The journey back to Azura had been wrapped in silence and simmering rage for Prince Yovana.
Malawi sat beside his son throughout the journey but didn't utter a word, as he was aware of his son's dishonourable character.
There was no doubt that Yovana had really committed the crime he was accused of, but the king's ego did not let him believe it or even show any remorse for his son's actions.
As of now, Azura was considered one of the most prosperous kingdoms because of its alliance with the white men.
Wasn't it a blow to his pride if he accepted such disrespect from a miserable young girl known for her unbridled tongue? Not to forget, their kingdom needed his help, not vice versa.
Malawi refused to accept such a contemptible attitude.
Yovana, however, was in an even more embarrassing situation as he sat awkwardly in the carriage.
He held firmly the cloth that had been glued to his bleeding head, his face scrunched in pain not just from the injury on his face but from the earlier humiĺiation he experienced.
Vekar, who had the privilege to sit right beside him, attempted to help him take off the cloth to see the wound, but Yovana pushed his hand away before glaring at him.
"I do not need your help." He muttered unappreciatively, slightly using the now red cloth to hide his face from his father's gaze as he could feel the old man glare at him.
It was clear that he had humiliated not just the king but his people with his action.
He knew Moremi was a handful but did not for once think it could have gone so bad.
He didn't even think anyone would care enough to bother him about anything concerning the maid he had assaulted, as servants were too little of a priority in Azura, where he came from.
Perhaps, Mandinga was different but he knew all too well that this disgrace he had encountered was especially because of Moremi.
No sane person dared to hit him.
None.
Not even his father.
Who did that wretch of a woman think she was to do this to him?!
Vekar could smell the now rising air of anger and vengeance oozing from Yovana's breaths as his chest heaved up and down with barely contained annoyance, the thought of what Moremi had done to him fueling his hurt pride.
Vekar sat unsettled, praying to the gods that he would get out alive from this carriage as the atmosphere turned extremely uncomfortable and suffocating with two angry people before him.
Yovana was not one to go down without a fight, just like his father.
Vekar knew they were both not going to let this mess slide off.
They were furious and no telling what would happen after this shame.
Finally, the carriages arrived in the palace and the servants scurried upon seeing their king and his son had returned.
Yovana dropped down from the carriage, boiling like an animal to be slaughtered as his face was still smeared in blood, his clothes already dirty.
The maids came forward to welcome them but quickly shrank back when they took in the suffocating aura emanating from the king and the entire group of people who had escorted them.
They gave Yovana space to pass as they looked at him puzzled.
What had happened at Mandinga? They wondered, staring silently at one another. However, their time to speculate was shortlisted.
"Get the prince a physician immediately!" Vekar's deep voice had thundered when he came out of the carriage.
Suddenly, they all ran helter-skelter, trying to summon the physician.
That night, in the private, richly appointed chambers of the palace, Yovana's fury found its outlet.
The corridors were quiet, the usual hum of court activity stilled for the evening. In his chamber, adorned with gold furniture and plush curtains, Yovana paced like a caged beast. His eyes, normally dark and confident, flashed with uncontrolled rage.
His wound had been bandaged, clearly attended to by the physician but his bruised ego was not satisfied.
Without warning, he threw a heavy bronze candlelight against the wall, shattering it into pieces and the sound echoed in the room.
The servants kept around his chambers flinched in shock as Yovana continued his destructive rampage.
He turned the table and chairs, vases shattered on the marble floor, and the air filled with the clinking sound of equipment.
"That bloody Mandingan princess!" Yovana roared, his voice raw and unfiltered. "Who does she think she is to humiliate me in front of everyone—my handymen, my guards, even my own father!" His fists clenched, and he punched a heavy wooden table, sending a spray of ink and parchment flying across the floor.
"Your Highness..." a few trembling servants attempted to approach him to calm him or try to clean up the mess but their fear held them back.
Yovana, still nursing the fresh bruise on his head from Moremi's earlier assault, turned to them as well. "You think I find amusement in your pitiful attempts to pacify me? You're all as useless as the scraps this room is littered with!" he spat, his words echoing through the empty hall.
Suddenly, he lashed out at a nearby maid, striking her across the face to hear her cry in pain and move backwards in fright, holding her cheeks.
All the others in the room stilled as they stared at each other in deep confusion. Though they hadn't completely understood what happened to their prince in Mandinga, they could tell it was related to the infamous princess.
"Get me Vekar, now!" He yelled at another one who scrambled the hell out of the room to fetch his handyman.
In less than a moment, Vekar stepped into the chamber. His tall, lean figure moved with grace as he scanned the room with squinted eyes, taking note of how the room was turned upside down with Yovana's tantrums.
"Leave us alone." He ordered all the servants at once and they were more than glad to obey as in less than a second, the chambers was empty with just Vekar and the untamable Yovana.
"Your Highness..." Vekar's voice came in soft as he took in the disarray and the wounded pride of the prince. Knowing Yovana, he already expected such depraved behaviour.
"Please, calm yourself. The physician has treated your wound, and you are still bleeding; your anger may only bring further harm upon you." He explained, seeing that Yovana's injury was still not dried up.
The prince's gaze flared as he turned to Vekar. "Calm myself? How can I be calm when that infernal princess dares to strip me of my honor before the entire court? She—" He spat, the word practically a curse.
He tapped his index finger dramatically on the wall as he stared into space, leaning on his right knee and his eyes burning with rage.
"I want to teach her a lesson. I want her to feel the sting of my wrath, to know that defiance comes at a price."
Yes.
That was totally what he wanted.
Vekar raised a brow, knowing it was going to come to this.
"My prince, I understand your pain, but vengeance will only deepen the wounds already inflicted on you. I beg that you let this incident rest, and we will see—"
"Rest?" Yovana interrupted, his eyes narrowed as he sent a venomous glare to Vekar who immediately kept his mouth shut.
"You speak as if you did not see what happened at Mandinga. That woman humiliated me!" He thundered and his voice came out like lightening, electrocuting everything in the room including Vekar.
He made an effort to open his mouth again, wanting to speak but Yovana's own cut through the abrupt silence,
"No." He deadpanned.
"I will find a way to make her life miserable—every waking moment, every breath a reminder of what she has done to me." His eyes burned with a dark promise. "I will make sure she never forgets the day she dared disgrace me!"
Vekar sighed, his face etched with worry. One could tell it took a great deal of patience to serve as a handyman to prince Yovana.
Although he said nothing, that did not mean he was going to support harming a woman who had only acted out of hurt which was very well justificable.
They both stood in the cold silence as Yovana endlessly tapped his finger on the wall, evidently thinking of something dark.
After what felt like ages, Vekar noticed a cold smile creep across Yovana's face—a smile that was equal parts cruelty and calculation.
"The white men." He suddenly said, rubbing his hands together as he stared at Vekar with a tinge of amusement as if something interesting had just crossed his mind.
He made his way to his fancy rocking chair and sat on it, finally relaxing his tall figure as she rocked the chair with a smug smile.
Vekar furrowed his brows in confusion.
White men?
His eyes searched his master's face, noting the creeping madness behind those calculated words, but he said nothing more.
____
Meanwhile, in the Quiet of the Night
In a modest chamber within the palace, far from Azura, Moremi sat by the small bedside of Nyala.
The room was dimly lit by a single oil lamp, its gentle glow dancing over the carefully tended bedding.
Agatha had prepared native herbs that filled the air with a pungent yet soothing aroma.
"I should have known." Moremi whispered, her voice filled with regret as she held a damped cloth in her hand, dabbing it on Nyala's wounds.
A few other servants like Ayanna and some maidens stood around the hut in grave silence while simply helping to take care of their fellow maiden.
Moremi brushed a tear from Nyala's cheek with tender care when she noticed one drop.
The young maid had still not recovered from the shock of what happened.
Agatha who sat in a corner, stirring her concoction in a pot paused with squinted eyes to hear what Moremi had to say.
The princess continued, "I was aware those people never brought peace with them anywhere they went. I should have told father-" she choked in her words when a painful tear sliped from her eyes.
"Enough now, child." She hushed her. "There was nothing you coud tell your father. Nyala will be fine and that is all that matters." Her rasped, withered voice echoed in the quiet room before she returned to what she was brewing.
Moremi had intended to see Akan tonight, to comfort him in the dungeon and perhaps, feed him as she was sure he had not eaten a thing since the day she left him but as it stood, her plans laid in ruins thanks to Yovana.
Though Agatha spoke no further, the old woman was still bothered about something...everything.
Yes.
Though she was aged and not as spiritualist as when she was in her prime, there were things that still did not pass her notice or her gut feelings and she was especially sure the Azuran prince was one of it.
She could smell the stench of bad omen aligned with the prince throughout the entire ceremony. It was something she couldn't explain but she brushed it off knowing Jelani intended to ally with these people.
For the rest of the night, Moremi stayed by Nyala's side. She fed her softly, despite the storm raging in her.
She prepared herself, knowing fully well her father would not let her actions slide and as always, would punish her for her insolence.
She only wondered what punishment she might receive this time around and hoped it had nothing to do with Akan.
By morning, the palace had returned to its customary bustle, though whispers of the previous night's events lingered amongst the servants.
King Jelani had organized a brief council with his elders and the visiting dignitaries as the day's events unfolded but also didn't forget to summon his daughter to the court to answer for her actions.
Moremi had soiled his plans of a better future for Mandinga and it was only right that she answered for it.