Women Of Steel | ✔

XLVII: TADENIKAWO

The end draws near.

"Your Majesty, a woman stands outside our camp asking for you." Kosoko says, bowing lowly.

Tadenikawo's eyes narrow in exhaustion and suspicion. "What woman?"

Kosoko raises his head, malice glinting in his eyes. "A forest woman, Kabiyesi, she says she has come with a message for you."

"Is she the only one?" The king asks again.

"She is flanked by a maid, and cradles a sack to her chest. We have checked around, there is no one accompanying her."

Tadenikawo raises a hand to stroke his weeks of stubble in consideration, he hates the feel of hair on his chin but war gives no allowance for such luxuries. After the win against the forest people, none of their troops have shown their faces again, and Tadenikawo thinks it insane to march into their village with no knowledge of the inside or what could be awaiting them. All his spies never return alive and now he is stuck in a foreign land, fighting a battle that grows seemingly useless.

"I suggest we kill her and send her off in pieces to her people, this is our chance to strike back." Kosoko speaks feverishly, gesturing widely. "Even our men agree with my suggestion."

Tadenikawo's eyes narrow even harder.

"Who gave you such authority to announce this to my men, do not step out of line and out of turn." Tadenikawo snaps. "Send the woman to me, now."

The king sees something like defiance in the slight raising of Kosoko's chin but he dismisses the thought before it takes root. The king and Kosoko grew up together, the latter being the son of Gbadamosi's favourite chief and it was only natural that the two began a strange alliance, never friends but finding uses for the other. Gbadamosi had Omolara betrothed to Kosoko while they were children and Tadenikawo knowing the kind of man Kosoko might turn out to be, cancelled the marriage when he became king. The right hand is the dirty hands of the king and forever loyal.

Kosoko nods briskly and returns moments later with a fair skinned woman.

The king and his troops built several small camps using raffia and sturdy bamboo sticks to build several sheds like the ones for cooking back at Ile Wura, the king sits in his designated, hunched under the short camp. He bends his head to draw aimlessly on the wet soil, it rained only mere hours ago.

The woman is as tall as the king and Tadenikawo takes one look at her and knows instantly.

"To what do I owe the honor, Amadi's wife here in the flesh." Tadenikawo says sarcastically, Kosoko hovers behind the woman, ready to attack at the sign of one wrong move.

The woman struggles to say his name but says it in all dignity she can muster. "Tadenikawo,"

Tadenikawo's gaze turns sober, he should be furious that Amadi does not deem him worthy enough to show his face, and rather sends a woman to deliver his message, but Tadenikawo is too tired to summon fury. He finds it hard summon any feeling other than exhaustion, he just wants to go home.

"Maybe I should send you back in pieces to your husband in revenge for my wife and my sister," The king muses wickedly, the woman lifts her chin in an act of bravado and Kosoko pushes her, sending her to her knees before the king.

"Show some respect woman!' Kosoko sneers.

Still clutching the sack to her chest, Amadi's wife rises to her feet gently and fixes the right hand with a withering stare. "Touch me again and I will inflict pain unimaginable to you whole filthy body."

Kosoko stares back, abashed.

She shifts her stare back to the king. "My name is Ejiro, and if you think you can push me around like a child then you have another thing coming."

Tadenikawo forces a dry laugh. "Deliver your message and leave, but let me remind you, I will find your husband and I will kill him with my bare hands and then I will burn your kingdom to the ground,"

He waits for the fire of anger, it doesn't come.

"I am not here to start a war, I am here to end this generational war." The woman, Ejiro says. "Demilade and your sister left days ago, I let them go and now I deliver your enemy to your feet."

The woman unties the sack and dump its content to the ground, in horror, Tadenikawo watches as Amadi's lifeless head rolls to a stop at his feet.

Amadi is dead.

He looks from the severed head of his half brother and back to the woman and a shudder racks through him. It explains why the forest people have not attacked again, their king is dead.

Ejiro fixes the king with a steely stare. "I am Queen now, and I have troops twice the size of yours and twice as strong, if I do not return in seven minutes then they will unleash their fury."

Tadenikawo can only watch, speechless as she continues. "This war is over, this curse is over, return home."

Kosoko splutters stupidly as the woman walks away, the king still stares even after the woman is long gone and so does most of his camp.

He still mulls over her words and they echo in his head, until Kosoko breaks the silence with an enraged roar.

"You let her get away!" Kosoko snarls, fair face twisted bitterly in anger and fists clenched at his sides.

Tadenikawo turns slowly to Kosoko, not quite believing his ears and one look at his gathered troops tell him that he is the only one surprised. Realization dawns on him like cold water from River Osun, his troops have been expecting a showdown and they are clearly not on his side. Tadenikawo underestimated Kosoko, and now the greedy bastard has turned his people against him.

"Need I remind you who is king and who is not." Tadenikawo drawls, slowly, his anger returns in a spark taking over his senses.

Kosoko stares unflinchingly. "You have no idea how long I have wanted to remind you of your place,"

Tadenikawo does not call for guards, he knows what will remind these greedy people of their place, beneath him. Swiftly, before Kosoko can blink, he reaches for his unsheathed sword and spears it through his right hand's chest.

Kosoko falls slowly, his wide eyed gaze forever scorched into the king's mind eye. The soldiers watch in horror as the king's blade protrudes from Kosoko's chest.

"This is a warning for anyone who thinks he can come for my throne and live," Tadenikawo sneers, voice like thunder. The king stumbles out of his shed, a crazed look on his face. "The throne of Ile Wura is mine and mine alone."