SULTAN {Preview}

Chapter Twenty-two

Tears started streaming down her eyes as she opened her mouth multiple times to speak "I don't know what you're talking about wallahi. I have never spoken more than a few words, apart from greetings to the Yerima. Please believe me my princess, I don't know where this is coming from I swear" she went on her knees, and did I just see shock on her face?  No it all had to be part of her plot to snatch Yaya away from me! What a hypocrite she is.

"I will not fall for your hypocrisy Khairi, you bit the finger that fed you, and for that, you have to leave this Palace. How dare you think you stand a chance of being Queen? Indeed you must be nuts. If I can't have him, then neither will you."

"Please Your Highness, I have nowhere else to go to, this Palace is all I know, I can't go back to the orphanage" she pleaded

"Khairi leave! You should have thought of that before skimming your way into the Prince's heart." I was loosing my cool, God knows I was, cos she stood there crying.

"Do you need the me to send in the guards to take you out?"

"There will be no need for that, I will go" she wiped her face on her sleeves
"But before I leave, I want you to know this. I have served you truthfully all through the five years I have been in this Palace. I put up with all your demands, your authoritativeness, your rants. Even though I'm your servant, I'm human too, and I have feelings. You always refer to me as a slave, well even if I'm a slave, I didn't make my self one. This is where Allah wants me to be, and I'm ever thankful to him.

You never appreciate anything I do, there is always this fault or that. Your plates are always unclean, your bed unlaid, your food undone or your fruits unwashed. You always complain even though you know I did what I ought to do and well, that is. Whatever have I done to you to deserve this hatred Princess?  And today you send me out of your Father's Palace... For something I know nothing about, I will leave, but I want you to know that by Allah, I'm innocent of all your accusations, and I forgive you."

I almost felt remorseful for the hurtful words I said and how I have been treating her all this while, but on a second thought again, she might just be trying to make me feel guilty, no way is that happening!

"Just go, and don't take anything along because you didn't come to this Palace with anything" I waved her away with my hand.

Outside it was still raining as Khairi walked out of the Palace, never to return, I thought. I was ready to face the consequences of sending her away...

***

Immediately I entered my room, I flopped down on my bed and cried into my pillow. I wasn't even sure of what I was crying for anymore. I'm I crying cos Yaya chose Khairi over me, or because of what she said? What ever it was, I cried, I cried for what almost was.

I was almost drifting into sleep when I heard gentle knocks on the door

"Who is there?" I managed to ask in a croaked voice

" It's me.. Can I come in?" came Umma's voice

After awhile I replied "Sure"

One end of the bed went down as Umma sat, gently removed the pillow I laid my head on, and placed my head on her laps, gently stroking my hair.

"Bingel am my child" she whispered. Umma rarely spoke Fulani, while everyone spoke to us in Fulani, she spoke Hausa, saying she wanted us to learn her tongue, cos she was Hausa.
"I'm sorry for what happened my dear" she continued "I assure you that non of us planned for things to turn out this way. Not even Sultan"

"Do me a favour Umma please" I sprang up and held her arm "Never mention his name in my presence again Umma, I hate him!" I spat

"No my child, don't ever say that. Hate is too strong an emotion for a child like you to play with" she shook her head "Never say that, you are obviously very angry at him, at everybody, but it shouldn't cloud your sense of judgment"