To Be A Queen✔️

Chapter 20

Ekong's POV (Edikan's personal bodyguard)

Being a warrior has always being my dream. My father was a warrior, hence the reason I was good at what I do. This was because he made me start my wrestling lessons after I saw 6 harvests. Mother was against it thou. She had asked that my father allow me to be a child and to wait till I saw 4 more harvests. Father had refused vehemently.

It was when the war was still brewing. The war that took Edikan's parents and my father as well. It was when the war started that mother knew why father had started giving me wrestling lessons and also how to wield a dagger. But I never mentioned the dagger part to mother of course.

We won the war. But the end of the war brought with it permanent casualties which made us take the role of men at a younger age.

Edikan had to learn how to become a King just after seeing 10 harvests. I had just seen 8 harvests when they other warriors came back after winning the war. I had ran to the river shore with mother when we heard that a canoe with the kings symbol has being sighted.

I remember squeezing my way into the crowd as mother yelled for me to stay close. I searched for father as I watched the men step out of the canoe.

"Son" I turned but it wasn't father. But I immediately knelt with one knee like father had taught me "Greetings my King." I greeted Edikan's father. He looked at me with what I understand now as pity.

"Where is your mother?" As if on cue mother came and bowed as well."Greetings my King" "Sanama how have you being" He asked "We have being well my King." She greeted. "My King what about..." "Go home Sanama. Your husband will meet you there" he had said.

I smiled as I rushed home to wait for father. He was one of the best warriors so I had thought that he must have gone to the palace. Mother had seem reluctant to come home. But came anyways since the King ordered it.

I had being confused why she wasn't happy to see father when she has being praying day and night to the gods to protect father and bring him back to us.

He came home alright. But not with his legs. He was carried in a mat. When they dropped him in front of our hut I had stood beside him waiting for him to get up. Mother's wailing was what brought me out of my trance.

I became terrified when I started putting two together. Internally I willed father to wake up but he didn't. He just kept sleeping. "Ekong" I looked up and saw the King. I would have knelt in greeting but he held me up.

"You father was a great man. He fought well in battle and gave his life for our people, for you. He has done his part and is now with our ancestors. It is left for you now to take care of your mother." He had told me. He left later after father was buried.

Many women lost there sons and many were widowed my mother included. Father was carried back home because he was the best warrior and the King's friend. The other women buried their husband's and son's relics instead. The King assured everyone that the were all given a proper burial before they came home.

We won the war. But no one celebrated, we all mourned instead.

Few days later the King died. Edikan was crowned prince 3 nights later since he was too young to be a King. He ruled with the help of the Chiefs but most precisely with the help of Eka Iyene.

She literally taught him everything he knew about ruling and dispute settlements. It was like she was a King in her previous life.

I had heeded the late King's advice to take care of mother. Father had taught me how to set traps before he passed. I had started with setting traps and selling the meat or bringing it home for mother to cook.