers, reporting Moremi's defiant actions.
She had snuck out of the palace again to practise archery...
He thought hard before he summoned this meeting, thinking of the best way to handle his only daughter's case.
It was not only Akan who found this princess frustrating.
Even for him as a father, Moremi was a pain in the arse.
What had he not done to reprimand her? He had made her go through every debased form of discipline he would give only to a common man but in spite of it all, his daughter was unyielding.
And now, he had to use the only weapon he had against her- her loved ones.
Moremi's world, however stopped. She had known her father to be strict, unbending at times, but she never imagined this—this unimaginable punishment for the one man who had been by her side, the one who had watched over her like a shadow.
She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came. It felt as though her heart had seized, frozen in a mixture of shock and horror.
"No," she whispered, barely hearing her own voice over the pounding of her heart. Then, louder, "No, Father, please—no!"
King Jelani's expression was resolute, unmoved by her pleas. She could see it in his eyes—the decision was made, carved into stone, as if Akan's fate was already sealed in his mind.
The guards ignored her and the first man came forward to stand beside Akan who had his head bent.
"No! Stop!" Moremi suddenly flashed red, as she ran to where the guard was but her father already anticipated her reaction.
He knew she would never go without a fight. As she neared Akan, another guard in the room rushed to pull her by the waist but she struggled.
"No please, father. I would change, I swear it! It would never happen again!"
It won't... After this lesson... King Jelani told himself.
Moremi kicked hard, her eyes suddenly turning moist as she looked at Akan, tears threatening to fall to her cheeks.
"Father," she gasped, forcing herself to speak, her voice cracked and raw. "You can't do this. Akan's only crime was loyalty to me. It was my choice—my foolishness! Punish me if you must, but leave him out of this!"
Her father's gaze turned to her, calm but unforgiving. "I have punished you many times, Moremi, and yet you do not learn. You must understand that actions carry consequences beyond yourself. Today, your guard shall be the one to bear them."
The words hit her like a blow to the chest. She dropped to her knees, her hands reaching out toward her father as if she could touch some part of him that still remembered mercy. "Please, Father, please, I beg you… not this. Don't take him from me."
She could not imagine anyone else taking Akan's place in her life. It was not just his loyalty; it was everything about him. She doubted there was anyone who could deal with her better than him.
Nyala and Ayanna dropped to their knees as well, their heads touching the floor as they pleaded with the king to show mercy.
Zaria and her co-wives also went on their knees, taking up the chorus, their tones insincere but their words honeyed.
My lord," Zaria spoke sweetly, "surely this punishment is too harsh. Let your daughter's love for her guard soften your heart." Their false sympathy only fueled the tension in the air, angering Moremi who could barely think.
King Jelani, however, shook his head, silencing them all. He raised his hand, a grim determination in his face, and gave a signal. It was a sign for the execution to begin.
The executioner stepped forward, his sword drawn, its polished blade glinting ominously in the torchlight as he raised it in the air.
Father! Please!" she cried, her voice breaking, desperation clawing at her throat. She reached out, struggling to pull herself closer, though her legs felt like stone.
"No! No!!!"
The room turned cold as some people averted their gaze from the scene, prepared for the gore that was to come.
They knew the moment the king dropped his hand, the guard would slice the sword through Akan's head. They had seen executions a couple of times before.
Moremi's body trembled as a waves of panic crashed over her. This couldn't be real—her father couldn't truly intend to kill the only person who had stood by her, protected her, understood her. Her breath came faster, the room spinning around her.
In a frantic surge, she scrambled forward, shouting, "Father! I beg you! I will do anything—anything you ask! Just spare him. Please."
Her father's gaze flickered, a faint shadow of something in his eyes, but he did not waver. He nodded to the executioner, his mouth set in a grim line.
"Father, no!" she screamed, her voice cracking. Her hands shook as she tried to reach him, to grasp at some glimmer of mercy.
Tears spilled down her cheeks, the edges of her vision blurring as she saw the executioner shift his stance, ready to strike.
The blade inched closer, and her voice burst out in a last, desperate cry. "White men!" she shouted. "We saw white men!"
Her words echoed through the hall, hanging in the heavy silence that followed. She saw the king freeze, his arm halfway to signaling the blow.
His gaze snapped to her, a flash of shock breaking his stern mask.
Everything fell silent.
She watched, breathless, as her father's arm froze mid-air, the hard, unbreakable resolve in his eyes shifting ever so slightly. She felt the guards' grip loosen, the pressure finally lifting from her arms as her father's attention turned to her, his gaze dark and questioning.
"What?" King Jelani asked with furrowed brows as he waved his hand to the guard who dropped his sword, sheathing it back to his belt.
"What are you talking about?" He questioned Moremi.