When hearts collide

Unveiling the Truth

Iredia returned to Edo state and proceeded to the closest town to his kingdom. He booked a hotel at Ubiaja where he was not as well known as his town Uromi.

He made sure to grow his beard out, cut off all the his on his head and wore a hooded shirt. Disguised as a commoner, he wandered through the streets, his eyes taking in the suffering of his people. The once-thriving market was desolate, children with hollow eyes begging for scraps. The air was thick with despair.

His chest tightened with anger as he watched his uncle parade through the square the next day, dressed in gold and surrounded by guards. The man's face was pale, his eyes sunken, his body frail. Yet, he moved with arrogance, his voice cold as he demanded more taxes from the starving villagers.

Whispers followed him, filled with contempt and fear.

"He's cursed," a woman muttered, clutching her child close. "Since he sold the sacred land, he's been wasting away."

Another man spat on the ground. "It's the ancestors' punishment but he refuses to repent. He keeps taxing us to fill his coffers."

Iredia's jaw tightened, fury boiling within him. His uncle was not only a thief but also a coward who defied sacred traditions. In Esan culture, selling ancestral land was an abomination, a crime against both the living and the dead.

Iredia's chest tightened as he watched a frail woman argue with a tax collector, her voice breaking. "I have nothing left... please... my children are starving."

The man sneered, his eyes cold. "The king does not care, pay or lose your stall."

Iredia's fists clenched, fury boiling within him. He wanted to fight, to shout the truth that his uncle was no king, only a tyrant but he couldn't risk exposing himself... not yet.

He turned to leave, his mind racing with plans, when a voice stopped him cold.

"Iredia...? Is that... you?"

His blood ran cold. He turned slowly, his heart pounding as he saw a familiar face staring at him in shock. It was Osewanre his childhood friend, his old schoolmate.

Osewanre's eyes were wide, his mouth open. "I can't believe it... they said you were dead. They said... you murdered the king."

Iredia's heart sank, guilt flooding through him. Of course, that is what his uncle had told them.

"It is not true, none of it was. It was all a lie."

Osewanre looked around nervously, his voice dropping to a whisper. "You shouldn't be here... it's dangerous. If they see you, if they recognize you..."

Iredia pulled him into a narrow alley, his voice urgent. "I need your help, Osewanre. I need to expose the truth about my uncle."

He gave him a summary of what truly occurred that day

Osewanre's face darkened, his fists clenching. "That man... he has ruined everything. He raised taxes, sold our land... people are dying because of him." His eyes softened, his voice trembling. "Your father, he was a good man. The kingdom was at peace but after he died, everything changed."

Iredia's throat tightened, grief clawing at him. "I know... and it is my fault. I ran away. I should have stayed... I should have fought back."

Osazuwa's eyes softened, his hand gripping Iredia's shoulder. "You were a boy who lost his father. You were betrayed by your own blood. No one could have survived that."

"What about the queen?, is she aware you are here?"

Just as soon as he was asked about his mother, Iredia looked towards another crumbling stall where a woman laughed with her son, her hands brushing his cheek as she kissed his forehead.