𝐆𝐎𝐃𝐒 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐌𝐄𝐍

REVELATIONS

Queen Ameena stood, vibrating in anger as the physician did his job. Tafiq lay still, his skin had turned a pale brown.

Councilor Adeola stood right beside her as she tried not to break down in her very own chamber, and his heart went all out to her. One thing he hated was to see Ameena cry. He wasn't sure he had ever sighted her shedding tears, but then there was when King Tendai passed on recently, and she was anything but herself.

He watched as the old man infused some colored liquids into the young prince's system, and his mother had refused to leave his side until she was sure her son wasn't dead. The physician hadn't given them any bad news so far, and he wished there was going to be none. Tafiq had to be alive. He had to live.

The chief chef had been allowed in, a tall, lanky man. Queen Ameena directed her hard gaze on him and he bowed, shaking. Everyone knew the queen was a natural delight, but it was another thing altogether when she got upset, or angry even. The chief chef stood, a shivering mess as he thought of his doom.

The vizier had promised him that liquified substance was totally harmless, and that it wasn't going to do any damage to anyone. He'd drank a bit of it himself, right in front of him, so, what was the deal now?

Minutes after, the man was still standing fine, so how in the name of gods did it become different for the young prince?

When he lifted his eyes he saw the queen stomp towards him in rage and he knew he was done for. He was finished. He didn't want his family to be harmed, and now he was probably going to die and leave them.

Queen Ameena certainly wasn't going to spare his life.

However, before she could get to him, councilor Adeola held her back and his relief was only short-lived because right after he ordered some of watchers present to send him to the dungeons underground.

He really was done for.

Queen Ameena seemed to be loosing herself, yelling and cursing at the cook who was being dragged away roughly, and Adeola had her cornered in his grip.

"E fara bale, Olori mi", (calm down, my queen), he whispered calmly into her ear, and she fell into his arms in exhaustion, leaning into him.

King Adeola released sharp breaths through his mouth, his heartbeat picking up pace at the close contact, but he held her. He held her in comfort. He wanted to.

From the side of his eye, he noticed the physician peep at both of them in unconcealed curiosity but the old man knew not to say one wrong word. Right there and even outside the walls of the palace. He knew what was at stake.

He knew the consequences of all of it and he dared not.

"You're fine, my queen, you're fine."

Councilor Adeola gently cradled Queen Ameena in his arms, his heart pounding with a mix of concern and affection. As he whispered soothing words into her ear, his power of hypnotism took effect, lulling her into a deep, peaceful slumber. With her finally at rest, he carefully laid her down on the ornate bed, her regal presence unchanged even in her vulnerable state.

As the soft moonlight filtered through the chamber's stained glass windows, Adeola's thoughts turned to the matter that had brought turmoil to the kingdom. Prince Tafeeq still lay bedridden after being poisoned. Suspicion weighed heavily on the Vizier, a man who had shown signs of treachery before. However, Adeola couldn't shake off the nagging feeling that there was more to this web of deceit than met the eye.

Adeola's desire to protect Ameena went beyond his duty as a councilor. He had harbored a deep, unrequited love for her, nurtured in the shadows of the court.