Adaeze felt her heart jump in fear and shock. She gave the young man a look that would have him buried six feet underground if looks could kill.

She did not recognise the man and she was certain that she had never seen him in the village before.

The man was tall, handsome and fair skinned. He was dressed in a pair of black jeans and a white long sleeved shirt. He also had a pair of black sneakers on his feet.

The man must have noticed the death glare that Adaeze had on her face as he instantly apologised, "I'm sorry for startling you."

He also did not sound like any of the other villagers. He sounded more educated and his accent was not quite similar to theirs. He had a Nigerian accent but he just sounded more educated.

Adaeze rolled her eyes and turned back to what she was doing. She covered the Jerry can with it's red cover and attempted to lift it but the hand of the young man stopped her from doing so.

"What?" Adaeze asked, irritated.

"Please, let me," the man said and lifted the Jerry can with his right hand. "Take this as my apology."

Adaeze let him carry it without a word and she started her journey back home, with him following behind her.

"I haven't seen you around here before," Adaeze said, "who are you and what were you doing at the river early in the morning."

"I could ask you the same thing," the man said. "Don't you know that it is dangerous for a young woman to be in such a secluded area alone and at such a time?"

Adaeze turned to look at the man, "Who exactly are you? I know for sure that you are new to this village. I have never seen you here before."

"You haven't seen me before because it's been many years since I stepped foot into this village," he said. "I am Prince Jidenna, the heir to throne of this village."

Adaeze looked at him and burst into laughter, "You, the prince?"

"Why is that so unbelievable?" he asked with a serious face.

Adaeze turned around and started to walk again, "As the prince, aren't you supposed to have your guards surrounding you at all times. Aren't you supposed to dress in fancy clothes and have beads decorated around your neck?"

"That is completely stereotypical of you," Jidenna said, a bit offended that she did not believe him, "but I will prove it to you when we get to your house."

A few minutes later they arrived at her house. Adaeze took the Jerry can from him and took it inside the house. That gave Jidenna time to study the outside of her home.

The blue paint on the walls of the house were slowly peeling off and the well painted areas were stained. From the outside, he could tell that the house was generally small.

On the veranda sat three plastic chairs. Jidenna made himself comfortable and sat on one of them.

Adaeze came out from the house a few minutes later.

"Who asked you to sit down?" Adaeze asked with her hands crossed.

What have I done this time? Jidenna asked himself, "Since I'm your guest, I thought it was only right for me to make myself comfortable."

"I didn't invite you here, so if you know what's best for you, just stand up," Adaeze said.

Jidenna stood up in order to prevent getting into a verbal fight with a woman he barely knew.

"Why are you behaving so rudely towards me?" Jidenna asked with confusion etched on his face.

He expected Adaeze to snap back at him but she did the opposite.

Adaeze closed her eyes and took a deep breath before speaking.

"I'm sorry," she apologised, "I and my family are facing a lot of problems and I'm really stressed out. Anyway, you said you would prove that you are the prince."

"Right," the prince said and brought out a ring from his pocket. He handed the ring to Adaeze.

Adaeze studied the gold ring carefully. She studied the carvings on the gold ring carefully and came to the conclusion that the man in front of her was indeed the prince. Only the royal family possessed such rings with ancient carvings.

Without much thinking, Adaeze curtsied to the prince, "Good morning, my prince."

"It's a bit too late for that," Prince Jidenna said as he retrieved the ring from Adaeze and placed it back into his pocket. "I've already witnessed your bad manners. No need to pretend."

Adaeze rolled her eyes and stood straight, "I still don't get what you were doing alone at the river. Aren't your guards supposed to follow you everywhere?"

"They are," Jidenna said, "but I'm just not used to being around them. I was at the river because my father is planning to develop the village. He wanted me to check the living conditions of the people but I got lost and found myself at the river."

"You should have had someone who actually knows the village to show you around," Adaeze said.

"Why don't you show me around?" Prince Jidenna asked.

"Why can't your guards show you around?"

"They are ever at the palace," he explained, "they don't know anywhere except the palace and their homes which they only visit once in a while."

"Have another villager show you around," Adaeze suggested.

"I don't know any other villager except you and I'm actually scared of them. Yesterday, a girl jumped on top of my car and started screaming my name," Jidenna said. "She fell off but I don't want to run into her ever again."

Adaeze laughed because she knew very well who it was that jumped on his car.

"What do I get in return?" Adaeze asked.

"A job," Jidenna answered immediately, "I'm guessing that your family problems are financial, so I will give you a job as a palace maid at my father's palace."

"I do want a job but I don't want to be away from my parents for a long time," Adaeze said.

Jidenna scratched his chin before speaking, "I can arrange for you to work during the weekdays and go home during the weekends."

Adaeze thought about it for a while. She would work for the royal family and still fulfil her obligations to her parents and all she had to do was act as a tour guide.

"I'll do it," Adaeze said with a smile.

Jidenna was in shock because the young woman actually smiled. He could not help but smile himself.

"Good, we'll start tomorrow."

"I just hope Munachi doesn't find out," Adaeze laughed.

"Who's that?" Jidenna asked.

"You'll soon find out," Adaeze said, without giving him as much as a hint.