The First Queen (Completed)

Chapter 7 - Sacrifice

Although they had gone out as five spies and faced a lot of challenges they managed to return complete. After coming together yesterday and waiting and Jami the fifth spy didn't come back, they thought that he had been discovered and most likely executed by the king because being a spy in the kingdom is punishable by death, but on their way back today he met up with them. How happy they were on their way back to the camp.

Klean smiles and laugh as he sees some of his friends and brother again, there were days when he didn't think he would come back in one piece, but here he is, happy and grateful to be seeing everyone. Everyday for him now is a blessing from the gods.

"You've emaciated brother!" Kola, a close friend and warrior on Klean's team says, tapping his shoulder.

"Emaciation takes a longer time than just five days; besides I'm still bigger than you." He tease in return before hugging him.

"By the gods you stink." Kola says, pulling away and Klean laughs even more, but his laughter dies when his eyes catches Ajifah standing afar off, looking at him.

His heart doubles in beat as she stares at him, he'd dreamt of her this past days, but they were not good dreams, not at first, they were always about her rejection and about how duty comes first before feelings. He would wake with an aching and bruised heart, and all through the day try to keep any thought of the princess out of his head. Two nights ago he was almost discovered by the King's guard and he was strong enough to kill the two guards before they knew what was happening, but he knew that would destroy their mission and send alerting message to the king if two guards were found dead on the street, a message Princess Ajifah didn't need so he had to hide from them. His duty was much bigger than what he wanted to do and then he understood the princess's plight and in the last two days he has gotten a better understanding of how complicated her duty was and no longer resented her for rejecting him, duty was more than love and if anything, he is glad he's still here to fight for her. He dreamt of her last night, but it was peaceful she smiled at him and took his hand and they both take a quiet walk around the waterfall. He woke up with a smile and although he knows that may never happen between them he cherished the moment.

She had been worried that he volunteered for the journey and all the while he told himself, maybe she didn't love him, and he might be right about that, but she certainly did care enough to try to stop him from risking his life even though that is the duty of every warrior who swore to protect her.

He look away from the princess to Nnamdi who immediately walks into the discussion tent where the assignment was given five days ago.

"We have to go talk to the commander and the princess." He says before following the rest four into the tent of discussion.

The five spies Klean, Jami, Taiwo, Iyan and Nonso assemble and the commander of warriors who is Nnamdi are all together along with princess Ajifah, Queen Ojima and Femi and they listen to the report brought by each spies.

"How can he do that?" Ojima explodes after Taiwo, one of the spies broke the news that King Tyosar was planning to make agreement and sell the girls and boys under the age of ten in the land as slaves to King Zulu the king beyond the sea in exchange for gold and food.

King Tyosar came up with this offer a few days ago after there was shortage of food in the land and he now considers the kingdom getting overpopulated and hence needs to reduce the population by selling them out.

"He's the crowned king and the worse king the kingdom has ever had." Taiwo says.

"He's planing on increasing the taxes and the prices of food in the market." Nonso says, bringing up the reports he learnt in the past five days.