m banners draped in mourning black. Dawn's light was dim, filtered through th

crown, no armor-only a plain royal tunic still stained at the sleeve from the battlefield. The sti

ps approached. A ge

een Akerele

aged, but there was grace in her line

I fear I no longer u

ew," she replied, "died

omething you must know. The kingmaker was alone with Kabiyesi for ho

d it was Kabiyesi's decree. That w

our father? The same man who wept silently the day he made you

is head slowly.

a signal to the court that the

ed. It was the first time since their father'

ound psalm book. His posture humble, his eyes lowered, but aware of everything. He was a

e Psalms in a twisting tongue: "Even the stones shall cry out, if the

offered

ed back, eyes sharp. Gree

just woken. His robe was mismatched, but his eyes were alert. He said

urn to the lake," he muttered. "

ved last. He bowed deeply, respec

hey call us now. You will always be my el

lder. "And I will not le

d handed a sealed scroll to Adeba

," he said. "They wish for us to begin prepa

he center of a quiet room, fingers gripping her shawl as th

Queen," one of them said. "But w

"Peace throu

Through structure. The princes must depart within

" Queen Akerele said, stepping in.

her. "We only fulfill

"The words you hear

he Oloyes exchanged

forward. "And if the boys

aker said flatly. "And the five

nce. The Ogboni left

f, and shared fear. Neither trusted the Ogboni. Long ago, Kabiyesi had hinted to Queen Akerele of his doubts-how

of past rulers stared down with painted eyes. She stopped before her father's likeness-a grand

ed letter-one she had found tucked beneath a stack of psalms in his study

t once. Then a

o protect his firstborn, and the quiet fear tha

no one. Not e

eaked open

red, his st

he sai

he letter away. "You

n the servants are whispering. They say the Ogbo

y did. And they

rply. "Do you think.

knew his end was coming. And I think he didn't tr

h the open corridor. A

careful. The war outside may be nothing c

mber of iron pillars where the Ogboni gathere

d into t

susp

ned forward. "Shall

ymbol. And symbols must not bleed unl

hissed. Sha

stronger than we thought. And i

er fell t

eals. We will bless the weapons for the journ

arned him, long ago, that power was a chain, not a crown. Yet he had thrown that wisdom

by the throne. He placed his hand on its a

. "But I will find them. I will protect the

ooke

est of Akun

Adebayo knew the bat