Chapter 5: Princess No Dey Fear

One day, as I dey walk with my maid for bamboo bush, we hear people dey talk.

The bamboo tall, their leaf dey rattle. Maid dey pluck small leaves for hair when we hear boys voice for other side, their gist loud like thunder.

"That prisoner say many Zaria men don sleep with the princess."

Their laugh rude, no respect. One even spit for ground as him talk, another clap hand like say e dey win argument.

"She dance barefoot—the strangers enjoy am well."

Their voice sharp, full of bad mind. E pain me say my story don turn beer parlor joke.

After that, one young man for blue whisper give him friend wey wear fine cloth: "No be Adaugo like those dancers for Palm Grove Lane? I sure say princess dance pass all of them. Why you no just help empress and marry her?"

The one for blue dey wink, dey push shoulder. People dey giggle, even one small girl wey dey pass dey cover mouth.

Everybody burst laugh.

Noise full everywhere. Some even dey slap thigh, like say na real comedian dey perform.

The fine cloth boy face red. "My family don be chief for five generations—how I go marry that kind person?"

His voice loud, pride full am. Him adjust his cap, stand like say him dey address court.

"Princess wey lose her body—if I marry am, na shame for my ancestors."

Other boys dey nod, one dey snap finger, another dey shake head, dey look me like abomination.

My maid face pale. She shout, "You dey craze! Princess na king send go marry! How many heads you get to dey talk anyhow?"

Zainab bold—her own voice sharp pass their own. She rush to my side, face red, ready to fight.

I waka come out, all the noble boys kneel down greet me.

As my slippers touch dry leaf, boys freeze. All of dem kneel, voice low, "Princess, good afternoon."

The fine cloth boy use hand point my leg, signal him friends.

He dey use eye take mock me, small smile dey his mouth. His finger linger, like say he dey count my steps.

Him eyes full of insult and mockery.

For north, insult dey heavy, but na eye and mouth dey carry am most. His own dey sharp like knife.

I just laugh for my mind.

My laugh dry, but e sweet me. For this world, who their mouth don help?

"Chastity no dey for man mouth, e no dey under woman skirt. E dey for heart. If some people no fit see, make I help am remove those useless eyes."

I talk am loud, my voice no shake. I stand tall, chin up, make dem know say na real princess dey talk. I look all of them one by one, their fear dey show. Some dey shiver, one dey cry small.

"Guards, remove him eyes for me."

I no blink as I talk am. Palace guards dey rush, swords dey shine, boys dey scatter.

Panic scatter everywhere.

Everybody dey run—some dey beg, others dey faint. Even small bird for bamboo bush fly run.

Fine cloth boy shout, "I be chief pikin! How una go touch me!"

His voice high like goat wey dem wan slaughter. He dey fight, but guards hold am well.

I smile, cold. "Soon, you no go be anything."

My face no dey show pity. That one na real northern princess for my blood—no space for weak heart when insult don reach this level.

Palace people sabi work fast.

Even old messenger dey join rush—before you fit count five, guards don ready for action.

Before Musa Bello reach,

Adamu Yusuf face don get only two bloody holes.

Blood dey flow, he dey scream. Even the most wicked for palace dey look away, some dey vomit, some dey pray.

"Fatima, you go die bad death!"

He dey curse, voice hoarse. But even as him dey shout, nobody dey answer.

"My aunty na empress, my grandpapa fight with late king. How you go remove my eyes!"

His head dey shake, blood dey stain him cloth. He dey try stand, but guards hold am down.

I no shake. "For the rest—who suppose lose eye, remove am; who suppose lose tongue, cut am."

My voice cold, my order no dey shake. Guards dey move, other boys dey beg for their life, some dey even pee for body.

"You, you be ashawo! Your mouth don taste thousand men, your hand don hug thousand more!"

His curse heavy, but my heart no even touch. For this world, na only action dey count.

Before he finish, I pick long sword, aim for him heart.

The blade heavy, cold for my hand. I dey ready to finish wetin I start.

"Clang—"

Musa Bello sharply open him folding fan, knock sword comot my hand.

Him waka enter like real warrior—fan dey snap, sword fly land for ground. Everybody pause, the room cold.

Him eyes cold, everybody fear.

His eyes sharp—one glance, all guards freeze. Even me, I feel the warning for his face.

"Chief Minister Musa, you wan block me?"

My voice dey test am, but inside my heart dey wait make he show me where I cross line.

Musa Bello bow small. "I no fit. Princess don suffer insult. These kind wicked men—leave them for me."

He go on one knee, voice strong. His face dey show say justice no dey sleep for his hand.

I look am long. "No wahala, my lord. Handle am."

I trust am. If na Musa Bello, nobody go insult me pass this level and go free.

News fly everywhere, both palace and outside dey shake.

Market women dey talk for evening fire, old men dey gather, dey gossip. Everybody dey fear Musa Bello hand, but dem dey respect am well.

Papa heart no dey soft, but he no go ever gree make anybody disgrace am.

He summon full court, order full investigation. His anger real—he no dey hide say na family honour dey pain am.

He order make dem check everything well, remove Adamu Yusuf from him position.

Adamu papa dey beg, but king no gree. The shame too big, the wound too deep.

Empress Halima blame Chief Yusuf say he no train him pikin well.

She call him for palace, tell am say, "If to say you discipline your son, this shame no for reach us."

That night, Musa Bello question Zaria prisoners and all those useless noble boys till morning.

Torch dey burn for investigation room, Musa Bello no sleep, his voice dey rise and fall like thunder. Some boys dey cry, some dey beg. The room smell of sweat, blood, and burning palm oil lamp.

When he come out, only small stars still dey for sky.

Dawn never reach, sky still dey dark. Palace cook dey start fire, guards dey bow for am as him waka pass.

Him white cloth don get blood stain, like person wey waka come out from hell.

Blood for cuff, dust for shoe. E look like man wey carry battle go dream and bring am back.

The chief pikin no fit bear torture, kill himself. Zaria Chief family no fit talk anything again.

The story spread—chief son don hang himself. Zaria chief keep quiet, no dare question king.

Everybody dey talk say Chief Minister Musa upright and gentle, but now, for royal family honour, he no send anybody.

People dey whisper—"That Musa, na real iron hand. No be only fine face, him get lion for belly."

But na only the honour of the family, no be the princess own.

My pain no dey their mind—na only the house name dem dey repair.

Na politics dem dey talk, no be love.

Court don return to normal, but my own heart still dey outside. For me and Musa Bello, all those sweet words of before—e don turn shadow, e no get shape again.

Between me and am, talk of love don die since.

Even when we see, na only silence dey pass between us. Two people wey dey carry big load—duty heavy pass love, and heart don dry for inside like sand during dry season.

Even my slippers no dey make sound again, na only my shadow dey follow me waka.

For this life, how many tears person go get? Dem say tears no dey finish for woman eye, but my own don dry like harmattan river.

But for inside my heart, war still dey—between duty and love, who go win?