grey silence. A faint scent of burning wood drifted through the halls, and the cold air clung

A heavy shawl hung from her shoulders. Her steps echoed in the large chamber, and her heart be

This was no ordinary scroll. It was older than Kabiyesi's reign, hidden deep in a c

shifts before sneaking in. Very few knew abo

he scroll contained a law: "In times of unfair succession, a royal mother may

yes. She

ax seal. Should she break i

e door

ly. It was the 2

find you here,"

er before dawn?" she asked, sli

before the sun," he rep

r. "You're plan

. Adeola's calm tone belied the sha

for you all," she

u think the qu

ir. I don't believe

said. "Oloye Tanimola liste

ly are your mother's

t. He's already pl

fears Adebayo's strength.

rength," Adeola said. "We nee

prince, Adelabu, sat with Princess Adepeju. Their feet

n," he said, watching the

no

it changes

prince, Adebayo, as the true heir. And it war

him," Ade

they find out I know, they might ki

calm, but his eyes showed something deeper - something worn. He pl

ay not return from

ike you're r

in this palace to expect safety. Father wasn't always the str

ning. "Then why do you

way to survive. And doing nothing... lets you listen, observe, unde

nd tossed it into the pond,

s people lie. Ev

th the 5th prince, Adeoye. The young prince was practic

eep it straight. Let th

face, and his hands trembled slightly from exhaustion

said gently. "Don

nd looked up. "Do you thin

dn't answe

n if only to find the trut

k he was

think.

r grew

nock on

rounkeji

all five princes before

hy

ition. But I think

n nodded. "We'll go. But this

gboni council sat in a half-circle, wearing ritual veils. In th

esi Adeyemi Adesoji, we meet not to tes

"Did our father approve this quest, or is

ncil mu

our father was a man of many secr

clenched

ward. "Secrets or not, we deserve the tr

Adesola, stood

. "You have eleven d

unior Ogboni slipped a note into Ad

read it with

's true command was hidden.

nger a delay. They were the

not just a scroll. I

ountdown