BENEATH THE CROWN

I cried profusely while lying on the king's bed. Today was supposed to be the happiest day of my life. "What went wrong? How did this happen?" I asked myself. If anyone had told me this would happen to me, I would never have believed it. "What will happen to me now? How can I bear this shame? How will my parents feel?" I questioned myself wondering where things went wrong and how possible I lost my virginity without being penetrated.

My thoughts were interrupted when the king walked into the room with two guards following closely behind him looking at me with disgust in his eyes. "Take her away from this room this instant and let her stay in the maid's quarters from now on. No maid shall be assigned to her," said the king to his guards. I had no objections because there was nothing to prove my innocence right now.

I walked out of the room with the guards as they stared at me with disgust in their eyes. I walked down the hallway with my head bowed in shame, the king's cabinet members stared at me, some with pity and others with disgust. I saw my father, who was the king's adviser, holding my mother as she cried profusely. My father refused to look at me as I walked past him.

My mother walked up to me and landed a slap on my face, "Shameless girl, a prostitute. You have finally disgraced us, haven't you? Are you finally happy now?" she shouted. I could feel the pain I her eyes and I wished nothing more than to convince her that this was a joke but sadly it wasn’t.

"Mom, please believe me. I saved myself for the king," I pleaded with her, trying to make her believe me because I was sure there was a mistake somewhere

"Do I look like a fool? Why was there no blood on the cloth brought by the king?" she asked me, tears rolling down her eyes. "I never raised you to be a liar. How can you still lie to my face?" she questioned.

"Mom, please believe me," I shouted, holding her tightly with tears rolling down my eyes. Wishing with every fiber in my body she will believe me and all this will be over

"SHUT UP!" shouted my father. He walked up to us and pulled my mother into his arms. "I don't have a daughter like you. Henceforth, you are no longer my daughter, and I want nothing to do with you," said my father as he looked me in the eye and then turned around to leave.

"Dad, please don't do this to me. Believe me, I saved myself for the king," I cried, falling to the floor as my heart broke, watching my parents leave without sparing me a glance.

"Stand up," the guards shouted as they pulled me to my feet and dragged me toward the maid's quarters. They pushed me into an empty room and looked at me with disgust before laughing and shutting the door tightly.

I dragged myself to the bed, where I could cry myself to sleep, wondering how I got to this point, how things had turned out like this for me.

My name is Amanda. This is my story.

CHAPTER TWO

I was born and raised in a village in Enugu State. I had three siblings, two boys, and a girl, and I was the eldest. My father served as the king's special adviser, and my mother was the chairwoman of the women's association in the village

My parents raised my sister and me in a godly manner and taught us about the village's traditions. I was considered an epitome of beauty, tall, with beautiful dark skin and long, shining hair. I was an obedient and diligent child, serving as a role model for youths and children in the village.

I also graduated from the prestigious UNN with first-class honors, I studied nursing and was exceptionally skilled in it.. I worked at a prominent private hospital and was well-compensated. I had my own apartment and was living comfortably, but these things didn't cause me to stray from my upbringing and the traditions of our land.

I had just two best friends because I was an introvert: Mirabel and Ujunwa. They were friends I could count on, or so I thought. I cherished them greatly and made time to hang out with them, even with my busy schedule.

I led a peaceful life and enjoyed every bit of it until that fateful morning when I received a phone call from the village that changed my life, and my misery began.

I woke that morning to the sound of my phone ringing. It was my mom. I picked up my phone to answer the call, wondering why she was calling me so early.

"Good morning, Mom," I greeted as I picked up the call.

"Good morning, dear. How was your night?" she asked in a rather somber tone.

"I'm fine, Mom. What made you call me so early this morning?" I asked, still curious about the reason for her call.

"The king is dead, and you know what that means," she said, shocking me to my core.

"WHAT?!"