Ugegbe was awed by the splendour of the celebration. It was not the largest festival she had seen, but it was so colourful and stunning that she gaped at the spectacle before her with a slack jaw. The raw hues of red, green and white stained every corner and inch of the market square. It was a most delightful sight.

"Do you like the view, Ezinwanyi?" A throaty voice asked as her head whipped from side to side as her eyes panned from one end of the square to another, desperately taking in the beguiling view.

"Oh, I love it, Your Majesty. I really do." She sighed dreamily, a wide grin on her face as drum beats echoed in her chest, tempting her to dance.

"Ha!" The queen mother chortled. "You have taken to it more readily than I had assumed you would."

"It is the most marvellous display I have glimpsed, Your Majesty." She tore her eyes from the archway erected from lovely, polished wood and decorated with woven palm fronds. It was tall; on its ends and curved spine were pointed spikes seemingly fashioned from elephant grass. The sharp blades waved in the air as the wind sang and whistled high, cheerful notes.

"Is that so? How is it that you have seen nothing of it, yet, you are so entranced?"

Ugegbe could not hold back her gasp. There was more? "How could there be more to this, Your Majesty? I am amazed."

The dowager queen adjusted the piece of fine cotton wrapper on her arm to sit on her shoulder. "Did you not have festivals like this in your place of birth? What kind of kingdom did you come from?"

Ugegbe gulped silently, experiencing discomfiture at the steering of events. Talking about Osisi made her uncomfortable. She could not shake off the fear that she would say the wrong thing, and somehow, everyone she was acquainted with would discover who she genuinely was. A murderer. She could not help but believe that with a simple slip of the tongue, her secret would be out in the world, and once again, she would be on the run, a hunted prey.

If only possible, she would ignore the question and pretend like it never existed, but it was not just anybody who had tendered the query. It was the queen mother herself. Not answering would be a count of impudence and insubordination.

She could not afford to be charged with treason, not when she wasn't even an indigene of the kingdom. Moreover, the woman treated her so kindly and had offered her protection. It had gotten to the point that even though she was not one of her special attendants, Ugegbe was allowed to walk alongside her, and, presently, she was one of the three women flanking the king's mother aside from the numerous stony-faced guards.

It could not be denied that Her Majesty had a soft spot for the foreign woman that had pulled her from the throes of her illness. Ugegbe mused that it also had something to do with the herbal drinks she'd made twice today to help calm the nerves and soothe the body into submission. But she wasn't complaining. She valued the preferential treatment she was getting and was grateful for it.

"Explore the festival, Ezinwanyi. Go with Akuada. I will send for you if you are needed."

"Thank you for your graciousness, Your Majesty." She curtsied, then waited until the queen mother had gone on her way. But she could only tarry for so long. As soon as the woman had her back to her, Ugegbe shot off like a horse that had been spurring to race.

"Ezinwanyi, wait for me!" Aku hollered, hurrying after her. Ezinwanyi stopped in her tracks, a sheepish smile on her face. She'd totally forgotten that she should be leaving with someone and not alone.

"Come, Aku! Hurry!" Her voice rang with excitement. She was a little child excited for a scoop of groundnuts and acted as if she would discover or receive a greater prize if she but hastened with the speed of one walking on hot coals.

"Slow down!" Akuada laughed. "The festival will not run away, you know?"

Ugegbe knew. "But still, I want to see everything before darkness takes over and before the queen mother sends for me again."

"You are aware she will only do that for your sake, right? So that she can introduce you to the king. You might gain his favour and be protected from various misfortunes by this. Would you not prefer that?" She asked roughly, then clasped a hand over her mouth, likely realising that it should not be her place to judge. "I apologise, Ezinwanyi. I have gone too far."

Ugegbe frowned, sensing a hint of jealousy. Yet, she could not understand why. "It is alright. You were only speaking your mind. But to answer your query, there is no doubt that I would appreciate the king looking down on me favourably." It was what she had hoped for when Ifediaso alerted her that the monarch wished to see her and attempted to force lies out of her lips. But it had not worked. The one she had not met but had put her trust in, failed her.

"However, the truth is the king does not wish to see me. Even if I am brought before him, I have little uncertainty that he will ignore me and choose not to look kindly upon me."

"How do you know that?" Aku fixed on her a glare that burned deep into her profile. By now, it was crystal clear that she was jealous. Ugegbe did not have to ponder it anymore.

"I just know, Aku. I just do." She stated and turned her eyes on her feet, which were brown with sand and residue. A good bath after the end of the day would be most welcome on her part.

Akuada hooked a hand to her tiny waist, disbelief washing over her pointy features. She had very slight flesh to her body, particularly her face, so it was a fearsome sight when she scowled. "How can you be sure of that? You saved the queen with your concoction. Of course, the king will be pleased to meet you and offer a hand of friendship."

"First of all, I merely helped the queen by alleviating her pain. I did not do so great a saving as you think. Secondly, the king does not care for that. He might not be as generous as you imagine."

"If you are so sure of that, why are you not distressed? Should you not be sad that you will not get attention from the prince?" The woman's lips twisted in an ugly sneer, and as if she'd been lashed at by a whip that manifested from nothing; a disgusted expression rolled as a storm on her countenance. It appeared as if something had forcefully dawned on her. "Might it be that you have already met His Majesty and wronged him? Or perhaps..."

"What?" Ugegbe demanded as the accuser turned stricken, her complexion a weaker shade of her normal hue.

"Did you try to seduce the king?"

"No, I did not. Why would you think that of me? What have I done to give you such an uncouth impression?" She cried out indignantly, outraged by what she was being accused of.

Ugegbe was well aware from the disdainful look Aku wore and the context in which she was asking, that there was no more to the question than asking if she'd attempted to market herself to the king. It was safe to say that she was highly revolted. Why would she ever sell herself short? It was a route she had not once considered in her life, and she would not be starting anytime in the future. By the gods, she hadn't even met the king before.

"Do not be so offended, Ezinwanyi. This is not a judgement on your character, but on that of the Eze."

Ugegbe was not moved, and she did not take Akuada's explanation as an apology. "Whatever might that be, which you found so compelling, that pushed you to make that comment?"

"The king was not always as responsible as he is now. He was once a womaniser, chasing after anything that had strings of beads on its waist, searching for nonexistent secrets underneath wrappers. It might seem that he has changed, but do men really ever change?" She gesticulated wildly, most passionately, and Ugegbe had to ask herself if the king had wronged the maiden in the past. "Is it possible for them to leave the nature they were born with? He could still be cheating on his woman in the dark."

"His woman?" Ugegbe nearly tripped over her feet at the revelation. She wasn't sure why the news stunned her, but it had been a surprise. It likely was because she had not heard the queen mother speak of her daughter-in-law once. "I did not know he had a wife?"

"Wife?" Aku stared at her in bewilderment as if a goat's head had popped out of her neck, clearing off her human one. "The king has no wife."

"But you said—"

"You interpreted me wrongly, Ezinwanyi." She said with suffering that one would bear towards a child or a foolish adult. "I spoke of the king's woman. However, not once did I mention that she was the queen. She is merely an insufferable woman he loves, but will someday be tossed aside, plantain wraps decaying upon disposal."

Ugegbe gasped audibly, then shivered out of repulsion. She concluded, then and there, that she did not like Akuada. She was a hateful soul, and while it was quite pitiful, it also was a warning to her: she could not make this woman a friend.

The thought made her miss Zelunjo fiercely. Zelunjo was a joy to be around, and Ugegbe could not imagine a more reliable person to have one's back more than she did. It was she who had saved her by sending her betrothed to check on her. It was a deed she would never forget.

Her encounter with Akuada's rude and envious nature had solidified the place of her dear friend in her heart. She hoped that there would be a time when they would meet again and be sisters as they were, bound by heart and true love. It was her sincere wish that Zelu remained the same, as the kind and beautiful woman she was known as.

Shaking her head, Ugegbe announced what she preferred to do in a cool, still voice. "I do not wish to converse anymore. I will like to see the rest of the festival."

"Alright," Akuada nodded. Ugegbe noted that she seemed chided. Perhaps, she was battling the persistent niggling of guilt upon reflecting on all she'd said. She hoped so. Otherwise, the woman was more shameless than she'd imagined. Her insults to the king's lover had been unnecessary in every aspect. No one deserved to be cursed all because they were loved. It rubbed her all too wrongly.

Not interested in speaking another word to Aku, Ugegbe stomped forward. They'd been at the feet of the square, but now she advanced into the level grounds, which trembled so fiercely from the beats of several slit-drums, she felt the vibrations in her bones.

She stared in delight at the men assembled in long rows to her right with an assortment of drums happily playing before an adoring audience. She could barely contain herself, to keep from shaking her hips and shoulders.

The rhythm from the Ekwe was hypnotic. It never failed to move her. Accompanied by the Oja, the powerful flute that brought both men and spirits to their knees, it was impossible for any to keep still. One could not ignore its call.

It was only a little jive. One hand dipped in front of the other and her waist inclined to let her hips wriggle firmly. She'd only meant it to be a small dance move, but she'd attracted the gaze of a woman who was all too pleased to throw her into the middle of the makeshift ring of bodies.

A shout sprang in the air as a young man hopped into the centre, a challenge writhing in his eyes as he regarded Ugegbe with a devilish smile. He threw his stumpy leg in a complicated twist that he made look easy, and she knew he was daring her to not respond to him. How could she not? At his subsequent motion, she greeted him with one that drew out a shout of joy from the growing crowd.

She matched every turn of his with a more resonant one of hers. The Oja soloed, and Ugegbe danced happily, unwilling to let her opponent take the lead. When the Igha and Ekwe dueted, Ugegbe danced with all her might. At that instant, she forgot that anything existed outside of the melody that fastened her feet and tilled her back.

The skills she'd left untouched for a long time burst to life as she summoned a storm from one end to the other. Dust swirled in the air, murmuring fitting praises in the wake of her graceful twirling, as her strong limbs commanded the earth to obey. She was dancing the dance of her departed mothers, awing all who had eyes.

"Achal'ugo nwayi!"

"Asa nwa!"

"Asa mpete!" Pleased voices thrilled over the thumps of the oko. Ugegbe could not recall when last she'd danced so hard sweat visited her brow with no show of leaving. It was a most pleasant experience. For the first time in a while, she was having fun, letting her toes dig into the red soil, revelling in a freedom she never thought she'd reclaim.

More women and men joined in the dance, and soon enough, she and the short man—who had become her partner—were pushed aside. Ugegbe was only too happy to give way and clap in intervals to follow the raging drums.

She was hopelessly lost in the world where the symphony of beautiful music reigned when she startled at a grasp clamping on her arm. "Hei!" She exclaimed, her alarm apparent as her heart jolted into quick action. "You gave me a fright, Kamalu." She squeaked as he tugged on her limb, asking her to go with him.

"Why do you seek me out?" Ugegbe demanded as they lost more and more distance on the gathered merriment. Yet, her captive had not given a reason for this onslaught. Not a single word had edged out of his mouth. "Stop!" She wrenched her hand from his brutal grip, nearly hollering at her stinging flesh that felt like a chunk had been ripped off, and at the strength it took from her to achieve the feat.

"I am sorry. Oh, gods, I am so sorry, Ezinwanyi!" Kamalu apologised profusely, his eyes awide as he recognised finally that he'd been hurting her. Ugegbe had no grudge against him. She couldn't even consider keeping one when his sincerity was very much soothing to her. "Please forgive me. Are you hurt anywhere? Did I cause you pain?"

"No. I'm alright." She brushed off his concern and waited for his response. "But answer the question. Why did you pull me away?"

"That is because I have an important task for you."

"And what would that be?"

"You must come with me to know." He asserted, but Ugegbe wondered why he would not meet her gaze and why his shoulders were slumped under the yoke of what seemed to be a pang of harsh guilt.
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Translations
Achal'ugo nwayi - Literal meaning is related to an eagle's beauty and strength but is praise for an exceptionally stunning woman.
Asa nwa - Beautiful girl.
Asa mpete - Gorgeous woman.