Ugegbe wanted to cry. She was chosen. Against her earnest wishes, she'd passed the previous round, despite all her efforts to thwart her progression. It was a day of rejoicing for the nine other maidens who'd also triumphed over their counterparts, but it was one of misery for her. She had failed to fail.

"Maidens, listen well!" The loud voice of Daa Isiguzo once again tortured her. She'd hoped she would no longer have to listen to her yell "maidens" a thousand times by today.

Of current, there was an echo in the courtyard where it hadn't been the previous day. The absence of the other women who hadn't qualified was felt in the queer silence.

It was clearly a moment weighed down with great gravity. None of the maidens daintily perched on stools beside her had uttered a word to the other. It was as if they feared that a single word from them could cost them their place as queen if not prompted by the mistress.

The quietness was becoming insufferable. Ugegbe was tempted to scream at the top of her lungs merely to test that her voice still worked. For all she knew, it could have gone dormant in this while where they'd had to keep shut as if they'd sealed their lips with the sap from a rubber tree's back.

"Today, we test your ability to learn, adapt and improvise-qualities that are demanded of a queen. To protect her kingdom and defend her husband, the king, she must become well-versed in the topic of subtle ruling. The queen should be clever, concealing herself when it is needed and revealing the might of her presence when it is necessary.

"She must be able to pick up details and gain advantages where the king might not. Otherwise, she might not survive in the palace where schemings and devices are ceaseless." A cunning smile tugged at Isiguzo's lips. "Do not forget to do your best, maidens. Only the top three among you, including the new queen, will receive the monetary reward the queen mother has set aside."

Monetary reward? A soft hum swelled in the bowl of the yard as the maidens whispered to themselves. Ugegbe felt a buzzing rise within her. This new update had changed everything entirely. It'd been her plan to ensure she failed as soon as possible, but now, she simply had to win enough to ultimately lose.

Fortunately, she had the strongest contender of all. At the edge of the row, Ozioma wore a sweet smile, sitting primly on her stool. She was the very portrait of royalty in her demeanour, and Ozioma could clearly see why a few maidens had endeavoured to copy her posture and alluring poise.

Ugegbe snickered to imagine what Akuada would have thought of them. She detested Ozioma's impassiveness and would have considered those who copied her to be spineless worms. Ugegbe was sad to not be within hearing range of her angry comments and remarks, as, regrettably, Akuada had been one of those who did not find themselves in this round.

"As yesterday, there will be three rounds, and the first, which will test your knowledge of the kingdom of Zoro, is to begin now."

The gong wailed with the sounds of three quick hits. "Step forward, all of you!" Daa Isiguzo commanded, and the maidens abandoned their seats and trudged forward. "We shall wait for the judges of today to arrive in the courtyard before anything else will commence." She mandated, and Ugegbe frowned, pondering why they had to leave their seats if they were merely going to wait.

Lo, they had not long to wait. The king, decked in a magnificent pelt and bright red coral beads-also free of his peculiar crown of beaded curtains intended to shield his face-and accompanied by a train of servants, made an entry that dazzled all that was within his sphere of brilliance.

Ugegbe swallowed a bob of anger and something so far different and contrary to her wish to hate him. It stretched her thin to deny his effect on her entire being. And that he did have over her-an agonising, punishing effect that she had not discovered how to vanquish into nothing.

She loathed that his gaze sought her out in the crowd before anyone else, that her heart skipped a beat when it did, and that a hot, fiery burst of pleasure shot through her at watching his eyes widen and then rake over her with undiluted desire.

"Your Majesty," every knee bowed before the reigning monarch, and Ugegbe had no choice but to join them. She could not risk revealing that she'd had prior contact with the king. That would put her at risk and paint her as an opportunist, one gunning for the throne, and had thus resorted to seductive tactics. She would be slandered and named a whore.

Ugegbe wasn't that, and she wasn't interested in acquiring such a label, especially in the event that she sought out a life here in Zoro. Not many men would seek out her hand in marriage if she was labelled with such licentiousness. The rest of her days would, no doubt, be dreary and depressing if she could not find a man worth her forgetting the heartbreak Onochie had caused her-if she ever did-but it would be living.

"Thank you for gracing us with your presence, Your Majesty." Daa Isiguzo was beaming like a roasted goat for Iri ji ohuu. The animals displayed during the New Yam Festival each year usually had their teeth bared in a gnash; the mistress's ear-to-ear grin had an uncanny semblance to the poor animals in Ugegbe's memory.

Or maybe it was jealousy at the fact that Isiguzo was speaking so freely with and was clearly smitten by the king. On the flip side, Ugegbe could not imagine herself holding a single conversation with Onochie that would not end with her on the brink of tears or entirely unable to form a single word. The fear that she would make a fool of herself before him burrowed through thick skin and made her heart tremble faintly.

Now that she'd moulded her mind firmly into pressing on to the last round so she could receive the prize money, Onochie had shown up as a central source of distraction.

Ugegbe glared sourly at the king. He was maddeningly delightful to view. His lush, mismatched lips-which had the top as dark as his skin, while the lower a pale pink colour that shone with kernel oil-invited her to learn their flavour each time a ray of light caught on them.

His eyes were a soulful, earthy brown that comforted her. Set under tenderly arched brows, they were impossible to resist. Particularly since she'd been close enough to get lost in them on several occasions.

A sigh grew in Ugegbe's chest. It was entirely possible that she would fumble her steps and ruin her performance.

And she did.

Ugegbe let out a growl of frustration as she swung her waist in yet again the wrong direction. She was breathing laboriously amidst the other maidens, who evidently were having a less hard time than she was. It was all Onochie's fault. She'd lost track of what to do because she'd gotten stuck on the straight slope of his nose and the captivating arc of his mouth and how exquisite of a specimen he was.

Moments earlier, she'd stumbled over her feet when he'd trapped her gaze and wet his bottom lip with a glistening tongue. Ugegbe had felt her knees knock against each other and had misstepped. Oh, how she hated herself for being so weak. Fortunately, she'd been in the back row when it'd happened. Hopefully, her mistake wasn't so visible.

Daa Isiguzo had taken it upon herself to point out to the king, in loud whispers, the maidens who were flailing and failing. Apparently, Ozioma had the best performance so far. She'd learnt the dance steps from the three performers quicker than any other maiden and was elegantly following the flow of the music with the ease of a graceful acrobat.

She'd made no errors since the start, which Ugegbe found suspicious for one who had not previously been exposed to the dance's complicated design. It was also interesting to note that she'd not moved an inch from the front row despite Isiguzo rearranging everyone's order whenever she saw fit. Even one without sight could see she had a favourite.

Ugegbe was only too glad when it was over. At the same time, she felt defeated. Usually, she would have assumed her observation skills were satisfactory, but not today. Today, she'd fumbled and nearly tumbled to the ground while she'd danced. She could also not say she'd done memorably in the first round.

The questions about Zoro's history had come in a flurry. She'd answered most of them, having studied diligently for such queries, but there were yet some that she could only know if she were an indigene of the land. Still, she believed she had a chance since her competitors had also struggled to provide answers to all they were asked.

Dancing was the second test of the day, and it had been to examine the women's memory and quickness to learn. The professional dancers performed the composition twice and, without offering instructions to the maidens, expected them to replicate what they had seen flawlessly.

Ugegbe knew there were more than a few faults in her execution and was less confident in her abilities by the second. Perhaps she could redeem herself in the last round, centring on solving riddles and explaining proverbs. Possibly, she could rack up points to her advantage.

"This is how the last contest will go, maidens." Daa Isiguzo had started her admonishment again. "A saying will be spoken aloud. Once it is done, I will ask what the answer is. If you wish to give its meaning, you must raise your hand high over your head so that I can pick you.

"Then, you will answer. If your answer is right, you will earn three points. But if it is wrong, you shall lose two points. There will be ten questions in each round. Five of the ten will be riddles, and the other five will be proverbs. Note that there will be three rounds, marked by the gong. Afterward, you will be free to return to your quarters. The king's bride and the two maidens who passed the final test will be announced at sunrise and again at noon till sunset tomorrow."

Ugegbe smiled at the challenge. She was at least looking forward to cracking her brains and doing her best to solve the riddles. She did not have great experience unravelling riddles, nor was she a progeny in doing so. Still, as a younger child, she had enjoyed deciphering the hidden meaning of the sayings of wise elders.

She'd listen and ask questions whenever she could. Her father was ever patient, revealing to her those that were far too complicated for her young mind. Ugegbe hoped she could put some of his instructs into practice today.

The gong struck, and the first round began.

Daa Isiguzo's voice was the only sound that traversed the length of the queen mother's compound. Everything else was as silent as a graveyard. Ugegbe could hear her breathing loud and clear, bounding out in rapid bursts that copied her heart rate. It was most strange. She was keener than she had been in the whole competition.

"Who is he that fears neither man nor being, chases away the most terrible of foes, yet refuses to drink to quench his deadliest thirst?"

A bunch of hands shot in the air. One was called upon. "The god, Anyanwu!"

Isiguzo's bushy brow glided upward in question. "Why would you say that, Maiden Nonyelum?"

"Our lord, Anyanwu is more powerful than any being could imagine. He is the sun and conquers his enemies with his fearsome might. As he is a god, he does not need to drink, for he does not thirst." Ugegbe stared after the maiden, who was slim and short, yet had the presence of an elephant while she spoke.

She had a lovely profile from what she could glimpse. Her nose was big but not bulbous on her face, and her lips were charming, widely set to balance the symmetry of her face. Ugegbe was thoroughly impressed by her eloquence. There was a great chance she would make it past the last test.

"Thank you for your answer, Maiden Nonyelum." Isiguzo gave her a close-lipped smile. "While your answer is reasonable and evokes logic, I am sorry to say this is not the answer to the riddle. However, since you did not respond incorrectly, there will be no deductions from your points. You may have your seat." Nonyelum sat sullenly.

Ugegbe thought deeply. If it wasn't the god Anyanwu, it had to be something in the realm of mortality. Something more common and less far removed from human reach. More importantly, riddles were only sometimes literal.

A few more beats followed, which Ugegbe spent poring over a number of answers. It occurred to her at once, clubbing her forcefully, and she hated that she did not think of it initially.

Throwing her arm up high, Ugegbe waited to be noticed. "Yes, Maiden Ezinwanyi?"

"The answer is fire."

Daa Isiguzo looked down her bent nose at Ugegbe, her chest angrily inflating as if she were about to burst into flames before announcing rancidly. "Three points for the maiden."

Ugegbe hid a small simper. She had claimed the first bout. Daa Isiguzo would have to do better if she wished for Ozioma to best everyone. "Thank you, mistress." She replied, reclaiming her seat with a sense of victory.

"The second riddle goes, what names are for these two, who, though are lovers-fighting against unseemly powers in order-have arms that have never found each other. For when they dare glimpse each other, darkness reigns."

Ozioma's hand was over her head in an instant. "They are the sun and the moon: our god, Anyanwu and his lover. Despite his fondness and deep adoration for her, the laws of nature dictate that they cannot meet. It is said that in the months where rain ceases, when the earth mother goes to sleep and cannot comfort her son, Anyanwu rages at being so far from the one he loves."

"Excellent answer, Lady Ozioma!" Daa Isiguzo was all beams and toothy grins. Ugegbe tried not to be judgemental, but weren't judges supposed to be impartial? Or was that a made-up rule of her own? "As deserved, the beautiful lady receives 3 points."

"Thank you, Daa Isiguzo." Ozioma thanked her with an air of sophistication and slight condescension about her. It probably had to do with the fact that she did not have to worry about returning to her seat under the many watchful eyes on her. She had not stood to give her answer in the first place.

Ugegbe blew out a puff of breath. She would get the next one.

Ozioma answered the next question. Akpi-scorpion-was deemed correct to the riddle of: "what warrior shoots an arrow without being sent." This one packed a punch into Ugegbe's gut. She'd raised her hand but not as quickly as the king's lover. Unlike the previous riddle, which had confused her since the maiden, Nonyelum, had not gained merit for mentioning the sun god, she'd been sure of this one. It was a famous riddle in Osisi. Sadly, she'd missed the opportunity.

"Gwa'm onye uwa dum na-atu egwu; onye amaa nne mo nna; onye amaa nkpona mo mgbei; onye amaa odibo mo eze; onye na-emete gi mgbe ura kagba uto? (Tell me who the entire world fears; who can't tell mother from father; who can't tell rich from poor; who can't tell servant from king; who rouses you when your sleep is sweetest?)"

Ugegbe had to ponder this riddle for a considerably long moment. While answers were shot back and forth over her head, she dissected each word. The only thing every human feared was...

Her fist soared high above. So did Ozioma's. Ugegbe watched the mistress's face turn away from her even though their eyes had met. She was first, but as expected, Daa Isiguzo would be unfair and pick her favourite instead of doing what was right.

"Lady Ozio-"

"The maiden to the right with her hand up will answer." Onochie's voice was the boom of a thunderclap. Ugegbe suppressed a shudder, locking her spine tightly as his gaze, liquid as molten lava, slid over her. She wondered how she hadn't realised it in the first place.

For at the moment, he was every bit the king his people portrayed him as. She must have been blind to not have recorded the subtle conceit and complacency only one wielding unfeigned power could bear without fear.

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" She bowed low, depicting a grateful maiden who had never stood before the king while he confessed that he wished to kiss her, despite how abominable it would have sounded if his lover were in sight.

Ugegbe would pretend she had never known that man. That he had never known her. Because it was the truth. Even while he held her captive in his stare, his eyes held no hint of familiarity. Unlike the few times, she'd caught them snag on Ozioma and saturate with recognition.

Swallowing the thorny bramble of envy puncturing a yawning hole into her, she made use of the king's benevolence. "The answer is death."

"That is right." Daa Isiguzo announced through gritted teeth. She'd taken to sulking beside the king, whose will superseded hers. "The maiden receives three points for her answer."

A grin curled Ugegbe's lips at the victory. She likely would not enjoy the coverage the king's benevolence had afforded her again, but she was happy to revel in her triumph over the one-sided mistress.

"Next is-" Isiguzo carried on but was interrupted by the high trill of a voice and the scary beats of multiple drums. A chill zapped over Ugegbe's skin. She'd grown up long enough in Osisi to know what such drums signified.

The messenger of the gods was here.
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A/N: Thank you to the Nigerian forums (Nairaland) from which I picked some of this chapter's riddles. I'm not particularly good at riddles or proverbs in Igbo, so this chapter was a bit of a task to write. However, I enjoyed penning down every bit of it. I hope you lovelies enjoyed reading too. Thank you for all your support! You all are awesome, as always<3