The smell of grasses caused Ugegbe's heart to ache a little as she remembered home with great fondness. She did miss it with all of her being; the chickens, dogs and even the stubborn goats that never failed to give anyone and everyone a headache.

Home.

Papa.

She couldn't help but worry every chance she got about his frail health. The old man was always down with one ailment or the other which meant a life of debts for him and one of slavery for his beloved daughter.

"I know I will get out of here someday, Papa. So you must not worry till then." Ugegbe whispered as she adorned her body with the white chalk that she had managed to buy with the money she saved up.

"Gegbe my sweet love." A voice called out through the passage leading to the servants' quarters and Ugegbe stiffened in response.

"Not again." She muttered under her breath, wondering what the issue at hand was this time.

Straightening, she leaned forward to let go of the white crumbs that had stuck to her dejected and overly depressed day dress.

The two-piece wrappers had frayed beyond all definitions of the word so that its semblance to any other wraps owned by maidens Ugegbe's age had gotten lost along with its old edges. But Ugegbe loved it as it was one of the last gifts her mother had left her before her death.

"Ugegbe!" The voice was overly loud now.

1, 2, 3. She counted till the very second she knew it was imperative for her to answer in such a way that did not betray her impertinence.

"Yes my Lord!" She hurried past her calabash of water, abandoning her clay chalk on the pedestal of stones she had made and forgetfully past the only waist bead she possessed. "My Lord I am here."

"Uge–" he had started to call, but held his peace as soon as his eyes settled on her. "Ugegbe where have you been?"

"I was in the backyard, your Lordship and so did not hear you on time. I apologise deeply and will be ready to carry on whatever punishment you may have for me." She atoned, knowing fully well that she could never be punished by the man standing in front of her.

"You know I can never do anything of such to you my dearest." A smile wrinkled his otherwise smooth skin. She rolled her eyes internally, wondering if there was any a time he was not beaming at someone or something.

"I do not know anything of the sort my Lord. But I do know you are a fair man who shows mercy when he needs to."

"And you are right." He stepped a bit too close to her with his arms reached out and she fell back, out of the way of his touch. "I just wonder why you won't love me Ugegbe." His hands dropped to his sides balled in fists.

"My Lord..."

"Who is that man?" His voice trembled in anger. "Who is that wretched fool that you love so much?"

"I have no lover my Lord. Please do not speculate on issues that have no true hold or basis. Please. It hurts my heart to think you would doubt me this way." She assumed the role of 'the victim' like she often did with him, hoping to gain sympathy and be eased of the misery of the conversation being forced on her.

"You promised me a walk today, so come with me to the stream my love. Hopefully we will not encounter any of those pale demons." he ignored her plea and ambled forward in slow strides so she could keep up with him.

"I thought they left to another area already."

"Only a few did." The young prince gritted his teeth in apparent anger. Ugegbe felt the cold hatred emanating off of him and couldn't help but wonder why he disliked the ghostly creatures as such. "I want all of them out of Osisi. They do not belong here and their beliefs most certainly do not." He added spitefully.

"Shall we go for the walk I promised to you my Lord?"

"You really will?" His eyes widened in surprise.

"Of course my Lord, if it will ease your burdened heart."

"Ah." He sighed wearily, an air of melancholy wrapping around him. "I thought you were giving me a chance, not pleasing me out of duty Ugegbe."

"I am sorry my decision has made you sad my Lord."

"Call me by my name Gegbe. I demand that you forsake all pleasantries with myself."

"Please my Lord." Her knees were on the bare ground long before the end of his command. "Show mercy. I am but a poor slave who does not deserve such a favour as this. I would never be able to repay you...not even in my next life. So, please do not issue such a behest that I am not worthy enough to honour my Lord."

"Ugegbe, my beloved, you cannot even will yourself to look me in the eye." He pulled her up by the shoulders while she forced her body to stay still, holding back their inclination to recoil as much as she could manage. "How can I enjoin you to do such a rash thing that could put you in harm's way? It would be too selfish of me, would it not?"

"I am not in place to answer a question of such capacity my Lord but I do know that you are powerful enough to do whatever you wish and the only thing you can be accountable to is your conscience within. I am too lowly of a creature to give my opinion." She eulogised with praises trickling out of her lips.

Ugegbe more than anyone knew how much the affluent loved their occasional doses of plaudits, and she made sure to feed their ego in order to stay on their most convenient sides.

It was clear to her that riches controlled men's actions while power on the other hand intoxicated men. One had to be wary of those who commanded both.

"Ugegbe I am not like the others whom you need to praise every chance you get. I'd rather you speak truthfully in my presence." He stopped to look at her directly as he spoke. "Now let's get to the stream already."

"Yes my Lord." Her mind worked quickly, poring over the prince's words. She couldn't help but muse deeply; did his utterances mean he was different from all the royals she had come to know of or was it just a facade to make her love him?

Either way, she concluded with a hint of stubbornness that trusting anyone was not a commodity she could afford. Her trust could not easily be bought by any amount of money, and she was certain neither could her love.

"The sand is not as hot beneath my leaf wraps anymore. I suppose it is because we are drawing nearer to the river."

"I guess so my Lord." Her reply came while she studied the trees loitering the sides of the path leading to the ageless waters. "My Lord, what are the marks on those trees?"

"Ah those?" He grinned widely. "Those are just cuts made by hunters so they do not lose their way back home."

"Thank you for the information my Lord."

"You know, you are so different Ugegbe." His voice was so hoarse and brimmed with passion that he could barely be heard. "I have never seen a woman interested in learning about the world around her like you or so intense about knowing the cause of all natural phenomena. This is just one of the many reasons I love you my darling." He finished and turned to her only to realise that she was far away from him, studying closely the trees she had inquired about.

"My Lord, what marker does this?"

"It is a knife my sweet." He leaned against a nearby tree and gazed upon her with plenty affection.

Time trickled slowly while Ugegbe lingered even longer. She soon made her way back to the worn path after satisfying her curiosity. The loud sounds of hurried footsteps approaching them however caused her heart to take on an unlikely rhythm and the prince to stand as still as a ramrod, clenching tightly his cutlass beside him.

"Do you reckon we should have asked a guard with us my Lord?" She questioned from behind his broad shoulders where he hid her as the only form of protection he could give.

"I can take care of myself as well as you Ugegbe. Moreover this was to be an intimate affair where guards would have been a liability."

"Your decision is always right my Lord." She said even though she could not understand why they were stalling, waiting patiently for the assailants when they could have taken off into the bushes with intent to hide. The chances of them not getting found out while they hid however were slim.

"Do you know of how I am aware those are not palace guards?"

"No my Lord."

"Can you see the reflection of the man."

"Yes my Lord. It seems to me like a dark colour."

"Good." He stroked her cheek gently. She didn't pull back. "Now, all palace guards are given orders to never change the fabric they wear. It has to be red no matter what the reason is. This is so they can be identified anywhere and anytime. Do you understand?"

"Yes my Lord." It surprised her how the prince still chose to explain and tutor her when they were in a situation that could lead to possible death. "Shall we run my Lord?"

"A son of Orizu never runs away from a fight."

"The gods are not on our side today my Lord." Ugegbe replied in panic as she was the one who first saw their numbers as they drew nearer. "I can see almost five of them my Lord." And now, she could clearly see the red cloth tied to a staff being carried by one of the enemies.

"No!" The Prince exclaimed as he took note of the situation about to unfold itself. "I must have angered my chi for it has failed me."

"My Lord–"

"You must run Ugegbe. They are here for me and not you."

"My Lord please, no!"

"That is an order Gegbe. Right now!"

"But..."

"I will meet up with you." His lips parted in his famous smile and she suddenly noticed just how handsome he was. "I promise."

"You promised me my Lord." She whispered as she disappeared into the enclosure of the trees with hastened steps.
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