章 17: This was not a husband material at all
***
Narrator's POV.
"Naana is that at you? "
There was no answer. She couldn't see a thing, due to the Smoke and darkness present in the room. The smell of burnt meat was coming from the door adjacent to her. Queen Valeria knew at once, that someone was in the house.
"Mother Naana?" She called out again.
"Valeria" a voice responded.
A figure appeared at the back door. It was an old woman holding a torch. She wore a black long gown that was covering her legs. Her grey hair looked unkempt and she held a short stick that assisted her in walking.
"Sit down my child," the old woman said, pointing at a big wood at the corner.
"Why do you allow smoke to fill up the room mother?"
"I was too weak to get firewood but, now that you are here. Will you help me? She teased.
"Am a Queen, and not your slave" she went to where the firewood we're and tried lifting one. They were so heavy, she wondered how come Naana, an old woman could do it.
"You don't visit again, why?" Naana asked.
"Am the Empress of Akkad. So many duties for me to do, that's I never visited".
"I know that, but still..."
"One more word and I will leave"Queen Valeria interrupted.
"How will you leave me my child?" the old woman asked politely.
"Naana, do you know that Emperor had remarried?"
"Yes I know"
"If you know already, why bother to send for me in the first place. That's the only news I have for you right now. "
Hahahaha
The old woman laughed and echoed. The laughter exposed her mouth showing no teeth at all. Queen Valeria just stared at her. To her, Naana was crazy for laughing, that loud.
"Is there anything, you are not telling?" Queen Valeria asked.
"There is more to tell, my child."
She dropped the firewood in the room that looked like a kitchen. The ground was bare with sand. There were no kitchen utensils apart from a knife and fork.
Queen Valeria returned to the previous room in which she left Naana. She was eager to know what this old woman have to say about the new queen.
"Mother please, I want to know everything, that I need to know."
"The Queen who came to the palace a few months ago, I saw her name written next to the Emperor instead of yours," She said
What??
"In the vision, I saw people shouting and singing praises to her name" Naana added.
Queen Valeria was terrified by the news she just received. Her body trembled as Naana prophesied. Naana was an old witch, which was saved when the Emperor ordered the killing of witches saying that they were the cause of predicaments. She couldn't save the others but she got lucky to save Naana, who acted as a mother to her. Naana was grateful and indebted to Queen Valeria, who took advantage of that fact.
"Noo..." She threw a cup that was next to her on the floor. Queen Valeria was about to march it before Naana stopped her.
"Valeria, getting angry won't solve any of the problems"
"Is there any solution to this mystery?"
"Yes! Just like the rest of your co-wives. You shall govern over her and make the new queen stay away from the Emperor."
"How will I make a king's wife stay from her husband? I don't think it will work Naana."
"You have to try first. I will teach you each step, you are going to take" she said.
"Okay, am listening"
"First, you have to create problems for her. Make sure everything that goes wrong in the palace is her fault entirely".
"I have started already" she smiled.
"I don't understand."
Queen Valeria went ahead and told her the incident that occurred at the gate. How she shifted the blame to Queen Ariadne. Sooner or later the king was going to arrest her.
"Well done, my child. There is no need of telling you much again. You already understood everything."
"You can leave now if anyone suspects you."
"I will mother. One more question"
"Go ahead".
"Did you see any hope of child in the kingdom? " she asked.
There is no heir for the cursed king! A devil can not breed on Earth or else disaster will take over all of us.
Queen Valeria became sad. She wanted a child badly, the Emperor will love her more if she gives him, an heir.
"I will take my leave now. Call only when there is an emergency" she went out of the house. Her horse was still intact. Covering her hair she rode home furiously wishing Queen Ariadne was close by for her to kill.
***
Queen Ariadne's POV.
I marched on the contest floor so determined. Now that Queen Valeria was not a participant, I felt more comfortable joining the contest. She was a challenge to me. I wondered where she must have gone to?
Slowly, with my hand on my waist, I walked majestically on the stage showing off my dress. It was beautiful that I know because I got many compliments from people earlier.
When I was done, I walked back to my seat feeling like I have achieved something in life The Emperor drew a little closer to me. Maybe he was going to scold me again for being foolish.
"I must say, your dress is beautiful though your performance was poor" he whispered.
I wish I could slap him there. He never said anything good to me nor any encouraging words rather, he taunted me with every little opportunity he saw.
I wasn't going to reply to him though, I was scared. He waited for an answer while staring deep into my eyes. The emperor's eyes were not just blue but it looked like there was an image in them. I tried my best to figure it out, but he took his eyes away.
"What a man!" I said.
"Did you perhaps say something to me?"
I was shocked to hear him ask if I said something to him. My mouth always got me into trouble back there in Camelot. Here again, there was another mouth disease disturbing me.
"Not all my king, I didn't say anything" I answered.
Without uttering a word, he turned and faced the people again with his eyes focused on the contest floor. The queens of the palace took more than three hours to Walk to the floor. This was the most boring moment ever. They a tried to make the Emperor notice then
I got tired and leaned against my chair instead of sitting upright. Queen Celesta always told me that a woman born of royalty was not supposed to sit with her back bent. This was one of my most difficult lessons. I had no choice but to learn everything she taught me.
"Finally the contest has come to an end. Soon the results will be announced" Apollo informed.
There was a lot to eat and drink because the Emperor provided enough for everyone. I noticed that most of them were scared to eat or drink. The king was a man of anger, sooner or later, I knew he was going to shout at everyone.
With the look on his face, it was obvious, that the Emperor was not a man, you could joke with. The clown show made everyone laugh and when I turned and looked at him... He didn't smile nor laughed at all!
( This was not a husband material at all)
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