Once Upon A Lie - Episode 3

 

QUOLA KINGDOM

“And what is going on here?” a man in royal attire spoke as he entered. “Chief Jalami, what is happening?” 

Turning to Birian, he asked “Where are you going to, chief?”

“Huh my prince,” Jalami said as he walked over to him “my prince, there is news and we thought informing the King won’t be good for his health so…”

“The Mbatas are planning war” Birian suddenly said, interrupting Jalami.

“What? Planning war? At this moment?” the prince asked consecutively eliciting a nod from Birian and Jirian just face palmed himself as he spoke.

“Birian, you are an elder, a chief. You don’t just break news like that” turning to the prince, he said “my prince, the king must not know . You are his substitute now, as the only prince of Quola Kingdom. What will you do now? Your wish is my command” he said, bowing his head.

“You’re right, Chief Jalami. If the king knows, his health will only deteriorate”. 

Sitting and urging the two chiefs to sit, he asked them “What do you suggest we do?”

***

Paulita sat in the royal court with her hands on her chin, all dressed up with a sad expression. The queen sat in her place beside the throne with an unreadable expression

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. The king suddenly walked in and Paulita knelt with her head bowed to the ground. The queen stood to receive the king as he beckoned her to sit. 

“Is he still not home?” he asked

“Not yet, my king” the queen answered “but he will, very soon. I already told one of the servants to tell me once he comes” she added.

“Okay, but this attitude of his is becoming consecutive. This isn’t the first time, neither is it the second” turning to Paulita, “hope you are not too offended, Pauli” he asks.

“Not at all, Your Honour’ she said, bowing her head a little. “I am just worried that the prince may be running from me and avoiding our lunch on purpose” she said, adding a sad tone to her voice.

“No, Pauli. I don’t think it is like that” the queen said. 

“He’s just so obsessed with hunting. He’s been like that since he was very young, you remember?” she added with a smile on her face. “By the way, why will he avoid you? You grew up together”

“That is the exact reason he may have for running from her” Nnuole said as she entered the room. Turning to the king, she bowed her head “my king” she said as she sat opposite Paulita.

“Nnuole, what is your problem with Paulita?” the queen asked “you all grew up together in this palace peacefully.

Read " Let It Go " by the same author ( Gracious )

. Now that you are grown, you are all misbehaving. What happened to the love and where did this seed of discord come from?” she said as the King shifted in his seat, awaiting Nnuole’s response.

“Mother, I would avoid Paulita if I were the prince. She is just so pompous and desperate. She’s the one the servants, I mean all of them, fear the most. Don’t be deceived by this fake sweetness. By the way,” she said, adjusting herself “the love went to the same place her innocence went and the seed of discord, from the same place her wickedness came from” 
Standing, she said 

“I can’t even imagine her as queen, we would all be in trouble” 

“Nnuole, what is the meaning of all this?” the queen asked. 

A sob broke out from Paulita and they all turned to her. The queen walked up to Paulita, as she eyed Nnuole who kept taunting Paulita, calling her “baby princess shedding crocodile tears”

The King cleared his throat and said “I am so bored from working since morning and this drama is quite entertaining.”
 
Turning to Nnuole, he said “Daughter, I have no idea of what you are saying” and to Paulita, “you are meant to defend yourself, not cry. If this were a court of law, would your tears defend you?”

At that moment, a servant entered. Bowing himself to the ground before the king, he said “the prince is around and on his way, Your Honour”

***

“…and that is how we were sent out and away to this place” a man said, facing a lady. 

The man seemed to be in his fifties and the lady in her early twenties. He carried the kettle from the fire and poured water on the firewood to quench its fire. He poured the contents of the kettle into two mugs, gave one to the lady and took a sip of the other.

“I have heard this story a thousand times” the lady said as she took a sip “and it has always been the same, never changing”

“Because it isn’t meant to change but to motivate you” the man said.

He stood up, poured water into the cup from a dirty drum and rinsed the cup.

“I made it exceptionally bitter this time” he said, facing the lady.

“This is the last time it will be bitter” the lady stood as she added “just like our lives”

With a small smile, the man said “I trust you, Marita’