Iyare was not aware that her neighbors thought of her as prideful simply because she had always refused to play with them when they were younger. Even if she knew their thoughts, she would not have been bothered. After all, it had never been easy for her to juggle house chores and secretly listen in on her brother's lessons.
Besides, she had no interest in gossiping or playing the games other girls enjoyed.
"Where is my food?" Iyare had just lit the fire to make breakfast when she heard her brother yelling from the courtyard. It was still early morning, and breakfast could not possibly be ready yet. Most people were just waking up.
"I just started the fire. The food will take a little while," Iyare responded. Though she knew her brother was being unreasonable, she had learned from a young age to respect him.
"How are you only lighting the fire now? Mother said my breakfast would be ready before I woke up," Efosa snapped. He was deliberately causing trouble because he was still upset about their grandfather paying attention to Iyare the previous day.
"Brother Efosa, I'm already preparing breakfast. Please give me some time," Iyare said patiently. She had never talked back to her brother.
"What do you mean?" Efosa stormed into the kitchen. Seeing that she had only just lit the fire, he became furious and slapped her hard.
"Are you trying to humiliate me? I'll tell Mother when she returns!" Efosa shouted before kicking away the ingredients Iyare had carefully arranged for the porridge.
Iyare did not retaliate. Though she could easily overpower her brother, she knew it would bring no benefit. When they were around four years old, Efosa had hit her first, and she had fought back in anger. Their mother, upon hearing of it, had almost beaten her to death. Since then, Iyare had learned to endure and be patient with her brother.
She didn't want to hear the hurtful words her mother would say. Iyare already knew that, in their mother's eyes, Efosa could do no wrong.
---
General Edosa's Courtyard
"Father, the age-grade festival is approaching. With Efosa's performance yesterday, many in his age group will surely challenge him. What do you plan to do?" Osaze asked. He had sought an audience with his father after morning training. Many had praised him for having such an outstanding son, filling him with pride but also birthing a new worry.
Osaze knew many young men training in the field had expressed their intention to challenge Efosa during the festival. He understood his son's abilities and doubted Efosa could win against most of them in wrestling.
Efosa was poor at both wrestling and swordsmanship. Osaze wouldn't be concerned if the competitions were based on hunting or archery.
"Ahh! Look at me. I almost forgot about this," General Edosa said. The age-grade festival marked the initiation of young boys into manhood. This year, Efosa and Osagie would perform the rites to become able youths of the kingdom.
This was a grand event. The entire kingdom would gather at the town square, and even the king would be present. Women were forbidden from entering the ritual hut, but Efosa wouldn't be able to demonstrate any outstanding skills if he participated in the Wrestling or swordmanish match.
Moreover, he couldn't refuse all the people that would challenge him. At the very least, he had to accept the first three. There was no way to guarantee that the first three opponents would be easy. While there was no shame in losing—since competitions always had winners and losers—the judges from the previous day's competition would also be present. If Efosa appeared weak, it would raise suspicion.
General Edosa regretted inviting so many outsiders to watch the competition. He had done it to show off, but now it seemed like a poor decision.
"Ensure the two dress alike on that day. We'll find a way to have Efosa swap with his sister after the rites," General Edosa decided after thinking it over.
"I will do as you've instructed," Osaze replied. His father's plan seemed the best solution. Fortunately, the competition would be held in an open space, making it easier to execute the swap.
---
Osaro's Courtyard
"Father, you sent for me?" Osagie asked. After losing so badly to Efosa the previous day, he had been unable to lift his head.
"Lift your head," Osaro said, disappointed by his son's humiliation at the hands of Osaze's son.
Osagie obeyed, hearing the displeasure in his father's tone. From a young age, his mother had emphasized the importance of winning and becoming the selected heir, but nothing had gone as planned.
Even without his mother's reminders, Osagie could sense the dynamics in his family. His mother was not highly favored by his father, so if he wanted to secure his position as his father's heir, he had to stay in his father's good graces. Losing the opportunity to be the Edosa family's heir was bad, but worse was the possibility of losing his father's inheritance to one of his stepbrothers.
After all, Osaro, as General Edosa's first son, was entitled to a large property, even if he did not become the heir. As Osaro's first son, Osagie believed he should inherit this property, but only if he maintained his father's favor.
"You lost yesterday's competition..." Osaro began, pausing to gauge his son's reaction.
Osagie, deeply ashamed, didn't know what to say. He hadn't expected to lose, let alone so badly. Efosa had hidden his skills too well, but Osagie could only blame himself for being fooled.
"I'm sorry, Father. I will train harder," Osagie promised.
"Good. The age-grade festival is coming up soon. Train well. As long as you perform well that day, you can still make a name for yourself in the kingdom," Osaro said.
"I will listen to you, Father," Osagie replied, feeling encouraged. He was no worse than Efosa before, so he believed that diligent training over the next two months would allow him to shine at the festival.
Seeing his son's renewed fighting spirit, Osaro felt pleased. In his heart, he believed the title of heir should belong to his side of the family. He was patient and strategic. Yesterday's results were clear for everyone to see, so he couldn't contest them now.
Moreover, his own mistake at his age-grade festival had cost him his position as heir. This time, he planned to use the same festival to secure his son's future. He also wanted to see how his father would react if Efosa repeated the same mistake he had made back then.