Dangerous Love

EIGHT YEARS AGO

71

After everyone had left, Prince Ire realised Prince Adewale didn't even discuss what he wanted to tell him. He knew he left angered by what he told him but he didn't care. After he left, Prince Ire was informed that Prince Adewale didn't come alone. He wondered who the tribal mark lady could be. Prince Ire couldn't guess cause he doesn't even know who his friends were anymore. He decided to put on a casual wear and visited the palace to ask his majesty why he sent Prince Adewale to him. On his way, he watched how people greeted him and quickly avoided him. It was now he was just realising something wasn't right. He knew almost everyone was scared of him at the palace, and never treated him right, but now he discovered it wasn't because of the way he was, because eventually, he could sense something wasn't right. If the old workers were scared of him because they knew him a little, what about the new workers. What have they heard about him?

That image of Aramade kept appearing in his head. How those pretty eyes were soaked with tears and slowly rolled down her cheeks. Guy, what have you done? Ire you fucked up! He blamed himself. He couldn't get it off his mind how those eyes looked at him. Watched him intensively and wanted him to explain what was happening. He could remember telling her they were to tell each other everything that happened to them, but what could he have done? It was between life and death. She was no longer safe. If Prince Adewale was truly behind all these, he needed to see he wasn't with Aramade anymore. At that point, what could he have said instead?

He got to his Majesty's palace and was allowed in after the King himself agreed to see him. Prince Ire walked into the large sitting room. His Majesty's sitting room was the largest in the palace. Spacious and very cool. Peaceful just like he wanted his place to always be. He took his seat before his Majesty who was eating pounded yam and efo riro, with a large plate of meat, chicken and big titus tail fish.

"Join me." His Majesty offered his son, throwing a wrap of pounded yam at him. Prince Ire caught it and dropped it back on the table.

"Dad, my mood right now doesn't want pounded yam."

His Majesty laughed. "I heard you visited buka and all these local places to eat cow meat." His Majesty looked up to see Prince Ire's reaction. "You are surprised your big man knows your secret." His Majesty laughed again and took little water from his glass when he coughed.

"Dad, I need help." Prince Ire said. He couldn't think of anyone else except his Dad. He was totally confused and knew he needed to talk to his Dad. Prince Ire paused. He brought out the brown envelope he came with and dropped all the pictures he had been getting for long on the table his Majesty's food was placed. "Dad, despite not really close to you, I trust you."

His Majesty picked up one of the pictures. It was the recent picture taken at the restaurant with both Aramade and him laughing. His Majesty held it for a while staring at the two lovers. It had been long he ever saw his son smile. He smiled seeing how carefree Prince Ire was in the picture. Gently, he turned to the back of the picture and read the last statement written on it. "I hate you." He read it out and dropped the picture. His Majesty looked down instead and continued with his food. "Do you know why these workers are scared of you?"

Prince Ire became very interested. He just thought about it and never knew his Dad noticed as well. Could it be?

His Majesty looked up. He suddenly lost his appetite and decided to rinse his hand, cleaning his wet hand with the napkin provided for him. He stared at his son, revealing to him what he never knew since he got back. "They tell themselves that you raped someone and drown her to death. That's it."