The Birth of Rekiya. What the Crown Prince has been going through. 

"The King of Akum was the type of King loved by his people. He was known to be brave, putting the mind of his people at peace that no matter the war, he would bring victory and protect them. But, Elda, the King of Akum never had a son for twenty years on his father's throne. Not that, he never had a child. Not even a princess. He had refused to marry anyone aside his Queen, Abim. Abim the terror. The woman called man. No mercy for her enemies on the battlefield. Letting her husband take all the glory in her place. She was the only woman who had ever gone to war with her husband, the King. But, every time Abim's stomach swell up, it comes down. The physicians said Abim had stressed her body, and she would never be able to conceive. Some women were happy. Some were sad, because no woman deserves to not carry her own child. Not even Abim who had suffered with her husband. My King, My King, Your Majesty, take in a concubine! The chiefs cried. Your Majesty, you have suffered for this country to let anyone take the throne. Take in a concubine! Please we need your own blood who will protect our Kingdom just like you did. The Chiefs cried everyday." The Crown Prince's teacher said in a soothing voice. His voice captivating Rekiya's heart as he magnified Elda and Abim's story. Then he closed the book. The King controlled by his Queen.

"Your Highness, let me know if you've mastered this part. Why do you think Elda didn't take in a concubine after twenty years despite having no child?"

Rekiya turned from Crown Prince's teacher whom she had been staring at to Prince Dermin. Rekiya's mouth gaped open. Ah! Was she dreaming? Her eyes were times two of what they looked like when she wasn't being dramatic. What! The Prince had slept off. How can anyone sleep while listening to this beautiful story, Rekiya thought.

"Your Highness." The Crown Prince's teacher called again. "Have you not mastered it?"

"I'm just pissed off by the story " Prince Dermin responded and Rekiya rolled her eyes, staring at Prince Dermin whose elbow was resting on a piled clothes lined up to his chest level. His jaw resting on his own fist. On the same hand resting on the piled clothes. So he was not sleeping? Rekiya thought. But his eyes were still closed.

"Your Highness," The Crown Prince's teacher said again, his voice calling Rekiya's attention. "Everyone loved his decision because he proved to Abim how much he loved her by not taking in a concubine."

Prince Dermin scoffed before rolling his eyes and kept them open. "Abolore, I'm sure he regretted it at the end because I'm sure he eventually took in a concubine, and they took the throne from him and Abim. I'm guessing they killed Abim first before they dealt with Elda. He was foolish to let people see his weakness, exposing the one he loved." Prince Dermin's eyes dropped down to the book. "It should have been titled The King controlled by his wicked subjects."

Rekiya's was stunned by the Prince's response. Isn't that love? Choosing to wait with your partner rather than having a child with someone else. What is he saying? Don't you have brain? He loves her so much.

"Your Highness," Abolore smiled. "You have read the story."

"Well, if he had lived a different life, he could have chosen that decision to love his wife regardless, but as a King, you have a duty to perform. Anyone who wouldn't let you will be taken out of the way by your enemies waiting to take the opportunity for themselves. A ruler can choose every other means to get whatever he wants. If he doesn't act fast, there are people waiting to act on his behalf." Prince Dermin was now staring at his teacher. "He's stupid. And yes, have read it."

Abolore smiled again. "But Your Highness, the chiefs will not like this answer."

"Then I'm failing again."

Huh! Rekiya chuckled, staring at Prince Dermin. Her chuckle caught his attention, and finally he turned his head  What! No! Have you forgotten he called mother an ordinary concubine! He's nothing but arrogant and rude! Rekiya's face changed from a lively one to a quick frown, and she looked away from the Prince first. She could feel his eyes burning her through the silky material on her body, but she instead stared at Abolore who checked for another book to read.

As Abolore picked up another book, the door to the Crown Prince study burst open like an earthquake suddenly taking the earth. The door opened wider, revealing Agbobi. The steps he took in was a sign he came with trouble. Rekiya who sat not too far from Prince Dermin got to her feet immediately Abolore did. Only Prince Dermin was sitting. His position never changed. He never looked up at Agbobi. He only kept his eyes down. Very low that you wouldn't know he was staring at a book that caught his attention from Abolore's table.

Rekiya wondered why Prince Dermin was so relaxed seeing the eyes of their father burning with flame of fire inside those eye sockets. He didn't just look furious, the words that came out of Agbobi's mouth took her by surprise. "I think I'm starting to regret my action for making you the Crown Prince. Dermin, why are you good for nothing!"

Prince Dermin finally got to his feet. He bowed before his father. He raised his head up and began to speak. "Father I–"

Rekiya gasped. Her cheeks didn't seem to have suffered the heavy slap whose sound was felt by the walls of the room they all stood in, but she touched them. Those beautiful cheeks had only been played with by her mother, especially Rekima who like touching them. Rekiya looked at Dermin. His face had turned to the other side, but from her view, his face was just the way it looked. Sober. Angry. Tired.

The King had slapped his son, then he yelled. "Answer the question correctly! Answer it correctly you fool!" He turned to the side where the slap he had given the Prince diverted his face to. "Giving another meaning to the story doesn't make you brilliant." Agbobi took another step closer to his son. "You've brought nothing but shame to me. Repeating your class over time, are you not tired! Are you not? Every time, you make me regret choosing you when I have other sons who have done nothing but make me proud!"

This time, Rekiya thought she had lost her heart when another slap landed on Prince Dermin's face. Then another. Then another. Instantly, her eyes were filled with tears. Her hands were covering her mouth. She couldn't tell where the feeling came from, but she was moved to tears for the pain he must be growing through. Why was father slapping him so hard? Rekiya felt for him. He couldn't even help himself. There was no way she could tell the King to stop so she looked away from them. And regretted ever wishing she was born a Crown Prince. Having Mother and Rekima was the gifts the gods have given her.

"Should I take away the Crown Prince title from you and give my son Toro? Should I?"

"What!" Everyone in the room chorused.

Abolore, Rekiya, Labi, and Prince Dermin looked up at the King almost the same time.

"That's what I'm eventually going to do because Toro is the son every father prays for. He's the son of a King after all. No matter how he was given birth to. Being given birth to by a concubine doesn't stop anyone from becoming a King." The King's voice was low, trying not to yell. "Toro, my son. He's as beautiful as an antelope. With all the eyes on him, all the smiles directed to him, I knew from that very moment he was the chosen one by my people, yet I chose you. I chose you because of the love I have for your mother, and not because you deserve it." The King turned to his right hand man, Labi.

He dropped a very long whip into the hand of the King.

Rekiya watched in amazement as Prince Dermin turned his back to the King. Rekiya gasped. This was it! This was the reason why he never healed. This was the pain he had been going through. This is why he had no reason to smile. To laugh. To ever be a happy Prince. Father don't beat him. He hasn't heal. Father he hasn't heal. Rekiya cried in her mind. A tear had slipped down her eyes before she could realise. The Whip moved too quickly on his back. Too quickly that made Rekiya even more teary as Father hit Prince Dermin's back so hard without a pause. 

She didn't have to see the wounds before she knew he could never have healed that quickly. Not when this how he must have been living. Being punished almost every time. Rekiya cried into her palm remembering she had tightened his belt so hard just to made him feel pain.

Rekiya moved her eyes to watch him. He wasn't yelling, not crying. Instead, his hands balled into a fist. He grumbled, giving little sounds due to the pain he was feeling. Tears eventually streamed down his face. Rekiya couldn't imagine anyone going through this time of pain. It looked unbearable that she had soaked her face with tears, talkless of someone who had been beaten many times.

"Agbobi!"

The sudden yell gripped Rekiya's heart, and when the whip landed this time, it landed on the Queen's back, so hard that Rekiya closed her eyes and covered her teary face quickly. What manner of scene is going on here? Rekiya thought. She had never seen her father in such a way before. Like a beast. This side of him was scary to Rekiya. She looked really frightened just by having the King in the room still. Why would a father choose to kill his own son? Now she understood what the Queen meant when she said Prince Dermin was yet to take his medicine. He had so many unhealed wounds and scars on his back.

The King dropped the whip quickly when he saw that he had beaten his own Queen.

The Crown Prince hit the hard floor, lieing on his chest to ease the pain he was going through. Blood had stained the black material he was putting on. While the King dragged himself out along with Abolore and Labi, the Crown Prince's maids hurried in with empty bowls and bowls of water in their hands with towels. Before the old maid, Yasmine could reached Prince Dermin, he raised his leg and pushed one of the bowls filled with water away. "Out!" He yelled, causing the maids who struggled to get up fast fall against one another like a grated carrot. The whole place was instantly flooded with water. Towels they brought in to clean their master was sitting on the heads while some had bowls on theirs, falling on the arms, and some on their stomachs.

Some of them who got up to escape first landed on the backs when the water they poured to the ground was as angry as the master they served. It was a sight that almost made everyone laughed but the quietness in the room was filled with the Crown Prince's pain. He just wanted to be alone.

A/N
Thank you so much to everyone who waited for this update 🥰

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