Abiokun the prince of the mysterious and very powerful kingdom of Shangalla desired to marry the most exquisite and unique lady in the world. She has to be like no other woman on earth.
Abiokun, though a charmer as a man, the attraction of the power of his kingdom makes him the most eligible bachelor prince in the whole world. Therefore queens and princesses pay him royal calls to see if he would propose.
Queen Shaitu, the legendary warrior Queen whom the boundaries of her kingdom is beyond even her own knowledge, Shaitu who is reputed that no man sleeps with and lives to tell, yet men flock to her bed, she came with her daughter Yam matta. Yam matta the beautiful one whom no eyes have beheld her beauty, as her beauty is reputed to charm any man that beholds it. So her face is always covered with delicate silk face cloth.
Abiokun considered her for some days then shook his head.
Then came Adaku the Princess of Aniocha. Adaku of the straight bones and perfect features, Adaku whose beauty has caused so many wars and enmity among suitor princes who came for her hand in marriage.
She came with her father Igwe Onochie Aku whom stories say neither he nor any one on earth knows how much wealth he has. Onochie who controls and owns all the market places and trading posts in Aniocha, Enu Ani, Obodo Asa and up to the far regions of the cattle rearers beyond the seven hills.
They came. Abiokun flirted with her a little while then lost interest.
King Danda of Okokollo chose the harmattan season to make his call. Old Danda knows that this is the cold season when any man worth his manhood wishes to be with a wife. Danda whose military might and legendary army have kept mighty invaders at bay and puzzled for longer than anyone cares to remember. Danda the king of the coast who answers to no one, Danda whom stories have it does business with the mermaids and other denizens of the sea. Danda whose military might can only be equated with his business acumen and wealth came with Nwanyi oma his only daughter. Nwanyi Oma whom stories have it was a gift to him from the gods of the sea for his honest dealings with them, as her beauty is obviously not of this world.
It is known that no man sees her and does not turn to take a second look. But any man that does that instantly sustains a stiff neck. It is only a taste of the stew of the cacawa leaf of the sea that can relieve the sufferer off the pain of the stiff neck. The cacawa stew has then become a local delicacy among the men of the land, who struggle just to behold her beauty even at the pain of a stiff neck and the horribly nauseating taste of the cacawa.
Abiokun liked her. He flirted a bit with her, and then continued on his way. She is not his idea of a wife.
Then came the highly aristocratic and extremely arrogant Queen Sedatu, with her highly aristocratic and extremely arrogant daughter Bose. Their’s is the oldest realm in the whole land. Sadetu’s is the twenty fourth score of the dynasties of the kingdom of Ola. Ola is the only kingdom with a great wall built around her central city of Omii. The wall was built by King Ola Omii, the eighty second king of Ola. Ola Omii whom legend has it that when angry his eyes emit fire. This he had used to defeat his numerous enemies but unfortunately that was the cause of his eventual demise too.
A merger of the kingdoms of Ola and Shangalla would produce a kingdom that can only be compared to that of the gods.
Abiokun – The Great
However, Abiokun politely entertained mother and daughter and politely ignored them thereafter. He was not in the least interested in the likes of Bose, her mother and their kingdoms.
The parade of princesses and spinster queens continued, yet the powerful and mysterious Abiokun remained aloof, much to the ire and chagrin of those rebuffed and the concern and worry of his people.
The power of Abiokun and his kingdom of Shangalla is hidden in their quiet and extremely mysterious nature. They do not antagonize nor go to war with any kingdoms around them. However any people that starts any trouble with them suddenly experience a plaque of locusts, or a horrible drought or an unexplainable invasion of the beasts of the forest on their farmland and products or an uncanny failing of their farm products or a drying of their rivers, waterholes and springs or one natural disaster or the other. Most of the surrounding neighboring kingdoms are powerful, but how can one wage a war against natural occurrences. So all the spurned royalties licked their wounds, swallowed their pride and went home quietly.
In the evenings Abiokun likes to take a walk in the lonely stream path in the enormous palace grounds. This area is restricted only to the members of the immediate and extended royal family. It is the most serene and peaceful part of the palace grounds. Only bird’s songs and chirpings of insects keep one company there, with an occasional member of the palace either going or coming from the stream.
One day, as Abiokun was taking his evening walk he had met one of his father’s wives coming home from the stream. In her company was a young maiden. She was carrying the old woman’s washings from the stream for her. As they passed the young prince he experienced a disconcerting
moment. This he could not understand. Is it because he did not know who the young lady with his aunt is or is it because unlike all the other young ladies he has so far encountered, this one did not seem to be awed by his presence and his person.? The lady had simply greeted him respectfully as befits a prince and passed on. No wide eyed reverence nor looking at the ground out of intimidation at the presence of such a powerful one, neither did she suddenly change her step and wiggle her waist or coquette as she walked by. No, none of these. Just a simple respectful greeting as they walked by and she continued her discussion with the old lady.
Abiokun had stopped and looked back, a puzzled expression on his face. He observed the casual strides of the lady, the tilt of her head to balance the basket of washings she is carrying and the almost exquisite straight features. Abiokun felt piqued. It was like an unexplainable sense of inadequacy suddenly washed over him. He continued his walk to the stream. Normally these evening walks in the quiet grounds help him to clear his mind after a hard day’s work. He sits on a fallen tree trunk and dips his feet in the water. The water washes his feet and leg, the cooling effect making him feel totally at peace. It is at this place that he does his thinking. However today, the magic did not seem to be working. His mind has suddenly become heavy. It upsets him when something he cannot explain or control happens around him.
That night he sent for his father’s wife whom he had met with the unknown lady. When she came into his sitting room he immediately requested from her the identity of the lady he had seen her with earlier that day.
Abiokun – The Great
“I did not ask for introduction and none was given” she stated.
“Whaaat?” screamed Abiokun. “You know quite well that that is royal quarters and only members of the king’s family are allowed in that area, yet you see some total stranger there and did not care to know who she was eh. You want me to believe that Mama Seji?”
“The king’s family is very large Oh prince and so is the King’s house hold. I had thought she was a betrothal to one of the younger princes”
“And why couldn’t she be one of the servants in the palace?” he asked
“Well Oh prince, she couldn’t possibly be a servant. She was a lady of obvious breeding and family”.
Abiokun kept quiet for a while.
“Then tell me Mama Seji, where did she go after she left you. Obviously she must have told you that or at least you saw which direction she had headed”.
Abiokun sounded anxious. This surprised the old woman as everyone knows the great Prince Abiokun as a fearless one. Always cool and knows exactly what he is doing and how to do it. Then suddenly she laughs.
“What are you laughing at?” Abiokun asked her.
“I was wondering why the great Abiokun the son of the mighty one, Egbeigwe, a prince of the land that worships and even controls nature is so worried about the presence of someone in his domain”
“Ehe, is that a reason for laughter?”
“You tell me, Oh prince. You tell me. Why are you so anxious about the presence of a young woman in the palace grounds?”
He looked up.
“What are you insinuating, you old wench?”
Abiokun – The Great
“Come on, great prince; tell me, have you been stung?” the old woman said with a mischievous smile on her face.
“What are you blabbing about?” Abiokun asks not at all comfortable with the drift of the discussion.
“Look, young man, it is nothing to be ashamed of”
“Okay, this nonsense has gone far enough. Now you go back to your quarters. What arrant nonsense. I hardly saw the lady, let alone know her”
The old one is not through yet. “It is the lowly ones that have the time for the song and dance’, she states ‘the great ones, it hits them like a thunder bolt. My father said that it is the size of their hearts that make great ones like you see a woman once and you must possess her”
“Go back to your kitchen, woman!” he yelled at her.
She turned and fled.
The next morning Abiokun called the head of the palace guards. He was quite upset with him.
“I met a girl in the palace grounds yesterday. This girl was totally unknown to me and obviously not a member of the royal family. I want you to find out who that girl is, where she comes from and what she is doing here”.
Abiokun directed the palace guard to the old wife of his father whom he had seen with the mysterious girl the previous day. The palace guards started searching the mighty compound. They combed every nook and cranny, checked every house and questioned everyone, but to no success. They went to the stream and the trackers tried to follow the day old foot prints with their dogs, yet all was to no avail. The pretty lady seemed to have completely disappeared.
This situation greatly agitated the Prince. The dilemma being that he could not say exactly why the minor issue of a mysterious girl is upsetting him so much. Yet for no
Abiokun – The Great
apparent reason he very much wished to know who the young lady is. Abiokun did not like dilemmas or mysteries. He berated his guards and threatened to punish them severely if they did not find the lady.
Some days later as Abiokun was on his routine evening walk to the quiet stream, he saw a lady in the distance. It looked to him to be the mystery lady, so he hurried to meet up with her. But by the time he got to the top of the hill, she had descended and disappeared. He rushed to the stream, but the entire area was desolate. There was no one there. He carefully searched the entire mangrove swamp of the stream, but there was no one there either. He stood, listening quietly to hear the sound of splashing water to indicate that whoever it is he had seen had waded into the swamp or maybe having a bath in some secluded area of the dense mangrove swamp. There was no sound.
Abiokun was perplexed. What is going on? Is someone playing a practical joke on him? Is one of the female royalties he had spurned trying to teach him a lesson. Or seriously, is this a spirit. Is this an apparition that he is seeing? Suddenly he felt a cold wash over him and he shivered as goose pimples spread all over his body. This is a feeling he has never experienced before. Is this fear?
Never. Not I Abiokun. I am the Prince of Shangalla, the land that has never had the single experience of a defeat in war, Shangalla that is the natural terror of all the kingdoms around and even beyond the great waters. Yes, I am Abiokun whose wrath to any one or people bring instant natural or unnatural disaster to such persons. Abiokun whose name means to all “Thunder clouds, dark and forborden.” I fear nobody. Who can I fear except the gods? If this is a strong spirit, it will not come in the shape of a damsel. It will come as a warrior, to fight me.
Abiokun – The Great
Then as clearly as if someone nearby has spoken to him, he heard “And what do you know about women, Oh warrior Prince?” Abiokun spun round. But there was no one else there. It was his thought that had come out loud and clear. This hit him like a physical blow.
Yes, what does he know about women? As he stood there in the serenity of the stream side, his mind raced. All the women he has met since his adulthood, no matter their position in the society or their situation in life, had been submissive, subjective and some have been totally subservient. None had been a real challenge. Compared to his knowledge of royal activities and warfare, his knowledge of women is questionable. With this revelation, a feeling of inadequacy suddenly enveloped him. With all his pomp, power and glory he has a vacuum in his life. Slowly the great shoulders which have forever stood proud and powerful drooped and his arms lay limp by his side.
Slowly the faces of the women he had treated without courtesy played in his mind’s eye.
He felt low.
