To Be A Queen✔️

Chapter 24

Ekemini's POV

It's being many market days since the day we were called to the palace suddenly. The day Amaeka thought it was wise to accuse the Queen falsely. Any one with eyes would know that the Queen is a woman one need not mess with.

She carries herself like a peacock but walks with the agility of a lioness. She has the eyes of a deer but looks at you like a hawk looks at its prey. Her voice is so soft and gentle but carries with it a wave of authority which can be dominating and intimidating. So I really wonder what Amaeka was actually thinking.

I don't know what got into me the first day of the bridal selection. Maybe it was jealousy that it could have being I sitting on the throne and not her that made me look her dead in the eye just to insult her. But one look from her made my bones stiff and I cowered.

I have only seen that look on one person and it had being the King when he was going to take back our lands from the Anaang people. And that was many harvests ago. It still didn't waiver the attraction I had towards him. For all my life I had being taught one thing "worship the prince" now King.

Mother being a daughter of one of the Head families had failed to capture the former King's heart. Her mother had called her a failure because a lower class maiden had captured the former King's heart instead.

It seems my mother decided that I was to remedy what was done to her. She started teaching me all I need to know about being a proper lady once I could speak. She never allowed me to play with my mates because;
1) I would soil my clothes.
2) My mates were beneath me because I would be Queen one day.
3) I could meet the then prince anytime and he needed to be entranced by me once he sees me. In that case he won't like me if I have soiled clothes or if I keep associating myself with people beneath him as well.

I obeyed my mother because as a child I craved for attention and my father had little to give because he wanted a son instead. He had non to give after my younger brother was born. So I believed it was my mother's own way of showing affection.

I went through the Mbopo ritual after I saw 8 harvests and ended when I saw 13 harvests. If not for this I wouldn't have know how to cook or even how to clean myself. Mother pampered me how she believed a Queen should.

Mother gave birth to 10 of us, 7 girls and 3 boys. I being the first. Mother also trained one of my younger sisters. I assume it was for backup purposes.

When mother had first brought me before the King many moons ago I had believed he would have being entranced like mother said. But he didn't look at me like how most men did.

When we came back home mother had lamented how it was my fault that he didn't notice me. How I didn't do this or do that. But I knew she was just frustrated and felt like a failure all over again. I was ashamed that I couldn't fulfill my purpose for mother had said that I was useless then.

I had prayed that none of my sisters get chosen by the King. I knew it was bad but I couldn't help it. I didn't want to be a failure.

Few moons ago when the town crier announced the bridal selection that would take place my mother had called me to her room

"You need to prove to me that you are not a failure. Because there is no way you could not become the King's wife after all I have invested in you if you are not a failure" she had said.

She even went as far as making sure that my sisters never dressed in elaborate wrappers or hairstyles.

"Ekemini?" I turned and raised a brow at one of my friends Emem who had called my name. "You weren't listening" she said with a pout. "What is it?" I asked her feeling a little irritated that she had disrupted my thoughts. "What task do you think the Queen will give us today?" She asked. "How am I supposed to know?" I asked her clearly dismissing her from asking further questions.