Jakuta – Chapter 2


“What’s the update now” Emperor asked Akilhapa as soon as he entered the throne room.

“My Lord, the head of midwife herself is headed for the throne room” Akhila replied.

“Go and her lead her in immediately” Horanmiyan Ordered, Akhila rushed to the entrance and the woman was already there waiting to be granted entrance by the Emperor. Akhila signalled for her to come inside, she walked in slowly and stopped right in front of the Emperor, knelt down on both of her knees and bowed her head in respect.

“Rise up” Horanmiyan ordered and she obeyed but still tried to bow her head in order to conceal the sadness on her face “Woman, speak” Horanmiyan spoke in a very commanding tone. The woman fell back on her kneels as the strength in her legs couldn’t bare the weight of her body anymore, sadness and fear of what the Emperor will do to all the midwives that couldn’t save the life of his Empress was what weighed her down. She quickly wiped the tears that had formed just beneath her eyes. Horanmiyan who had gotten the message that tragedy had struck rose up on his throne suddenly and moved closer to the woman.

“Is it the Gourd or the Content?” Horanmiyan asked softly.

“My Lord, the content is well and safe but the gourd is broken” The woman replied amidst tears, most, if not all of the elders exclaimed in various ways, some screamed, some sighed, some shouted Eldua’s name at the sound of the news. Horanmiyan didn’t react at all, he just stood there with his eyes fixed on the midwife, he stared at her continuously, so much that the woman began to fidget, he then went back to his throne, he sat on it with both of his hands clasped together and held them up to the tip of his nose. The throne room remained in that unquiet silence stage for a while as most of them in the room had their eyes on the Emperor.

“How did it happen?” Horanmiyan asked after a very long moment of silence.

“My Lord we tried our best, she ran out of strength, even the last strength she used in birthing the baby boy was coined out of her love for you and her love for the land else she would have taken the baby along with her” The midwife replied and as she spoke about the love Torosi had for him, he couldn’t hold himself back anymore.

“It’s a boy?” He quickly asked to swerve the sadness away.

“Yes my lord” she replied.

“Go, tend to him and bring him to me” The Emperor ordered her and watched as the woman rushed out of the throne room “Leave, everyone” He said with his eyes still fixed at the entrance. All the elders stared at each other, they didn’t know if it was best to leave him alone at a time like this, they made eye contacts with each other.

“My Lord we….” One of the elders was about to say something but quickly kept quiet as the Emperor jumped up from his throne.

“I said leave” Horanmiyan screamed out with his lion voice “Everyone”.

Everyone rushed out including the guards, they left before the next instruction was to have their heads on a spike. Though Horanmiyan is not one that gives that kind of orders but then again, they have never seen him this angry before, not even when his previous wife died not long ago, she also died during the birth of his son Ajaka and now Torosi also died during child birth, the sorrows of the two losses now piled up on him, he felt sadness all over him, he felt dejected, he felt lonely, all he has now are his two sons, Ajaka and the newborn baby. Horanmiyan walked around the throne room but in a very slow motion this time around, each step he took brought back memories of his beloved wife Torosi, he remembered how he felt when he first saw her tending to her wounded soldiers after their little Kingdom was conquered, he remembered how she stared back at him with her tiny pretty eyes, her beauty was one which he had never seen before in all his adventurous life, he remembered how her sweet melodious voice begged for mercy, he couldn’t refuse such a pretty fairy. He had changed his mind after she pleaded with him not to ki*ll her people but rather take them as slaves. He reminisced on the day he made Torosi his wife, his legs began to tremble, never before has he felt this way before, never before has he loved anyone the way be loved Torosi. The darkest moment lingered at the thought of being lonely for the rest of his life because he strongly believed he won’t be able to love anyone again in his lifetime, knowing very well that he would have to choose a new maiden to fill the office of the Empress but that’s about all the maiden could do for he was sure that no one could fill Torosi’s space in his heart. Horanmiyan was so lost in thought and grief that he didn’t realise that a tear or two had escape from his eyes, good enough he had ordered everyone out of the throne room because it’s a taboo for anyone to see the Emperor shed tears, it’s an abomination that could cause a very dangerous plague.

“My Lord” Akhila Shouted from outside the throne room.

“What is it” Horanmiyan screamed at him and quickly wiped the tears completely of his face”I thought I told you all to leave”

“Am sorry my lord but the midwife is here with the prince” Akhila replied from outside still.

“Send her in” Horanmiyan walked back to the throne and sat on it as he watched the midwife come in with the new baby in his hands “Bring him to me”

The woman walked towards the throne, placed the baby in the Emperor’s hand and immediately stepped away from the throne a bit. Horanmiyan held the baby in his hand and one look at the baby’s pretty face, his heart melted, the smile on the baby’s face looked exactly like that of Torosi, he held him with joy and gladness and that was when he remembered the hunched dwarf’s prophecy, a bright smile stayed glued on his face.

“Jakuta” He said said slowly.

One Comment

  1. This seem like a well researched piece as I can see some semblance with the history of Oyo Empire. Jakuta seems to be Sango. Ajaka was the second Aláàfin in history, he was initially deposed and exiled to allow Sango rule and he came back when Sango completed his tenure.

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