❣️I'm so sorry for the late update. Yesterday was my matriculation ceremony, and I have tests on Monday.
I'm quite occupied. Please try to understand ❣️
Third Persons Narrative;
It's celebration night, and everyone is gathered in a massive circle, with the royal family sitting on their thrones watching. The maids are dancing around the fire.
Ajinke is sitting and laughing at her friend Asake who is rolling her small waist to the beat of the drums. And at Ronke who is trying her best to show dance skills, the goddess did not bless her with.
The drummers soon switch to beta beats, and Ajinke's Heart skips a beat as Asake pauses to face her. She knows Asake is planning to drag her out, so she quickly rises to her feet.
As she tries to walk off, Asake chases after her and grabs her wrist.
“Come out and dance. ” Asake pleads, and Ajinke glares at her.
“Not in front of all these people. ” Ajinke whispers back, and Asake pouts. Unknown to them, they had caught the attention of the Iya Oba.
“What's going on? ” The Iya Oba questions and everyone falls silent.
“I only wanted her to come and dance with me. She dances beta very well. ” Asake replies, and the Iya Oba gets slightly intrigued.
“You dance beta? ” She questions Ajinke, and Ajinke gulps.
“Yes, your highness. ” She replies, and the Iya Oba smiles.
“Dance for us, then. If you don't mind. ” The queen mother says, and Ajinke freezes. Her icon just asked her to dance for her.
She wouldn't give this moment up for anything!
Ajinke gulps and nods, and makes her way to the middle of the gigantic circle, with almost the whole Akomojo village watching.
She turns to the drummers and nods. They nod back, and she takes position. One leg forward, her buttocks pushed back, the other leg bent, with one hand in the air behind her, and the other, resting on the straightened leg.
The drummers start with slow, counted beats, and suddenly dive into the real deal. Ajinke who's a professional in the dance her grandmother taught her for years, attacks the dance like a pro.
The crowd begins to cheer and hail, and the king and queen have grand smiles of excitement on their faces, while the Iya Oba wears a neutral look as she assesses the young woman dancing with so much vigor and strength. The prince, on the other hand, is smiling lightly as he's studying the young dancer.
She's emitting so much power and yet so much grace. The queen mother watches as Ajinke rolls her shoulders and a small smile crawls up her face as she is impressed by the professionality of the young lady's dance and the flawlessness and grace of every move.
To the people of Akomojo, the beta dance is a communication link between the people and the goddess, therefore, whoever dances it well enough, will either evoke the spirit of the goddess or gain a vision from her.
Ajinkes POV;
I am dancing with my eyes closed, and I suddenly begin to feel feverish. Yemojas words begin to play in my head, and I suddenly begin to see a blurred vision. People are running for fear of their lives, there's fire burning everywhere, and I am crying. There seems to be a dead body in my hands…
I begin to feel tipsy as I'm about to see whose body is in my arms. But the horrid feeling of exhaustion consumes me, and I am forced to open my eyes as I feel as forms of strength exit my body.
As I open my eyes, my gaze lands on Yemoja who's secretly watching from the shadows behind the crowd. I'm about to fall to the ground, but I am caught by someone.
I struggle to look in Yemoja's direction again, but I see her walking away. What's going on? I take another breath, and all forms of light leave my sight.
Third Persons Narrative;
Ajinke had just received a vision from the goddess, and only Yemoja could tell that this just happened. The goddess had informed Yemoja that she'd inform Ajinke of what would happen in the nearest future.
All Yemoja had to do was go there and confirm that Ajinke knew she received a vision.
Being the very first-time Ajinke was receiving a vision from the goddess, she was beginning to lose strength, and she didn't have enough strength to complete the vision.
The crowd had begun to see Ajinke losing balance, and luckily enough, the prince was there in time to save her from falling into the fire.
He caught her and carried her into the palace, with the rest of the crowd amazed by what they just saw.
Some were amazed by the performance Ajinke just put on, and some worried by how the poor girl passed out, but sadly, she's just a maid. Her passing out was not enough to stop the celebration.
The celebration continued while the prince, Asake, and other maids attended to Ajinke inside.
*********
Ajinke's POV;
“Wake up! ” I scream in fear as my mind replays the vision I saw earlier, but as I tear my eyes open, I find that the sun is out, and I'm in a familiar place.
I stare at the thatched ceiling for a while before sitting up. I have my eyes shut as my head is throbbing, and I place both my hands on my head while silently praying to the goddess to do away with the horrible headache threatening my sanity.
“Are you okay? ” An all too familiar voice questions, and I tear my eyes open in alarm. I look up to find the prince stirring something in a cup, and my eyes widen.
Why is the prince in my room?
“You passed out yesterday. ” He adds, and I stare in plain confusion. I make to move, and only then do I realize that I'm sitting on something very soft.
I look down, and then I realize that I'm on the prince's bed. My eyes almost pop in shock. I quickly rush off his bed and stare at him while he stares at me confused.
“What… What am I doing here? ” I question in worry, and his reply almost causes me to slip into a coma.
“You passed the night here. ”
“What? Why? Who… What? ” I question in alarm. Why did I sleep here? If I slept here, where did he sleep? In the same bed as me? Did the rest of his family agree with me passing the night in his room? What will people think of me now?
“Relax. You need to rest. Yemoja said you'd be fine and that you need adequate rest. ” The prince says as he walks over to me and hands me the cup he was with. I look into it and find a dark liquid.
“It's not bitter. Drink it. It's meant to rejuvenate you. ” He says, and I stare at him in awe.
Why did he let me pass the night here? Does he have any idea what that can do to my reputation?
Third Persons Narrative;
The Iya Oba and the queen are in the royal garden, basking in the sun.
“Who is that girl? ” The Iya Oba questions the queen, and the queen turns to her confused.
“Who? ”
“The maid. The one who danced last night. ” The Iya Oba replies, and the queen understands that she's talking about Ajinke. This makes it feel as though every other person who danced last night meant nothing.
“You mean Ajinke? She's an orphan girl, Adebiyi brought to the palace not too long ago. He said he brought her here to save her from poverty and ensure she has a good life. From the look of things, she needed help. ” The queen replies and the Iya Oba nods.
“Hmm. I like her. There seems to be something… Different about her… But I can't tell what it is. ” The Iya Oba replies, and the queen smiles.
“I've seen the same thing too, my queen. She's just so lovable, and she seems so pure.” The queen replies as she adjusts in her seat, and Iya Oba smiles. They had long sent their maids away, as they wanted some time alone to talk in private.
“You know, I think we're not the only ones who see this. ” The Iya Oba replies, and the queen wears a puzzled look.
“In what way, my queen? ”
“Adebiyi. Haven't you noticed? You haven't seen the way he looks at her? And yesterday, how he rushed off his throne to save her from falling…” The Iya Oba replies, and the queen falls silent, as she hadn't realized that her dear son was falling in love.
“Adebiyi is a young man with solid principles. He has always had a serious mind. So much like me. That's the exact reason I can tell that there's something different about him.
There's something that's always playing in his mind and stealing his attention. And I believe it's that maid.
The look in his eyes when she was dancing yesterday was not just a look of being impressed, it was something else. ” The Iya Oba replies, and the queen's jaw drops.
“Now that I think on it, yes! My son might actually be in love. I can now draw a better picture of why he looked so disoriented yesternight. ” The queen replies and the Iya Oba smiles.
“But, what if the goddess chooses a different bride for him during the celebration? ” The queen then questions in worry, and the Iya Oba gives a light, proud smile.
“He will be the king, my dear. He will get married to whom the goddess chooses for him, but he can definitely get married to that girl if he truly loves her.” The Iya Oba replies, and the queen gives a blank expression.
“Or he can be as lucky as his father. The goddess selected for my son, the woman he loves, and you loved him too. The same might be the case here. ” The Iya Oba replies, and the queen falls into a small blush.
“Well, the goddesses will shall come to pass. ” The queen replies, and they both fall silent as they begin to meditate on what has been said.
Unknown to them. Ronke had been in a corner, committing the punishable crime of eves dropping on the royal's private discussion.
“Ajinke and the prince. Together? As one? When I'm still alive? Over my dead body! How will the goddess pass me by and pick that gutter rat for the prince? Impossible! It can't happen!
Never! ” The angered albino swears to herself before storming off while skillfully rolling her waist and massive buttocks.