Balogun

ABIKE

"I love you so much. I love you beyond normal. I love you beyond the physical. I love you beyond explanation."
- Prince Murewa

"Thank you for sticking with me through all my bullshit and temper. You are my light and I am doing this so you can remain forever bright. If the light gets put out, my life would go back to darkness."
- Prince Murewa

xXx

Long after Jamal had left, Murewa remained frozen in the middle of the hall on the top floor.
It is said that it is always the darkest before dawn and they were right.

The past few hours had been the darkest in his life, learning the man who he had cherished above everyone else for eighteen years was a total deceit, learning his closest friend and family had kept on loving him and making sacrifices for him even in his ignorance.

It had all broken him and he had wondered how he was ever going to come out of it all sane.

But he had suddenly been thrown an anchor.
Abike was pregnant.

Joy exploded in his head again at the thought and he wondered how he even managed not to think of it as a possibility.

He had been different with her from the very beginning. Unlike how he did with the women in his harem, he had never used protection with her before.

Damn.
He didn't even realise it, but he had let down his guard subconsciously, a long time ago.
Way before his mind and head had accepted it.

Abike was pregnant.

She was going to have a baby.
A baby for him.

How many months pregnant was she?
She would never lack any care in this life because he was going to make sure he remained at her side every second.
He was going to worship the ground she walked on.

She would never...suddenly, the Grandfather's atrocities hit too close to home.

"That's just for back up, I still want Murewa's baby."

No!
Murewa forced his feet to start moving.

The Grandfather was never going to have his baby.
He would fight for Abike and their child till his last breath.

His steps faltered again and he came to a startled halt by the stairs leading down.

For the first time, he was being confronted by a battle that wasn't physical.

His father had once told him that sometimes a warrior fights with his head and not with his sword.

An idea formed in Murewa's head that suddenly sucked all the life and joy from him and he sank to the marble step from the burden of the decision he was about to make.

He felt his limbs begin to shake and his head began to pound.
He was aching all over and his heart was aching the most.

For the first time, Murewa was scared. He was terribly afraid.

The fear charged through his vein and propelled him to his feet.

He charged down the stairs, his idea solidifying in his mind.
He was going to do it. It was the best thing to do.

xXx

Abike was stuck in the cramped room, lonely, hungry and cold.
Since yesterday, after Jamal and the King left, she had been thrown into this room again and left all alone.