AS I STAND on the dais in the throne room, my hands shake with the weight of what I’m about to do. With Mother subdued, the hardest battle is won. All that’s left are the people in this hall.
Silver platters of food fill long tables, glistening with roasted hen and moín moín pies. Red wine flows like water among the merry crowd. Nobles and officers spin on the polished marble tiles.
Above, Father’s seals are gone, wiping the palace of the vicious snow leopanaire. In their place, navy banners shine, sporting an embroidered cheetanaire that Mother designed for my reign.
Staring at the ryder, I think of the bronze piece I no longer have. Mother desired an animal that was less commonplace.
She didn’t realize how soon these banners would fall.
I take in the palace one last time, feeling the weight of history that hinges on this moment. After today, Orïsha will never be the same. When the monarchy falls, chaos will sweep the lands.
But there will be a chance. I close my eyes. A chance for something to rise from the ashes. A vision for Orïsha that isn’t corrupted by our past.
Music dies down as I raise my hand and stand before the throne. I reach for all the strength I have as I address the crowd.
“Thank you all for being here.” I nod to the attendees. “This war has stolen so much from us. It’s a joy to celebrate its end.”
“All hail King Inan!” a lieutenant shouts from the back. People smile and lift their goblets. Pressure builds in my chest as I motion for them to lower their cups.
“These difficult times have brought equally difficult lessons. The end of this war gives us a chance to right our former wrongs. To confront Orïsha’s dark history and make a lasting change. In searching for the best path forward, I was brought back to the legends many of us grew up without hearing. I’d like to share one of these legends with you now.”
My throat dries and I swallow, wishing I had grabbed a goblet of wine. My fingers twitch around themselves, but there’s nothing I can hold anymore. Nothing I can hide behind.
You can do this. I picture Zélie’s face in the crowd. I imagine Ojore at her side.
For them, for Orïsha, I can do anything.
“In the beginning, there was nothing. Not until Sky Mother made it so. She gave birth to the gods above.” I lift my hands. “The humans below. With the gift of life came her gift of magic, a power that allowed us to build this great kingdom. But in the beginning, the lands were governed by the clans. The people ruled over one another.” I take a step back, running my hands over the sculpted throne. “We didn’t have our first rulers until a group of maji abused their gifts. They lost their ability to do magic, but their actions established this monarchy.”
The mood in the hall starts to shift, a storm brewing beneath the gentle rain. Quiet whispers pass from mouth to mouth. I catch questions of Mother’s whereabouts.
“You’ve been called here to celebrate a new era, and a new era it will be. The downfall of Orïsha is linked to this throne. Countless people have paid its toll in blood.” I raise my voice as the crowd starts to swell. “I intend to put the affairs of this kingdom in order. Then I’m ending this institution altogether.”
People rush toward the stage. Confused guards keep them at bay.
“You can’t do that!” a noble shouts.
“The maggots have messed with his head!”
“Please!” I raise my hands. “I know you’re scared, but in time you shall see this is what’s best. With the proper support, we can build something better than the monarchy. An institution that serves all the great people of these lands—”
BOOM!
The rumble freezes us where we stand.
It doesn’t ring like an explosion.
It roars like a lionaire.
Alarms blare as bursts of rainbow light flash in the distance, drawing closer by the second. It’s then I see the hole in Lagos’s wall. My eyes widen when the realization hits. The elders …
They’ve come for the people we took.
“Run!” I shout. “Leave the palace now!”
The hall erupts in hysteria as people push against one another to escape. Goblets clank against the marble tiles. Tables crash to the ground as people run past.
“Get to safety!” I yell. “The Iyika are coming—”
Screams ring as the throne room windows shatter.