His Queen

Chatper Three -Last Meal?

Ajinke's POV;

I keep my gaze on the floor as I follow beside the prince with one guard before us, two behind us, one beside me, and one beside the prince.

My soaking wet body is covered in one of the prince's wrappers, and I divert my senses to the sent of the cloth, and not the gaze of the villagers wondering what on earth is going on.

I guess it would have been less embarrassing if the prince was up in his carriage and I was walking on foot.

I can sense the deadly glares the girls of the village are giving me. This is horrible. Is this how goddess Yaremi chose to end me?

I keep silent and focus on my legs as they move one step after the other. Synchronizing with the prince's movements.

My embarrassment skyrockets when my stomach gives an annoyed growl. I quickly look up at the prince in hopes that he didn't hear it, but I find that he has turned me.

Oh, God. Let the ground open and swallow me! What's all this embarrassment for? Two Mangoes!?

My stomach growls again, and I quickly wrap my arms around my stomach. Silently begging it to stop growling. But it doesn't listen to me.

I haven't eaten anything but bananas in three days! I steal a glimpse at the prince from the side of my eyes and find his gaze keen on me. I shut my eye due to the pain from my stomach, and the heat of the mess I've gotten myself into.

I should have just stayed in my hut and eaten the last pieces of banana I had left. I shouldn't have come out.

"Are you hungry? "I hear a familiar voice question, and I look up at the prince.

Is he trying to mock me? Why would I steal mangoes if I'm not hungry? And why would my stomach be making so much noise if I'm not hungry!?

I look away and remain silent, and we keep walking. We approach *Ìyà Bisi's canteen,  and the sweet smell of **Amala and Ìlá fills my nose.

* Mummy Bisi's
**(Amala and okro soup. An African delicacy)

I shut my eyes as I try to remember the last time I tasted good food. I take deep breaths to satisfy my tastes buds to a point, and suddenly, the prince makes a turn for the canteen. Causing one of his guards to nudge me towards it, after him.

People are still staring at us as we make it into the open joint, and the prince moves towards a table with me following after him.

He sits down at a table with two chairs and I stand in confusion before him. He looks up at me with his honey brown eyes, and I inhale sharply at the sudden eye contact. He looks up at me and the chair before him.

Meaning I should sit, but I don't want to. All this drama has caused a big knot in my system. I just want to go back home. I don't mind the hunger. I'd endure it.

The Prince stares at me, and I swallow. I make to beg him to let me go, but a guard nudges me, causing me to land on the seat.

I look up at the prince and once again my gaze meets his. Causing me to quickly avert my gaze to my hands on the table.

The strong smell of food in my nose, the tension in my system, and the gaze from the people around are enough to make one pass out, but I don't know why I just won't faint.

Let me just faint and not experience this whole embarrassment.

"Tell the owner of the canteen to bring me a plate of food." I hear the prince say, and I look up at him.

Just a few minutes ago, he heard my stomach growling badly, and now he wants to eat in front of me!? Is this a way of punishing me?? Isn't it enough that I get to smell good that I can't eat, now I have to watch him eat??