Tooni glanced at his enraptured audience. "There was a lot of explanation to be done.
"Ara told Fade that she knew her grandmother, the Queen Dowager was a witch and she was the reason why her mother went missing all of a sudden three years. Her brother had set out to look for their mother a year after she disappeared, but never returned. The Dowager used her powers to always control Ara's father and made him fall sick, which led to his death.
"She also maltreated Ara, making her work as a slave in her own home. When she couldn't stand it anymore, she escaped. She planned to search for her mother and brother till she found them, no matter how long it took her to do so. That was when she entered his ship. She was grateful that even though he didn't know who she was, he didn't send her away.
"Her distant cousin, Queen Isua Eno had been orphaned as a young girl so she had come to live with Ara's family. She knew how evil the Dowager was and had used marriage as a means of escape. The marriage had been arranged by the Dowager, but both of them ended up falling in love. Isua's birth name was Feyi since she's Yoruba, but after getting married she decided to accept the name Isua Eno. She'd gotten married after Tooni disappeared, but before Ara's father died. This was why she didn't know he had passed away.
"Ara's mother, Queen Nifemi also told them that she had woken up one night in the palace and decided to step out for fresh air. She had stumbled upon the Dowager discussing with Boubin, Juijui and Hellaw, and even though she begged never to tell others what she'd heard and seen, they refused to let her go. She was taken to the Enchanted Island, and the last thing she remembered was a cloth being used to rub her face.
"Prince Tooni told them that after he followed a map he found in the Dowager's study, he came to the Island where he met the three witches and saw his mother working for them. The last thing he remembered was Hellaw blowing a powdery substance into his face.
"Lastly, Tomi told them that during the Calabar festival last night, he'd escorted Sewa back to her room because she was feeling sleepy and they both didn't want to disturb Prince Fade and Princess Ara. When he returned, he noticed that all the Royals, guards and the ship's crew on the balcony were behaving funny, all except Prince Dipo and the healer, Dami. Immediately, he smelt foul play so he pretended to also act funny while he eavesdropped on their conversation.
"It was then he heard what Prince Dipo planned to do to Prince Fade and Princess Ara. Before leaving the Palace, they put everyone to sleep but it didn't affect Tomi and Sewa since whatever the Prince and the healer gave to the Palace inhabitants wasn't given to them, so they couldn't control them. Then they also made everyone go to sleep in the whole kingdom.
"Tomi got into a boat with sleeping Sewa and followed Dipo from a distance. However after sometime, Dipo and his ship disappeared from sight. At first Tomi felt despaired, but God helped him and led him to the Enchanted Island. But he had no idea where Dami went to after she left Calabar."
"Wow. God is so good." Little Ara breathed as she listened to Tooni's story.
He nodded with a smile and continued.
"Things had to be done.
"When they got back to the Calabar Kingdom, Dipo was in the palace with his sister, Dami. However, they fought him in the name of Jesus and his evil hold over the whole kingdom got broken. Dipo disappeared with his sister and appeared at the Enchanted Island, where the witches made them do all the work that Prince Tooni and Queen Nifemi previously did.
"With thanks spilling out through their lips, King Ekpe and Queen Isua named their baby Akpan Akabom Bowofade in honour of Prince Fade. They stayed for a month, recuperating from their injuries. Afterwards, Prince Fade with his ship crew escorted Ara and her family back home, where her grandmother was overthrown and banished to the Enchanted Island. Prince Tooni was crowned King and the Kingdom began to get better.
"After staying for two weeks in Ake, Prince Fade decided to return back home with Princess Sewa, Tomi, Anike, Saheed, Olu, Kola and Lanre.
"He promised to return, and asked her to please wait for him.
"And so she did. Every day, she'd dress up and sit in front of her window, her eyes watching the outside world as she waited for her Prince."
********************
YOU ARE READING
Awaiting Her Beau
Spiritual"Do you have anything to say?" He shook his head, but never shifted his gaze from her face. "Well then, what do you want?" She snapped, tired of his incessant staring. He shook his head again, still remaining speechless. She sighed. "Is there someth...
