Women Of Steel | ✔

XI

My feet hurry into the king's official chambers, not the hut he likes to sleep in, I don't find the king there but I am sure he will be here soon. All evening the king and his cabinet have been locked in his throne room, plotting and planning war. As I light a lantern, my mind wanders to the meeting I was in with the women, I recall the moment I dropped the bad news about wanting to be the sacrificial lamb.

Their cries of protests still ring in my head but secretly I know they are relieved, I warned them I would not be gone forever and I handed the mantle to Tara who I am sure understands my motives. I have no intention of dying in the hands of the forest king, if my plans go swimmingly, then I will return with the forest king in chains.

If the Orisha helps me. I don't believe in the presence of a god but now I am grasping at straws.

I shake my head in a frantic motion, this has to work. It must work or my whole life is a waste. My hands shake slightly as I place the lantern on the floor in the middle of the room. This plan is a sudden one and I cannot help but be scared of what is to come, the forest people are not kind people. Thinking about marrying the forest king makes my breath seize, from the frying pan into the fire.

I am dealing with unfamiliar territories by submitting myself as bait. I caress my left fingers with my right hand, facing the door, the last finger on my left hand is a short stub, severed by the king's tortures.

Greedily, I gulp in air as Tade enters, he used to tell me to call him Tade, that was before he became a monster. I haven't called him that for a long while, not even in my head.

He looks exhausted with his head bowed low, still wearing the clothes I saw on him this evening. He grips his sceptre tightly in his hand and from his other hand dangles his crown, like a filthy rag.

He raises his head and he does not look surprised to see me, I suppose one of the guards guarding his chambers alerted him.

"I am not in the mood for your trouble Demilade," He dismisses with a careless wave of his crown. "Get out, I hate to subject you to a beating this night."

I grit my teeth and remind myself that killing the king right now will only put me in the king's prison, rotting inside there with my father. Still restraining myself is harder, I settle with murdering him in my head.

There is something quite cruel about the king tonight, this Tadenikawo will not hesitate to slap or beat or torture me physically and with cruel words. It has been a while since I saw this version of him.

"I do not come to trouble you," I spit out.

I see him raise a brow in mockery.

"Your whole existence troubles me, leave woman." He snaps.

The impromptu lessons my father gave me on how to act like a queen resurfaces, my mother refused to teach me, to her it was admitting defeat and embracing the betrothal they never wanted for me.

"You will listen, because I may be your only weapon against the forest people."

A sharp laugh rumbles from his chest, I wince at the sound, half tempted to seize him by the ear and force him to listen.

"Demilade, how many times do I have to put you in your place?" Tadenikawo shakes his head condescendingly. "Your place belongs by my side, as my wife and you have failed in your duties."

He is goading me now, he craves a fight as a relief from his failure as king.

"You are a failure as a king, you cannot offer protection to your kingdom from the forest people, your wife continues to defy you and your court mocks your reign." I list, ticking each finger.

His jaw clenches tightly, I almost smile, I hit the final nail on the coffin with my next words.

"Soon, your kingdom will be taken away and given to some worthless fool."

I anticipate the blow before it arrives, I stumble back, clutching my cheek and hiding a painful smirk. Meanwhile he looks horrified, as far as I can tell he looks that way because I goaded him into losing his temper. I played him and he fell for my tricks.

"Will you listen now?"

He draws in a ragged breath. And his crown hits the ground with a loud thud, it rolls and comes to a stop at my feet. I smirk, the crown knows it's rightful owner.

"Ki lo fe?" He drags the words out slowly, like it pains him to accept defeat in the hands of a woman.

"I want to know what the forest people want in exchange for peace,"

I watch the king pace the spacious room. Despite this being the second time I am here in his personal chambers, I cannot help but marvel at the simplicity of the room, I wonder which wild animal his fur mat is gotten from and if I can skin one for myself.

Then I remember that I will not be needing it if I marry the forest king, with a jolt, I realize I will have to leave the familiarity of this village, this palace. I will leave my father behind for a fate equalled with death.

"Their king wants a wife," He deadpans. "To atone for my father's shortcomings."

So the rumours were true about his father, although I would hardly call rape a shortcoming. Like father, like son - abusing women is thick in their blood.

"Why not give him one?" I question merely out of curiosity.

"That bastard doesn't just want a wife, he wants Omolara." He states. "Ode, I will be damned a thousand times before I let him touch Omolara."

I am shocked, but it explains why the king has not sacrificed an ordinary woman yet. The princess is the only human that my heartless husband loves in his twisted way, there is no way he would sell her like some cheap cloth. Does the princess know? Is this why the princess has been less chatty and more broody?

Omolara is the last person I care for but a pang of pity pierces my cold heart. The princess is a child, merely a year or two younger than I am, she could be my sister.

"Then give him the next best thing, someone he will not refuse," I tell Tadenikawo.

"Who?" He asks but he knows already, judging by the growing fury in his eyes.

He does not care about me but like a child, I am his play thing. I am a toy he does not wish to share.

"Me," I say. "Send me, let me marry him. Let me trick him. I can be your eyes and ears in their land, until I have enough to trap him."