Celestial Nymph (Complete)

VIII

Isioma has been in the palace for ten days. She was spending all her free time with the prince and her affection for him was increasing everyday. She knew she could not marry him, because her mother, Ani, said she would choose her husband, a worthy man. She wished and prayed that Ani would choose the prince. She was sitting in front of her hut, mixing the concoction for the last cleansing of the village when she heard her name. She turned to see one of the palace maids which she had come to be friends with.

"Ahh. Uju how naa?" She asked as she grinded her mixture inside the mortar

"Isioma I'm fine oooo. I came to tell you something" Uju sat down, facing Isioma then she peered into the mortar "what are you pounding?"

"The mixture for the final cleansing this night" Isioma poured a little water into the mortar, using the pestle to turn the mixture. "You said you wanted to tell me something. Ogini? (what is it)"

"Yes yes yes. Obu eziokwu (it's true). The prince said I should call you. But before that, you will follow me to the stream later ehh"

"You know I can only go to Ifaku stream now naa. I can't just enter another stream" Isioma looked at her friend sadly. She was happy that she was friends with Uju. She had never had friends so she valued Uju.

"Oooooom. I even forgot. But just escort me now. You don't have to enter the stream now" Uju pleaded

"Okay. Please ehhh, why is the prince calling me?" She asked

"I don't know. But the chiefs are here. Your hair is getting old. I'll do a new one for you" Uju touched Isioma's hair a bit

"Okay. Let me go and answer them" they two girls stood up and made their way to the palace. Uju went to the kitchen while Isioma continued her way to the palace. When she got there, she saw the chiefs seated. She greeted them and stood. She sent a small smile to her father who gave her a nod.

"Isioma, we called you here because Ichie Okonta has refused to accept the bride price back" one of the chiefs spoke up. Isioma was enraged, but she kept her face emotionless.

"So what am I supposed to do?" She asked as she looked at them. Her eyes landed on Ichie Okonta and she wanted to strangle him "this should be taken to ezemmuo not me"

"We want to know if you will marry him when you are done with the rituals" the same man repeated.

Isioma stared at all of them, then finally to the prince. She was hurt that he would agree to this after she had told him how much she hated Ichie Okonta and how she was grateful that she was not going to marry him again. The prince looked at her and saw her expression but he could not do anything. Isioma turned around to leave when she was stopped.

"Isioma I have paid your bride price. I must marry you ooo. I will not let another man have you. I would rather die than let that happen" Ichie Okonta swore making all the chiefs and the prince shocked

"Ichie Okonta, my daughter does not want to marry you. Biko k'anyi kpaa ka okenye (please let us talk like adults) so that we can return the bride price" Ichie Obidiegwu was frustrated with this problem. The desperation in her father's voice made Isioma angry, that Ichie Okonta made her father sound powerless. Someone she had never thought would be this powerless over anything. Ichie Okonta had been coming to her father's house so he finally took the case to the chiefs and still, he has refused to take the money Obidiegwu was returning.

"Kitikpa rachaakwa gi anya (an insult). See I must marry your daughter ma ichoro ya ma ichohu ya (whether you like it or not), I must marry her"