The day came when Madonna was being escorted by some palace guards to meet with the king.
Every eye that saw her fell dumb at her grace. The men were left with mouths wide open as they desired each and every bit of her.

The women engraved with jealousy and envious of her perfection in everything, the way she walked like royalty and with grace, the way she looked like a sculpture from heaven.
Some of the wives held their husbands tight enough on their arms in a way that would be obvious enough to give out the impression that their men were taken.

The ones that were yet to marry were engraved with insecurity and fear that they wouldn't stand a chance against her to any man.
They felt that the men would be too busy wasting their affection, attention and craze for her.

This superiority of Madonna to the woman made them hate her so much, but at the same time, admired her beyond their own expectations.
The men on the other hand hated her because the were convinced that a grace like Madonna wasn't for them.

They felt like they didn't worth her and never in the world will a beauty like her end up with low lives like them.
Their lust for her made them love her at the same time.

At the palace, the king instead of effectively enforcing his duties as a leader when a stranger was reported to be sighted in the community, instead was mesmerized by Madonna's extreme beauty and desired her more than anything, just like other men in Ekwu village.

"Your Highness, now that this stranger is found in our land, and rumors has it that she could be a witch sent here to bewitch all our men and destroy our land," one of the chiefs in council contemplated.

The king and some other chiefs where finally brought back to reality from their thoughts and fantasies on the young lady before them when one of the chief that should great self-control and self lust spoke at a very high voice.

But non of the guards were ready to leave their fantasies behind and into the real world.
Some had their mouths wide open and were simultaneously drulling on themselves, while some had in their face a wide smile that showed they were in paradise.

"Yes...yes...chief em...em... Ndukwe," he stammered with his eyes still fixed on Madonna.

"Now young lady, you may tell us who you are and what brought you here," the king said effectively, after averting his stare from Madonna.

Madonna went on to explain to the king and his kinsmen that she was brought here not out of her own will, that she came from a neighbouring village named Okiri, after being attacked by a mysterious animal at the wood where she had gone to fetch some fire woods, was rescued by some of his guards and was brought into the village for safety.

Now the king declared that she was welcomed to stay in their village out of his self desire for her, provided that she served the palace and would agree to be part of the contest for the selection of a new bride for the heir to the throne "Prince Gerald".

"I serve no man, and I will never be under a man," Madonna declared in response to the kings nice gesture.

The whole palace was shocked and disappointed by what she had just said. They saw it as an abomination, for any man or woman in their village were subjects to the throne and were bound to serve it.

Because of the palace selfishness to let her go after Madonna threatening to go back from where she came instead. They decided to give her another chance to think about it, provided that if she did not take part in the upcoming contest that was to be held in the next two weeks, she would be again banished from the land to where she had come from.