Chapter 11: Poisoned Shadows

Dem talk say I dey seductive like my mama, dey confuse the heir.

Palace woman go gossip, "She dey use same trick like her mama. Fola no fit rest!"

Dem say for Qudu, me and Crown Prince dey act brother and sister for public, but for inside, na husband and wife.

Some say dem see us for market, dey hold hand. Others say, "Na only God know wetin dey happen inside house."

Dem say Crown Prince no wan marry because of me.

Oga dey vex, elders dey complain. "Which kind wahala be this?" Palace boys dey talk for beer parlor.

I no vex, because all of them talk true.

For my mind, na only Fola I get. Even if na abomination, na only love dey my heart.

But my mama no fit keep quiet.

She no wan lose her plan. She dey fear say Fola love for me go spoil Prince of Blessing chance.

For Prince of Blessing and her own name, she beg chief make e sentence me to death.

She go kneel for Oga front, dey cry fake cry. "Chief, this girl dey spoil our family!"

Fola dey protect me, but as my mama do like this, e confirm say I really seduce heir.

People dey whisper, "If no be true, why mama go talk am?"

Favourite wife pikin no get respect, no dey shame, no dey obey law.

For council, dem dey point finger. "No discipline for this compound again!"

So this pikin suppose die to clear her sin.

Palace law na strong thing. If you cross line, no excuse.

I no surprise for my mama action, I no even sad.

My heart don harden. I dey expect am.

I even understand am small.

If na me, maybe I go do same thing to protect my own blood.

The cold and selfish way wey dey my blood, na from her I learn am.

For this world, na only strong survive. My heart dey cold, but e dey real.

Fola still dey try protect me. I hear say e go confess everything to Oga, carry all blame.

Fola go kneel for Oga front, dey beg. "Na me do am. No touch Halima."

E say e fit drop crown prince title.

E say, "If to marry Halima mean say I go lose throne, I gree."

Me, I fit drop princess title.

For my mind, I dey ready to follow Fola anywhere.

E want marry me.

E get hope. For e mind, love fit break law.

Fola no get sense, how that one go work?

I dey laugh small. Palace law strong pass love. No be story for market.

Oga get only one Crown Prince; e no go ever make Prince of Blessing heir.

Even if Fola fall, Oga no go gree give title to my brother. People for council no go ever agree.

My mama na side wife from old kingdom. No matter how dem like Prince of Blessing, e no get right.

Blood talk pass love for palace.

How e wan match Fola, main wife own son?

Even Fola sef know say e no possible.

The Crown Prince wey everybody dey praise, na me cause am downfall.

For my heart, guilt dey burn me. I dey pray make e survive this storm.

Oga vex, lock Crown Prince for house.

Na big punishment. Guards full door. Fola dey window, dey look sky, dey pray.

E no really sick, na just to force us come back from Qudu.

Oga dey play trick. E want control Fola, but e no know say our own plan dey ground.