Chapter 2: Blood or Throne—The Choice

"General Yan, you go return palace or not? Abeg give answer." The palace messenger talk.

The messenger voice sharp, e stand dey look you with small fear for im eye, but mouth still strong. Soldiers for back dey whisper, some dey look ground, others dey squeeze their spears like sugarcane wey dey hard to chew.

Your men, dem dey try persuade you. Yan Guyun’s boys na Four Great Pillars. First Pillar, strong man wey fit fight ten thousand, talk sharp: "General, abeg no go back. Before, palace cut supply for border, even for last battle, Western Army dey look us like wolf. His Majesty dey fear you—if you go back, na die straight."

First Pillar voice loud, e chest wide, e dey squeeze im fist like say im wan knack king head for dream.

The messenger hiss, "Since olden days, thunder and rain na king’s blessing. His Majesty dey call general come collect reward. If you dey guess His Majesty mind, you know say na big offence?"

The air choke with silent curses. Even some junior officers for corner, dey look the messenger with side eye, dey whisper among themselves. One even scratch ground with big toe, as if e dey prepare for wahala.

First Pillar raise hand, wan knack am, but Second Pillar hold am.

Second Pillar, na scholar-general, brain of the group. E stroke beard, give messenger bad eye: "General, I fit swear say bad belle dey beside His Majesty, dey cause wahala. Make we gather men, march go south, clear king’s court."

The way Second Pillar talk, e voice calm but deadly. E face no dey show fear, just that deep confidence wey only person wey don read plenty history get.

The messenger begin shake, fear catch am, no talk again.

Messenger body begin tremble like person wey dem pour cold water for harmattan. Even him eye begin dodge everybody for tent.

Third Pillar, the careful one, talk small: "Maybe general suppose delay. We still get work for army. As long as you no return, your family for palace dey safe. If His Majesty really send soldiers come… Benue and Plateau people dey your back, Niger people owe you. Unless His Majesty come by himself, anybody else na traitor—nobody fit carry you."

Third Pillar always talk soft, e voice low like person wey dey advise chief for village council. E get sense, and other soldiers dey nod as e dey talk.

Fourth Pillar, the youngest, orphan from Benue and Plateau, eye the messenger, talk: "Make una try am—clear dem. If una do am, I go follow general enter palace, make king wife and sister born general pikin."

The rest of the men burst small laughter, the tension melt small. Some even snap finger, dey hail Fourth Pillar for mouth sharpness.

Yan Guyun knack Fourth Pillar for yansh. The boy shout, hold im backside, run commot.

Everybody laugh, the sound spill outside tent, scare small goat wey dey near fire. Even mama put for camp corner shake head, dey smile.

Second Pillar laugh: "Small Four, you no get papa mama, but general get."

Fourth Pillar turn back, eye still dey red, but e smile like person wey just chop extra meat for soup.

After small time, Yan Guyun still no talk. Four eyes dey look am—General, wetin be the plan? Yan Guyun breathe in, look ground. Silence hold tent like juju.

Even birds for tent roof pause, dey listen. Every heart dey beat, na only your voice everybody dey wait for.

Yan Guyun raise eyebrow, look the messenger wey dey form dead body for ground: "Leave am. Make we go chop."

The men stand, follow you. The messenger just collapse for ground, sweat dey drip for im face. Some soldiers chuckle, others just shake head. For Naija, food dey solve matter, even if wahala dey ground.

2

Now, Yan Guyun dey chop, still dey wonder which kind person go name pikin that kind lonely name.

The food na hot yam porridge with dry fish, the steam dey rise like Harmattan fog. As e dey chop, Yan Guyun dey remember past wey no sweet belle—e dey wonder why ancestors go give person this kain journey.

How e take reach like this?

He look his four lieutenants, their face tough, but eyes dey flash hope and worry together. Food dey their hand, but their spirit dey war front.

As Yan Guyun sigh, the three Pillars look each other, signal Second Pillar, wey brace imself and talk, "General, I know say you still dey remember king’s kindness, but people dey change. No love too much."

The tent quiet, even the sound of cutlery stop. Second Pillar talk with old wisdom, like elder wey don see many rain. The boys just dey listen, dey nod.

Yan Guyun: *Wetin concern love for here…*

Yan Guyun eye the soup, use spoon turn am like say he dey search for answer inside. For Nigeria, love and loyalty dey get as e be.

Yan Guyun shake. *I no be Oyo king—where all this love talk from?*

E laugh inside, mouth twist for one side, as e remember old palace gossip about Oyo kings wey dey marry anyhow, still dey claim e love dem pass their own mothers.

Yan Guyun side-eye Second Pillar: "You fit reason how person go enter palace, help carry my family commot?"

Second Pillar eye shine, but shake head: "Not long, madam send person come meet me. I wan check first before I tell you, but palace tight like drum. Even if person enter, to carry dem commot na wahala."

He lower voice, look around, as if palace spies fit dey inside yam. For that kingdom, palace dey tight pass new yam festival.

Yan Guyun quiet small. "Okay. Make we plan how we go fight."

The silence wey follow heavy. Even the night cricket outside stop to chirp, as all eyes focus on General.

Four Pillars: "……"

As e talk am, dem shock. First Pillar, wey no dey hide mouth, ask: "General, as you dey do before, no be to rush palace, tear your chest, bring out your heart show king, prove say you loyal?"

First Pillar mouth open, e dey expect old style Naija sacrifice—maybe even strip for palace, show say body pure.

Fourth Pillar add: "Then you suppose die for king front, so dem go show flashback of your childhood, make king dey regret for life."

Others snicker, as if na Nollywood script dey run for head. Naija people sabi over-dramatize when wahala reach climax.

Yan Guyun: *Wetin be all this one…*

E raise eyebrow, see as all dem dey act like e never see better plot twist before.

Yan Guyun burst laugh, curse: "Abeg shift! I no be mumu."

Everybody laugh, the sound spill outside tent, scare small goat wey dey near fire.

First Pillar happy. "General, how you take wise up like this?"

E slap hand for table, dey hail you like say dem just see masquerade unmask for market.

Yan Guyun look am like mumu: "Na him wan clear my family—no be me suppose clear am?"

E talk am slow, make everybody understand say e no go play victim for king hand. Soldiers dey nod, even cook for background raise pot lid in agreement.

Third Pillar rub chin. "But e never clear dem. If you move now, you no get right for your side."

E reason like real Naija lawyer. If you attack too soon, dem go call you traitor.

Yan Guyun kick am. "You go wait make e clear dem first?"

He hiss small, like say im dey shoo goat from garden. Others burst laugh, even Fourth Pillar shake head.

Fourth Pillar eyes cold: "Just clear."

E talk am with small anger, as orphan, loyalty to blood dey different.

Second Pillar slap Fourth Pillar, then talk to Yan Guyun, "Then make we clear king’s court."

E face serious, voice steady. The rest dey listen, their chop dey slow for hand.

Yan Guyun catch the main point.

He nod small, but inside, im dey weigh all options, dey feel the weight of soldiers’ hope and ancestors’ eyes.

But Yan Guyun shake head.

He breathe out slow, voice low like elder for moonlight tale. E dey show say for Naija, no be every battle dey solve with violence.

Before, e fit clear court because e get royal blood, fit rush Ibadan, take throne. But now, Yan Guyun no get royal blood or civil elders’ support. Even if e storm palace, e fit end up like one old warlord.

Im mind dey turn old proverb: 'If dog no get tail, e no fit chase fly for market.'

Yan Guyun talk slow: "To clear king’s court fit wait. For now, make we use Old Three idea—plenty matter still dey army. I no fit leave now."

He tap table for emphasis, his voice carry that weight of old soldier wey don see life.

Second Pillar frown. "Which matter?"

He drop spoon, face serious. All the boys focus as if dem dey listen for secret code.

Yan Guyun smile, point west: "For last battle with raiders, Western Army dey look us, even fight our men. No be say dem dey work with enemy? If we no clear that wahala, how I wan go palace? Dem fit frame us, call us traitor for radio, finish story."

E talk am with small grin. All the men dey reason, their head dey nod. For Naija, internal enemy dey more dangerous than outside one.

Third Pillar confuse. "Fight Western Army? No be king?"

E scratch head, look Second Pillar. Soldiers for background dey whisper, dey throw side glance.

Second Pillar suddenly get sense, shout: "Why fight king? How many soldiers e get? The palace guards don spoil finish! If we just rush go clear am, Western and Southern Armies go use am as excuse attack us."

E voice rise, like person wey just discover plot twist for telenovela. All the men nod, sense begin make.

Fourth Pillar raise hand. "But if we no clear that yeye king, no be him go still use Western and Southern Armies fight us?"

The logic be like Naija politics, everywhere tight. The men dey reason, dey throw old proverbs.

Third Pillar eyes shine. "This way, justice dey our side."

E voice steady, confidence dey grow for tent. The men dey beat table small, dey agree.

First Pillar laugh. "General na general—strike first, face Western Army!"

He throw spoon up, catch am back, body dey shake with excitement. The morale for tent don rise.

Yan Guyun laugh too. With three hundred thousand men, who dey look royal blood? If e no fit clear king’s court, e fit still fight for the land, defeat all army, become king by himself.

He slap table, all the men cheer. Some soldiers for outside tent hear am, dey hail "General! General!" The camp dey alive, spirit of Naija warrior don wake for everybody.

3

Western Army no last reach two cups of kunu before dem scatter.

The battle sharp like Lagos rain—quick, no warning, everywhere scatter. Western Army begin run, some even remove shoe dey waka barefoot. Yan Guyun’s men dey sing war song, dey beat drum, dey chase them reach riverbank. For days, local griots go dey sing how General Yan send king’s army scatter with just one shout. But for Yan Guyun mind, new wahala dey wait—palace never sleep, and king never forget.