Her Christmas desire season 1 &2

Eno, its not your fault that the girl died. Am sure that God allowed it for a reason, so don't punish yourself too much _________________________________________ Link to Available Episodes •Episode 4-6 •Episode 3,7-8 •Episode 9-10 •Episode 11-12 •Episode 13-15 •Episode 16 •Episode 17-18 •Episode 19-20 ___________________________________________ [b]SEASON 2[/b] •Last Episode &Episode 1 •Episode 2 •Episode 3 •Episode 4-6 •Episode 7 •Episode 8-10 •Episode 11-12 •Episode 13-15 •Episode 16-18 •Episode 19-21 •Episode 22-last season 3 link is below https://www.coolval.com/forumsss/topic/the-haunted-bride/

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Episode 2 The cab driver had been watching her, at first, he didn’t want to probe. But when the tears gushed out more generously, he found it difficult to ignore her. ‘Are you alright Ma’m?’ He asked. Quickly she remembered she wasn’t alone. She found it difficult to cry in front of people, so she wiped her face and told the man that she was okay. ‘You can drop me here,’ her face brightened as she realized they had reached the airport. Spending Christmas alone in her current emotional state wasn’t advisable, and that was one of the reasons she had decided to travel home. They both stepped down from the car. While the driver went to the trunk to get her box, she fed her eyes with the beehive of the airport. The International Airport was flooding with people. Some were coming in, and some were leaving. A rush of excitement replaced the sorrow she felt earlier as she looked on, she couldn’t wait to set foot in Nigeria after seventeen years. ‘Here you go, have a safe trip.’ The driver flashed a smile which she returned. ‘Thanks, you too,’ She collected the box and advanced towards the waiting area, where she would stay just before her flight was announced. A smile played on her lips as she remembered the first time she had travelled by airplane to America. She had been so young and afraid; her mother had kicked against it, but she had fought so hard to make her dreams come true. Her smile faded another time as she thought about her family, her mother especially. She wasn’t too close to the woman, because of her arrogance towards their father whom she considered weak at times. Eno was the first child out of four. She had two younger sisters, and a prodigal brother who had run away from home when he was just sixteen. Elvis was still alive, and the last time she saw him was on Television where he was being arrested for drug trafficking. She thought of her younger sisters- Cassandra and Elena, whom she missed a great deal. Along the years, they had only communicated over the phone and social media platforms. Eno had made sure that she helped her family in the littlest way that she could do. If it wasn’t for their support, she wouldn’t have made it out here. A gust of wind rustled her hair as she reached the waiting area, and she decided she had enough of the wintery torture. She had been fighting the urge not to battle the cold in her own way, but she had no option. Her fingers itched for a cig. Her body yearned for another kind of warmth that only a stick or more of Marlboro could offer. She dropped her box gently and assessed the box like tent she had entered. She was the only one in there, and that made her plans more appropriate as some people were allergic to smoke. Her fingers fumbled through her hand bag as she searched for the pack of Marlboro and her lighter. The urge to quench the coldness within her, and to calm her nerves increased with the frantic search. ‘Finally,’ she smiled as she found it. She pulled out a stick neatly, and lit it without hesitation. Before taking the burning stick to her lips, she dragged in the seducing scent of tobacco and mint leaves, a mixture that always drove her crazy. Eyes closed, ears shut to whatever was happening around her, Eno took the first drag and let the heat dance through her slender body. It was heaven. She felt like heaven. And she wasn’t going to stop in a long while. “A beautiful woman and a Cigarette is one hell of a combination.” A deep voice whispered close to her, and her eyes cracked open at once. She glared at a guy who was far from handsome, but had this aura of confidence around him. His eyes were sharp and arrogant, piercing deeply into her soul. She’d wanted to ignore him, but he walked towards her and took a seat next to hers. ‘You shouldn’t be smoking darling, it’s not healthy.’ He smiled and leaned closer to her. He was going to take the cigarettes from her fingers and she wasn’t going to stop him. The Benjamins were all complete in the dining hall, in a few hours, Eno would return from the States and this would be a very great occasion. The hall was decked with roses and dahlias which were her favorite flowers. Yellow ribbons and white balloons were littered all over the floor, as the decorations weren’t completed yet. ‘You should hurry with those ribbons Cassie, we have a lot of things to do in the kitchen.’ Elena called out to her elder sister. ‘Whatever, where is mum anyway?’ Cassie fired back, while working on binding the ribbons and balloons together. Elena rolled her eyes, ‘on the phone, she says she has a surprise for us and I’m wondering if it is dad.’ She sighed and moved over to arranging dishes in a vertical order on the glass table. The sisters fell silent at the mention of their father, whom their mother had divorced five years ago. Mrs. Benjamin was a very materialistic woman who wanted a lot of things that her ex husband couldn’t afford. Their marriage suffered a lot of hassles, which had roots in financial disagreements, until she finally took the decision to end things with him. At first, her children had been shocked, they had persuaded her, but all to no avail. Her mind was made up and she wasn’t going to turn back. All of her children begged her to take their father back, except one, Eno. ‘Do you think father would come tonight?’ Elena, who was just twenty three, asked in a sad voice. She had loved her father very much and she shared a resemblance with him, but her life was empty and lonely without him. She knew the consequences of visiting her father, and she wasn’t prepared to face her mother, who was now the breadwinner of the family. Cassandra who was often called, “Cassie,” dropped the balloons and rose to her feet. She missed their father too, but there was nothing they could do to bring him back. ‘Ellie…’ she called her younger sister gently. ‘I want dad here, nothing is the same since his departure,’ tears welled up in Elena’s golden eyes but she blinked them away. Cassandra felt his absence too, but tonight wasn’t about their father. It was about their elder sister who had worked very hard to give them a comfortable life. Tonight was about a selfless personality who had sacrificed a lot to make them happy. ‘I miss him too, but I don’t him he would be here. We have to be strong Elena. Every one of us is hurt except mum, because she never loved dad. We can talk about him some other time, but tonight we focus on our sister.’ Cassandra bit her lip as she remembered their brother Elvis was equally absent. Elena knew exactly what she was thinking, ‘Elvis is fine, he sent me a message on Facebook. But he just doesn’t want to come home yet. He wants to be fully prepared to face mum.’ To be continued………………

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Episode 3 Cassie quickly withdrew her hands from her sister’s shoulder, ‘Elvis contacted you? How long were you going to tell me that?’ She scoffed and stepped back, feeling upset that her sister would keep such a heavy secret from her. A tear ran down Elena’s face, ‘You won’t understand, if he comes here, our lives maybe endangered. Elvis was working with very powerful drug lords before his arrest. Now he has been pardoned, he must tread carefully.’ She explained the reason she hadn’t shared the information with her sister While the Benjamin sister were still talking, Tamar Benjamin, their mother stepped out of her room and descended on the steps slowly and gently, like a serpent that was watching its prey. She knew her daughters were talking about Eno, her eldest child whom she never agreed with. She missed Eno greatly, and she was very happy that she would spend this yuletide season with them. Her excitement increased by each step taken, she had plans for her daughter, and she had already set them into motion. ‘What are you two bickering about? There’s a lot to do!’ She rolled her eyes as she landed at the foot of the stairs. The sisters went quiet at once. ‘We were talking about dad.’ Elena hissed angrily. She had a temper and could be very rebellious at times. ‘Elena!’ Cassie gritted her teeth. Mrs. Benjamin raised a hand, ‘No, let her speak!’ Elena’s hear thumped in an uncertain rhythm as she looked her mother in the eye. ‘How do you think Eno would feel coming home to find out that dad isn’t here to welcome her? And how would she feel knowing that you have sold her off to some arrogant King?’ Cassandra understood the first line, but the second didn’t sit well with her. She looked from her younger sister to her mother, and realized something had been brewing between these two and she wasn’t even aware of it. ‘Excuse me, what is going on here and what arrogant King are you talking about?’ Cassie faced Elena for more explanation. Elena scoffed and ran her thick fingers through her curly hair, ‘Why don’t you ask your mother? She didn’t divorce dad because of his financial situation alone, she hated him for disagreeing with her.’ Tamar’s mouth went dry as she stared at her lastborn. She couldn’t believe this girl still had delinquent tendencies. For heaven’s sake, she was no longer a teen! ‘What is she talking about mum?’ Cassie drew in a deep breath, expecting the worst but hoping for something different. She knew her mother was a greedy woman who hated to work. She could sell off her daughters just to purchase the latest jewelry in town. Tamar avoided Cassie’s accusing gaze, ‘Your sister is thirty six years old. Eno is a very beautiful woman and she has found purpose for her life…’ she paused. ‘Why don’t you just hit the hammer on the nail?’ Elena moved away from the scene angrily, and returned to arranging the table. Tamar sucked in air to calm herself, ‘You girls should all be married by now, but if your sister fails to get married, you two may not see the need to. I got married very early, though to a miserable man, but I have plans for you girls.’ She smiled, expecting them to understand that she wanted the best for them. Cassie was impatient with her mother’s explanation, ‘Mother, can you just tell me what I need to know?’ Tamar closed her eyes, ‘Okay, your sister has always been betrothed to the King of Lagos, but she doesn’t know that. His parents helped her a lot in school though she doesn’t know that. I thought he would’ve forgotten about her after many years apart, but he didn’t. He just returned from Amsterdam two weeks ago and he has been pestering me to visit his wife. This is one of the reasons I pressured your sister to come home.’ She averted her daughter’s eyes. Cassie scoffed, ‘I don’t understand, what do you mean by “your sister has always been betrothed to the King of Lagos,” please explain it to me mum.’ Mrs. Benjamin blinked away the tears that had gathered in her eyes, knowing that her kids would judge her for the decision she had taken in favor of them all. ‘Your sister had always dreamed of being a medical doctor. I couldn’t just fold my arms and do nothing like your father. I worked so hard to see her dreams come true, but I knew the meager salary I earned as a Civil Servant wouldn’t take her anywhere. So…I told one of my rich friends about it and she said she could help me. The first day the King and his wife saw the picture of Enobong, they fell in love with her and so did their son, Yemi. They said they would fund her education on one condition which was a marriage between Yemi and Eno whenever she was done. I agreed because I really wanted her to get better education outside. But I asked that the betrothing remain a secret between I and them, because if Eno knew about it, she would change her mind about going to school outside.’ Cassie felt weak by her mother’s confession, ‘But what about the scholarship…I don’t understand…’ Tamar brushed the tears off her face, ‘I went to a typist who helped me make that up. I knew that was the only way Eno would accept to school outside, I made it look like she had been considered for a scholarship when in truth, the King’s household had been funding her education.’ She had been lying to the Royal family all these years about Eno, but they were tired of waiting. Yemi wasn’t getting any younger, and he wanted to get married to the beautiful woman he had seen in the picture. ‘I told you! I told you that she is a devil. She is going to sell us off to me because of money.’ Elena mistakenly dropped one of the ceramic plates which shattered the silence in the room. Tamar bit her lip angrily, ‘Enough! If it wasn’t for the goodhearted King, your sister would never have gotten a better education. None of you here would live in this beautiful house. You should be licking my feet in appreciation.’ She folded her arms into a fist, ready to fight anyone who would stand in the way of her promotion to Queen Mother. ‘But mum, have you thought of Eno’s happiness? What about her life in America? What if she has fallen in love with someone?’ Cassie asked in a gentle voice. Tamar smiled, of all the daughter’s she had, Cassie had always been the thoughtful and pragmatic one. ‘Darling, I don’t care if your sister has a man in her life. The gold from the King’s court flourished her body and made her destiny come through. She has reaped enough benefits from the Royal House, it is time for her to payback.’ ‘But what if she doesn’t want him?’ Cassie asked. Tamar shrugged, ‘She has no option, but to want him.’ Elena sat in a corner brooding over her sister’s fate, resentment for her mother growing within her. ‘You are the worst mother in the world!’ She yelled.

Episode 4 A sharp pain struck Tamar in the heart as her youngest child said that, but she decided not to take her too seriously. ‘Thank you Elena for that compliment. I forgot to add that the King would be joining us to welcome your sister…’ she paused as she noticed confusion in Cassie’s eyes. ‘I don’t understand, is Yemi a king?’ Tamar laughed, ‘Not yet darling, he would be, once your sister agrees to marry him.’ Elena hissed loudly, ‘I would not be welcoming my sister then. I can’t stand you or that stupid King.’ She ascended the stairs immediately. Cassie sighed and folded her arms across her chest, she couldn’t believe this was happening. It seemed like a freaking movie, only that it was taking place in her house. ‘Why didn’t you tell Eno about this? She believed she worked to hard and that was the reason she earned the “schorlarship,” you made a fool of everyone mother. Is this the reason you divorced dad?’Cassie wondered. Tamar nodded, ‘Your father was a weakling, and I was always the only one taking decisions for the family. I have my flaws, but whenever I make use of my God given perfections, I do it for the good of everyone.’ She moved closer to Cass and placed a hand on her shoulder. ‘I know this is too much for you to ask, but I want you to help me convince your sister to marry the King.’ Tamar begged. Cassandra looked away, she knew that would mean betraying sisterhood. ‘I can’t do that.’ She released her arms and shifted away from her mother. ‘Of course you can, please, help me.’ Tamar begged. She knew Eno was closer to Cassandra, and would do anything that her sister advised. Cassandra stared into her mother’s eyes. She had to know just what exactly the woman was after. If her mother was telling the truth, then her sister would be in danger for not keeping to her own side of the agreement. ‘Only on one condition,’ Cassie raised a brow. ‘And that is?’ Tamar couldn’t wait to hear it. Cassandra like her father had fallen in love with the business of Fashion Designing, to her mother’s utmost disappointment. Her father had the best of ideas, but he didn’t have anyone to fund them and so he became a tailor instead. She wasn’t ready to let go of her dreams. Though she had been to the University, her first love was Fashion Designing and she had started her own brand which she named, “Sandra Hills.” ‘You are going to support my fashion designing dreams and you would introduce your rich friends to me.’ Cassie replied. She knew Eno may never forgive her for what she was about doing, why not make the price for the betrayal worth it? Tamar hadn’t expected that, ‘Is that all?’ ‘Yes,’ Cassie nodded and Tamar shrugged, ‘Done.’ Cassie was about to ask more questions about the Lagos King when the door flew wide open and a tall man who was the handsomest creature she had ever set eyes on walked in dressed in pristine robes. ‘Oh my God,’ Mrs. Benjamin held her breath as she beheld the Majestic presence of the King. ‘Who is that?’ Cassie wasn’t comfortable with the angry scowl on the man’s face as he seemed like an angry person. Tamar exhaled slowly, ‘King Adeyemi Adeola Lasisi.’ She found it difficult to pull her eyes away from the man that had taken a seat beside her. Her flight was going to be delayed by two hours and she would be stuck in the waiting area with this nosy stranger. There was something familiar about his beady eyes, and the scar that travelled from his forehead to the end of his left brow. She felt like she had known this man her whole life, even though she was meeting him for the first time. ‘Excuse me?’ She pulled in a drag from her cig and blinked when he had threatened to take away the cigarette from her. ‘You heard me, smoking isn’t good for a lady.’ The guy replied in a teasing voice. She snorted, ‘Balderdash! It is none of your business what I do with my life?’ She shifted away from him, angry at his misogynistic statement. Eno knew it would be difficult to fit into the Nigerian Society after more than a decade of being away. Back in the States, she wasn’t judged for being a single lady and no one cared if she smoked or didn’t. Everyone was about their business, and she hardly interacted with her neighbors. Obviously, from his accent and his mannerisms, the man beside her was Nigerian and his reasoning made her sick. ‘Okay, I am sorry if I came off wrong, but smoking is bad for the health regardless of gender. I know I am not supposed to be giving a grown woman lectures on how to take care of her body, but there is something about you…’ Sam trailed off as he felt his phone buzz. ‘Excuse me, I’d love to take this, it is important.’ He rose to his feet and abandoned the waiting room immediately for a less noisy place to take his call. Eno sighed with relief at the exit of the ugly guy which she considered a nuisance. She quenched the fire of her cigarette and rose to her feet. She needed to flee this spot before he returned, because she had experience with such Nigerian guys before, and it never ended well. They always asked for her phone number, which didn’t sit well with her. Eno was not ready to get hooked to any guy, her job was her lover and she wasn’t prepared to let go of her career on the altar of love. Just in time, an announcement was made and she tilted her head closer to the speakers so she could hear it very well as the noise in the airport had tripled with the arrival of new flights. Her heart thumped with excitement as she learned that her flight which was earlier delayed would leave in thirty minutes time. ‘Yes!’ She quickly grabbed her box, and hurried out of the waiting area. She knew her family was waiting for her return, and she missed them too. She couldn’t wait to set eyes on her youngest sister Elena, who had been very little at the time of her relocation to America. She also missed Cassie, the sister she was closest too, and who understood everything about her. Eno thought of her father, and how proud the man would be of her achievements. But the thought of her mother ruined her happy mood as she knew the woman wouldn’t let her rest when it came to the topic of marriage. ‘God help me,’ she licked her lips while moving over to the counter to have her things scrutinized by the officials. ‘Where are you Samuel?’ A croaky voice at the other end asked. ‘Iowa, I am sorry for the delay but gather the boys around. I just learned of a new development and we have to work together this time.’ Sam replied. The man at the other end fell quiet, wondering just what it was Samuel OJonugwa had discovered this time. ‘Did you hear me Elvis? I need your support and that of the boys. We have to fight together for our community to avoid being exploited like the lands of the Niger Delta.’ He murmured. Elvis was curious about this new discovery. ‘Can you just break the ice and tell me what you have found?’ He asked his best friend. ‘Have you wondered why the Deidre Geological Company has suddenly taken interest on our lands? The people living in those rocky slums have not gotten any attention from neither tier of government, and this company just comes up out of the blue. Think Elvis, think!’ To be continued…………………..

Episode 5 Sam sighed. All his life he had been fighting with the Nigerian Government for the rights of the downtrodden, even though the means which he achieved his goals were crude at times. He was an outlaw. He was the sole head of a group of young men whose purpose was to avenge the greedy Political elites in the country and he wasn’t going to stop till he stripped them off the stolen gold they adorned their fattened necks with ‘I have seen one of the company’s trucks around the community a few times, but I never thought of anything serious. I hear the company is owned by Yemi Lasisi, the soon to be King of Lagos.’ Elvis replied. Sam nodded vehemently, ‘You are right. I did my homework and the company is owned by Yemi. He is just like his father, who bought a lot of oil wells in Delta and has refused to do anything for the indigenes. I will not let them steal one grain of sand from my land. I am ready to fight to the death.’ He pulled in a sharp breath as he remembered the secret he had stumbled upon. ‘We don’t have oil Sam, Lokoja is more of rocks, what do you think they found? Surely, limestone isn’t as valuable as Crude oil to our politicians.’ Elvis wondered. Sam was torn between ignoring his friend, and telling him the truth. ‘Vermillion,’ he murmured. ‘What?’ Elvis asked. ‘Vermillion is found in rocks. It is a form of mercury and it is very expensive. If mined successfully, billions of dollars could be gotten from the sales of the processed form alone. The raw form is more expensive, and dangerous.’ Sam explained. ‘Vermillion? Fuck! We need to stop them from mining before it is too late.’ Elvis now understood why Sam had to come back to Nigeria urgently. They had been friends for a very long time, and Sam had been the one that had rescued him when he had been impounded for drug trafficking ten years ago. Sam’s father had been a man of high standing in the society, but he had been murdered by some Politicians. It was the death of his father, that pushed Sam to revolt against the Government, especially their heartless practices in the Niger Delta. ‘That’s why I’m coming home, get the boys ready and move camp to Badagry. We’ll fight the King and his family from there if they refuse to step back from Lokoja.’ ‘Aye, captain,’ Elvis broke the call and got to work immediately. Sam felt relieved after sharing his latest discovery with someone. He had been mad when he had come across that information about the discovery of Vermillion in the rocky City of Lokoja. He had made up his mind to chase the vultures away before it was too late. He turned off his phone and advanced towards the waiting room where he had left the striking lady who’d been smoking without a care in the world. Apart from the fact that she looked familiar, he found her very attractive. She had striking and delectable facial features; a good height for a lady and a very milky shade of fair. He loved her pinkish lips and her wide eyeballs which seemed to stretch when she was upset. She had beautiful natural hair, and nothing won him over like a lady who was comfortable in the way she was created. Sam smiled as he stepped into the waiting room; he couldn’t remember the last time he was attracted to a woman after the death of his girlfriend. Edna had died in an auto crash, just about the same time his father had been assassinated. Those two life events triggered a darker side in him, which threatened to swallow the little piece of humanity left. The smile faded from his face when he noticed she was no longer there. Her seat was empty and her box was nowhere to be found. ‘Shit,’ he rustled his hair and closed his eyes. “We’re leaving in ten minutes for Lagos, Nigeria…” Sam gritted his teeth as he realized he had almost missed his flight. But he was torn between finding the lady who made him feel something again, and leaving home for Nigeria to fight for his homeland. ‘I have to go,’ he shrugged and hurried out of the waiting area The flight felt like forever, she couldn’t remember the last time she had stayed this long on an aircraft. Eno kept looking out the window, staring at the stars and the thick clouds, wondering when they would arrive home. A mischievous smile danced on her lips as she briefly remembered the guy she had outsmarted at the airport. She was quite certain that the idiot would go back to the waiting area to look for her, but to his utter shock, she’d gone. Tired of her stellar admiration, she pulled out her phone and decided to go surf the web for a little while, just before the landing. She was about clicking on the “Guardian,” when the musky scent of a highly masculine perfume penetrated the air she breathed. There was everything familiar about this scent and it reminded her of Elvis, her brother who had been home away for many years. He was a prodigal and had fled the house when he was just sixteen. Immediately she dropped the phone on her laps and looked up. Her enthusiasm waned as she realized the man standing before her wasn’t her brother, but the guy she had avoided at the waiting area. ‘You!’ She rolled her eyes. Her heart skipped as she realized he was on the same plane as she was. ‘Are you stalking me?’ She waved a finger across his face. Sam had a feeling the lady he had been looking for was on this plane and luckily one of the flight attendants which he had persuaded with a few notes had agreed to search for a woman with the description he had given. ‘Yes,’ Sam noticed she was sitting alone, so he quickly joined her. Eno rolled her eyes, ‘What is wrong with you? Why are you sitting next to me?’ She couldn’t believe his guts. The guy was so arrogant and full of himself and that pissed her off greatly. Sam ignored her rant and settled comfortably. ‘We’re landing in Lagos in the next twenty minutes.’ He grinned. ‘That’s not funny, can you leave?’ Eno felt choked with his presence. Sam wasn’t the type of guy that she was easily drawn to. First, he wasn’t tall and neither were his facial features appealing, the scar on his forehead made him hideous. ‘Why are you so eager to get rid of me?’ Sam smiled; he could feel her eyes boring into the scar on his face. He knew he wasn’t an Idris Elba or cute faced guy like Chris Brown, but ladies loved him and he would find just what it was that would get Eno Benjamin on his list. She scoffed, ‘Don’t flatter yourself, you’re not an interesting guy and you’re very unattractive. You have to believe that.’ She tongue lashed him, hoping that would hurt his feelings. Sam wasn’t surprised that she had called him ugly, it only confirmed what he had been thinking. He knew exactly what game she was playing, but he wouldn’t let her win. To be continued……………..

Episode 6 ‘I have a feeling you like me. You’re scared of falling for me.’ He moved closer to her. Eno giggled, ‘Fall for you?’ She couldn’t believe her ears. ‘If you aren’t attracted to me, why did you run from the waiting area?’ Sam asked. ‘I didn’t run. I left because my flight was being announced, so don’t flatter yourself,’ She returned. He shrugged, ‘If that’s what you want to believe. I don’t know you, but you seem like you are running away from love. You don’t want to lose yourself in the arms of someone that truly cares. I wonder how long you’d keep running.’ Before she could say anything in her defense, Sam leaned forward and planted a brief kiss on her lips. ‘I’ll be seeing you around Eno Benjamin.’ Just in time, Eno felt the plane descending and when she turned back to scold him for kissing her like that, she found his seat empty. ‘How did he know my name?’ She wondered, before touching her lips, the place where he had kissed and left his indelible mark ‘You are welcome…your majesty,’ Tamar rushed to welcome the young regal who’d just stepped into the house. The atmosphere was immediately distorted as more guards poured into the house. This was supposed to be a small welcome dinner for her daughter, but the King was making it a very big deal. Tamar knew her daughter didn’t love crowds, she had a feeling Eno wouldn’t be happy about the King’s presence, but what could she do? ‘Where is my wife?’ Yemi barked, after running his eyes disdainfully over the unfitting environment where he had found himself. He wasn’t used to this sort of ordinary and simple place. He was a King and not a commoner. Cassie was awed by the imperial presence in the room, she had admired the attractive King who wasn’t more than thirty six, but the moment he opened his mouth, her admiration for him ended at once! He was uncouth and arrogant. She would never advise anyone to be with a man like that. Suddenly, his handsomeness faded before her eyes, and all she saw when she looked at his royal robe was a beast in white. ‘She hasn’t arrived yet. Please take a seat…’ Tamar rushed towards the trapezoid glass table and began pulling out the glassy chairs that had accompanied it. She had recently gotten the new set of furniture knowing the King could visit her home sometime. Yemi’s dark brows gathered together in disgust, ‘You insult me woman!’ He snapped at Tamar. How could anyone keep the King in waiting? ‘I shouldn’t be the one to wait for your daughter. You trained her poorly.’ He grumbled. Cassie struggled with the desire to tell the King to his face that he was nothing but an arrogant fool, but when she remembered that Eno was indebted to him, she kept her mouth shut. At first, she had imagined Yemi to be a very homely person and this was the reason she had agreed with her mother to convince Eno to marry him. But now she saw him for who he truly was, she’ll not be a part of her mother’s evil plan to plunge her sister into eternal unhappiness. ‘Please, do not be angry with me…’ Cassie watched with disdain as her mother fell to her knees, pleading with the King to wait for the return of Eno. She explained that a lot of things could have happened. ‘My King, what if her flight is cancelled? Surely, you cannot blame her for not being here. I know my house is an unworthy place to be, but just for the sake of the woman you love…take a seat.’ Tamar pleaded with the king. Cassie couldn’t stand it anymore, so she decided to join her younger sister in the room. Her mother’s actions were shameful, and they had to come up with a plan to rescue their sister from the hands of the evil King. All the while, Yemi had noticed the slender light skinned woman in the room. His anger towards Eno’s absence had prevented him from calling her out for her rudeness. But now that Tamar had pacified him with her kind words, he was ready to face the rude maiden. ‘Hey!’ Yemi called after her. Cassie felt he was calling one of his guards, but when her mother joined in the call, she paused in her steps and swirled round. ‘Yes?’ She wondered why the woman was calling her. ‘Come and kneel before the King.’ Tamar beckoned to Cassie. Yemi felt insulted that she would walk out of his holy presence without a word in recognition of his majesty. He hated disrespectful women, and he was certain that his bride to be wasn’t like this. ‘Are you kidding me?’ Cassie scoffed and crossed her arms against her chest. ‘Don’t test my patience!’ Tamar yelled. Cassie was quite sure that her sister would never be with a guy like Yemi, so what was the need of paying respect to a man that would never be her brother-in-law? ‘I don’t have time for this, excuse me.’ Cassie kissed her teeth angrily and ascended the stairs. Yemi had never felt this insulted by anyone since he was born. His guards were about chasing after the rude Cassie when her mother’s pleas intervened on her behalf. ‘You failed to train your daughter, is my bride like this?’ Yemi held his breath, hoping she would give him the answer he needed to hear. Tamar was so terrified of what would happen should Eno walk into the room. Cassie was the most cool headed of all her daughters, but if she was acting this way, it meant Eno would never agree to the marriage between herself and Yemi. ‘I…I tried my best my King. You know that I am a single mother and it hasn’t been easy to train all these girls on my own…’ she was about to give more reasons to the behavior of Cassie when the door flew wide open, and a confused looking Eno stepped into the house. She had arrived in her family house in high spirits. But one look at the congested driveway which was full of expensive looking cars and mean looking guards depleted the excitement in her. At first, she had wanted to ask if she was in the wrong house, but one look at the purple hibiscus in her mother’s garden reminded her of Elena’s favorite flowers. ‘What is going on here?’ Eno found it difficult to get her eyes off the dark handsome guy that was dressed in kingly robes. She didn’t need anyone to tell her that he was from a ruling house. Though she had stayed away from Nigeria for long, she still could recognize the peculiar dressing styles of each tribe. The man before her was a Yoruba regal, and it made her wonder what he was doing in the house. She noticed the house was decorated with balloons and ribbons. Christmas trees stood at each corner of the enormous living room, while a broody carol rumbled in the background. Where were her sisters? Where was her dad? ‘Is everything alright?’ She searched the man’s face and then her mother’s, as both remained quiet. Yemi was stunned by the beauty before him. Her eyes were little pebbles that would glow even in the darkest night. She was very natural, and that was what had attracted him to her photograph in the first place. To continued……………………

Arrogant fool

u can't wait to see what will happen here

Episode 7 My Queen you are welcome, we should head back to the palace to celebrate your return…’ he smiled for the first time since he walked into the house. First, she didn’t know this man. Why did he refer to her as his queen? Her heart raced as she noticed her mother’s abnormal silence. In a normal situation, the woman would have been all over her, asking for her Christmas gifts, bug she was very quiet. ‘Who are you?’ Eno turned to the King, since her mother wouldn’t say anything. ‘Excuse me?’ Yemi scoffed and pinned Tamar with an angry stare. She was supposed to tell her daughter everything by now. ‘Didn’t you tell her that we are engaged after all these years?’ Yemi couldn’t believe it. Tamar felt the earth should open up and swallow her, she was greatly ashamed for what she had done, but that was the only way to help Eno achieve her dreams. ‘I…I am sorry my king but she is here now…’ she stammered. Yemi felt embarrassed and humiliated. How could he just walk into the house of the woman he was supposed to marry and be treated like a total stranger? ‘Mum? What is going on here?’ Eno swallowed. ‘I give you two days to tell her everything and when I return, I am taking her back to the palace as my wife.’ Yemi fired, and turned his back on the woman before his anger got the best out of him. Eno stared at the back of the King till he vanished along with his guards, before dropping her box. ‘Can you talk to me now? What just happened?’ She stood hands akimbo and faced her mother whose eyes were already wet with tears. Tamar licked her lips nervously, ‘Look, you cannot blame me for doing this. It is for the good of everyone and our entire family. You always wanted to be a doctor and I loved that dream. I cherished it. I don’t like the education system here, so I asked people for help…’ Eno wasn’t following, she had gone abroad through scholarship, so her mother’s talk didn’t make sense to her. ‘What people are you talking about?’ Tamar sucked in some air to stabilize her for what was to follow. She needed to prepare Eno’s mind for the marriage. She knew the consequences that would follow should she fail to tell her daughter the truth. ‘There was no scholarship Eno. I had a friend who introduced me to the King and Queen of Lagos. When I showed them your picture while asking for sponsorship, Yemi walked in and saw it. He liked you instantly…’ Eno chuckled on hearing this, ‘Well mother, I am just coming back from a twelve hour flight and I deserve some rest. Your attempt at a Christmas prank is not working. I have to go…’ she stretched her arm and kicked the air, ready to ascend the stairs when her sisters appeared. Their countenance was dull and it made her wonder if they weren’t happy to see her. ‘It is true Eno, mum is not lying. You were betrothed to the king many years back unknown to you. The price you are to pay for enjoying their sponsorship is to marry Yemi.’ Cassie’s voice trembled as she imagined a lifetime with such an arrogant personality. Eno scoffed, ‘You guys are joking right?’ she swallowed and prayed she was having a bad dream. ‘I wish we were. This is the reason mother persuaded you to return to Nigeria after many years.’ Elena added. She could see that her sister’s weren’t lying to her. This was real! Her mother had made her feel she had deserved a scholarship. The woman had been lying to her all these years. ‘I will never forgive you…’ her legs threatened to give way as she stared into her mother’s eyes one last time. She suddenly wished she hadn’t returned to Nigeria. Unknown to her, she had walked into a trap which would be very difficult to escape. Angrily, he plucked the pictures on the wall and smashed them into brittleness. Pieces of glasses tumbled upon each other, and the shattering was accompanied by a cracking sound that shook the whole palace. Yemi was enraged by what had taken place at the commoner’s house. The woman he had carried in his heart all these years didn’t recognize him, she wasn’t in awe of him and that hurt very much. ‘Filthy commoners!’ He yelled and moved on to the next picture. He was living in another palace which he built for himself. The walls were etched with jasper and onyx. The floors were designed with the costliest of marbles and were fitting for a king that he was. Yemi decided not to involve his parents in whatever was happening between him and Eno. He would handle everything by himself. He would fight for the woman he loved even till his death. ‘Brother?’ Though Yemi lived alone, his younger sister came to his palace occasionally to spend time with him. She had been on the room working on their latest plan when she’d heard him screaming and breaking things. Whenever he was in this mood, all the servants and guards would flee to hidden corners, in fear of the king’s rage. ‘Yemi, what is going on?!’ The princess asked, she was the only one who could stand up to the king even in his worst state. The sound of his sister’s footsteps calmed him a bit, he noticed his fingers were bleeding from too much contact with the glassy picture frames. ‘Look at what you have done! Do you know how much these pictures cost me? When will you get a grip over your anger?’ Tayo shrieked at the bloody mess on the marble floor. ‘Watch your tongue,’ Yemi greeted his teeth and wiped away the blood against the white robe he still wore. She knew better than to get her brother more upset than he already was. Tayo sighed, ‘You shouldn’t be angry at this time brother, we have a lot to achieve and nothing is greater than spreading your fame across the continent and the world.’ She moved closer to where he stood and grabbed his bruised hands. Unlike her brother, she wasn’t a tall person. The Princess was small bodied, but very shapely. She had a nice set of teeth and beautiful brown eyes which were streams of loveliness. Her chocolate complexion matched the red colored dresses which she loved to wear. The only thing she shared in common with her older brother was the spirit of ambition. When they worked together, they were formidable and unstoppable. Her brother was a professional geologist who was schooled in one of the best institutions in the world, while she studied archaeology in Asia. She had been the one to discover a bright colored stone at one of her work sites in Lokoja. She had immediately sent it to the company they co-owned and the geologists had confirmed it to be vermillion, which was very hard to come by these days. If they could find more of the mineral, they would fulfill their dreams of being one of the most powerful ruling families of the whole world. ‘She doesn’t know me! Her mother failed to tell her all about me!’ Yemi withdrew his hands from his sister and rushed towards another picture when he remembered the look of confusion in Eno’s eyes. He would be a great king, and he desired such a striking beauty at his side. Tayo now understood why her brother was so angry. ‘You belittled yourself by paying that greedy woman a visit. I warned you brother. I told you to forget all about that family. She is simply a fraud and was only using our money to fund her daughter’s education.’ Tayo hissed. She had learned of the arrangement between her parents and Eno’s mother, but when the lady in question had failed to show up in Nigeria after many years, she had a feeling her brother had been played. ‘Never! I love her, you don’t understand what love is.’ Yemi rustled his thick black hair. Though he was seeing her for the first time, he had always carried her face in his mind. Even though he had been with other women while waiting for her, he was still tied to her spirit. ‘You are the King of Lagos and soon Nigeria. You are not a fool Yemi. If this woman really wanted you for her daughter, she would have told the lady about you since.

Episode 8 Why can’t you move on? What if she is in love with someone else? She spent nineteen years in America, what if she has kids and is married?’ Tayo couldn’t understand why her brother was so fixated with Eno Benjamin. Jealousy pierced his heart at the thought of Eno being with another man. ‘I wouldn’t let that happen, I’d rather kill her than let anyone have her.’ He swore under his breath. But Tayo knew better, she knew her brother would do no such thing. ‘No you won’t, you are many things but not a murderer. Now let us focus on the Vermillion we discovered.’ Without hesitation, she pulled out her phone from the little purse While going through her email messages, Tayo had read of two attacks on the Geologists who worked with their company. The men were thoroughly beaten by some masked men who warned them to stay away from the vermillion that had been discovered in Lokoja. ‘I think someone else knows about our discovery and that could be dangerous…’ she handed over the message that one of the works had sent to her. They both were working in secrecy and didn’t want the Federal Government to be a part of this discovery. Vermillion was important, and they wanted to hoard all the profits to themselves. Yemi’s heart skipped when he heard that, ‘Who would dare attack my workers?’ Tayo could only think of one criminal whose names were whispered in the dark. ‘I have a feeling the “Mask,” is back in town. He is a very intelligent criminal. Someone from the company must have leaked the information to him and lest we forget, his hometown is Lokoja.’ Tayo explained. They all knew who the Mask was, Samuel Ojonugwa was the leader of a group of militants whose job was to terrorize the government. ‘This bad, this is very bad.’ Yemi’s eyes darkened at the thought of Sam’s return to Nigeria. After his sister had discovered the mineral in the rocky plains of Lokoja, they had immediately hired a private investigator, whose job was to find out if anyone else knew about the existence of the Vermillion. From his findings, no one else knew about the mineral, not even the Federal Government and that meant enormous profit for their company. Now that Sam was in picture, everything was going to change except they got rid of him. ‘Yes it is. This is why you must save your energy till we face that bastard. Forget the girl, you’ll fall in love with another woman.’ Tayo advised. Yemi knew hoarding the vermilion was important, but he swore under his breath to win Eno’s love whether his sister stood by him or not. *** Sam had just finished a meeting with the young men and women who shared in the vision of a liberated Nigeria. They were tired of Government privatizing the common wealth of the Nation. As their leader, he had returned to share the latest information he had gotten. ‘It still baffles me how you knew what Yemi and his boys came for,’ Elvis Benjamin pulled a chair and joined his friend at the round table, after the others had dispersed. Sam scoffed. He had eyes and ears in many places. One with an honest purpose never lacked good information. ‘I knew something was up when one of my eyes reported the activities of the mining company in my hometown. No one shows up out of the blue in Lokoja.’ Sam paused and pulled out his phone from his pocket. He needed to share some pictures with Elvis, so he could understand what this was about. ‘Have a look….’ Sam crossed his hands against his chest and leaned back on the throne-like designed chair. Elvis’ hazel eyes flicked over the pictures of the dark skinned woman who was knee deep in dirt. She was digging into a pile of scattered rocks, and she had her hair pulled down. He found her quite attractive. ‘That is the King’s younger sister, Tayo. She is an archaeologist. This is not the first time of her going on an excavation. She just got lucky in Lokoja, and thought they could keep the discovery of Vermillion a secret.’ Sam explained as Elvis stared at more pictures. He wasn’t really thinking about the Vermillion, all his thoughts were focused on the princess who fascinated him. He had slept with a lot of women who had royal blood, and they bored him easily. Most of them had no ambition or dreams for their lives. They were content with their father’s money and getting married to rich men. They all came to him because of his unique looks. ‘Elvis?’ Sam shook his head and pulled the phone out of his hands, knowing his friend was awestruck by the ebony beauty. ‘I am sorry, I got distracted. But I get your drift. Now that we have sent a message across, they should back off soon enough.’ Elvis replied. On Sam’s order, they had broken into the Mining Company and beaten some of the workers, while dropping the message for them to stay away from the rocky terrains of Lokoja. ‘Don’t be naïve my friend, Yemi is not going to back down, even if he wants to his sister from what I have learned is very ambitious.’ Sam shrugged. Elvis was even more intrigued at this knowledge of the princess, ‘Then I guess we have to prepare for war.’ An impish smile played at the corners of Sam’s lips, ‘Of course. I think I have found the woman I want to spend the rest of my life with.’ He blurted out. For a very long time, he hadn’t felt something for any woman, but the milky skinned creature he met smoking at the airport seemed right for him. And he couldn’t stop thinking about her. Elvis’s smoky eyes brightened in surprise. It was common knowledge that Sam had built a high wall against his heart. Since the death of his lover and father, who were both murdered, he hadn’t spoken of any woman. ‘I am curious…’ Elvis couldn’t wait for more. ‘Your phone is buzzing, check that out first.’ Sam pointed at the android that buzzed annoyingly at Elvis’ side of the table. Elvis shrugged and picked the phone up; it was a text message from an unknown number. Come home Elvis. We need you more than ever. Merry Christmas bro. Elena. ‘What is it?’ Sam noticed the scowl on his face. ‘Nothing, just family.’ Elvis pushed the phone aside. His younger sister had somehow found a way to contact him which was startling. She was the only one that knew the truth about him. He had left his family for good, and he didn’t plan of going back home anytime. ‘You want to talk about it?’ Sam knew nothing about Elvis’ family, he had always felt Elvis wasn’t in good terms with them. Elvis shook his head in declination, he was done with family. Sam and the other members of their freedom fighters association were his new family. He was more interested in this woman who had made his best friend feel something after so many years of mourning for lost love. ‘I met her at the airport but she snubbed me. I described her to one of the air hostesses who showed me her details including her name. I kissed her.’ Sam smiled as he remembered the golden moment that he had planted a kiss on Eno’s lips. He knew she hadn’t been expecting that, and that would leave her restless. Elvis drummed his fingers excitedly on the table, ‘Does she feel the same for you?’ ‘No, not yet but she will. I did a research on her, but I didn’t find much information online. She is very beautiful Elvis, and I have this feeling that I have seen her before…you know, it’s a different kind of déjà vu.’ Sam’s heart thumped with excitement as he remembered her beautiful face. His mind told him that Eno was running away from love, maybe something tragic had happened to her and she didn’t want a repeat. He felt like the messiah that would fix the broken pieces of her. ‘Really? You got a picture?’ Elvis was eager to set eyes on this woman that had enchanted Sam. ‘Yea, I found just one on the internet. Apparently, she isn’t a social media person. She looks very responsible and private, and that is the definition of my dream woman.’ Sam turned on his phone and pushed it over to Elvis. From his mini research, he learned that she was a cardiologist at the Iowa Specialist hospital and she was one of the best in the region. ‘Isn’t she cute?’ He waited for Elvis to say something remarkable about the woman dressed in a lab coat and nerdy glasses. Elvis hands trembled as he stared at the screen of Sam’s phone. They light brown eyes, the golden skin and the mass of woolly hair were all too familiar. No, he couldn’t let this happen. He had run away from his family because he had started a drug life that could get them all killed. Now he was clean, he had joined another organization that wasn’t in par with the Government. This was the reason he stayed far away from his family. He loved them too much to endanger their lives. To be continued……………………

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Now I get it That is Elvis the brother of Eno who run away from home cos of drug issue And Sam her boss or co worker is now into Eno her sister

Episode 9 ‘You can’t be with her…’ Elvis clenched his teeth as he dropped the phone on the table. He knew Sam was a good guy deep down, but being around his sister could get her killed and he didn’t want that. ‘Excuse me?’ Sam noticed Elvis wasn’t happy. Briefly, he wondered if his friend had an affair with Eno, maybe this was the reason he was objecting to their being together. Elvis pushed his chair backwards and rose to his feet, ‘Stay away from her Sam, she isn’t the type of woman you need.’ If it meant fighting against his own friend to save his sister’s life, he would do it. Enraged, Sam joined him standing, ‘You don’t ask me to stay away from the woman I love without a good reason.’ Elvis had no option but to tell him the truth, ‘I can’t allow you be with my sister. Your worlds are far apart and she deserves someone better. We have declared a war against one of the most powerful Kings in this country, this isn’t the time to fall in love. It is the time to prepare. Goodnight Sam.’ Before Sam could say anything else in return, he swirled round and left for his room. Sam was hit with a powerful force of this new discovery. ‘I see…’ he caressed his chin as he thought of her striking facial features. Somehow she resembled Elvis, and that was the reason it felt like he had met her before. He knew Elvis had a good reason for asking him to stay away from Eno, but he had a feeling he would chase after what his heart desired. ‘Touché!’ He strolled towards the wine keep in the castle he’d erected for himself in a hidden part of Lagos. He fetched a bottle of Martini and emptied it into a glass, while listening to the gloomy rumble of a very slow Carol. “I am dreaming of a white Christmas…” ‘Hmm, it is going to be red Christmas for me. I’m attracted to her.’ He inhaled the drugging scent of the liquor in his glass as he soliloquized. He had a feeling this would be one of his best Christmases. Eno was tired of crying, her eyes were swollen and puffy and her head throbbed. Throughout the night, she had soaked her pillow with tears after discovering that her mother had sold her off to a man she didn’t love. At first, she didn’t want to get out of bed. She just wanted to lay down there and cry some more…but she quickly reminded herself that she had come to Nigeria to celebrate this Christmas with her family. She had come home to escape the haunting memories of the little girl that had died under her watch. She couldn’t blame her mother for wanting the best for her, she only did it the wrong way. ‘Oh God…’ she sniffed in air through her mouth as her nostrils were blocked. Her eyes fell on the clock’s two hands which ticked zealously. It was 9A.M on Saturday, and if she were in Iowa, she’d go jogging. The sapphire curtains of her room hadn’t been properly closed; a little ray of morning sunlight permeated her room and made her feel warm. ‘I am free…’ she closed her eyes and breathed in remembering how this year’s winter had been. With determination to enjoy her, she pushed the bedcovers that had trapped her slender figure aside. She moved to her box and burrowed into her sporty jumpsuit for jogging. She grabbed her phone and attacked a pair of earpiece to it. She was still mad with her mother for not telling her the truth earlier, but everything would be resolved once she returned. The three women were patiently waiting for Eno to show up. They were all afraid of her reaction, should they interrupt her morning sleep. ‘I don’t know if waiting here for her to wake up is right. What if she is so hurt and decides to do something harmful to herself?’ Elena asked her mother and sister. Cassie had found it difficult to sleep, her room was close to Eno’s and she knew her sister had been weeping all night. ‘I think we should give her space.’ Cassie replied. Tamar was quiet. She sipped from the cup of coffee very slowly and calculatingly. She was deeply troubled by the mess she had gotten herself and indeed her whole family. She knew her children were greatly disappointed and angry with her, but she couldn’t go back on her agreement with the King. Eno had to forgive her and move on with the marriage plans. ‘And why are you so silent mum? This is your problem you have to fix it.’ Cassie snapped at her. Tamar dropped the mug carefully and faced her second daughter, ‘What do you want me to say? I am sorry okay? I…shouldn’t have done it but Eno had big dreams and money plays an important role in funding such dreams.’ She was tired of being judged by her ungrateful kids. ‘You’re not even sorry mum? You don’t look remorseful.’ Elena complained bitterly. Her mother was sipping creamy coffee and had a full make-up on. How insensitive could she be? ‘Come on darling, I am sorry but we need to be practical. We need to be realistic. What is done is done and it is out of my hands.’ Tamar wished her kids could understand that there was no way to fix this. Cassie eyes brimmed with tears, ‘You have to go back to the King’s Palace and tell him Eno doesn’t like him. What were you thinking mum? King Yemi is higly arrogant and self absorbed. Why did you want her to end up with such a man?’ Tamar rolled her eyes, ‘At least he is a better man than your loser father.’ She hissed angrily. ‘Don’t bring our father into this!’ Cassie’s voice croaked. Elena knew another fight would start, so he quickly shared a piece of information which she thought was important. ‘I contacted Elvis. I told him to come home. The King would want to have Eno by all means, but if someone, like Elvis is here with us that could scare him a bit.’ At once the argument that had been quenched, Tamar and Cassie exchanged glares. ‘Elvis? How?’ The last they heard about him was his arrest in connection to drug trafficking. Elena shrugged, ‘I am a blogger, we dig these things out. I am hopeful he will come home and save us all from whatever that evil King is planning.’ She smiled as she thought about her brother. Tamar brushed the tears that dropped on her lashes away as the thought of her runaway son. ‘Did he ask of me?’ ‘No, he hasn’t responded.’ Elena replied quietly. She had heard all what was being discussed downstairs. Her heart skipped at the mention of her brother Elvis, whom she hadn’t set eyes on for a long time. She held her breath as she descended the stairs, from what she learned, her mother wasn’t too bothered about the situation at hand. ‘Good morning all,’ she bellowed as she reached the last stair. At once they all rose to welcome her like a queen, ‘Eno!’ Elena gasped in delight. She almost ran to hug her elder sister but controlled herself, when she noticed the dark circles round her eyes. ‘Elena?’ Eno moved closer to her baby sister and pulled her close. ‘You look great…’ Cassie was surprised to see that her sister was in a good mood. Tamar felt ashamed, she found it difficult to look into her daughter’s eyes after what had taken the place the previous night. To be continued…………….

Episode 10 Thanks, you too,’ Eno replied, this was the first time she was taking a closer look at her siblings since her return from the States. They looked healthy and happy, even more beautiful than what they appeared in pictures. Tamar was about to move away quietly when Eno called her back, ‘Mother?’ She halted on shaky feet, wondering if Eno would chastise her like her sisters did. ‘I am so sorry for what I did. Believe me, I am deeply ashamed. I thought what I was doing then was best. I had no right to treat you like some property. It pains me that…I cannot fix it and you’ll have to marry the King.’ Tamar lowered her eyes to the floor in embarrassment. But Eno had already forgiven her mother. She missed her family and even though Tamar was a difficult mother to please, she still loved her. ‘I will repay the King for his kindness. I will give him back all of his money, every penny that was spent on my head, I shall return. I came back here to celebrate Christmas with my family and no one would stop that.’ Tamar scoffed, ‘It is not as easy as it looks. Yemi would want to marry you at all cost. Money means nothing to him at the moment.’ Eno agreed, but maintained that she wouldn’t get married to such a vile man. ‘Besides…’ her cheeks pinked as she remembered the guy that had kissed her just before the plane touched the ground. Even in her weeping, her heart had strayed to the mysterious stranger who had vanished after the kiss. She had spent her night thinking of him, a nameless man that had found a spot in her mind. ‘What is it?’ Cassie wondered. ‘I don’t know how this sounds, but I met this guy in a plane and I have a feeling we are meant to be together.’ Eno replied. The faces before her lit with excitement and curiosity, everyone was now asking for more details about the guy except for her mother who still held the view that she couldn’t wriggle through Yemi’s powerful fingers. ‘Wait…you got a man?’ Cassie’s chubby face split into two, giving way to a smile. ‘That’s all I am saying for now, I have to run, and I’ll be back.’ ‘I can’t believe she has a man after all these years!’ Elena was as shocked as everyone else in the room. She couldn’t push the thoughts of the stranger out of her mind. With each breath and each step that she took, his face appeared in her mind and she wondered just for a second, if he had bewitched her with that kiss. It wasn’t a sensual kiss. But it held deep meaning, it clung tightly to her memory box and she wished she could see him again. She scanned the empty street as she jogged, it was lonely and quiet except for the Christmas carols that hummed from people’s homes. Eno wondered how he had known her name. There were many questions in her mind, and she wished she could set eyes on him just one more time. The man had been right, she was running away from something deep. She was running from all of her fears. ‘I tried…’ she stopped at an electric pole to rest after thirty minutes of jogging. Tiredly, she decided to move underneath the shade of a tall tree as the sun grew hotter. “Why do I have a feeling that you are running away from love?” She closed her eyes, and listened to the echoing of his manly voice. Those words that he had spoken to her were the truth. She had been single for thirty five years because she was scared of giving out her heart. Her parents had a very unhappy marriage, and that gave her a wrong perspective of love. She didn’t want to end up like her father, a broken and unhappy man. She had dreams of getting hooked with the right person, and making beautiful babies and living happily ever after. He was right. She had found him attractive from the moment he had walked into the waiting arena, and even more, when he had tried to take the cigarette out of her hands. Not many men had that courage to act that way towards a stranger. She liked that he was fearless, and caring. She exhaled sharply as she remembered the strange way he had looked at her while she was smoking. Eno had picked the bad habit during her first days of working in the theatre. Being around human blood, and all sorts of bodily fluids nauseated her, smoking was the only way to quench that feeling. Now her system had gotten used it. She smoked when she was stressed, or afraid. Maybe it was time to consider breaking her addiction. She quickly unplugged the earphones and stared at her phone screen. She felt foolish for attempting a search of a stranger whose identity she didn’t know about. She regretted giving him a cold shoulder, but it was too late for regrets now. She believed that if they were truly meant to be, they would find each other again. Satisfied with the little rest she had taken, Eno rose to her feet and continued her morning jog. Unknown to her, she was being watched. When her alarm blew off, signaling an end to the morning session, she spun on her feel and made ready to return home. She could feel her heart beating fast against her chest, and her blood rushing through her veins after the jog. ‘Perfect,’ she took deep breaths as she strolled back. From the corner of her eyes, she noticed something new about her environment. It was a black Honda Civic, and it was similar to one of the cars she had met outside on the night of her return. An eerie feeling crept up her spine as she spotted two hefty looking men glaring at her from within. She had a feeling that these men had been waiting for her. ‘No,’ she sucked in enough air to last her as she began to run. As if reading her thoughts, the thugs signaled the other men that had been waiting upfront for her, so she wouldn’t escape. Shockingly, a maroon BMW out of nowhere pulled over, and a stout man with aggressive beards grabbed her from behind into the car. Even her loud screams couldn’t save her. Cassie, Elena and their mother were all deliberating on the best way to save Eno from getting married to King Yemi. Cassie had suggested that they calculate how much money had been spent on her education, and if it were possible repay them. Elena had suggested their sister return to Iowa, never to visit Nigeria again. But Tamar maintained that once someone made a covenant with the Royal family, that there wasn’t any going back on the promise. ‘You just want Eno to marry the King for your selfish desires.’ Cassie snapped at her mother. She knew the woman wasn’t interested in what Eno had to say in this, if she were, why would she still be bent on going ahead with the marriage plans? Tamar regretted her actions, but it was too late to turn the hands of time. Eno rightfully belonged to King Yemi, and there was nothing anyone could do about it. ‘Mum, how do you sleep at night? Even the Bible has made us to understand that the wicked shall not have peace. You sold your daughter off to man whom she doesn’t love. You were here when she announced that she had fallen in love with someone. Don’t you care about her happiness?’ Elena hissed. Tamar shrugged, ‘Eno made it very clear that she just met the man. It isn’t like she has been in a long term relationship. I know your girls hate my decision, but in time you’ll come to appreciate it.’ She rose to her feet and made ready to retire for her room when the entrance door flew wide open and one of their neighbors rushed in looking terrified. Just then, Elena whispered to Cassie while pointing to the clock that Eno was taking too long. ‘I don’t know if this is an American thing, but can someone jog for three hours?’ Cassie’s eyes followed her sister’s gaze, it was approximately 12 P.M. To be continued…………………

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Still jogging ni

nyc one dear...

Eno is now in trouble

while would the king do that?

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Episode 11 ‘I don’t think she is jogging, she just wants time alone after everything that has happened.’ Cassie insisted. The heavy breathing and sweating of their neighbor Mrs. Daniel drew their attention to her. ‘What happened to you Kehinde?’ Tamar rushed to the woman’s side. Mrs. Kehinde Daniel was a middle aged woman, and she was diabetic, her heavy panting was a sign that something grave had taken place. Mrs. Daniel had been enjoying the morning scenery of the green belt neighborhood when she spotted two men dragging Eno into a car. ‘It’s your…’ she took in some air. ‘Would you like some water?’ Elena knelt beside her, but the woman declined. She wasn’t in need of water; she just wanted the courage to relay such a bad news to Tamar’s family. Everyone was getting impatient with her forced breathing. Why couldn’t she just agree to drinking water? ‘I am so sorry…but your daughter has been kidnapped.’ The woman broke into tears after telling them all that had happened. Eno had been strolling back to the house, when a maroon car pulled over and some men took her against her will. Tamar couldn’t move. Her legs were numb and everything in her died instantly on hearing this. ‘I don’t understand…’ Elena’s voice cracked. Cassandra placed her hands on her head, how could they receive bad news on such a glorious day? ‘I think the King is behind this.’ Tears dribbled down Tamar’s cheeks as she realized it could be his only way of paying her back for keeping Eno away from him. Cassandra swore never to forgive her mother should something happen to their sister. ‘I warned you about this, there is something blatantly evil about Yemi but your greed blinded you to the truth. I am going to call dad and tell him everything that you have done, I guess he would be very happy with you.’ She ran up the stairs without one glance at her mother, or Elena who was weeping silently. Tamar knew things would escalate should her children tell their father what had just happened. ‘You cannot let her tell him, he will kill me.’ Tamar moved over to where Elena sat and placed a hand against her shoulder. Though her husband wasn’t wealthy like she’d wanted him to be, he cherished his daughters very much and would never forgive her if he got to hear about the kidnap. Elena patted her eyes dry with the back of her hand, ‘I think I’ll have to call Elvis. I don’t care what you say mum, but the King has no right to kidnap my sister. Eno has made enough money to cover up all that he exhausted in funding her studies. She can pay him, but she doesn’t need to marry a man against her will.’ Those were her last words before she left to call her brother and alert him about the kidnap. Once her kids and the neighbor had gone, Tamar quickly rushed outside of the house. She fled to her garden, a place where she usually received confidential calls. A mischievous smug settled on her face as she pulled out her phone from her purse. She knew King Yemi was behind the kidnapping, and she wasn’t bothered a bit. He had sowed enormously into Eno’s life, and it was time for him to reap the benefits that accrued his investment. ‘Hello,’ she called in a shaky voice. ‘Who is on the line?’ A female voice inquired. Tamar guessed that was the King’s personal assistant, ‘My name is Tamar Benjamin. Please, I would love to speak to the King urgently.’ She hoped her request would be granted. ‘Do you have an appointment with him?’ The lady asked. ‘No, but I have something important to share with the King.’ Tamar was getting impatient and angry at her useless questions. The line went quiet for a few minutes before she said, ‘Okay, let me put you through to the King.’ In a matter of seconds, the King who’d been in another meeting with his younger sister was told about the call. ‘Good afternoon my King,’ Tamar couldn’t hide the excitement in her voice. ‘Afternoon,’ Yemi had been trained not to relay his emotions to commoners. ‘I know that your men are the ones that have taken my daughter. Please forgive me for not giving her to you the proper way. She is your wife my King, do with her whatsoever you please.’ Tamar returned. At first, Yemi wanted to ignore the woman for the humiliation from last night, but he changed his mind. ‘Thank you Queen mother.’ Being addressed in such an honorary manner tickled her insides, and she began to rain praises on the King in accented Yoruba. ‘It shall be well with your reign. You are the best my King.’ ‘Have a lovely day ahead.’ The King ignored her accolades and broke the connection. Apart from welcoming his bride to the palace, he had other important matters to attend to. ‘Beast, get away from me!’ Eno tried to break free from the cords that bound her. Her fears had been confirmed the minute the men drove into a luxurious mansion which was obviously the Palace of King Yemi. Her lips shivered as he walked closer to her, ‘Whatever plans you had with my mother doesn’t concern me. I don’t love you and I will never marry you!’ She cried, feeling defeated as she realized that there were seven guards in the room, to prevent her from escaping. Yemi ignored her screams, he wanted to have a feel of her silky skin. All these years he had kept the image of her face in a special place in his heart. Those eyes that haunted him the first time he set eyes on her picture were right before him and he could do anything he’d wanted with her. ‘I am not asking you to love me, we were meant to be together from the beginning.’ He stroked a side of her face. Eno flinched away the moment his hands made contact with her skin. Why couldn’t he understand that she wasn’t aware of the plans he had with her mother? ‘Please…just let me go back to my family.’ Her teeth clattered together in a desperate plea for freedom. She had just returned from a journey, she was supposed to be resting and hanging out with her sisters like she had planned. Being kidnapped by a King who’d already assigned his role as her husband wasn’t what she had foreseen when she had planned a trip back home. ‘Why are you so afraid of me?’ Yemi felt slightly hurt by the way she’d pulled her face away. He was in awe of her delicate features. She was like glass in his hands, so precious and fragile. Why couldn’t she understand that they were meant for each other? ‘I am not afraid of you…’ Eno started, trying to hard to sound strong but her voice gave her away. It was shaky and laden with pain and regret. It seems she paying for her failure to save Jahnvi’s life. A tear scurried down her face as she beheld Yemi’s eyes closely for the first time. ‘I know you are a good person. You have a beautiful soul but you try to hide it because you are a King. I don’t know what agreement you had with my mother, but it is obvious that I know nothing of that plan. Please let me go, you can always find more beautiful and younger women. I am beneath your league…’she hoped her words would work magic on him. A sad smile played on his lips as he regarded her, ‘I am not a fool Eno. I paid your way through school and you will sit by my side on the throne as payment.’ He moved closer and began to stroke her long hair. She was disgusted by this act which seemed innocent. ‘I can pay you back! I will give you all of the money that you spent on me.’ Eno offered to redeem herself.

Episode 12 At once, he pulled his hands away from her hair and laughed, ‘Why do you think I haven’t been married all these years? I have been with a lot of women. So many would die to warm my bed, you should be lucky not sad.’ He had made up his mind to be with Eno, her reluctance meant nothing to him. Women were like dough, care and patience were needed ingredients to knead them to perfection. And Eno wasn’t an exception to this rule. ‘You are my queen, and there’s no denying it.’ He was about to tell her more about her role in the Palace, when the door to the room where she was being held bound barged open and an angry looking Tayo walked in. Eno clenched her teeth as she observed the entrance of the ebony beauty. She shared a strong resemblance with Yemi, but her brows were thicker and much more defined. She appeared to Eno as a rude and pompous princess. Even the way the guards bowed their head in her worship confirmed what she had been thinking. ‘We need to talk!’ Tayo ignored Eno completely. She had warned her brother to stay away from Mrs. Benjamin who was nothing but a broke ass gold digger, but he wouldn’t listen. Yemi wasn’t surprised at his sister’s reaction to Eno’s presence, he knew that she wasn’t in the same boat in this matter. ‘You don’t look happy, what is it?’ He hoped she hadn’t come to advise him to stay away from his Queen, because his mind was already made up. Tayo shrugged, ‘I just received another message from the Mask and his men.’ She bellowed to the hearing of everyone in the room. Not that she was concerned about what the siblings were discussing, but the mention of “The Mask,” got her attention. Even when she was away, she had heard the name a lot of times on the lips of Nigerians. He was a criminal, who was very antagonistic to the Nigerian Government. What made the personality more mysterious was the fact that no one had ever set eyes on him before. The Police had tried severally to pin down this powerful antagonist, but they had failed each time they tried. ‘What do they want?’ Yemi had to forget Eno briefly, this was equally important. Tayo blinked, and ran her eyes over the ceiling of the room. ‘I’d always warned you Yemi. I know what is best for you because I am you sister. First, they threatened us to stay away from the rocks and now we have somehow gotten into their trap, so they have gained ground to fight us more.’ She was very unhappy with her brother’s idea. Eno listened carefully to what was being discussed and she briefly wondered what business King Yemi had with such a dangerous personality. ‘You are just complaining over and over, what was his message this time?’ Yemi was lost, his sister wasn’t clear with her message. Her lungs inflated as she pulled in a very deep breath and pointed a finger at Eno. ‘The Mask wants her!’ The news of Eno’s kidnap had come like a strike of thunder. His blood thumped, even as his friend tried to pacify him. Elena had sent him a detailed message about everything that had transpired between their mother and the King. ‘I can’t believe that would woman would pimp her daughter like that,’ Elvis sighed as he caressed the shotgun on the table. He had been ready to march into the King’s palace and kill everyone who would attempt to stop him from taking his sister out of that horrible place. Elvis realized that no matter how far he went, his family would still need his help. And he also had a feeling that he was created for times like this. ‘You are quiet…’ Elvis observed his best friend from the corner of his eye. Sam had been in his study, drawing up the perfect strategy on how to outsmart both Yemi and the Federal Government in relation to the latest discovery. But the silence of the mansion was taken away by the angry screams of Elvis after receiving information about the kidnap. Sam couldn’t stop staring at her photograph. She had become his obsession, and if he didn’t fight it, he would fall head over heels for her. ‘I already sent the Princess a message; they will be waiting for us.’ Sam replied calmly. His voice was bold, and his eyes were confident. Elvis knew Sam was up to something, but he didn’t want to intrude. Whatever plans Sam was cooking up in that genius brain of his would help get his sister back. ‘I will make the King an offer he would not refuse.’ Sam turned off his phone and dropped it into his pocket. He had deliberated within himself on the right approach to take. First the King and his sister had trespassed on his lands, and now he had taken the woman of his interest. The King had declared a full blown war, but he would be the one to lose. ‘What offer?’ Elvis’ attention was torn between his buzzing phone and what Sam had to say. He decided to ignore the phone, he could always get back to that anytime. Sam knew his friend wouldn’t like his idea, but Eno was worth that kind of sacrifice and more. ‘You’re not going to like it.’ His eyes glowed mischievously. He had already drawn up an invisible strategy in his mind. He would kill two birds with one stone, throwing the King into utter confusion. Elvis couldn’t wait to hear this idea, ‘Tell me.’ ‘Do you remember what I said about your sister last night?’ Sam rubbed his palms together. Of course, Elvis remembered. He wasn’t still over the shock of Sam having a thing for his elder sister whom he hadn’t seen for many years. ‘Yes, how does your infatuation with my sister relate to this?’ Elvis wished he could understand the correlation. Sam quickly corrected him, ‘What I feel for your sister isn’t infatuation, be careful with your words.’ He felt offended that Elvis would trivialize what he had for Eno. He could understand why Elvis was reacting that way. Love at first sight was mythical and to some, it didn’t exist. But Sam had always been an outlaw from the beginning. He wasn’t the type to live his life in accordance to societal rules and expectations. He was Samuel Ojonugwa, and he was the one that created the rules for people to abide by. ‘I am sorry if the truth hurts you. Now let us talk about the way forward here.’ Elvis threw his hands into the air. Sam had wanted to ignore his friend for his insensitive response, but he decided to share his plans with him, to avoid confusion in the future. ‘I will offer the King and his sister access to the rocks. I’ll call our men back. I am offering him an opportunity to mine all the vermillion he wants without the knowledge and interference of the Federal Government.’ Elvis couldn’t believe his ears, ‘You’re kidding right?’ He knew Sam wouldn’t give up their opportunity of ruling the country from this mansion away, just to save his sister. Vermillion was the most sought after mineral after gold. It was going extinct, so whoever had access to the mineral was considered an important personality. ‘I know it may sound stupid, but I like your sister. I am willing to give up more for her, all I want is her attention.’ Sam shrugged. He knew Elvis thought he was crazy, from the look on his face. Elvis shook his head, ‘Hell no, I can’t let you make a crazy decision and pin it down on saving my sister. We both know we could attack that palace and take her away, but we won’t. Why do you want to give Yemi the opportunity to milk your hometown dry? Did you see what his fellow elites did to the Niger Delta lands? We cannot give them the opportunity to get close to the vermillion. We may never forget ourselves for it.’ Elvis hoped he could dissuade his friend from such an irrational decision. But Sam wasn’t changing his mind, ‘Let the King have the vermillion, I will have your sister.’ To be continued…………………

harsh decisions

hmm tuff discion abi

Feeling it

Following

Episode 13 It was now clear to Elvis that what Sam had for his sister was greater than infatuation, it was deeper and it scared him. Never in his life, had he seen Sam acting this way just to rescue a damsel in distress. ‘Look, I have other plans for us, but I may not unfold them now. Just get my mask and my gun ready. We are paying the king and his beautiful sister a short visit.’ Sam ordered, before advancing towards the exit. He was very excited at the thought of meeting her again. He knew she would be terrified of the King and his crude ways of doing things. But soon, her captivity would be history, because he was going to deliver her from the hands of her captor. Once Sam was out of the room, Elvis decided to distract his mind from his friend’s attraction to his sister. He grabbed his phone and ran his eyes over the screen. ‘Elena,’ he muttered his sister’s name as he realized that he had been ignoring her messages. He quickly responded to one of the messages, then they began to chat. Tamar had joined her daughters in Elena’s room, she reassured them that their older sister was with the King in his palace and she was very safe. ‘I told you that we cannot win this one. By right, your sister belongs to the King and he has taken her to be with him.’ Tamar was relieved that her daughter hadn’t been taken by some hoodlums. She was confident that the king would make a good husband. Cassie and Elena exchanged glares; they were tired of arguing with their mother. Or trying to make her understand that what she had done was wrong. ‘Mum, just leave us alone. I am talking to Elvis right now and he will get Eno back home.’ Elena waved her mother aside. She would deal with her mother’s horrible attitude later. Tamar laughed, and smacked her palms together, ‘How can you even trust your prodigal brother to “rescue” your sister? Elvis has brought nothing to this family but pain and hollowness. If I were you, I’d do better things with my time.’ Tamar felt that the time of convincing her daughters to support her plans for Eno was over. Now that the King had taken his bride, she was free to move on with her life. ‘Mum, don’t you have conscience? You just sold one of your daughters off!’ Cassie snapped at her, feeling disgusted by her mother’s nonchalant attitude towards the whole thing. But Tamar wasn’t perturbed. She had been worried at first about the way Eno would see her. But she was looking at the bigger picture here, her bloodline would forever be linked to the throne and that was what every mother prayed for. ‘Can I ask you a question mum?’ Elena dropped her phone. ‘Yes, sweet pea.’ Tamar replied sweetly. ‘Tell us how you knew it was the King that kidnapped our sister. Why do I have this feeling that you planned it with Yemi?’ Elena didn’t trust the woman one bit. Tamar shrugged, ‘Well, the King called me and informed me that his wife was very happy in the palace.’ She lied smoothly. She knew the girls would throw more questions at her, so she quickly rose to her feet and hurried towards the door. ‘You should be ashamed of yourself mum. Eno would never forgive you for this.’ Cassie called to her. Tamar didn’t care what any of her daughters thought of her plans. But she had just one thing to say to them, ‘To be clear, Eno understood that I wasn’t being selfish by taking that decision. I wanted the best for her. She has a degree and now a billionaire husband. I don’t know what it is that you both have with Elvis, but if you ruin the King’s chances of being with the woman that he loves…’ her voice trailed off as she grabbed the door’s handle. Elena was the hot headed one, ‘what would you do mum?’ ‘Of course one of you will have to take her place in the palace.’ Tamar flashed a clean set of teeth before stepping out. And she meant every word she had spoken. If Cassie or Elena got in the way of her plans, she would make sure they pay for it. Cassie dropped her head in disappointment; she couldn’t believe that her mother would act that way. ‘Did she really give birth to us?’ ‘I don’t think so.’ Elena snorted and returned to chatting with her elder brother who seemed very interested in what had been happening in the family. ELVIS: I am sorry for not replying, I was busy. ELENA: It’s okay bro. Mum isn’t sorry about pimping Eno off to the king. She just walked out of the room. ELVIS: I can’t blame her. She had always wanted the best for her children; only that she didn’t know how to go about it rightfully. ELENE: Seriously? Are you taking her side now? ELVIS: Let’s be realistic. I don’t support what mother did, but without the King’s money, Eno wouldn’t have made it. ELENA: Now you’re scaring me… ELVIS: Don’t worry; I don’t support Yemi kidnapping our sister. I swear to you that I’d get her back. ELENA: I know you would, but be careful. I accidentally mentioned your plans to mother. ELVIS: It is alright, I am not alone. ELENA: Will you come with her? ELVIS: Can we not talk about my return home? How is Cassie? How is Dad? ELENA….typing ‘Elena?’ Cassandra had been surfing the web when her eyes stumbled on something important. She knew her sister would be delighted with this news. Elena was a professional blogger, and her blog, “Spicy,” was one of the best in the country. She knew that the news she had just seen would go viral soon, and her sister had to use it to boost traffic. ‘Yes?’ Elena’s eye travelled from the phone to her Cassie’s face. ‘I think you may find this interesting, some sites are talking about it and I feel you should join them, but with a new perspective.’ Cassie handed her iPad to her sister. Elena was reluctant to take the phone from her sister; she was more interested in talking to her brother Elvis. But she knew that would come off as rude, so she took the iPad from Cassie and glanced through the site. Her pupils dilated in surprise as she read the news, ‘But this isn’t possible…’ Elena swallowed. ‘Yes it is, The Mask has returned to terrorize the country.’ Cassie shrugged. The site had just reported the explosion of a famous oil refinery in Ughelli, and it was alleged that the Mask and his militants were behind it. ‘I thought people said he’s dead.’ Elena raised a brow. ‘People like him don’t die. They lurk in the shadows and terrorize the world.’ Elena was thrilled with this news; she had something to boost the traffic on her site. Sam and Elvis were the only ones that planned to visit the palace. He was about covering his face with the yellow mask which he often put on during operations when Elvis strolled into the room fuming. ‘They are at it again, they are pinning this one on you.’ Elvis tossed a newspaper on the desk close to where Sam stood. One of the boys had showed it to him. Sam ran his eyes over the headlines till he reached the point which concerned him. An explosion had just happened in Ughelli, Delta State and the papers were pinning it on him. ‘Propaganda, someone is trying to distract us.’ Sam shook his head in laughter. He had been accused of worse crimes, rape and murder, but he had never done any of those things. He had a lot of enemies in high places and they could do anything to tarnish his image before the people he was fighting to protect. But Elvis didn’t find it funny, ‘If they keep on doing this, we may just have to blow their fucking brain off!’ He grabbed the paper and began to tear it into pieces. Sam didn’t stop him, he just found his friend’s reaction funny. ‘We both know that we didn’t carry out that rogue operation. We don’t do things like that. Why don’t you focus on what we are about to do? Is being framed more important than your sister’s life?’ Sam grabbed the AK47 closer to him and scrutinized the gun. Elvis shrugged, ‘I just wished I knew those behind these lies.’ Sam suspected only one person, ‘It is either the King or his spoilt little sister. They are trying to buy time for themselves knowing we wouldn’t let them close to the Vermillion. If the Federal Government believes this news to be true, they will start trailing us and we may have to leave the country again.’ He was a hundred percent sure that Yemi or his sister was behind the rumors. Elvis found this piece of information more intriguing, ‘Is the princess this ruthless?’ He was starting to get attracted to her. Sam nodded, ‘Some people say she controls her brother. A woman who wields such power over the King shouldn’t be joked with. Now come on.’ Swiftly, he covered his face with the yellow mask and dropped the gun in his pocket. It was time to take back what the King had stolen from him. His belly fluttered as he thought of kissing her again, this time, deeper than the first. As both men sauntered out of the study, a Christmas Song began to play. And it was the perfect song for what was to take place. “Santa Claus is coming to town….” To be continued…………………

Episode 14 The ride to the King’s palace was more than an hour as he lived in the outskirts of town. The King lived in an enormous estate all by himself, and it was going to be difficult to locate the exact place where Eno was being held. ‘This is going to be harder than I thought.’ Sam pulled the mask off his face as he stared at the array of identical houses in front of them. The area was expanse, airy and green. Just before the first house, which was shielded by a tall fence and a golden gate, there was a large field. At the sidelines, statues of ancient kings were erected. ‘Do you think he would stay here?’ Elvis whispered. ‘I don’t know…’ Sam replied honestly. They were about moving when two huge men dressed in white stormed out of the gate towards them. They carried guns. And from the look on their faces, it seemed they had come prepared for the visit of the mask and his friend. ‘I guessed the Princess got my message then.’ Sam chuckled and quickly pulled out his gun from his pocket. Swiftly, he pointed it at the two men who were advancing towards them. Elvis followed suit, these men would be the ones to lead them to the King for negotiations. ‘Stop right there if you want to see tomorrow’s sunrise!’ Sam fingered the trigger and advanced towards the men, whose stern facial expressions had softened. Sam quickly remembered that he hadn’t shielded his face from their view, so he did. The mask swallowed his oval face completely, leaving open his mouth and his eyes. ‘Elvis?’ He called in a sharp voice. ‘Yes boss.’ Elvis hurried to his side. ‘I need you to leave, I don’t know what will happen in there, but you need to hold the fort while I am away.’ Sam wanted to speak to Yemi alone, he knew Elvis hadn’t been too comfortable with his decision to forgo the Vermillion for Eno. He didn’t want anything to hinder him. Elvis wasn’t seeing the bigger picture here; he didn’t have an idea of what he was planning for the King. Elvis had wanted to argue, but he knew that this was neither the time nor the place, so he quickly rushed back to the car and drove away. ‘Now it’s just me, who dies first?’ Sam’s laughter was hysterical, and it scared the men. ‘Who are you?!’ One of the men yelled, trying to sound courageous. Sam knew how to get the attention he needed, because he was quite sure that the King was within those walls. ‘I hate to do this, but I am really sorry.’ He pointed his gun directly at the crotch of the man that had just spoken, before releasing the trigger. **** The King had been in his royal garden, drinking Iced Tea and eating some cookies, while conversing with Tayo whose focus was on the laptop she carried. She was telling her brother to forget Sam’s threat, there was nothing he could do to their plans. ‘I have already dropped a bomb in his camp, in two days, he and his band would be scattered in many ways.’ She couldn’t take her eyes off the site where the news she had constructed was being published. Yemi had always wondered where Tayo got her intelligence from, ‘What did you do this time?’ He sipped coolly from his mug, his mind still on Eno who had refused to take neither food nor water. Tayo had done something very dirty and she knew her brother wouldn’t approve. ‘I sent some thugs to bomb a refinery in Ughelli. It’s on the Mask now, and nobody would ever trace it back to us.’ She averted her brother’s eyes when she noticed a glint of displeasure. Yemi suddenly lost his appetite, ‘What? How could you do something like that Tayo? I thought we agreed not to shed innocent blood on the path to fulfilling this cause.’ She rolled her eyes and snorted, ‘Chill, the boys assured me that no life was lost. Only properties were destroyed and they could always start over.’ Tayo knew her brother was chicken livered and he always left her to do the dirty work. ‘Hey, if we don’t distract Sam and his militants, they would never let us be. Vermillion would make us even more powerful than the sitting President of the United States. Countries that have interest in bomb and explosives would bow to her feet. It is a potent mineral for technological advancement and I want you to see that.’ She explained why she had taken that decision without informing him. Yemi dropped the mug on the stool close to him, ‘Are you sure no life was lost?’ He rarely fought dirty, but his sister was used to that kind of way, and it scared him sometimes. She had forgotten about their position of authority as royals. If the crimes she had committed were somehow traced back to them, they would lose honor before society. ‘Come on bro, have I ever lied to you all these years?’ She couldn’t understand why it was so hard for the King to believe her. He was about to answer when a shattering sound ended the silence that the palace had once enjoyed. Yemi rose to his feet at once, ‘Something is wrong.’ At the same time, his body guards all rushed closer to where he stood and suggested he left for his chambers while the checked what was going on. Tayo’s brows furrowed in confusion, but she immediately relaxed as she remembered the message she had received from the Mask. ‘Brother…’ she called to Yemi. ‘Let us go inside, we’ll talk later.’ He whispered to his sister but she wouldn’t budge. ‘No, I think Samuel Ojonugwa is here. He threatened to pay us a visit.’ Tayo had a feeling that Sam must have heard the news of the explosion, and he was mad that someone was framing him up. She hoped that he hadn’t traced the news back to her as that would be terrible. ‘I don’t care whoever it is, but someone dangerous is out there and his intent is to harm us.’ Yemi replied. He knew his sister would remain stubborn, so he quickly ordered a guard to bundle her back to the palace. To be continued…………………

What kind of mother is this Tamar? Ur plan will not work

Sam and Elvis nice one

Tayo is a big problem

Tayo is a big problem

Episode 15 Share this on WhatsApp ‘If you lay a hand on me, I’ll make sure you regret it for the rest of your life.’ Tayo sneered at the guard that had come to do the King’s bidding. Sam chuckled as he realized that he had shaken the man’s boldness with his shot. He wasn’t serious about shooting his crotch; he’d only fired the vacuum between his legs. ‘Please…I’ll do whatever you want.’ The man’s lips shook as he realized he had been at a very close shave with death. ‘What about you, what do you say?’ Sam grinned and pointed his gun at the second man. ‘We’ll take you to the king.’ He replied in a shaky voice. ‘Now we are talking. After you guys,’ He pointed at the golden gate. He couldn’t wait to have an audience with King Yemi. Sam knew this mission was very dangerous. Once he stepped into the palace, there will be two outcomes. It was either he stepped out alive, or got buried under the King’s roses. He just had to be very tactful. While the men led the way towards the tall gate, he quickly pulled out his phone and sent Elvis a message. Come back with reinforcement. If I don’t step out in an hour, kill everyone in the palace. T.M While Tayo was arguing with the guard who’d been acting on the King’s orders, the golden gate which led to the entrance of King Yemi’s palace opened. ‘Tayo! We need to run!’ Yemi got hold of her hand and pulled her roughly. Just in time, the men quickly led the mask into the Royal grove of King Yemi Lasisi. ‘Exquisite,’ Sam scoffed as he took in the beauty of the palace, but there wasn’t much time for further admiration. He had come for something important and he wasn’t leaving without it. ‘My lord, the Mask is here, what should we do?’ One of the men with Yemi asked. ‘Shoot him!’ Tayo yelled. ‘Don’t shoot, he is alone. I guess he has come to discuss something.’ Yemi quickly released his sister and focused on the faceless man that strolled majestically towards the garden where they stood. Tayo scoffed, she couldn’t believe her brother would be this weak. ‘You’re making a mistake that you’ll forever regret.’ She sneered at him, but he ignored her. Sam was able to hear their argument, and that confirmed everything that he had heard about the Princess. She was domineering and insulting towards her elder brother, the King. ‘Hello Yemi,’ Sam quickly pulled off his mask, showing his true face to the regal and his sister. Yemi swallowed hard as he focused on the ugly scar that sat on Sam’s face. There was nothing beautiful about this thug. He looked as scary as the stories surrounding him. ‘What do you want in my palace?’ Yemi growled. Sam exhaled, he took in the beautiful scenery of the garden and the entire building. The architecture was ancient; it was byzantine but very unique on its own. ‘You have a beautiful home my King. This Palace reminds me of one of the Four Seasons hotel I’d lodged in Canada. It was very luxurious.’ Sam bowed his head mockingly. Tayo couldn’t believe her brother was conversing with the criminal, ‘You don’t have any place here. You are not welcome. Leave before it becomes too late.’ She threatened, but he wasn’t moved. Sam shrugged and moved closer to the king, but was immediately stopped by the guards who formed a barricade, enclosing him in. ‘I have come to take what is mine.’ Sam bellowed. ‘And what is that?’ Yemi arched a brow. ‘I know what the rock fields mean to you. What if I surrendered and let you take all of the vermillion quietly? I swear that no tier of Government would be alerted about this transaction. We can even sign an agreement. But I’ll need something in return for my allegiance.’ Sam didn’t waste time in negotiation. Yemi scoffed, what was the criminal talking about? ‘And what do I owe you?’ Yemi asked. ‘Enobong Benjamin. She is my wife.’ She’d drifted off to dreamland. She found herself roaming one of the beaches she had visited in Tamil Nadu. Coconut trees surrounded the sandy beach. Stalls meant for steak lover were stacked together at the farthest end. There were women, men and children, all laughing or taking pictures. Eno was strolling towards the water; the silvery waves were calling out her name. She felt alone in that moment, nobody cared about her. Nobody loved her. But the waves were fighting each other, rolling in a passionate torrent as she drew nearer. All her life she had been devoted to her work and desire to help humanity. But deep down, she had always felt this hole, she didn’t feel complete or fulfilled. And it was that emptiness that drove her towards the sea. She let out a gasp as her left foot kissed the cold water. Wind rustled her raven hair. She felt free. This was heavenly. Her eyes glowed in ecstasy as she stared at the water before her. Once she stepped in, the waves would overpower her and make her theirs. Her eyes averted to the cluster of tents which were filled with people, but they didn’t seem to notice her. ‘Doctor Benjamin!’ A sharp scream caught her attention, and when she looked upon the waters another time, she found the girl she hadn’t been able to save. Her eyes popped open, ‘Jahnvi?’ She drew a sharp breath and began walking towards the little girl who seemed so helpless and afraid. ‘Hold on Jahnvi! I am coming to save you.’ Eno watched as the waves seeped into the helm of Jahnvi’s sari. She needed to hurry before it was too late. Tears rushed down her face as she moved deeper and deeper into the water. Her feet were drenched in the pleasuring feel of the cold water. Eno was almost at the middle of the sea when she noticed the figure fading slowly into the atmosphere. ‘Jahnvi? No! Wait…’ she started to run, but the violent rising of the waves slowed her down. To her horror, she realized the girl had only been a daylight mirage. A strange feeling of defeat settled upon her as she realized the waves had lured her. The water had played with her mind. It had trapped her reasoning and now she would pay dearly for her life. But she wasn’t afraid to drown. Eno spread her arms like a wing ready for its next journey. She was done with this life, and she was prepared to retire to the place where the other waited for her. She was prepared to cross the river of life and step into another world. She had nothing to lose and no one to love. ‘Please take me…’ she blinked away the tears that stung her eyelids. Her heart jolted as she felt two strong arms lifting her upwards. She was confused and fought with the man who’d thought himself her savior. ‘Let go of me!’ She kicked and writhed, but he ignored her. Once they were both out of the water, he dropped her gently on the beach. The moment her eyes met with his’, Eno realized that he was the man that she had been looking for all these years. ‘You?’ Her eyes glowed with unshed tears. ‘Yes, what were you trying to do?’ He asked. ‘I…I couldn’t find you. I thought I’d lost you.’ Her voice was husky. She couldn’t believe she’d come face to face with the man that haunted her dreams. Suddenly, she began to see him in new light. He wasn’t that unattractive as she’d seen him the first day. The ugly scar on his face was a tattoo of a painful memory. His eyes were so soft and delicate. They were the fireflies that glowed in the darkest part of her soul. ‘I love you darling, you should learn to forgive yourself. Jahnvi’s death is not your fault and you know that. You tried your best to save her.’ He caressed her temple. This shocked her more, ‘How do you know Jahnvi?’ To be continued……………….

Episode 16 He was about answering when a loud bang shook her from the dream and she was back in real time, wondering what she was doing in a dark room. ‘Damn!’ Eno tried to slow her rush breathing. She couldn’t believe she had been dreaming all that while, it had felt so real. Suddenly, she became fully aware of the chains that bound her feet and her wrists. She took in the familiar smell of the dark room. Slowly, the pieces of her memories returned and she remembered that she had been kidnapped by Yemi. ‘No…’ she licked her dry lips nervously. ‘What was that sound?’ She held her breath and listened, but nothing else followed. She could swear that it was a gunshot, living in a country where everyone had access to guns had given her the opportunity to identify a gun by its shots. Eno sighed, while searching the darkness and wishing there was a way out for her. Her stomach rumbled, and her head throbbed. She had refused the king’ meal, insisting that she wanted her freedom, she felt helpless as the pangs of hunger continued to harass her belly. She felt defeated as she realized she was all here alone. No amount of crying or screaming would touch Yemi to release her. She had seen the passionate flame that had burned in his eyes for her. How could he even possess such a strong desire for her when he didn’t know her? Even in her sadness, she welcomed the smile that itched the corner of her lips. She was thinking of her dream. She was thinking about the stranger that had kissed her in the plane. Eno concluded that he knew her better than the King. He knew that she was rude at times and that she smoked. ‘He knows I am afraid of love…’her weak voice trailed off as she imagined what kissing him another time would feel like. Her heart began to dance unsteadily as his delicate eyes stared back at her in the dark. Even though she was alone in this eerie room, she felt strong just thinking about the words the stranger had spoken to her in the dream. “‘I love you darling; you should learn to forgive yourself. Jahnvi’s death is not your fault and you know that. You tried your best to save her.” Foolishly she grinned in the dark and whispered, ‘I love you too, whoever you are.’ Sam noticed that the king had a fine taste in the arts, from the paintings that hung on his world. ‘That is very beautiful,’ Sam slipped his gun into the pocket while marching to the throne room for negotiations. The painting was a very simple one, but carried a profound and poetic meaning. Yemi had wanted to ignore the criminal. He was still confused and angry was he pondered on Sam’s last words before they got into the palace. What relationship did he have with Eno and why did he address her as his wife? Could his sister Tayo be telling the truth about Mrs. Benjamin playing him? ‘The Sand domes of Sudan by Pita Ohiwerei. He is a famous Nigerian American who did a portrait of an ex Nigerian president once…’ Yemi offered Sam a brief explanation of the painting. Tayo rolled her eyes in disapproval, she didn’t trust Sam one bit and she wished he could just keep his mouth shut. ‘I commend your fine taste in exquisite things.’ Sam’s eyes travelled from the paintings to the pearly décor and excellence of the throne room. Tayo quickly snapped at him once they reached, ‘Can you just stop talking? You may fool everyone into thinking that you are genuinely interested in the arts when you are not. Just tell us why you have come before I lose my patience and order for your head.’ Yemi felt emasculated that his sister would talk in his presence. It would show the mask that he lacked the power and authority to rule his own household. ‘Tayo!’ He called her in a gruff voice. She ignored him and settled in one of the chairs, cross-legged. ‘Well if you are always this aggressive my princess…I fear you may never find a man to love.’ Sam pulled a chair closer and sat on it. He observed that she had the King wrapped over her little fingers. And the only way he could ever stand a chance against King Yemi was to take out his sister. Tayo glared at him angrily, ‘Of all the things that I have envisaged for my life, love isn’t one of them. It is the language of the weak. I don’t love.’ Yemi was tired of Sam and Tayo picking at each other, so he cut in. ‘What do you want Samuel Ojonugwa?’ A sigh escaped him as he drew in a deep breath. The King was prepared for him and he wouldn’t go back on what he had planned. ‘I already told you, Eno Benjamin. I know that you have taken her against her wish but I am pleading with you for her immediate release.’ Yemi lifted a brow cynically, ‘And why should I release her to you?’ He couldn’t believe the Mask’s audacity. ‘Eno is the woman I love. She would be my wife. You are stealing something that belongs to me.’ Sam replied. Yemi was upset that he would refer to his angel inanimately. ‘She is not a THING, watch your tongue while you’re in my palace.’ ‘Very well then, I want to trade.’ Sam murmured. At first, Tayo had felt bored with the conversation, but the mention of trading got her attention. ‘Trade?’ She eyed the criminal suspiciously. ‘Yes, in vermillion.’ He returned, while watching the faces of the royals. He told them about his willingness to let go of all the rock fields, even promising to send some of his boys to protect the King’s workers while they mined. Tayo scoffed, ‘Now that is a big joke.’ ‘Did you come into this palace to insult me?’ The King narrowed his eyes, ‘Even if you meant what you are saying, I would never give up my love for vermilion.’ Sam laughed, ‘Of course you will. You are nothing without power my King. Once you have the mineral in your possession, foreign companies would send their representatives to your palace. You’ll be the richest and strongest man in Africa and beyond. I know you want that, but you have to release Eno.’ Yemi leaned back on his golden throne, ‘No!’ Tayo had been looking at Sam’s face the whole time. She was trying to access if he was telling the truth or trying to lure them into a trap. ‘How do we know you will uphold to your own part of the deal when we release her?’ Tayo bit her lip and focused on his eyes. Sam knew the princess was watching him, he had to play his part perfectly. ‘We can sign some documents and if I go against it, you take all the members of her family. I love this woman and I can’t let her go.’ ‘And the Federal Government, how sure are we that you wouldn’t snitch on us?’ Princess Tayo pressed on, getting her brother more peeved with her unreasonable questioning. Sam knew this one was tricky, ‘Why don’t you trust me? Already you have pinned the Ughelli explosion on I and my boys. You are very powerful princess, and I know you will deal with me if I fail to keep my end of the bargain.’ Tayo didn’t trust him. He thought he was a smart guy, but she could see the evil glint in his eyes. The Mask was up to no good, but they could still benefit from what seemed like a temporary truce. The Mask and his men would stand down for a month or two, and that will afford the company enough time to mine the rock fields for the vermillion. ‘We’ll take your offer,’ she rose to her feet and moved to her brother’s side. ‘I knew you would.’ Sam was impressed by her intelligence. He couldn’t wait to see Eno again. The King was petrified that Tayo would take such a delicate decision without consulting with him. ‘No! I would never let her go.’ Yemi rose to his feet. ‘Brother, you have to…we have worked so hard for this. You can always get another woman like Eno. There’s nothing special about her.’ Tayo touched his hand gently. Unlike her brother, she never allowed sentiments to influence her while taking important business decisions. ‘I can’t.’ Yemi swore under his breath to keep Eno to himself.

Tayo is a bad news

sam have lighten up d fire b/w d siblings.

nw yemi have tayo to contend smart sam

Smart move Sam

Another war ground for the king and princess

continue

still following

wow,Sam is smart ,I hope this will not cause fight btw brother an sister

This Princess Tayo likes money

Episode 17 Yes you will, else I walk out of this palace and leave you to handle things on your own. We both know how things turned out when I left your side.’ Tayo jerked her hands away from her brother in annoyance. If she had her way, she would slit Eno’s throat so she could put an end to her brother’s abnormal fixation with the lady. A smug sat on his face as he watched the bickering between the siblings. He had achieved one of his aims, and that was throwing confusion between them. There were just like the elites that ruled the country, even worse on the part of Tayo. She was self driven and terribly ambitious. And she preyed on the weakness of her elder brother, the king. ‘I cannot lose my pride! Her mother deceived me all these years. If I am letting her go, I must regain my honor as the king.’ Furiously, he stormed out of the throne room feeling deprived and greatly humiliated. Somebody had to pay. ‘I guess I can have my bride now…’Sam rubbed his palms in anticipation. Tayo smiled, ‘It was nice doing business with you, but if you think for one minute that you could go back on our agreement…’ She walked closer to Sam and waved a finger over his face. ‘I will make sure I hunt you and your men down. I don’t think you would want to taste my wrath, Mr. Mask.’ Sam wasn’t afraid of the princess. He admired her courage, because not many people could stand up to him the way she did. ‘As you wish your majesty,’ He lowered his head in a mocking gesture. She was still stuck in her fantasy of kissing the stranger another time, when the door to the room where she was being held captive flew wide open. Her eyes struggled to adjust to the sudden inflow of light after many hours in darkness. ‘What now?’ She wondered as she stared into the empty hallway. She cringed at the thought of the King returning to run his filthy hands on her. She just wished he could understand that she wasn’t in love with him and could never be. She was ready to refund all of his money if she had the chance. Like himself, she had been tricked into thinking she had won a scholarship by her mother. Eno shook her head in disappointment as she thought of the woman, who had felt she was doing her a favor. ‘You are free to go now. Get out of this palace and don’t contact my brother for anything.’ Tayo marched into the room with two strong looking guards. Eno could never understand the princess’ aggressiveness towards her. ‘I don’t understand…’Eno’s mouth fell open in surprise as the men began working on the ropes that restricted her freedom. Why had the King suddenly changed his mind? What had changed? Tayo eyed her in disdain. She wondered what was so special about the commoner. In the past, her brother had come home with better looking girls. Why had he been so obsessed with this old hag? ‘Get her to the Mask!’ Tayo ignored Eno’s questions and spun on her heel. Now that the Mask and his men were out of their way, she needed to strategize. She had to work very fast before he changed his mind again. Tayo was suddenly curious about the Mask and his personal life, she decided to do a little digging before coming up with her strategy for the vermillion. She pulled out her mobile phone and typed his name on the search engine. ‘Ironic…’ she grinned. The first thing that was written about the Mask was the mystery of the personality who bore that name. Not many people had seen his face, only top Government officials and members of the Secret Service had encountered him on a personal level. This was her second time of seeing the Mask. The first had been in a fundraiser in Bayelsa. She had gone there with the King, and one of his wealthy friends had pointed at Sam who’d been busy in discourse with the Governor of the state. ‘Elvis Benjamin…’ she murmured as she came across a picture of a man that was believed to be the Mask’s most trusted accomplice. Tayo pressed a hand against her chest as she stared into the most beautiful eyes she had ever seen. For the first time in her twenty eight years on earth, she acknowledged that this man was handsome. ‘Sexy…’ she ran three fingers from his forehead down to the base of his chin. ‘Where are you taking me?’ Eno struggled with the guards that led her out of the room towards the long hallway which led to the exit of the palace. Fear gripped her as she imagined what these men would do to her. She had a lot of concerns, and it irked her that Tayo had completely ignored her. Why hadn’t the King come himself to release her, if she was really free? ‘I demand to speak to the King!’ She cried out in a loud voice, but none of the men seemed to be listening. She was restless. She was frightened, but at this point, there was nothing that she could do to save herself. She stopped struggling, and allowed the men to lead her calmly till she found herself in the King’s garden. ‘Wait here for the Mask.’ One of the men instructed her. Before she could ask them further questions, they both released her at once and quickly retreated to the palace. Her eyes fluttered as she tried to adjust to the piercing radiation of the mad sun. She ran her eyes over the impeccable flowers that sprouted from all corners in the garden. ‘The Mask?’ She licked her lips while thinking of the instruction from the man. There was only one personality she knew that bore that name. The Mask was a notorious criminal and she had heard the King talking about him with his younger sister. What was really happening to her? Why couldn’t anyone answer her questions? What business did she have with the Mask? The vibration in her pocket lured her mind from the bugging questions. She suddenly realized that her phone had been in her pocket all this time. Quickly, she pulled it out and decided to put some calls across to her sisters. She knew they were worried about her, but she had to calm their fears first. She was about dialing Cassandra’s phone number when a strange thought entered her mind. Eno wasn’t convinced that the King had really released her. How could he just let her go after funding her education for seven years? Everything that she had ever wanted had been prepared for her. Why would he let her go without a fight? A chill ran down her spine as she sensed another presence in the garden. The musky scent was strong. It was kind of familiar, but she quickly dismissed the possibility of seeing him again. Her thoughts quickly returned to the King who had just released her without a fight. Why had he taken her against her will in the first place? To be continued……………..

Episode 18 Sam was having a view of her well rounded backside when she suddenly turned round and caught him staring. Luckily for him, he had slipped on his yellow mask, so she wouldn’t know who he was. She wasn’t wearing any make-up, but she looked perfect. Her eyes were even clearer than what he had seen at the airport. Her skin was refreshed and glowing. Her forehead was drenched in sweat, and tendrils of frontal hair, which added a babyish look to her face. ‘It is time to go home.’ Sam deliberately made his voice deeper so she wouldn’t recognize it. He was still unsure of how she would react if she knew whom he truly was. He knew Eno wasn’t attracted to him, but he was willing to take a risk with her. He just wanted to find out a few things about her before proceeding. ‘Home?’ She quickly stepped back as she stared into the eyes of the masked man. Eno felt wrong about leaving with this man. For heaven’s sake, she didn’t even know him. Following him would amount to signing her death warrant. Maybe the King had decided to hand her over to an assassin for rejecting his marriage proposal. ‘Yes, I convinced the King to release you. I want to take you to your home.’ Sam replied coolly. He had told Elvis to return to the camp with the boys after a successful bargain with the King. On his instructions, Elvis had also left one of the cars behind, so Sam would use that to take his sister back home. ‘Wait, how did you know my home and who are you?’ Eno quickly moved away from the man, her eyes were pinned to the enormous gate. If only she could get closer, she would run all the way home. He could see she was afraid. The fire he had spotted in her eyes at the airport had diminished. Her eyes were now pale, making her look helpless. He knew she wasn’t comfortable around him, especially the fact that he was putting on a mask. ‘I am not here to answer your questions.’ He had to get her out the King’s palace, before Yemi went back on their agreement. Sam quickly pulled out his gun and pointed it at her, ‘If you don’t follow me, I’ll blow your brains out.’ Eno froze at the sight of the weapon. She suddenly remembered the bang that had awoken her from sleep. She had been right! Someone had fired a gun and this made her wonder a lot of things. What if the palace had been attacked by this strange man? What if the King wasn’t aware that he was taking her out of the palace? Eno was no longer excited about leaving. She had desired her freedom, but not under this sort of condition. ‘Please…’ she knew better than to argue with a man holding a gun. A man whose face she couldn’t see. ‘Perfect, now come closer.’ He beckoned on her to draw nearer to where he stood. Gingerly, Eno strutted towards the masked man, willing to do his every bidding. ‘Good girl,’ he grabbed her hands at once and together they flounced towards the golden gate, which would lead them to where the car was being parked. Eno was confused by the way her body reacted to the touch of her captor. She was supposed to be appalled by the skin contact, but she wasn’t. Whenever she was nervous, her heart would take a marathon and her body would be drenched in perspiration. But with this man, she felt nothing. There was something about his height and scent that spoke to her. Was she imagining things? She felt strongly within her that she had met this person before, though she couldn’t place where. Sam relished the feel of her soft skin. He loved the way their hands bonded. He only wished she would like him back. Her brother probably thought him crazy for giving up the vermillion to save his sister, but he wasn’t. He had never come across such an intriguing personality and he couldn’t miss the opportunity of showing her what she meant to him. ‘Can…can you show me your face?’ Eno dared to ask, once they reached the car. She had a feeling the man holding her hands wasn’t that dangerous. He wasn’t some beast that would tear her skin and rip her flesh from the bones. He seemed kind. He seemed compassionate. The thought of those great qualities reminded her of the stranger in her dream and how he had encouraged her. ‘Are you sure you can handle what lies underneath?’ Sam gently released her. He noticed that she was gazing directly into his eyes this time. She wasn’t afraid of him. She was curious about him. Eno quickly nodded and took a sharp breath. ‘Do you promise that you wouldn’t run away?’ Sam asked. ‘I promise not to run.’ Eno agreed. He knew there would be no turning back at this point. He would rely on her promise of not running away. She died a million times while waiting for the mask to come off completely. Why would someone wear a mask in this hot weather? And why would he choose a yellow one? ‘Odd, very odd,’ she thought while watching his slender fingers work through it. Sam released the breath he held and pulled the woolly fabric completely over his head. He couldn’t wait to see he reaction when she finally realized that the man that had kissed her at the airport had come to save her. ‘No,’ Eno placed a shaky hand against her chest, the moment the mask came off. Something strange was happening to her. How could she see him again? Was this magic? Was she paranormal? ‘Eno…’ he called her name and moved closer. ‘I am sorry for pointing a gun at your face. I just wanted you to follow me. I wanted you to trust my lead. I am also sorry about the mask. I came here to save you and I have achieved that.’ He reached out for her free hand. Her right hand travelled from her chest to her mouth which she quickly covered to prevent herself from screaming. She was yet to recover from the shock. Her brain was fogged with different scenes which flashed swiftly like lightning. There had been something about his scent and his forced accent. ‘You…wait…’ she released her hands and stepped back. ‘Please don’t run away from me sweetheart. I apologize for speaking to you that way.’ He was desperate for her attention, ‘How did you even find me here? How did you know that I was in trouble?’ There were a lot of gaps in this experience and she expected him to fill them up. Sam’s shoulders sagged as he realized that he hadn’t considered the possibility of being asked this sort of questions. Answering those questions would mean revealing his identity. Was he ready for that? Could he sacrifice his safety just for a woman he wasn’t sure would consider him? ‘If I tell you who I am…you’ll run.’ He ran a tongue over her lips. He felt like trapping her delicate lips in his graphite mouth. Eno blushed; she had caught his eyes on his lips another time. And whenever that took place, she would always remember the kiss in the plane. ‘Do you trust me?’ He caressed her hand gently.

Woow chemistry…

if not for the chemistry Sam? that question sounds stupid, she met 4 the 2nd time in her life

Lovely.

Following

Episode. 19 Did she trust him? She wondered briefly. Well, it took years to build trust and not a matter of days or hours. She couldn’t say yes or no, but she felt comfortable around him. ‘I feel comfortable around you.’ She said to him, and this made him feel relieved. ‘I could never harm you darling, why don’t we take the questions one day at a time?’ he promised to answer all of her questions when the time was ripe. She quickly pulled away her hand, ‘What makes you think you’ll see me again?’ He was so confident in himself, just like he had wanted to pull away the cigarette from her fingers. Sam shrugged, ‘We keep bumping into each other. I don’t know what you believe, but I have a feeling we are destined for something.’ The ride back home was terribly quiet. Sam fed on the thoughts that troubled him. He hadn’t thought about the implications his true identity would have if Eno eventually agreed to be with him. For the first time, he understood why her brother Elvis had kicked against his attraction to Eno. He tried to imagine what her reaction would be, if she ever got to know that he was the infamous Mask who led a group of militants that troubled the country. ‘She isn’t going to like me very much,’ Sam thought as he stole a glance at her face. What if he just gave up now? What if he just walked away and killed his feelings now that it was early? ‘Stop staring at me.’ Eno could feel his heated gaze, even though her eyes were on the beautiful scenery. This part of town was very close to nature. There were a lot of little hills, scattered upon the place and their edges were covered with the yellow faces of sunflowers. She wondered how Sam had known that she had been taken by Yemi. How? What if Sam was working for the King? What if the King had been the one to send him to spy on her at the airport? ‘Tell me the truth, are you working for the King? Did he put you up to this?’ She asked. Sam laughed, she sounded ridiculous. If he’d wanted to work with any of the royals, it would’ve been Tayo. She was fiercer than her brother, and he loved her spirit. ‘Nope,’ He quickly riveted his eyes back to the road. ‘So why are you helping me?’ She wondered. ‘How did you even know about this?’ She swallowed, hoping he wouldn’t go quiet on her. She was desperate for answers. Sam didn’t know where to begin, ‘I promised to tell you everything that you need to know. I am not a dangerous person. I truly care about you and that is why I came to rescue you from the King.’ He explained slowly. ‘I still don’t get it, how did you know I was in trouble?’ At least he owed her that part. And if he told her the truth, she would learn to be more patient with him, while waiting for the other answers. Sam inhaled slowly, ‘Word travels quickly. I can’t tell you more than that.’ He couldn’t tell her that Elvis was his best friend. He just wanted her to trust him. She wasn’t satisfied with his response, but she decided to let the matter die…for now. ‘What is your name?’ She was curious about his personal life. She had figured out that he had gotten her name from one of the air hostesses. But she was yet to know his’ and that had been her biggest regret. Sam’s heart skipped when she asked that. It meant they were making progress in their relationship. ‘My name is Ugly.’ He grinned, enjoying the look of confusion on her face. ‘Ugly?’ Her cheeks pinked as she remembered telling him how unattractive he was. She swallowed and looked away from him. Sam wasn’t the traditional dark and handsome guy, his looks were just there. But there was something in his eyes and in his heart. Eno felt deeply in her heart that he was a good person and she could trust him. And that was enough for her. ‘Listen, I am sorry that I called you unattractive the other day. You may not have the Hollywood sexy boy’s face, but you’re a cool person to be with.’ She wasn’t bold enough to tell him that she’d been thinking about him. Sam shrugged, ‘Sam, that’s the name.’ He smiled at her. She regretted talking him down that night in the plane, but he hadn’t cared. All he wanted was for her to like him back. ‘It’s a lovely name.’ She returned his smile, showing off two beautiful depressions in her cheeks. He told her that he lived in New Jersey and had gone to Iowa for some business. He had decided to use the Iowan international airport to travel home at once. ‘I see…so what do you do?’ She asked. Sam giggled, he hadn’t planned for all these questions, but he quickly figured out that if he didn’t tell her the basics, she could lose interest in him. ‘My father was into the real estate business. I took over from him when he died…’Sam’s voice trailed off as he remembered how hardworking the old man had been. He wasn’t lying about this. He had studied Estate Management in school and he was still actively involved in his father’s business, though as a silent partner. ‘Real estate huh? That’s a good one. Can I know the name of your company?’ She threw him another question. Sam knew she wanted to ascertain whether he was telling the truth or not. ‘Eldorado,’ he replied swiftly. Eno quickly pulled out her mobile phone in his presence and did a search of the real estate company online. She sighed with relief when she came across a long standing brand which dealt which real estate related problems. ‘I can’t believe you’d do that when I am here.’ Sam laughed. ‘Well, you walked into the king’s garden with a gun and a mask. Women are naturally inquisitive, and last I checked, I don’t have a scrotum.’ She felt more comfortable knowing he wasn’t a shady person. She decided to trust him and wait for the time he would reveal himself to her. Sam’s loud laughter filled the car, she had good sense of humor and he felt pleased with that. ‘Well unlike you, I deal with the human heart. I am a cardiologist and I’ve been doing that for many years. I decided to come home to family so I could spend this Christmas with them.’ A smile flashed on her face as she stared at the weak mirage at the middle of the road. Her dreams of celebrating the yuletide almost came to an end after the King’s action, but Sam had found her and restored her hope. ‘Good one, I have a problem with my heart…’ his voice was husky, suggestive. ‘What is that?’ Her voice became serious. She had forgiven herself for the death of Jahnvi, but she wasn’t going to let any other person die under her watch. Heart diseases were very serious and had to bet treated early before things got out of hand. By now, they had reached Lagos Mainland and it wouldn’t take long before they reached her home. Of course, he had to pretend like he didn’t know her address because if he didn’t act that way, she’d be totally freaked out. Elvis had given him all the necessary details about his family, just before they had embarked on the journey to King Yemi’s palace which was far away from human habitation. To be continued……..

Episode 20 Where do you live?’ He ignored her question. He wondered if she truly cared about him, or she just felt like acting that way because he had rescued her from the King. Eno hated being ignored, ‘Answer the question, what is wrong with your heart Sam?’ She called his name gently, and that stirred something within him. The sound of her voice resurrected stillbirth memories. Tears pricked his eyes and he fought so hard not to let them out as he remembered his dead fiancée. Anne had been the woman who’d truly understood him. ‘Are you alright?’ Eno noticed that his eyes were glowing, those were tears. Sam quickly drove the car off the main road, he parked by the side and rushed out. A gust of wind messed up his hair, but he ignored it and moved farther from the car. He was hurt. Eno did a mental check on all her responses back in the car. Had she said something to upset him? ‘Sam?’ She jumped out of the car and ran after him. ‘What is it?’ She touched his shoulder lightly. ‘Nothing,’ he wiped his face and drew in a deep breath. ‘Is it your heart? Medical science has advanced, I can help you. Just tell me what exactly is wrong…’ She wasn’t happy with his refusal to share whatever it was that bothered him. Sam swirled round and faced her, ‘No. I don’t have a problem with my heart…I was just teasing you.’ He forced a smile, but she could see through it. ‘If you don’t have a problem with your heart then why are you crying?’ She wondered. ‘Let’s get you home darling, just tell me where you live.’ He ignored her question and advanced towards the car. He couldn’t believe he had just wept because of a memory. It meant his wounds weren’t totally healed. His heart was still fragile and that wasn’t a good thing. He liked Eno and would want them to get serious, but he wasn’t even sure if he could handle his emotions if things ever went wrong. ‘Sam!’ Eno bellowed his name. Something was bothering him and he wouldn’t share. It wasn’t a heart disease but something very personaly. She increased her pace till she caught up with him. ‘Yes?’ He turned around. ‘I like you. I like you a lot.’ She confessed, and before he could come in terms with what she had just said, she moved closer and spread her slender fingers across his broad chest. She felt comfortable around him. Sam drove out all of her fears and that made her trust him. Without his approval, she lowered his head closer to hers and dropped her lips on his’. This time, Eno was the one offering, and she hoped Sam would accept her sacrifice. Unfortunately for her, he quickly pushed her away and demanded they return to the car. ‘Look, I am She wass dumbfounded as she looked into his eyes, realizing that he had rejected her advances. He had been the one to lure her out of her shell, and now he was acting the coward. ‘I…I don’t understand.’ She searched his eyes hungrily for an explanation. Where had she gone wrong? But Sam didn’t have the patience to explain, he already saw the end and regretted flirting with her in the first place. He had to fix himself before starting a relationship with a woman like Eno. Sam suddenly realized that he wasn’t ready for anything. ‘Look, I don’t have time to explain. We can never be together. I am sorry.’ He rushed towards the car, expecting her to trail behind but she didn’t. Never in her life had she been this humiliated, she couldn’t believe that Sam could do this to her. If he didn’t like her, why did he kiss her at the airport? Why did he rescue her from the King? Her lips shivered as the chilly wind danced in the atmosphere. Tears blurred her vision. Her mind was clouded by a torrent of wild thoughts. She had never given any man the chance to come this close to her, and now that she had opened up herself, he was rejecting her offering. ‘No,’ with determination she moved back to the car. She couldn’t let him walk away from her like she was damaged goods. There was nothing wrong with her, and there was nothing wrong with him. Angrily, Eno pulled open the door and got into the car. The manner with which she yanked the door apart surprised Sam who had prepared himself to take a phone call from her brother Elvis. ‘Are you alright?’ He noticed her teary eyes, and felt guilty for pushing her away. If only she knew staying far away from him would do her more good, she would gladly listen to him. She scoffed, ‘Are you alright?’ She directed his question back at him, because she didn’t think he was. Sam dropped the phone he carried gently on his lap, ‘I don’t understand…’ She quickly brushed her lashes to prevent the tears from rolling down her cheeks. ‘You found me at the airport smoking and you tried to stop me. You kissed me without my permission and you just rescued me today. Whether you believe it or not, you are the man for me. You found me at my worst and help kick start the healing train in my life…’ She looked into his eyes adoringly why speaking. ‘I have never loved any man and I don’t know what that feels like. My parents were very unhappy in their marriage, and I swore never to get married or fall in love. My work was my pleasure. I was successful until everything fell apart and I decided to come home. Then I found you at the airport…don’t you think there’s something special about you? You are mean to save lives. You a good man Sam and I like you. I refuse to believe that what we shared that night in the plane was just a kiss…because it was more.’ She held her breath, hoping he wouldn’t push himself farther away from him. There was this far away look in Sam’s eyes as she spoke, the same she had spotted when she’d first met him at the airport. It wasn’t happy or sad. It was the look of a man who wasn’t living but existing because he had no choice. Sam agreed that her words were very inspiring and beautiful, but could she really be with a man like himself? ‘You don’t know me, I am not special. I don’t deserve someone like you. I am sorry that I tried. You need to forget that kiss Eno and move on with your life.’ He smiled back, but she wasn’t having his rejection. This man had helped her forgive herself for what had happened to Jahnvi, and she wasn’t letting him go easily. To be continued…………………..

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Episode 21 ‘Why are you so afraid of us? Are you married?’ She considered this possibility. ‘Hell no,’ Sam laughed, he felt more relaxed. ‘Okay then, I don’t care about other reasons why you don’t want us to be together. I have a suggestion.’ Eno nostrils flared with the influx of more air. ‘What is that?’ Sam wondered why she was so bold and confident that they were meant for each other. ‘I just want us to try something; if it doesn’t work then we’ll go our separate ways and never see again.’ Eno leaned closer to him. She wanted them to kiss another time, and if there wasn’t any spark or chemistry, she’ll walk away from him without looking back. Sam felt uneasy about her suggestion, ‘Look, we don’t have to do this. I am not the good guy you’ve always wanted.’ ‘I don’t remember telling you that I’d always wanted a good guy. Can I share a secret?’ She winked. Eno told him about one of her teenage fantasies which she carried into adulthood. ‘I have always fantasized about dating men like Robin Hood. I love a mix of good and bad, but more of good for the society.’ She confessed. Sam couldn’t believe his ears, ‘Interesting? Did you ever find your Robin Hood then?’ ‘No, but I have a feeling he is sitting next to me with a mask…’ she cupped his well chiseled face between her palms, ‘and a gun,’ she completed her sentence before dropping her lips on his. He took in the scent of her shampoo as they kissed. He allowed her to take the lead, while he followed. Her lips were incredibly soft and plump and he could feed on them all day. Tired of perusing the fleshy cloves, Eno slipped her tongue into his burning mouth. She loved the clean scent of his breath. Their tongues rolled together, tumbled in the juices that poured out generously from the fountain of their lips. She sucked his tongue, like it was oxygen. She fought desperately to win his love and his trust. Her hands roamed wildly through his thick black hair. She was hungry for more, she felt little sparks flying all around them. Sam hadn’t expected this passionate expression from Eno. She was a very good kisser, even better than most women that he had come across. He loved that she was unashamed about what she felt. She deeply felt something for him, and he would be a liar, if he denied that there weren’t any sparks between them. ‘Uhm…’ she whimpered as Sam pulled her closer to his chest, so her boobs were touching the little hairs that shot out of his shirt. His tummy fluttered at the thought of making love to her right there, but he wouldn’t act on his feelings then. He respected her, and wouldn’t do anything without her consent. ‘Wait…’Sam broke the kiss and pulled back, he had to stop everything while he still could. Eno flushed as she realized what she had just done. ‘It is okay if you don’t…’ she was about concluding that he didn’t want her when he cut in. ‘I felt something.’ Sam confessed. ‘You did?’ Her face broke into a smile. ‘Yes, I am sorry for wanting to walk away. But you must know that I am not a saint. All my life I have fought for justice; only that the people I’ve been fighting for don’t understand what I am about.’ Sam shrugged. Eno wasn’t paying attention to his last sentence, ‘I don’t care what people think. My heart is whispering, it says I should believe in you. I will listen.’ Sam smiled, ‘Good, my heart is whispering too. It says I should kiss you again…’ he winked and pulled her closer to his arms. He would seal his promise to her with a kiss, after which he would take her home. Elena had been doing a little research about the Mask, so she could post about the explosion in Ughelli with a fresh perspective when Cassie rushed into the room. ‘Elena?’ Cassie’s eyes were on her phone as she stepped into her sister’s room. ‘Yea?’ Elena pulled off her glasses and stared at her older sister, who had a lot of things to say. Cassie had been surfing the web when she heard something new on the Mask. ‘The first blog that published that post on explosion have taken it down. They claim it wasn’t the Mask or his men that were behind the explosion. Please, don’t publish that story anymore, before you get into trouble for spreading fake news.’ Cassie advised Elena. Elena’s mouth widened in shock, ‘Are you saying those fuckers posted a fake story and made everyone believe it? I have a feeling the Mask threatened them to take it off.’ She rubbed her chin thoughtfully, something was wrong somewhere and she could feel it. The blog that had first published the story was a reputable one and had won several awards, both nationally and internationally. ‘Look, I care about your blog Ellie. Just take it down like other blogs are doing.’ Cassie advised. ‘I am even more curious about the Mask. I am going to find him one day and show the whole world whom he truly is.’ Elena shrugged and decided to discard the story she’d been working on. Cassie could spot a glint of admiration in her sister’s eyes, ‘Are you crushing on him now?’ She rolled her eyes. And her question made Elena laugh. ‘Nope, but I admire him. Our Government is a conglomeration of greedy fools, men like the Mask, remind them of the masses. I know he is taking justice the unconventional way, but look at the Niger Delta, look at oil spillage. The people are being neglected, while the rulers are growing fat every year. Something must be done.’ Elena returned. Cassie rolled her eyes, ‘Your President isn’t fat, and you should forget politics. Has Elvis called you yet? We still need to find our sister.’ Cassie knew Elena had a curious mind, and she could go on and on about the situation of the country for hours. Elena explained to Cassie that Elvis had promised to find Eno. She also relayed his greetings to Cassie, who seemed very happy to hear it. ‘I miss Elvis; I wish he could return home…’ Cassie murmured in a sad voice. ‘I wish that too, but he is an adult. He can take care of himself.’ Elena folded her laptop and rose to her feet. The girls were about vacating the room for the veranda where they spent most afternoons talking about their lives and dreams when their mother walked in with a scowl on her face. ‘What now?’ Elena crossed her arms over her chest. ‘Is everything alright?’ Cassie asked their mum. Tamar had just received a call from King Yemi, who had told her that he was no longer interested in her daughter Eno. ‘Can you imagine that? I am surprised that he doesn’t want her again. He had been waiting for her all these years, and now that she was finally back, he was rejecting her.’ The girls clapped and screamed in excitement, to the annoyance of their mother who had high hopes of pitching a tent in Yemi’s palace. To be continued……………………

Episode 22 ‘Both of you are hopeless,’ Tamar hissed and made for the door. ‘You should be celebrating this mother, King Yemi has finally seen that Eno doesn’t, cannot and would never love him. Unlike you, he is a more realistic person.’ Cassie winked. Elena wasn’t going to be left out; she walked towards her mother and grabbed her hands gently. ‘Why can’t we manage what we have, mum? We are all working for a better future; all we need is your patience and blessings.’ Tamar sighed, ‘I came from a very poor family, you kids would never understand why I fought so hard to get your sister into the King’s family. Now we are back to square one…’ Cassie joined Elena by their mother’s side and leaned against the woman’s shoulder. ‘No we are not. I know you are afraid of what we will become, but I promise you that we will not fail you.’ She pecked her mother lightly on her cheeks. Tears rushed down from Tamar’s eyes as she realized what she had lost, but she wouldn’t let this go. Something had to be done to change her family’s financial status, and placement in the social strata. ‘Thank you girls, I believe in you two. One of you will make us very rich.’ Tamar brushed her tears and pulled them into her arms. “Amen,” Cassie and Elena chorused, hoping that Tamar had given up on her plans to use her children as pawns, in the quest of wealth acquisition. A mischievous smile tugged at the corners of her small mouth and she thought briefly. ‘Who would it be? Elena or Cassie?’ The beautiful moment was interrupted by the sound of the doorbell. ‘What if Eno is back?’ Elena was the first to pull away. Immediately, all three women scurried like squirrels towards the door. They couldn’t wait to welcome their sister back to the house. **** ‘I assure you that my mother and sisters are very friendly. All you need to do is smile and nod, especially when my mother is talking.’ Eno was briefing Sam on how best to act, once he stepped into the Benjamin’s mansion. Sam hadn’t planned to come this far, but he liked Eno and would do anything to make her happy. ‘Yes boss,’ he quickly grabbed her hand and gave it a light squeeze. Elena pulled the door open excitedly, ‘She is the one! She’s back!’ She called to her mum and sister who arrived immediately. Tamar raised a brow in scrutiny of the young man beside her daughter, ‘And she has got a man…’ Cassie noticed how her sister’s hair scattered and how she flushed at their mother’s statement. It was obvious these two would be tearing the sheets soon. ‘I have a feeling this Christmas would be more special than others.’ Sam was welcomed by three light skinned women who shared a resemblance with Eno. They had almond eyes and pink lips, and he found Cassie to be the most alluring, though her eyes lacked the serenity that Eno’s possessed. ‘Hello,’ he waved at them. Sam knew they would ask him a ton of questions should he step into the house and he wasn’t prepared for them. He had to cook up an excuse and leave immediately. Eno smiled and stared into his eyes, she could tell that he was uncomfortable. ‘Um…this guy rescued me from the King. You should all thank him.’ She pointed a finger at Sam. Elena’s eyes brightened as she looked Sam straight in the eye, ‘Really? Do you know my brother Elvis?’ Elvis had promised to rescue Eno, so it would make sense if Sam had been working with him. Eno rolled her eyes and wondered why her sister would ask such a question. Their brother Elvis, had been gone for a long time. ‘Um, no…’Sam quickly pulled out his phone and pretended like he had just received an important message. ‘Is something wrong?’ Eno asked. ‘Um, I have to go darling. I’ll call you.’ He flashed a smile. Eno didn’t argue, she understood that he wasn’t too comfortable with her family, and she liked that move. ‘Take care honey,’ she blew a kiss his way. Sam knew it would be rude to leave without saying a word to her mother or her sisters. ‘I have to go everyone, see you some time.’ But Tamar wouldn’t make his escape so easy, ‘What is your name dear?’ She stepped out of the house and walked towards the young man. He wasn’t good looking like Yemi, but she noticed how relaxed Eno was around him. It was obvious that they had met before now. For a long time, she had considered the possibility of Eno being a lesbian or frigid. Her daughter had never been in a relationship and she had always been evasive about the subject of marriage. Tamar couldn’t force Eno to marry the King, but if this man made her happy, she was willing to give her blessing. ‘Sam,’ He bit his lip, hoping the woman wouldn’t ask for his surname. ‘Nice name, in a few weeks we’ll be having a family dinner on the eve of Christmas. I’d love you to come.’ Tamar was inviting him into her family, and she hoped he wouldn’t fail. Eno felt happy and proud of her mother, she hadn’t expected the woman to welcome Sam this warmly after rejecting King Yemi. ‘Thank you,’ Sam waved at everyone, spun on his heel and walked towards his car. ‘He has a sexy ass.’ Cassie giggled. ‘There is something about him…’Elena whispered. At once, all eyes turned on her, especially Eno who’d felt the question she had asked Sam was unnecessary. ‘I think you should mind your business Elena. You are old enough to bring your own man home for questioning.’ Tamar Benjamin called her youngest daughter to order as they all marched into the house. ‘I am sorry everyone, I’ll never speak out of line.’ From the heated gazes Tamar and Cassie fired her way, she had a feeling they didn’t want Eno to know about Elvis involvement in her rescue, because he was closest to her. And she had missed him terribly. ‘So what did I miss while at the King’s palace?’ Respite rained on her as she scanned the family house that she had missed.

Episode 23 She couldn’t wait to tell her sisters all about King Yemi and his arrogant sister, Tayo, who had him wrapped round her tiny finger A week had passed since his last meeting with Eno. They had been communicating mostly through Whatsapp messages and calls. He missed her, and he didn’t hide the fact that he went to bed with her as the last thing on his mind. ‘No!’ He jolted from sleep and straightened on his bed. He had been sleeping, but the nightmare he just had, terrified him. His eyes flew straight to the clock on the wall, it was 3a.m. Sam wiped the sweat that had gathered on his bushy brows and pulled in a deep breath. His heart was still running as the scenes from the nightmare replayed. He and Eno had been strolling towards the beach. Their hands were locked together as they marched closer to the beach, when a black jeep pulled over and before he could make sense of whatever was happening, three men jumped down from the car and dragged her away from him. He had been greatly overpowered and there was nothing he could do to save her. ‘Thank God,’ he wiped perspiration from the bridge of his nose, feeling relieved that he had only been dreaming. His dark brown skin caressed the surface of the bedcover as he crawled out of bed and towards his wardrobe. He had slept naked. He needed to put on some clothes and take a stroll. Whenever he had a nightmare or was bothered about something, Sam always took a stroll especially at dawn to clear his head. He cast a look at the drawer which supported the bedside lamp. There was a picture of Anne, his late fiancée beside it. Her eyes were still alive. They were sharp and bright, boring holes into him as he stared back at her. Her smile was contagious, as Sam found himself smiling while looking at her beautiful face. At first, he struggled the first few days with an intense feeling of guilt when he poured out his heart to Eno. Sam felt like he was cheating on Anne, but it wasn’t so. His rod swayed from side to side as he moved towards the drawer. He had to move on with his life. He had grieved her for a long time. He had paid his respects, and the time had come for him to open up himself to another woman… ‘You’re always going to be in my heart.’ He muttered underneath his breath as he grabbed the picture frame tightly. A tear dropped as he kissed the image on the frame. He missed her greatly, but her absence would be history. The void which her departure had left would be filled with someone else. ‘I know you would’ve wanted the best for me. I’ll always carry you in my thoughts.’ Determined not to go back on his promises towards Eno, he pulled open the first layer of the drawer and dropped the frame gently into it. Sam was done with Anne. One after the other, the ropes that bound him to his past, were being loosened. Soon, he would surrender himself to Eno in all honesty and transparency. He pulled open the wardrobe and grabbed a pair of black jeans and a black T-Shirt to go with it. Black was one of his favorite colors, he used it when his mind was clouded. Black made him feel in control of his life. After dressing, he grabbed his phone and decided to get a drink before the stroll. He would send Eno something special to wake her up later. As Sam stepped out of the room, he looked into the hallway that led to the wine- keep. At first, he thought he was hallucinating. Maybe his mind was playing tricks on him, but a closer look revealed that Elvis was treating himself to a drink. Apparently, he wasn’t the only one that was having sleeping problems. ‘You should be sleeping bro,’ Elvis had heard Sam scream, so he guessed the footsteps that approached the wine-keep belonged to him. ‘I guess your footsteps reading skill is still intact.’ Sam chuckled and pulled a chair. He had a feeling Elvis was troubled. Maybe they could help each other out tonight. The strong aroma of brandy and apples spiraled into Sam’s nostrils. His eyes went straight to the glass before Elvis. No one knew how to do cocktail like Elvis. His friend was just a ball of many talents waiting to explode. ‘What are you drinking?’ ‘I did a mix-brandy and many fruits. Would you like to have a taste?’ Elvis pulled a bottle that contained the mix closer. ‘Nah, I’ll settle for plain martini.’ Sam reached out for another bottle. After pouring a glass, he noticed Elvis’ eyes were glued to the laptop before him. Sam was curious, ‘What are you working on?’ ‘Nothing, I am just going through family pictures of Facebook. I miss them.’ Elvis confessed. Elena had told him about Eno’s release, but he had to deny that he had nothing to do with it, so as not to raise suspicions concerning Sam whom their mother had liked from day one. Sam gulped the fiery liquid down at once, ‘I never told you about my visit to your home. I am sorry about that. I know you didn’t approve of my relationship with Eno, because it puts your family at risk, but I really do care about her.’ He hoped Elvis would understand. Elvis chuckled, ‘I know you were at my family house and I knew my youngest sister made you uncomfortable. Elena could be very curious at times. I just lied to her that I had nothing to do Eno’s release, before she figures out your identity.’ Sam’s brows were knotted in surprise, ‘I thought she’d let that go.’ It was Elena’s question that had thrown him off guard, and made him realize that he would make a fool of himself if he hadn’t left. ‘She is a blogger, what do you expect? If I don’t distract her now, she could keep on digging, until she finds out that you are the Mask. I also learned that my mother was drooling over you…’ Elvis winked. It was rare before Tamar welcomed anyone to her house, for her to treat Sam which such care, meant the woman approved of his relationship with Eno. Sam found this more hilarious, ‘Seriously? Elena is a super blogger then. She tells stories the way they really happened.’ ‘True, there are no grays with that girl. It is either black or white.’ Elvis smiled as he thought about his younger sister. He missed playing with her silky hair and warning her about boys. From the pictures, she was all grown up and very beautiful too. He missed Cassandra and Eno. He missed their father whom their mother had divorced. His heart ached as he thought about the old man, and how he fared in a lonely house. ‘I like your sister; she made me feel things I thought weren’t possible.’ Sam was crazy about Eno.

Episode 24 These few days there had shared a strong intent to know themselves better. They spent hours chatting and talking over the phone. And that was how he got to know one of her phobias which he found very amusing. Enobong hated balloons, they terrified her. He knew her favorite color was purple, and it suited her because he was a queen, his Queen. She loved to listen to Soul and cool Rocks. He also learned about the little girl that she had lost in India, Jahnvi and how she had dreamt of him asking her to get over it. ‘I know you do, it is obvious,’ Elvis winked. At first, he had kicked against this relationship, but he couldn’t stop Sam from being happy. They just needed to be discreet and stick to the shadows. ‘But you cannot tell her that you are the Mask, at least not now that you two are just starting to know each other. But if you want to tell her, that’s fine. Do what your heart tells you, but while you are at it, remember you have a reputation to protect.’ Sam was pleased to know hear this, Elvis was offering his full support and he would take it. ‘I won’t reveal my identity just yet, but I will have to tell her the truth someday.’ Sam wondered what the outcome of that revelation would be. Would she flee? Would her love increase? ‘Good and you must never let her know that we are friends.’ Elvis quickly added. ‘Sure,’ Sam agreed. ‘Why don’t you pay your family a visit sometime? They could really use a man around.’ Sam winked; he still wouldn’t ask Elvis his real reason for running away from him. Sam knew Elvis would open up to him one day. Elvis had noticed a change in Sam’s attitude since he met with Eno. He laughed more. He wasn’t stiff around the other militants. He mingled with the men and spent more time with them. ‘Are we celebrating Christmas this year?’ Elvis asked. Since the death of his fiancé, Sam wasn’t too thrilled about the Yuletide season or any other festivity for that matter. A throaty laughter pricked the once steady silence that roamed the dining hall. ‘Of course we are celebrating! I am no Scrooge Ebenezer. As a matter of fact, I have a dinner date with your family on Christmas Eve, so I won’t be here to celebrate with the boys, but you can do that on my behalf.’ Sam winked. Elvis was happy to see Sam back in his old shell. ‘You said you had other plans for King Yemi, can you share?’ Elvis switched the topic. He had been awake thinking about all that vermillion they were about to lose to the Royals. Sam scoffed, he hadn’t expected that question. ‘I don’t have any plan Elvis. I traded the vermillion for Eno. She is worth more than diamonds to me. Would you have preferred we lose her to a man she doesn’t love?’ Elvis scratched his chin, ‘I also noticed that all the blogs had taken down their posts which indicted you in the Ughelli explosion. How did that happen?’ Elvis wondered. ‘Princess Tayo had been the one behind the fake news. I told her to take it down, if we must enter a partnership.’ Sam explained how the Princess had completely emasculated her brother, even before him. Elvis felt butterflies in his tummy as he remembered the piercing brown eyes of Tayo and her smooth black skin. She was a very attractive woman and he wondered laconically, what it would be like to have her share his bed. ‘I can’t believe she would control Yemi.’ Elvis scoffed. ‘Same here, I must go for my walk now.’ Sam grabbed his phone and strolled towards the door. He couldn’t wait to talk to Eno when morning came. ‘Alright,’ Elvis nodded and turned his attention to his laptop screen. His fingers typed in a name into the search engine. Elvis knew he was being stupid, and if Sam would discover that he had a crush on the Princess, that would mean betrayal. But he didn’t care. For some nights, he had dreamt of making love to the Princess and he could no longer contain his sexual desire for her. ‘Princess Tayo Lasisi…’ he murmured her name as he began to search for an authentic profile. Eno had been dreaming about the man she loved. They had gone for a picnic and somehow they couldn’t take their hands off each other. They were about to kiss when Cassie burst into the room screaming, ‘Wake up sleepy head!’ ‘Oh no…’Eno drawled and covered her ears with a pillow, but Cassie’s screams only grew louder. Cassie ignored her sister’s refusal to wake, she hopped into the bed and began to tickle, until Eno couldn’t bear it anymore. ‘Come on Cassandra, why do you have to be this mischievous?’ Eno laughed and jumped out of bed. She missed this. She missed having family around her. Cassie shrugged and kept a puppy face, ‘I’d love you to follow me to my shop. I have new designs that would fit perfectly with your body.’ Cassie was a fashion designer, and lately, she had an influx of customers. Eno loved the passion that Cassie had for her job. ‘When I have the time, for now I have to talk to my man.’ Eno winked and quickly reached the dressing table for her phone. Her eyes always itched to read messages from Sam. They were so glued to each other, and it was becoming an addiction. They were acting like teenagers in new found love. ‘Are you trying to get me jealous?’ Cassie snorted. Eno was deeply in love with this Sam guy, and she wasn’t even being modest about it. Sam’s name popped up a million times in all the conversations they had, including with their mother. ‘Maybe, you need a man too.’ Eno tongued her sister and proceeded to check for messages. Cassie rolled her eyes, ‘Sorry, I am not ready. I have been saving up for fashion school in Milan. I want to go there next year.’ Eno returned her phone on the dresser on hearing this, ‘That is sweet. I am proud of you.’ Eno loved to see her siblings progressing. Cassie and Elena were both working so hard to make a name. She had a strong feeling that they would succeed. ‘Thanks,’ Cassie folded her arms across her chest, still watching her sister. Eno had recounted the horror of being locked in a dark room by Yemi and his monstrous sister. Cassie was so happy that her sister was free to love whomever she wanted, and she had chosen Sam. ‘You two fit…’ ‘What?’ Eno’s brows were raised. ‘I saw the way Sam was looking at you when he brought you home. I want a man that would look at me that way. Just hold him tightly; he seems like a good guy.’ Cassie advised. Eno was pleased that her family welcomed Samuel Ojonugwa; it gave her confidence to love him even more. ‘I want to make love to him; do you think I am rushing things?’ Eno waited for Cassie’s response. Unlike Eno, Cassie had been in ten different relationships that had ended up not working, so she had resolved to live her life without the need for love. ‘There are no rules to this thing. You can have sex with a guy the first time and it works out. You can wait for months and it still works out. Just go with love’s flow and don’t ever look back, because there’s nothing behind. What is important is your love for each other.’ Cassie moved closer to her sister and gave her a reassuring hug. ‘If Sam asks you to stay back in Nigeria with him, would you?’ Cassie asked. ‘Yes, I love him.’ Eno murmured. Even before her sister asked, she had considered the possibility of relocating to her home country. ‘Then it is sealed, Sam is the man for you. And you will be miserable without him.’ Cassie kissed her sister on the forehead before releasing her. She waved Eno goodbye one last time, before leaving for work. ‘Yes, I will be miserable without him.’ Elena quickly grabbed her phone and decided she would call and tell Sam that she was ready to do anything that he wanted. She was about dialing his number, when she a messaged from Whatsapp popped. ‘Let’s see…’ she clicked on it. Lo and behold, it was a voice message from Sam. He was asking her to be his girlfriend. ‘I am taking a walk down a road I know nothing about but with you right beside me, we could make it happen. The stars are aware. The moon bears witness of my love. Dawn is my companion on this journey for happiness. Please be my girlfriend Eno Benjamin…if you accept, call me and scream “I love you,” but if you don’t, I’ll keep chasing after you, until you surrender to destiny.’ To be continued…

Last episode Tears rushed from her eyes as she replayed the voice note over again. In that moment, she had found the man that she loved and who loved her back. The candles had been lit, and the atmosphere properly decorated to suit the occasion. It wasn’t going to be a family dinner like her mother had planned, a lot of things had taken place in the past week. ‘There…’ Eno smacked her hands proudly as she glanced around the dimly lit room. It was a romantic setting, and she couldn’t wait to spend time alone with her boyfriend. Tamar and Elena had travelled to Uyo urgently for the wedding of a distant relative and they wouldn’t return till the Twenty eight day of December. Cassie had too many designs to work on, and she hadn’t even gone half way through them. Her numerous clients were on her neck, this was the reason Cassie couldn’t make it for the dinner. The house was unusually calm. All domestic workers had taken a day off to celebrate Christmas with their families, so she had ended up doing all the cooking and decoration alone. Eno realized that she was a bit nervous. Her palms were sweaty and her breathing was uneven. She was tensed up because this would be the first time she would be spending a night with Sam alone. She quickly ran up the stairs to give her dress and make-up one last glance before settling on a sofa downstairs awaiting his arrival. Her eyes danced as she watched her reflection. She wore a long red dress which cascaded to the marble floor. She had recently applied relaxer to her hair, this made it longer and softer. Her make-up had been very light, just a touch of red which seemed to match with her dress. The silvery tear drop earrings she’d worn enhanced the oval accentuation of her face, which gave her a sexy look. ‘He has come…’ she gasped and touched her chest lightly as she peered out the window, into the driveway. From what she observed, Sam was dressed in black. He held a bouquet of gillyflower as he stepped out from the car. Somehow, he had a feeling that someone was looking at him. Just in time, he found her beautiful eyes glaring down at him. A soft whimper escaped her lips as their eyes locked together. Eno had a feeling that something would go down tonight. There was a strange fire in Sam’s eyes, it had to be desire and she was willing to surrender totally tonight. She gave a deep sigh and peeled herself from the widow. She looked very attractive. He increased his pace as he rushed towards the door. Sam had been looking forward to this Christmas dinner with her family, and he had prepared himself for all the questions they would throw his way. He only had one wish, one desire. If only she would give him another opportunity to kiss her, he would take her to a world where all lovers fought to be. There wasn’t any need to ring the doorbell, because she had already seen him. He arranged the pink flowers he had gotten at a horticulture store and waited for her to welcome him. ‘You came!’ Eno pulled the door open at once. Her heart had started another wild dance to a mysterious rhythm. He took in her beautiful shape in the red dress. Her boobs were perky and smooth on the surface. Her hips were lean, just the way he liked it. And her hair, there were so many things he could do with that hair. ‘You look lovely tonight.’ Sam pushed out the lusty thoughts that almost ripped his composure. She could tell he was thinking about making passionate love to her. ‘Just so you know, we are having this dinner alone.’ She beckoned him into the living room. A deep frown settled in between his brows as he sauntered into the house, ‘I don’t understand…’ he scanned the décor of the room, which reminded him of a lovers’ night out. Eno quickly explained why her mother and her sisters couldn’t make it for dinner. She relayed Tamar’s apologies to Sam, hoping he would understand how important the wedding was to her mother. Sam found it odd, that he was excited about this new development. They were alone! Maybe Christmas night was meant for him. He swore underneath his breath to kiss the moonlight out of her. ‘I brought you flowers…carnation.’ He offered her the pinky bunch. Eno grabbed it gently and sniffed, ‘Hmm, lovely and sweet, just the way I like it.’ She winked and dropped the bouquet on the table. He had a feeling she wasn’t talking about the flowers any longer. ‘Can I show my girlfriend how much I missed her?’ He was taking a risk with this plan of his’, what if she got peeved and rejected his advances? A ball clogged her throat as Sam drew closer to her. Her insides were screaming for his touch and his kiss, and she hoped he had come to offer her that. ‘Yes?’ She swallowed. ‘I don’t know how this may sound, but I think I am in love with you. You’re perfect for me darling.’ He cupped her face between his palms and caressed her cheeks. She licked her lips in waiting, ‘It sounds normal. I am proud to be your Christmas girlfriend.’ She smiled. ‘Merry Christmas darling,’ he murmured, as his lips found their way to her ear lobe. Sam could no longer contain the fire that burned in him. He was going to make love to her like never before. He swept her into his arms at once, ‘You’re my Christmas gift from God.’ ‘Take me upstairs, my room is the third on the left wing.’ She held tightly to his neck. All she could think of was ripping his shirt off and running her fingers through the hairs on his chest. After a round of mating, Sam laid his head on her tender laps so she could stroke him. Something deeply troubled him when he had made love to her. He had felt an odd sensation when he had slipped his rod into her. ‘You are quiet…’Eno ran her fingers through his black hair. She was trying to adjust to the new sensations that her body had gone through while she had surrendered in his arms. There had been a slight pain at first, like something had cut deep through her flesh, but the pain had been immediately replaced with a powerful and burgeoning pleasure; which was sweeter than anything she had ever imagined. ‘Did you like it?’ Sam was hesitant to ask the other question. ‘Of course I did, did you?’ She lowered her lips and touched his scar. One day, she would inquire about the story behind the scar. Sam raised his face so he could look directly into her eyes. ‘Was that your first time?’ Blood crept to her cheeks, ‘Yes. I know I should’ve told you but I didn’t want you to freak out.’ She had never been with any man, but with Sam, Eno felt like she was ready. He straightened at once and pulled away from her, ‘I can’t believe this, why didn’t you tell me? I should’ve been gentler and considerate…’ Sam was shocked by this discovery. But she quickly pulled him back to her arms, ‘You were very gentle and I enjoyed every bit of the lovemaking.’ She smiled shyly. Sam’s love for her grew even more as he realized she had saved the best part of herself for him. ‘I love you darling,’ he wanted to make love to her all over again. ‘I love you too Uncle Sam.’ She winked, and they both laughed. The night was still young, and they had all the time in the world to build memories Cassandra Benjamin had been working on a wedding dress, when she mistakenly pricked her thumb with a needle. Angrily, she discarded the beige dress and rose to her feet. She had been working all day and it was starting to get to her. Cassie’s eyes fell to the street, and she realized that most shop owners had gone home. The place was empty and lonely, but she couldn’t leave just yet. ‘I have to complete that,’ she yawned and returned to her chair. She’d thought of calling Eno and asking how the dinner went, but she refrained from doing so as a dirty thought flashed her mind. ‘They are both hitting it,’ Cassie’s throaty laughter rumbled through the shop. She was glad that her sister had found love. She couldn’t imagine what Enobong’s life would have been with King Yemi. She shrugged and decided to finish the embroidery before taking her leave. Cassandra was about lifting the needle from its place when she spotted a stranger in front of her shop. She hadn’t been expecting anyone, so the sight of the man dressed in black terrified her. Cassie threw the fabric on the floor and rose to her feet. Her eyes blazed with naked fear as she noticed a blue jeep pulling over before the man, whose back was to her. ‘Lord…’ Cassie tried to rush towards her phone which was situated at the other end of the room, but she was too late. All of a sudden, the man in black pushed open the glass door and walked into the shop. There was something strangely familiar about the way he moved. His steps were light, swift, majestic. He was very tall. But his face was hidden in the black hood that covered his head. ‘Please…I am closed,’ her lips shivered. Cassie was confused and terribly afraid. The man quickly pulled over the hood, granting Cassie the revelation that she’d desperately needed. ‘Merry Christmas Cassandra,’ He grinned wickedly before snapping his fingers, which ushered in five other men. ‘No!’ Tears welled up in Cassandra’s eyes as she came face to face with the King. Season 2 coming soon

Bring on the season 2 alas

would u trust him?

I can't wait to start season two

Another wahala.

Episode 1 The silence of the night was stinging, loneliness hung grimly in the atmosphere as she stared at her design book. Cassie bit her lip and leaned closer to the table so she could take a closer look at her designs. A sigh escaped her thin lips. She had spent a whole day within these walls without stepping outside. She had buried herself in creating a hundred designs in twelve hours, but the intensity of her work couldn’t chase the feeling of pain away. A rush of memories infested her mind at once, and she had no option but to toss the pencil she’d clutched between her fingers to the table. She pushed back her seat and straightened the milky white dress that she was forced to wear by the King. A numbing pain ate at her heart as she moved towards the window, which usually offered her an insight into the beautiful hills and fields that surrounded the area around the palace. As she reached the window, the wind caressed her face lightly, playing with some strands of hair. She took in the clean smell, and the flowery scent it carried. ‘Freedom,’ she gave the evening breeze a name. She missed being free. Cassie missed waking up in the morning and going to work. She missed getting a good cup of tea and a cheap breakfast of fried plantain from the little restaurant that was beside her shop. She couldn’t believe that her family would completely forget her in the King’s palace. She found it hard to come to terms with the situation that she found herself. When Eno had been kidnapped by the king, Elvis and Elena, her siblings, had done everything in their power to save her, but why was her case different? Two months had passed, and nobody had showed up for her. From the little she heard, her mother had fled the country in other not to be arrested by the angry King whom she had outsmarted. Since Yemi had invested so much in her elder sister Eno, and couldn’t make her his wife at the end, he had decided to redeem his image by taking her as a replacement for his lost wife. ‘F^ck!’ Cassie cursed in frustration. She resented the king from the first time he set foot in their house. Yemi’s pride was laced with impudence, and he wasn’t any different from his younger sister, the princess. Yemi had walked into her shop on Christmas Day and had taken her against her will. He told her that she would be his wife once the rituals were completed, and she had no control over the matter. A tear scurried down her cheeks as she thought of a life with a man she had no attraction for. Why did she always end up with the wrong men? Before giving up on relationships entirely, Cassie had dated eight men and it all ended sourly with each. She had been hurt and broken countless times, but being forced to get married was the height of her ill-luck. Cassie had dreamed of a life where she could afford Fashion school in Milan or Venice. She loved creating designs and working on them occasionally, she wanted to make a name in the fashion world, but the King was bringing her dream to an end by forcing her to marry him. Yemi was a very powerful monarch, and her average family couldn’t afford to stand up against him. It would mean doom. She just wished her sisters could find a way to reach out to her, maybe that could alleviate her suffering somehow. Cassie had totally pushed out of her mind plans to escape the palace. She knew if she abandoned the King, he would go after her younger sister, Elena and she didn’t want that. She shrugged and wiped away the tears that troubled her lashes. She had no option but to sacrifice her happiness for the greater good of her family. But she wouldn’t forgive them that easily for abandoning her, especially her mother, Tamar Benjamin. Suddenly, the door to her room flew wide open and an angry looking Princess Tayo sauntered in. ‘It is dinner time…’Tayo crossed her arms against her chest in annoyance. Apart from ignoring Yemi whenever he spoke to her, she had purposely avoided eating for some days now. Maybe that could persuade him to release her. ‘I am not hungry.’ Cassie replied defiantly. ‘Oh yea? You’re going to eat tonight, whether you like it or not. And that nonsense of ignoring my brother whenever he speaks to you ends today.’ The princess waved a finger over her face. Just like Eno her sister had told her when she had been rescued by Sam from the King’s palace; the princess’ arrogance was greater than her brother’s. What irked Cassie more was the fact that Yemi couldn’t take his own decisions sometimes, so Tayo had to do it for him. ‘And if I don’t?’ Cassie stuck her chin arrogantly. Couldn’t these people understand that she wasn’t made for this sort of life? Every morning she awoke with maids by her doorsteps, fawning over her like she was a queen of a hive. Life in the palace was something different from the ordinary life she had lived. She was out of place. ‘Trust me; you aren’t going to like what would follow.’ Tayo tilted her head and laughed. She had warned Yemi about taking another commoner as a wife. At first, she had assumed her brother had considered her advice, only to come home after hanging out with her friends to meet Yemi with another woman. At first, Tayo didn’t have a problem with Cassie’s presence in the palace. She was a striking beauty, so she passed the test of elegance, which all potential queens had to pass. She was tall and slender, with a warm complexion that looked edible. Tayo had thought her brother lucky, only to discover that he had taken the lady since her sister’s rescue by the Mask. That night, Tayo had been furious with the King. What on earth had possessed her brother? Why couldn’t he just let go of the impoverished Benjamins and move on with his life? ‘You and your whole house can be bought with a few coins. You should always remember that when next you talk back at anyone in this palace.’ Tayo ran her eyes disdainfully over the skinny figure. The princess’ words cut Cassie deeply, but she maintained composure. Tears tickled her lashes badly, but she wouldn’t let them fall. Her mother had brought this upon her. ‘You cannot talk that way to me. Ask you brother to tell you the truth! He kidnapped me here. I am not after his name or his money. He doesn’t mean anything to me.’ Her voice was shaky as she tried to defend herself. Tayo scoffed and rolled her eyes, ‘I don’t have time for your drama. The King has made his choice, and I will support him. But I wouldn’t have you insult my brother one more day in this palace.’ Once she was done talking, Tayo snapped her fingers and two hefty guards hurried into the room and grabbed Cassie roughly by the arms. The Princess rolled her eyes and laughed as she watched her brother’s prisoner fight with the guards. ‘I warned you Cassandra, you should learn to respect your King. Now you are going to eat or you will be assisted of course by these hefty men.’ Tayo winked. To be continued…

Yemi u are so shameless, must u kidnap a woman u want to marry

Dear poster pls post 2 episodes daily??

Tayo have problem

hmmm

love aren't by force u have to earn it

Go on

Episode 2 The pain she had been holding on to became too much for her to bear. Cassie could no longer contain the tears that stung her eyes, so she let them flow. ‘You cannot do this Tayo! Tell these idiots to release me at once!’ Cassie felt humiliated and disgraced. The King and his sister weren’t treating her nicely, if she had her way, she’d pay them back for all that she had suffered in the palace. Tayo waved her aside, ‘Oh come off it darling. You are my brother’s whore and I can do whatever I want.’ The vile name the princess had labeled her with; hurt her more than anything else. ‘who are you calling a whore?!’ Cassie fought with all of her strength to break free from these men, but their hands only tightened around her delicate elbows. She was defeated. It was time to accept that she would never be free from the King. When he had plotted Cassie’s kidnap, he’d thought he could easily replace her presence in the palace with her sister. King Yemi had thought that she would be different from Eno, and embrace every good thing that he had to offer her. Yemi gritted his teeth as the screams and grumbling increased. He had been working on an important document for his mining company, and Cassie’s yelling was distracting him. He regretted taking her as a wife in place of her sister, but he had to do it. As a king, he had to redeem his image and pride. The only way was to take Cassie as his new queen, but she had rejected him from day one. Angrily, Yemi shut down the laptop, pushed the papers aside and rose to his feet. Burning hatred mixed with resentment consumed him. As the days passed, he hated Cassandra Benjamin even more than he hated her sister. She had a wild tongue and didn’t miss any opportunity to express her hatred and discomfort around him. Cassie made him feel less of a King, and less of a man. She stripped him naked with her tongue, whenever she called him names like “arrogant,” “lonely,” “beast,” e.t.c Sometimes she insulted him in the presence of the domestic staff and there wasn’t anything he could do to stop her. He didn’t hit women, and placing her in the dungeon wasn’t something she could bear. ‘Foolish girl,’ Yemi caressed the stubbles on his chin as he marched towards the dining hall. He had totally forgotten about her elder sister. Yemi knew he couldn’t go back on the agreement that he had with the Mask. He had traded Eno for vermillion, and he wasn’t going back on the terms of agreement. Cassie was more beautiful than her sister. From what he observed, she was the most beautiful of all the Benjamin women, and he was particularly drawn to the structure of her cute face. She was a puzzle, and the more he tried to solve her, the angrier he got. All his life, women had thrown themselves at his feet. Even now as the King, their desperation increased, knowing the power and honor being a queen offered. He knew he was an attractive man. He had the money. Why was she still rejecting him like her sister had done? Briefly, Yemi pondered on all the abusive names Cassie had hurled at him. He had never been called an arrogant person. He had been trained never to apologize and to always do as he liked. He was the King! ‘Evening,’ Yemi mumbled to the greetings of his guards as he strolled towards the dining hall. Yemi suddenly felt unsure of whom he really was. He had planned to send Cassie away from the palace secretly one day. But now that he thought of her as a puzzle, he was determined to break her and find out her greatness weakness. The dining hall was enormous. It was made to occupy more than two hundred people at the same time. There were hundred rectangular tables and three hundred chairs with identical decors. However, the table meant for the king and other members of the royal family was carved in a different design and purely made of graphite. The chairs that followed were silvery. Once the King stepped into the hall, all the guards prostrated before him but he ignored them. He had abandoned his work, so he could find out Cassie’s reason for disturbing the peace and quiet of the palace with her screams. ‘The King is here…’ Tayo wore a mischievous smile as she cast a look at Cassie who was still stubborn. Cassie felt her heart race as the masculine fragrance spiraled into her nostrils. She suddenly realized that she had gotten used to his smell, and she could tell that it was him from a thousand miles away. ‘Good evening brother,’ the princess dropped her fork and rose to her feet in his honor as was the custom. Yemi ignored his sister and pinned his dark glare at Cassie who was positioned between two guards. ‘What is going on here?’ Yemi directed his questions to them. Before the men could respond, Tayo cut in. She quickly explained to her brother that Cassie had deliberately stayed away from eating for some days. ‘If she continues to do this, she may die in this palace and I know you wouldn’t want that.’ Tayo tried to get her brother to understand that whatever she had done was for his own good. Angry tears sliced her cheeks as she stared at the baked turkey and German bread before her. She had always seen foods like this on the internet and she had dreams to travelling round the world to eat them. Now that she had come face to face with the things she desired, Cassie found it difficult to enjoy them. Yemi couldn’t stand her crying. He was hardly touched by tears, but something about the silence in her weeping spoke to him. ‘Look…’ he licked his lips swiftly and walked towards Cassie. It was time to let her out of the palace. Obviously, she wasn’t happy being here and he wasn’t a beast like she had assumed. Cassie quickly wiped her face and grabbed the nearest utensil, which was a spoon and pointed it at him. ‘Don’t come near me! You have done enough wreckage to my life and dreams. I hope you are happy now.’ Yemi didn’t step back. Her eyes glazed with anger, which made their golden depths even more alluring. She was a goddess in this angry state and for some reason, he enjoyed looking at her. Her pinkish lips trembled as she spoke. There was fear in her eyes and voice, but she managed to wear a frown. ‘Smart woman,’ he advanced towards the table knife that she had quickly replaced with the spoon. Princess Tayo wasn’t comfortable with this scene. She didn’t know if Cassie’s mental health was questionable. What if the lunatic did something horrible to her brother? ‘You have to step back Yemi. Please grant her wishes, and let her out of the palace.’ Tayo rushed to his rescue but he quickly stopped her. ‘No, I want her to kill me and end it all.’ Yemi grinned and leaned into her face. Cassie had dreamt of harming Yemi many times, because that was the only way to secure her freedom. But right now, the seducing glint in his dark eyes made it very difficult for her to think. Cassie slowly realized that he wasn’t wearing his white robes today. The King wore a deep blue T-shirt and three-quarter shorts which revealed a pair of hairy strong legs. She swallowed as images of them making love, while her smooth legs caressed his hairy ones. ‘You need to focus! Remember he is the enemy!’ Cassie thought. A blush spread across her cheeks as she blinked away from his attractive legs. She wondered what the rest of his body would be like, if his legs were that gorgeous.

ok nah u don hav double mind abi??

@vikkyberry wat happen to oda characters???

@marcusvictoria wat happen to oda characters?!

Lol

@Kelly-kevin you will see them

Episode 3 Yemi had numerous experiences with women. He didn’t need an Ifa Priest to tell him what went through Cassie’s mind. He was only stunned by the discovery. So she was sexually attracted to him? ‘I guess you can’t.’ He grabbed the knife away from her and yanked her out of the chair. Cassie gasped, knowing he had caught her at a point of weakness. She felt ashamed. She had to cover it up before he discovered the mistake she had made. How on earth could she fantasize this beast making love to her? Yemi ignored her mild struggling and took his lips closer to her small earlobes. ‘I’ll have you in my bed one of these days, wife.’ He released her immediately and stormed out of the dining hall, leaving Cassie deeply confused. A fire had just started and she was well aware. She only prayed that it wouldn’t burn her. ‘If I didn’t know you well, I would’ve sworn you wanted my brother to kiss you right here.’ Tayo smirked at Cassie’s pretence. Cassie quickly grabbed the plate that harbored the well baked turkey and marched to her room, ignoring Tayo’s laughter and mean jabs. Tonight, she would let her mind roam freely. She wouldn’t restrict her thoughts for she was already a prisoner in the physical. Two months had passed since Sam made a deal to stay away from the vermillion that had been discovered in Lokoja. He was more focused in his new relationship with Eno, which he hoped would lead to something great. ‘We can’t just pretend that Yemi isn’t behind this. We have to come up with another plan to save my sister.’ Elvis paced the study furiously. After learning about Cassie’s kidnap on Christmas day, he had been very restless. Sam remembered clearly what had gone down between himself and Eno that night. They had made passionate love and slept in each other’s arms that night, while Cassie had abandoned dinner to be in the shop. At first, when she didn’t return home, neither of them was scared. Eno had made it clear to him that Cassandra was very passionate about her fashion designing career and could spend hours creating new designs. Then a day passed, and a day after that without Cassie returning to the house, that was how Sam knew that something had happened to Eno’s younger sister. ‘Why do you think the King kidnapped her? We reported this matter to the police and they haven’t given us any positive impact. A lot of bad people have overrun this town, why drag the King into this?’ Sam rubbed his chin while thinking of this possibility. Elvis was baffled, how could Sam sound so ignorant and naïve? ‘Why do you think my mother suddenly travelled out of the country? She went to visit my aunt, Agatha who lives in Jamaica. She knows something about Cassie’s disappearance. And we both know that she had sold Eno off to the king, just that it didn’t work out like she has planned.’ Elvis could swear before any deity that the king had taken Cassie in place of Eno. Sam’s left brow arose, ‘How do you even know so much about your family without being close to them?’ Sam mocked. He knew Elvis hadn’t set a foot in the Benjamin Mansion for more than a decade, but he seem to be in perfect knowledge of all that was going on. Elvis shrugged, his younger sister had fed him with all necessary information. Elena was really on his neck about Cassie’s disappearance. She wanted her brother to anything he could to find their sister. ‘Elena eh? That blogging job really suits her.’ Sam found his answer. He visited Eno almost every day, while consoling her about Cassie’s mysterious disappearance. He was very careful with the way he interacted with Elena, because she was highly inquisitive and he still had a reputation to protect. He was still the Mask, and no one could ever come to that knowledge. Elvis nodded, ‘That girl is going to bug me to death. We have to find Cassie before it is too late.’ Sam held his breath, knowing he didn’t want to involve himself in this. ‘You don’t expect me to appear in Yemi’s palace with a gun and a mask again? I made a pact never to trouble the King and I have to respect that. If I don’t, he could expose me. Besides, don’t you think your little sister would begin to add things up? First, I rescued Eno. Somehow, I still find a way to rescue Cassie. She will carry out a research and realize that I am the Mask. I cannot allow that to happen.’ In a lot of ways, loving Eno and being close to her family had changed him. He was no longer that impulsive and revengeful man. Eno’s love had captured his soul, it had re-created him and he would never do anything to lose her. Elvis wasn’t comfortable with Sam’s response, ‘But Cassie is the sister of the girl you are dating, who by the way is also my sister.’ He couldn’t understand why Sam was trying to run away from saving Cassie. ‘Elvis, you won’t understand. Do you think Eno would still love me if she found out that I am the Mask? Have you ever considered that?’ Sam asked. He wasn’t going to involve himself with whatever had happened to Cassie. The best he could was to give Elvis his blessings, but for a very long time he had thought of leaving the Militant group that he had created for a normal life with Eno. Elvis was disappointed by his friend’s response. He decided he would find a way to save Cassie on his own. He just needed to find out who kidnapped his sister. One he got hold of that information, he would know how to act from there. ‘Excuse me, that looks important.’ Sam quickly grabbed the TV remote on the wooden table and increased the volume. The television had been switched on for a long time, but the men had been neck deep in their conversation to notice it. It was Elvis that first caught the sight of the Princess, the woman whom he found it difficult to push out of his thoughts. ‘Isn’t that the King’s younger sister?’ Sam’s eyes grew wide as he watched her smiling face. She was shaking hands with some Federal Government representatives, and he quickly recognized the last man she shook hands with. ‘Professor Ahmad Jamal,’ Sam called his name. The bald man was the minister of Mineral resources. Elvis quickly understood what was going on as Sam had been a little bit distracted, wondering why Princess Tayo would meet with such top government officials. ‘The devil!’ Elvis quickly slammed his hands on the table. ‘No, she cannot…’Sam quickly turned off the television and grabbed his head between his hands. ‘Yes she did, I warned you. I told you not to trust those people, now they have played us. We have lost out!’ Elvis yelled at the top of his voice. One of the terms of agreement for the release of Eno, was the King’s unlimited access to the vermillion in the rock fields in Lokoja. But there had been a condition, Sam had warned them not to tell the Federal Government about the mineral; he had plans of taking some and making money out of it. Once the Government, which was a conglomeration of greedy thieves got wind of any mineral resource and one as scarce as vermillion, they would take everything for themselves without taking the indigenous community in consideration. ‘Fuck!’ Sam fingered his hair. The Princess had outsmarted him. ‘The King and his sister must have tapped enough vermillion for their saves. Instead of telling us they were done mining, they told the Federal Government about it. That way, they have broken free from our hold and we have nothing against them.’ Sam complained. They couldn’t go back to the rocks to mine, because the Federal Government had taken hold of the lands and going there would mean asking for trouble.

Cassie what kind of thought is that. Anyways u can marry since u don't hv any boyfriend

That Tayo is a bad news

Elvis should not bother to rescue Cassie, shes in love with yemi already

Episode 4 ‘I warned you Sam. From what I have researched about the Princess, she is more ruthless that her brother. We have lost at both ends now. What are we going to do? We can’t let them walk over our heads like that.’ Elvis fumed. He was quite sure King Yemi had taken his sister captive. And his sister, Tayo had taken all of the vermillion. They had to retaliate. ‘We can’t do anything. Attacking the rock fields would expose our cover and we have been hiding since we were falsely accused for the explosion at Ughelli. We have to be careful.’ Sam tried to calm his friend. But Elvis could see what was going on in Sam’s mind clearly. ‘You no longer want to be a part of us, do you?’ Elvis asked. He quickly rushed towards the door before Sam could make him change his mind. The battle line had just been drawn; he would fight King Yemi and Princess Tayo on his own. ‘Elvis wait, you cannot do anything stupid!’ Sam sighed and rushed after his friend. Elvis was right; he could no longer work with the boys because he was a new man. He had a secret to protect and no one could ever know that he was the mask. Her golden eyes glowed in awe as she scrolled over to another page. She had just discovered one of Sam’s accomplices along the years, and she found him very intriguing. She wore a red dress and leaned her back against the swivel chair in her bedroom, while her laptop was on the desk before her. She had spent many nights and days, looking for more information on the handsome man she had discovered while looking for some dirt on the Mask. ‘Who’s there?’ The Princess quickly shut down the laptop and rose to her feet. No one could know that’s he secretly admired one of Sam’s men, who went by the name; Elvis Benjamin. She straightened the rumple on her dress and quickly moved away from the desk. ‘It’s me, open the door at once!’ Yemi barked from outside. At once, her heart began to beat as she realized that her brother, the king had come to see her. He rarely stepped into her room, except to discuss something very important in the absence of his servants. From the tone of his voice, her brother wasn’t pleased with her latest actions. She knew for sure he had seen it like every other person who had watched the morning news. ‘I have to stay calm in the midst of trouble,’ Tayo closed her eyes and opened them swiftly. Yemi’s outrage wasn’t the best thing to witness on a sunny day. She moved over to a drawer by her bedside and grabbed a bowl from it. The bowl contained one of her favorite fruits, grapes. Their reddish color attracted her even more and she knew she needed it while waiting on her brother’s anger. ‘You can come in!’ Tayo popped one of the reddish delights into her mouth and squashed it with her tongue. The door flew open with a powerful force, crashing into the marble walls with a bang. ‘What were you thinking?’ Yemi’s eyes darkened. His voice was gruff and loud. She hadn’t seen the King being so angry for a long time. The glassy bowl escaped her shaky hands and crashed into pieces. For the first time in her life, she was actually scared of her elder brother. ‘Did you hear me? Don’t just stand there and play dumb! What were you thinking?’ King Yemi had been present when the Mask had paid a visit to the palace at the time he had taken Eno Benjamin to be his wife. It didn’t take long for Sam to show up and claim her as his’. He would have waged war against the criminal, but he had come up with a favorable trade. ‘Vermillion is a scarce mineral. The Mask, gave us an opportunity to enrich ourselves and you foolishly got the Federal Government involved. Did you think he gave us access to his homeland freely?’ Yemi scoffed, his sister had always considered herself wise yet in her wisdom she had committed folly. Tayo pulled in a breath and tried to calm herself. ‘But…but he paid for the vermillion when you allowed him to take Eno. Taking that woman that you loved from you was price enough. The rock fields were no longer his’ for the taking, it belonged to us and we could do whatever we wanted.’ She came up with a defense. Her response further infuriated the king, ‘Are you listening to yourself? Nothing goes for anything! Sam and his men still had an interest in the vermillion. He was only giving us a short time so we could take as much as we want…’ ‘But we did take as much as we wanted. What was left for us? I had to tell the Federal Government before someone blew the whistle on us. What makes you think Sam wasn’t trying to set us up? Why did he relinquish the rock fields with the vermillion so easily?’ The way the princess saw it, the man called Sam was very tricky. He wanted to call the Federal Government on the Royal house, but she had been smarter. ‘You are even more foolish than I thought. Sam Ojonugwa would never have called the Government on us. He is the one with so many things to lose, things that are provable.’ First, he is the mask and we have seen his true face. Why didn’t you tell me about your plans? You just went on to the TV without any thoughts, now the Mask and his men would come for us.’ Yemi sighed. He was tired of his sister doing the things the way she wanted. Her heart was beating fast as she thought of the anger Sam and his boys would unleash upon them. The Princess quickly understood that she had made a mistake by involving the Federal Government. ‘But the Mask never showed too much interest in the vermillion.’ She tried to defend her actions once more. ‘Only a fool would look away from an opportunity to make wealth. Already, the Russian Armory institution has contacted me for supplies. The Mask and his boys would need their own share. You will give it to them.’ Yemi waved a finger over her face. Tayo avoided her brother’s flaming eyes the whole time. She couldn’t bring herself to look at him. ‘You will take a good percentage from all that you collected from the rock fields and hand it over to the Mask and his boys. I don’t want any trouble with that criminal. I am the most important monarch in this country and I wouldn’t have anyone stain my name.’ Tayo understood why her brother had taken this decision. But she had a little problem with it. ‘What if they want everything?’ Tayo was ready to fight the Mask and his boys should they threaten to take everything that she labored to mine from her. King Yemi ran his eyes angrily over her. He didn’t have time for her questions, she had angered him enough. He spun on his heel and hurried out of her room before she said another word. ‘Damn!’ The Princess sank into her bed and covered her face. Obviously, the King had lost faith in her. She had to redeem his trust before it was too late. To be continued…

This princess na snake

Episode 5 She rose to her feet immediately and rushed back to the computer. She had to contact the Mask and his militants before they contacted her first. A smile wavered on her lips as she stared at the picture of Elvis, who worked closely with the Mask and had become the object of her infatuation. His eyes were seductive and called to her. ‘I have an idea…’ she ran a finger over his picture. She had a crush on the criminal and she would find a way to make her fantasies come true. She clicked on the Ms. Word Icon and began to type a letter that she was sending to Samuel Ojonugwa A.K.A the Mask: I need a Man in exchange for ¼ measure of the vermillion the Royal House mined from the rock fields. Princess Tayo Lasisi. The shiny beads that were attached to the help of his garment kissed the marble floor as the king stormed towards the royal garden, where he normally relaxed whenever he was pissed off. Yemi’s eyes were reddish. His heart pounded against his chest with a great propensity, one that he hadn’t expected. Tayo had gotten him extremely angry with her recklessness. How could she not tell him about her plans? The King hoped that Sam wouldn’t make trouble. Already, foreign companies knew that his mining firm had a good quantity of vermillion to sell and he couldn’t miss out on this opportunity. He knew Tayo’s problem was overconfidence. In the past, he had let her take decisions for him and somehow that had gotten into her head. Their parents always confided in her, and made her feel like the smart one. But this recent mishap on her part had revealed she still had a lot of things to learn. Yemi was in a good place. He had the vermillion he wanted. He had a woman he was attracted to, and he was prepared to do anything to get Cassie into his bed. He didn’t know why he cared about her so much; maybe it was because he hadn’t been with a woman for a very long time. His anger was fuelled by the thoughts of Cassie and her mother, Tamar, who had tried to play him. The King learned of her sudden trip to Jamaica, and he knew why she escaped. Yemi had sent some of his men to keep watch over the Benjamin Mansion because he wanted Tamar arrested. Somehow, she had learned of the plan and escaped. The lovely smell of the queen of the night tree which stood at the middle of the garden welcomed him. He pulled the sweet smell into his lungs and exhaled. Already, the gentle breeze that played with the flowers had a calming effect on him and all the anger he felt ebbed away slowly. At first, Yemi thought his anger had given birth to hallucinations. From where he stood, he heard three different voices, laughing and speaking in hushed voices. But when he looked around, there wasn’t anyone. Yemi tightened his fingers around the staff of authority which he carried, an object passed unto him from the first ancestor. It was forged in bronze and ivory. With the golden crown firmly placed on his head, he trudged deeper into the garden but stopped immediately at the sight of Cassie. All the things that had troubled him vanished at once. The sight of her beauty and the cute smile on her face calmed him better than the flowers. He had never seen her relaxed or happy, since she came to the palace like this time. Cassie wore a pink dress which paused on her knees, revealing a pair of shapely legs. There were long and slender but very sexy to look at. The pink dress hung loosely on her slim body, but couldn’t hide the rising of her boobs. ‘She could wear anything and still torment a man in his dreams.’ Yemi murmured in admiration. The pink dress matched the blue ribbon which she fixed on her thick black hair. Cassie appeared very natural. She looked like a mermaid who lived in the royal garden. Yemi held his breath and watched quietly as she interacted with the palace maids. She held a tape and a notebook. She would flip open a page and show it to each girl and they would either nod or grin. The King wondered briefly what Cassie was doing with a tape when he suddenly remembered that he had found her in a shop filled with clothes, on the night he had kidnapped her. ‘She must be a tailor,’ Yemi thought. He didn’t know much about Cassie; except the fact that she was related to Eno Benjamin; the woman he had wanted to marry. He was curious about Cassie. He had to know more about her, especially the things that made her happy because he could do anything to have her smile that way at him every day. He didn’t know the names of all his servants, but he recognized a distant cousin who served as a maid. She was short, plump and dark of skin. The King rarely spoke to her, even though he knew her name. Pelumi was the answer to his problems. He would pay her to spy on Cassie and return information on her every move in the palace. He wanted to know the things that made her happy and those things that made her sad. Cassie had woken up feeling depressed that her family had forgotten her in King Yemi’s palace. But she was determined not to stay down for too long. She reminded herself that her dreams where more important to her than being in captivity. Cassie had faith that she would be free one day. So, she jumped out of bed; had a light breakfast and rushed to the garden to work on some designs. She had spent two hours alone, sketching and designing when the palace maids whose presence she had come to enjoy, joined her in the garden. ‘You guys should have another uniform. Here, I designed something beautiful for you.’ Cassie flipped to the sixth page in her designs book. She nibbled on the butt of her pencil while waiting for their comments. After two seconds of no response from them, Cassie noticed a look of fright in their eyes. ‘What is it?’ The three girls- Pelumi, Esther and Demola, looked like they had seen a ghost. She tried smiling but they quickly moved away from her and rushed back to the palace. Immediately she turned around, she found herself staring into the deep black well of the King’s beguiling eyes. Cassie was thrown into confusion as he was the last person she had expected to see. And she had been thinking about him the whole time while measuring the girls! God, what was happening to her? Why would she think about a beast that kidnapped her and separated her from her family? Cassie sucked in some air and started for the palace. She couldn’t let him know that she found him extremely attractive. The white garment that he usually wore suited him like second skin. The crown was made for his head. He was born for kingship. ‘Don’t you have manners?’ The King got in her way. All the servants had curtsied or bowed their heads before leaving his presence. He hadn’t expected Cassie to walk past him without a word.

Cassie doesn't have manners but her kidnapper does. Funny

kip it coming

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Episode 6 Can you get out of my way? I need to rest.’ Cassie stared at the carpet grass, afraid her eyes would let go the secret she was protecting. Yemi quickly grabbed her left arm and pulled her closer to him, so he could take a closer look at her angelic face. ‘I’ll teach you some manners tonight,’ he whispered, his breath hot against her face. This was the first time they ever got so close and she marveled at his perfectly built body. She suddenly wondered what sort of clothesn her design book would fit the king. Her small hands were entrapped in his’ but she wasn’t eager to pull them away. She loved the tingly sensation that emanated from that sweet touch but she couldn’t let it show. ‘Get your hands away from me, you unrepentant brute!’ She fired at the King. He let go of her hand at once, and scurried away. Cassie left the King in wonder. Yemi had come to realize that Cassie was slightly different from her sister. Of course, no two people were the same, Cassie was a spitfire. And this got him confused. He could swear that he had caught her admiring him the other night at the dining hall, but why was she acting irked by his presence? Did Cassie like him and was pretending or was she always arrogant? ‘I guess I have to find that out.’ His mind was made up, he needed to ask Pelumi to help him out. Immediately Cassie reached her room, she shut the door firmly behind her. She peeled off her clothes and rushed towards the bathroom. Her skin was burning from his touch and she had to quench the fire. She pulled off the ribbon from her hair and tossed it on the bathroom floor. Now she was free from him. She was in a place where the king couldn’t enter. This was her own world, were she would be transparent with herself and what she truly felt. Cassie closed her eyes and let the cooling effect of the water pour into her head and her body. Scenes of Yemi bathing and making love to her attacked her mind. She wondered what it would be like for the King to kiss her and run his hands all over her. He seemed like a passionate lover and she was eager to find that out. ‘This isn’t me!’ A yell of frustration poured out from her and she immediately got out of the shower. She rushed to the mirror and took a good look at her pale eyes. How could she be attracted to the man that kidnapped her? Wasn’t that madness? ‘I miss home,’ her lips shuddered as she thought of her sisters-Eno and Elena. Cassie wished she was never kidnapped in the first place. Now, she was torn between her attraction to the wicked king and her love for the family that had forgotten her. The Benjamin house seemed empty though people still lived in it. The gloomy atmosphere was a result of Cassie’s mysterious disappearance and the inability of her sisters to find a way out of the problem. Their mother on learning about the kidnap had immediately travelled to Jamaica to be with her sister. Tamar knew the King was behind her daughter’s disappearance and would come for her head soon, so the best thing was for her to run. ‘I can’t believe God gave us such a mother. I can bet my life that mum knows something about Cassie’s kidnap.’ Elena who had been reading something interesting from a blog said. Their mother’s unusual behavior right after the Christmas break had been very suspicious. ‘Yea, mum had really acted weird after I told her Cassie hadn’t come home for two days. But that is not enough reason we should accuse the King of something so grave.’ Eno held her breath. She desperately prayed and hoped that her sister hadn’t been kidnapped by King Yemi, because she had taste firsthand what it meant to live in a palace. Irritated by her sister’s statement, and from what she had just read, Elena tossed her phone aside. ‘When you speak that way, it seems you are taking Yemi’s side. Have you forgotten that his men took you against your own will? That King is nothing but a criminal! He is behind this sister, why can’t you see it? It all makes sense.’ Elena wished her sister could share her point of view. The Police hadn’t found their sister after searching for two months. And they couldn’t indict the King in this matter because they had no proof. ‘Wait Elena, I am not taking King Yemi’s side but I just want us to talk like intelligent people.’ Eno replied. She knew why her younger sister believed the King was behind the kidnap. ‘You may think he took Cassie because he couldn’t have me, but that is wrong. The King swore to stay away from our family, that’s what Sam told me. He wouldn’t do such a thing.’ Eno was confident that her sister had been taken by some other people. Elena arched a brow in disbelief, ‘How do you explain mum’s sudden travelling to Jamaica? Can’t you see that she is escaping to save herself? The King suffered humiliation at her hands when Sam took you away from him. She knew he would make her pay.’ Eno hated conspiracy theories. She was a scientist and dealt with facts and not mere assumptions. ‘I pray Cassie is safe wherever she is.’ This was her final resolve as the matter was out of their hands. Elena quickly wiped a tear that scurried down her cheek. When she had newly learned of her sister’s kidnap, she had spent two weeks crying until she developed a migraine. ‘I just read something about the Princess. Vermillion was discovered in Lokoja and she led the Federal Government to it. She doesn’t look as hideous as you had described her.’ Elena decided to change the topic to avoid crying all over. Eno felt peeved as she remembered the arrogant Princess Tayo who had treated her like scum. ‘Don’t let her fake smiles deceive you. She is a pain in the ass. I just hope Cassie isn’t in that cursed palace.’ Eno shuddered as she remembered how she was locked in a dark room for hours; and action that later had a traumatic effect on her sleeping pattern. Elena reached for her phone again, ‘I thought vermillion wasn’t existent in this part of the world. And why does the princess have anything to do with it?’ She suddenly became curious, as her mind had found something to replace her worries over Cassie. Eno didn’t know much about the princess, so she didn’t have much to add. ‘I don’t know about that. But I learned the King has a mining company, which explains a little.’ She shrugged. She was getting bored in the discussion with Elena. Her heart yearned for another kind of company. ‘I have something else to research on,’ Elena quickly brought out her jotter and crossed off a name that she had been obsessed it during the Christmas period. ‘And what is that?’ Eno smiled, knowing that Elena was the Sherlock Holmes of the family. Her slender fingers grabbed her pen tightly as she crossed off the Mask’s name from her list of things to research on. She had been interested in the faceless outlaw, but she hadn’t found any information about him. Elena couldn’t see anything that would help uncover his identity.

Cassie u are funny

interesting

I like d way Cassie is adapting to d environment

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Episode 7 am no longer interested in the Mask. I want to find out if the King is behind Cassandra’s disappearance.’ Elena scribbled quickly on her note and rose to her feet. She was about retiring for her room when she heard knock on the door. Both siblings exchanged gazes. ‘Are you expecting anyone?’ Elena raised a brow. ‘No, are you?’ Eno rose to her feet. ‘I forgot to tell you something…’Elena caressed her forehead as the throbbing pain had returned. Since her mother had abandoned them for Jamaica, she had decided to invite their father to stay with them for a little while. ‘What is that?’ Eno drew closer as she saw her sister wince. ‘Nothing, we can talk later.’ Elena tasted her lips with her tongue and decided to get some sleep. She had been up all night researching about the Mask, but now she had given up on such a wasteful venture. Slowly, the door to the mansion parted and someone she hadn’t expected to see walked in. ‘Sam?’ Elena smiled; she hadn’t seen her sister’s lover for a long time. Sam knew how bothered Eno was about Cassie’s disappearance, but he couldn’t do anything to help her. If he rescued Cassie, he could be exposed for who he actually was. ‘Hello there!’ Sam waved at Elena, but avoided looking into her eyes. He wasn’t comfortable with Elena for no reason. His criminal instincts warned him that she was somehow dangerous. Eno was all smiles as her lover walked in. She and Sam had not seen for long. They only conversed over the phone and social media platforms. She missed is face, his smile and his touch. ‘Darling…’She rushed forward and grabbed him with her slender arms. ‘I miss you so much.’ She whispered huskily. Sam was delighted to see her. There were bags underneath her eyes and that meant that she hadn’t slept enough. ‘You have been thinking.’ He raised her chin up with his index finger. She looked very pale and fragile. He wanted to kiss away her pain. Eno forced a smile and buried her face against his chest. ‘I am fine.’ She lied. She couldn’t let Sam know that she was disturbed about Cassie’s disappearance. She had grown fond of him and his company. But she didn’t want her personal issues to get into the way of their blossoming relationship. Sam gently pushed her head up, so their eyes would meet together. He understood the kind of person Eno was after two months of dating. She tried to be strong even in the face of the storm. ‘It is okay if you let me into your pain. I love you Eno and I would do anything to make you feel better.’ His words had a soothing effect on her skin. She was suddenly filled with passion for him. ‘Make love to me please…’she failed to whisper, forgetting that her sister was there. Elena rolled her eyes and stepped backwards. ‘Not yet, you’ll beg for it.’ Sam didn’t give her an opportunity to say another word before his lips swallowed hers in a delicious kiss that entrapped her entire being with desire. Elena chuckled, ‘You guys should a get a room!’ She was about leaving for hers when she noticed the ugly scar that ran across Sam’s forehead. This wasn’t the first time she had seen that scar, but at that moment, she felt strange about it. A feeling of déjà vu washed over her. ‘I’ve seen that scar before.’ Elena whispered, and quickly ascended the staircase. The Royal family could wait; it seemed there was more to her sister’s boyfriend than his lovely smile. Elena was determined to find out. The King had decided to spend his morning in the garden briefly, before leaving for the meetings he had with some of the foreign companies that needed vermillion supplies. He wanted to use this opportunity to get some information from his cousin Pelumi, whom he would assign officially to spy on Cassie. His night had been long and unfulfilled. His bed had been cold. The truth was that he was attracted to Cassie from the first day he had stepped into the Benjamin mansion. She was blazingly attractive, and any man would kill to have her. ‘My brother looks troubled.’ Tayo walked majestically into the garden. The smell of tafia stung her nostrils and travelled down to her stomach. Her eyes quickly fell to the table in the garden. There was a huge bottle of Caribbean rum and her brother was drinking heavily from it. ‘You cannot be seen drinking brother,’ she rushed to take the glass he held but Yemi pushed her hands away. ‘Back off!’ The King quickly gulped down the dark brown liquid in the glass into his mouth. He gritted his teeth as a warm sensation spread over his belly. If only his younger sister knew how much his thoughts had reflected on Cassie, she would leave him be. ‘Is this about what I did? I already fixed it! I sent a message to the Mask and his men. I expect a reply soon.’ Tayo said in a shaky voice, afraid she had pushed her brother to the brink. ‘Just go, I want to be alone.’ Yemi waved her off. He had forgiven his sister for her foolishness. All he could think of now was Cassandra, and the means to get into her heart. Whenever he closed his eyes, her innocent face always appeared. Her lips, her laughter and the beautiful dresses she wore plagued his thoughts. Yemi had never been this obsessed with a woman. He just wanted her to be comfortable around him. He wanted them to be friends, but she was really making things hard. His eyes flew open at once, when a strange smell that wasn’t his sister’s troubled his nostrils. At once, he knew he wasn’t alone. Pelumi had come. ‘You sent for me, your majesty.’ She bowed her head and stared at her toes. Yemi knew his request would sound absurd and awkward. He didn’t care. He simply wanted Cassandra to fall in love with him. ‘Sit,’ he gestured at a second chair in the garden, but Pelumi was hesitant. The King was the true representation of God, on earth. She felt undeserving of such great honor. ‘I shall stand my Lord.’ She played with her fingers. Yemi didn’t have patience for her drama. He needed her to be relaxed with him. that was the only way she could get him the information he needed. He did the unthinkable by dragging her closer to him without her permission. Pelumi’s eyes were wide in fear and confusion as she hadn’t expected him to act that way. ‘Are you ready to sit now?’ Yemi eyed her in annoyance. ‘Yes.’ She stuttered and grabbed the chair. Once she was settled he explained that he needed her help with something important and he couldn’t trust any other person to do it, not even his sister. ‘You are my cousin Pelumi and you have to help me. If you work with me in honesty and pureness of heart, there shall be a great reward.’ Yemi promised and he would keep to his words. Pelumi felt gladdened that the King wanted something from her. She would be the object of envy in the palace when the other maids learnt of this. ‘I would do anything that you want me to. But I don’t need a reward for it. You are my King and I am at your service.’ She bowed. Yemi scoffed, why couldn’t people just act be themselves when they were around him? ‘Very well then, but you must not share this with anyone.’ He hoped his cousin was discreet. If she failed to keep their plan a secret, it could backfire and that would make him look like a fool before Cassie. Pelumi was sure she didn’t need any reward for helping the King. ‘Can you tell me what it is that bothers his majesty?’ She clasped her hands together, ready to listen. Though he was alone with Pelumi in the garden, he couldn’t shake off the feeling that they were being watched. Yemi scrutinized the garden once more, before proceeding with the meeting

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Episode 8 ‘I saw you in the garden with Cassandra. I want information about her.’ He said. Pelumi’s brows jolted from their sleep and a look of bewilderment filled her eyes. ‘I…don’t understand.’ She stuttered as she hadn’t expected that sort of request. Yemi poured himself another glass of rum and drank it greedily before answering. He was about baring his innermost thoughts and he hoped he wasn’t making a mistake by sharing it with Pelumi. ‘Why do you think I brought Cassie to the palace?’ He touched his lips with the tip of his tongue, savoring the taste of the tafia. Pelumi wriggled her fingers and quickly looked away. She had heard many stories about the King’s new wife. Some said he took her by force, and others said she was only pretending to be sad in the palace; when in truth, she was greatly excited. ‘To make her your true queen,’ Pelumi replied. ‘I am happy you know that. You are my cousin, so I wouldn’t lie to you. I trust that you’ll be discreet with whatever I share.’ He dropped the glass and watched her face for any sign of reluctance. It wasn’t too late to cancel this silly plan of his. Pelumi sighed, ‘I swear it. I wouldn’t tell anyone.’ ‘I find myself being attracted to Cassandra Benjamin. The first time I went to get her sister, who was supposed to be mine, I bumped into her. Our eyes had jammed for minutes before her mother walked in. I never really understood why we stared at each other like that. She fascinates me and I’d like to know more about her. I saw the way she interacted with you and the other girls. You must be close.’ He paused, an attempt to establish a fact. Pelumi tried to control the smile that danced on her lips. She couldn’t believe the King was deeply taken by Cassie’s beauty. He had never struck her as a man who could show affection, or maybe he was only doing this because she was his relative. ‘Yes we are close. Princess Cassie is a beautiful soul. I can’t wait for her to become your Queen.’ Pelumi smiled. Cassie was given the title of princess, until the marriage rites were formally done to make her the queen. Most of the palace workers preferred Cassie to Tayo, who they referred to as “Tiger Queen.” ‘She is really sweet and polite. She makes us feel important. I will find out everything I can about her and report back.’ Pelumi couldn’t wait to begin her new duty. Her zealousness pleased the King. He was confident that Cassie would crawl into his arms without realizing it. ‘Thank you…’ Before Pelumi’s arrival, Yemi had already made some plans for Cassie’s wardrobe. He adored the dress that she had put on in the garden and he wanted to see more of her trim figure. He dipped a hand into his pocket and fetched a wrap of naira notes. ‘Here, take the driver and go shopping. I don’t know how you’ll do it, but I want you to get Cassie very sexy clothes. Don’t let her know about it now. Drop the clothes in her room when you are back and tell her they are from me. She must wear one of them for dinner.’ Pelumi collected the cash with shaky hands, ‘As you wish my Lord.’ She bowed her head before leaving the garden. A trickle of excitement rushed down her spine as she thought of the best clothes that would suit Princess Cassie. Pelumi herself was a fashion lover; one of the reasons she was drawn to Cassie’s creative mind. ‘Go well dear.’ The King stared at her retreating figure. He couldn’t wait to set eyes on Cassie tonight. He was tired of pretending that her presence meant nothing to him. ‘Beast!’ Cassie hissed angrily as she moved away from the window. She had seen the King speaking to one of the palace maids in a very compromising position and that made her feel jealous. Why had Yemi invited the maid into his royal garden? And why did he hand her some money? Was the King having an affair with Pelumi? ‘Not that I care.’ Cassie snorted and rushed back to bed. But she found it difficult to push the jealousy that she felt out of her mind. Seeing Yemi at the garden the other day had really thrown her mind into confusion. Cassie’s mind was like a whirlwind; one minute she fumed with anger whenever she remembered all the clients she had lost since her kidnap; and the next, daydreaming about making love to him. ‘I don’t know what to do, I am so lonely…’ Her voice cracked. She was not used to life in the palace. She missed Eno’s jokes and Elena’s unending questions. She could forgive her sisters for forgetting her, but she could never forgive their mother, Tamar who knew about this arrangement. ‘No, I won’t cry today.’ Cassie closed her eyes sharply as a wave of anger washed over her. It was the face of Yemi that she saw in that moment that her eyes were closed. ‘Adeyemi…’her lips shuddered as she called his name. His eyes burned like coal in the fire. The golden crown was magnificent upon his head. He was no longer human to her. He was her god, and that explained her undying obsession and love. ‘Love?’ Her eyes snapped open. No, she could never love a man that ruined her life. Her eyes strayed to the corner of the room where her purse was being kept. It was the purse she had carried with her on the night of the kidnap. It wasn’t a huge purse, so it had fitted perfectly into the pocket of her jean. Cassie tried to remember if she had left her phone in the purse. ‘Yes!’ Her heart raced as she rushed towards the corner. The King and his sister had barred her from using a phone. The servants had been sternly warned not to assist her in the things that had to do with communication with the outside world. And they would abide by it. Cassie knelt beside the dark yellow purse and unzipped it immediately. However, she was met with disappointment when she realized that her phone wasn’t in there. In its place, was a tiny diary where she wrote down all the names of the men whom she had dated; and how they had torn her heart into pieces. Tears dropped on her lashes as she caressed the diary; a reminder of her past experiences. Being attracted to a man after all her experiences was a miracle. This was the reason she considered the King to be a very special man. For her to be drawn to the regal was significant, there had to be something exceptional about the man. Cassie had two options left for her: she either found what was exceptional about Yemi or a way out of the palace. She was about reading from the little diary, when a knock sounded on her door. At once, Cassie returned the diary and zipped the purse. ‘Come on in, the door is open.’ She called sweetly to the knocker. Her jaw tightened as Pelumi walked into her room with shopping bags from the most expensive boutique in Lagos. ‘You don’t look happy to see me.’ Pelumi noticed the frown on Cassie’s face. Cassie quickly got rid of the frown. She couldn’t believe she was so jealous of the poor girl. Even if Yemi was in a liaison with all the palace maids, she had no business. ‘I am happy of course.’ Cassie wondered what kind of clothes were in the bags. ‘Don’t lie…’ Pelumi emptied the content of the bags upon her massive bed. It was a rainbow of dresses from different designers.

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Episode 9 Cassie thought she could trust Pelumi; she could no longer hold back her worries. ‘I saw you with the King in the garden, what were you two discussing?’ Pelumi’s hands froze on a green Givenchy mini gown. She couldn’t allow Cassie to suspect the king’s plan. In order to distract her, Pelumi decided to play a mind game. ‘Why do you ask? Are you jealous?’ Cassie fought hard to keep back her emotions, but the reddening of her cheeks was all that gave her away. Even the response she later offered was weak and shaky. ‘I am not jealous.’ In that moment, Pelumi realized that Cassie was also attracted to the King. She couldn’t wait to report this incidence back to him. ‘Wow!’ Pelumi grinned. ‘What is that?’ Cassie wondered. ‘Well, the King asked me to help change your wardrobe. He wants you to wear one of these for dinner. Luckily for you, I think the red dress would be best.’ First, she was surprised to hear that he had such plans for her. Secondly, he had no right to boss her around. Hell, she had already lost her rights as a human being when he had kidnapped her. Wasn’t that enough for him? ‘You’re joking right?’ A crackling laughter poured out generously from Cassie’s lips as she stared at the array of expensive dresses. From what she observed, they couldn’t have cost less than five hundred thousand. Only men, who cared about women in a certain way, would spend so much on dresses. ‘I am not. I must leave now Princess. I have other things to attend to.’ Pelumi had a feeling Cassie wasn’t thrilled about the dresses. In order not to get involved in her complaining or rebellion, Pelumi quickly rushed towards the door and out of the room. Before Cassie could stop her, it was too late. ‘Wait, Pelu…’ Anger coursed down her spine as she stared at the dresses. She buried her knees in the dresses and inspected them one after the other. ‘How on earth does he expect me to wear these scandalous dresses?’ She couldn’t believe Yemi would ask that of her. If a dress wasn’t thigh revealing, it was designed to show cleavage. If it wasn’t showing a portion of her belly, it was too tight on her hips. ‘A dinner dress you want, a dinner dress you will get.’ A mischievous smile played on her lips as she stared at the curtains. She was going to make something out of them. Although a week had passed, Eno was still basking in the memory of Sam’s skillful lovemaking. Spending time with him was always worthwhile, and it made her wonder what her life would be like once she returned to America. She had applied for an extension on her Christmas break; luckily it was time for leaves, so they had fixed her in. She had approximately six weeks to remain in Nigeria. ‘I will miss him.’ She thought, a feeling of sadness wading in to spoil the moment she had once enjoyed. Eno forced the thought of her mind and focused on her man. Sam was a god in bed. He knew how to make a woman submit. His hands were learned, they knew the right places to touch and caress. His hands could send one to dreamland with their soothing touch. She loved it most when his elongated fingers found their way beneath her abdomen, and towards the opening between her thighs. His lips and tongue knew the right crevices to fill. Anytime he used his tongue on her, her whole body surrendered to the renewed manner that he offered her pleasure. A soft moan eluded her lips as scenes from her last bedroom encounter with Sam replayed in her mind. Her reverie was short lived as Elena had heard her moans and ran downstairs. ‘Sister?’ Elena eyed Eno suspiciously. She had thought something bad had happened. She had lost Cassie for now, she couldn’t lose Eno again. ‘Yes?’ Eno quickly straightened on the couch, hoping her sister wouldn’t know the train of her dirty thoughts. ‘Are you alright? I heard you groaning.’ Elena settled beside her sister. Eno stifled a laugh, how sweet and innocent Elena was. ‘I am fine darling, what have you been up to?’ Eno shifted closer to Elena and leaned her head on Elena’s shoulders. Elena sighed, ‘I have been researching on a particular problem, just when I thought I’ve found my answers. It gets trickier.’ Elena shrugged. Eno wondered what her sister had been up to. ‘Um, care to share?’ Elena was hesitant at first. She didn’t want to come off as nosy after carrying out some findings about her sister’s boyfriend. ‘It’s about Sam,’ she finally decided to let the cat out of the bag. ‘Sam?’ Eno’s heart jolted. Was something wrong with her baby? Had Elena discovered something bad about him? Elena could see the confusion in her sister’s eyes. Eno probably thought her man was cheating. ‘He isn’t cheating on you; I just want to ask you a few questions about him.’ Elena smiled a bid to calm her sister who was already shaken. Eno felt respite on hearing that, ‘You scared me dear, and that guy has gotten under my skin. I have never felt something this powerful for anyone. It scares me at times. I don’t know if this is healthy, but my heart tells me that it is right.’ She couldn’t wait to hear Elena’s question. The scar on Sam’s forehead was a significant one and Elena had come across it when she had been working on an article for a newspaper she worked for briefly; before starting her own blog. The article had been an expose on the lives of the most notorious Nigerian criminals that ever worked the surface of the earth. One man on the list was forced to confess that he belonged to a cult which served the purpose of humanity. He had cried to the jury about his innocence, but like the others, he was hanged. His name was Ifeanyi Ogene and he had been the leader of the Knights of Robin Hood. And he had a similar scar on his forehead. ‘How did Sam become scar faced?’ Elena held her breath, while waiting for an answer. The time which she waited for the answer seemed like years because her sister couldn’t offer a response. ‘I…I don’t know. I’ve never asked but I guess it was an accident.’ Eno stuttered, feeling bad that she had never asked Sam about the scar. Elena could tell that her sister’s answer was shaky. It wasn’t strong enough. Two people couldn’t have the exact scar, and at the same spot on their bodies. Maybe she was going crazy from watching too much detective movies. But she had a feeling that Sam’s scar would lead her to an important discovery. ‘Why do you ask?’ Eno shifted uncomfortably in the sofa. Elena smiled, ‘Nothing, I was just curious.’ Elena couldn’t let her sister know about her research on Samuel Ojonugwa. She resolved in her heart that she wouldn’t ask her sister anymore question about him. She would find about all she needed about Sam without her sister’s knowledge. She was a blogger, and she had been trained in the art of information collection. ‘What are your plans for valentine?’ Elena quickly changed the topic because she noticed how uncomfortable Eno was after the question. However, the topic of the lovers’ yearly celebration brightened Eno’s features and she quickly forgot about Sam’s scar. ‘I can hardly wait. It is a few weeks ahead and you know Valentine had always been my best season.’ Eno winked. Of all celebrations that existed, she was always drawn to lovers’ feast. Elena could see that her sister was deeply in love with Sam. She hoped that whatever she discovered about him wouldn’t be negative. Eno had finally found love after many years of being alone. She was happy and in a good place. ‘I cannot ruin this.’ Elena thought .

so lovely

You certainly can’t

Cont…

Episode 10 ‘I have plans for me and Sam. I plan to take him to a Turkish restaurant and treat him to a fine dinner. I’ll get him some gifts too and I’ll need your assistance on that one.’ Eno’s eyes twinkled in a dreamy fashion as she thought about her man. ‘Like condoms?’ Elena snorted, and quickly moved away from the sofa. ‘Get over here you dirty girl!’ Eno chuckled and chased after her sister with the little pillows that warmed the sides of the chair. She tossed the first one at Elena whose wild screams tormented the once silent house. ‘Wait…’Elena giggled. ‘Where did you learn to be so sweet and evil?’ Eno grabbed another pillow and made ready for a launch. She was about throwing the pillow at her sister when the doorbell was rung. The sisters exchanged glares for some seconds, wondering who could be at the door. ‘Could it be Cassie?’ The pillow cascaded from Eno’s hands. Her heart raced as she gingerly marched towards the door. All these while, she hadn’t given up on finding her sister. Elena felt slightly guilty, at the mention of Cassie. She was supposed to find out if King Yemi was behind her sister’s attack, but she had been too busy researching about the Knights of Robin Hood. ‘Wait here, let me get the door.’ Eno raised a palm and Elena obeyed. ‘Who’s there?’ She whispered in a fearful voice on reaching the door, but nobody answered. She closed her eyes and opened them in a flash, had someone come to kidnap her and Elena? What was happening? ‘Who’s there?’ Her voice was louder and bolder this time around. A croaky voice returned, ‘Open the door Eno. It is I, your sister asked me to come stay with you for a while.’ Without wasting time, Eno pulled the door open to welcome her father whom she hadn’t seen in a long while. ‘Dad?’ Tears streamed down her cheeks as she stared at the scrawny looking figure that was once full of energy and life. He had aged badly, and his eyes had wrinkles beneath them. ‘Is it daddy?’ Elena rushed in excitement towards the door, but her countenance fell when she noticed how unkempt their father was The Royal family had dinner very early, quite unlike her house. They had their meals once it was 7.p.m and a bell would be rung to notify all those that were to share the king’s table. An impish thrill tickled her sides as she stared out of the window, in the ill-fitting gown that she had made out of the flannel material; from the curtains that guarded her window. Cassie stared at the ambience of the universe. The clouds were a mixture of purple and reddish colours. The moon was a bit shy and refused to show up early. It was twilight, and dinner was for fifteen minutes. She had deliberately ignored all the clothes the King had bought for her. She wouldn’t wear any of the designer clothes. She was ready to spite him and make him angry tonight. ‘This is the only way…’ she ran her fingers over the smooth material. She was attracted to the King, but she couldn’t let him know that. Acting indifferent and stubborn was the only way to hide her feelings. She moved away from the window back to the mirror. The figure in the mirror resembled a milk maid on a ranch or better, a woman who was heavily pregnant in a maternity gown. The dress swallowed her slender figure. It seemed she was wearing a sac. Once the King saw her, all thoughts of fornication would flee from his mind and he would leave her alone. ‘I can’t wait!’ She laughed. Cassie could already imagine what Yemi’s face would be like when he was angry. His eyes would sink into their sockets, and possess a darkness that could even scare the night. His voice would be like thunder. It would make the dining hall quiver. But she was no longer afraid of him. She would draw his bad side out, and make him regret kidnapping her in the first place. Tired of adoring herself, Cassie moved towards the purse that had accompanied her to the palace. ‘Come here my sweet diary; let us see what you got.’ She unzipped the purse and pulled out the diary. She was about scanning through the pages, when a knock sounded on her door, and she knew it was time for dinner. ‘Good evening Princess Cassie, your food is ready.’ A baritone bellowed from outside. ‘Thank you. I shall not keep the king waiting.’ Cassie dropped the diary at once and rushed towards the door. It was time for dinner, and she looked forward to what the maids would serve tonight. While trudging towards the largish dining hall, Eno couldn’t help but admire the designs on the walls of the palace. Whoever carved the figures on the walls was skilled. A wave of sadness almost quenched her excitement as she thought about her own skill. She had passion for fashion design, and she had always dreamt of getting schooled in one of the most prestigious fashion academies in the world. There was Milan, Venice and Paris. But she didn’t have the money to facilitate her dreams, which her mother had never supported. Briefly, she thought about her mother, the selfish Tamar Benjamin who had driven their father out of the house. Like her dad, Cassie loved creating new designs and bringing them to live on paper. Her father had created a lot of designs for people, but they ended up hijacking it and making a fortune from what was stolen. ‘I cannot make that mistake.’ Cassie mumbled as she reached the door to the entrance of the hall. This was one of the reasons that she guarded her design book very carefully. Only the maids had seen it so far in the palace, and they seemed perfectly harmless. “Good evening Princess.” The six guards that kept watch bellowed at once, and she felt honored by their greetings. ‘Good evening, thank you.’ She flashed a polite smile and walked into the big hall. Her heart sank when she noticed that the hall was empty. All kinds of food had been served. As she moved closer to the long table, she noticed six trays of baked turkey; a large pot filled with vegetable soup; a stack of freshly baked bread and a jar of jam beside it. There were three bottles of red wine; a basket of green apples and another flash which contained Fufu rolls. Cassie felt disappointed that none of the royals had showed up for dinner, and she was even a minute late. ‘Where are they?’ She wondered. She felt disappointed that the King wasn’t around to witness her grand entrance with her flannel gown. Cassie hoped she hadn’t destroyed the curtains in her room for nothing. Slowly, she pulled a chair backward and settled. Her eyes feasted on the clock, and the more she waited for the arrival of the King or his sister, the more the feeling of loneliness intensified. She felt like an ant in such a big room. She felt empty and sad. For once, she wished someone else joined her for dinner. At this point, she wouldn’t mind having dinner in the company of the arrogant Tayo. Her appetite fled after thirty minutes of waiting and nobody showed up. How could she eat all these food alone? Cassie leaned closer to the table and pushed a tray of baked turkey closer to where she sat. She would eat the delicious looking chicken and wash it down with a bottle of red wine; little did she know that the alcoholic content in the drink would knock her out. ‘Bon appétit,’ a smile caressed her sweet looking lips. She quickly pulled the cork out of the rose bottle and emptied the rouge content greedily into a conical glass. The ginger-garlic taste of the turkey kissed her lips. She loved a well spiced meal. The turkey was incredibly nice and it reminded her of a particular Christmas she had spent at home. ‘To the King and my extra large garment,’ she lifted the wine glass into the air. To be continued…

Sorry cassie

next pls

Episode 11 The King had been in a meeting with some Russian investors who were interested in purchasing a large quantity of vermillion. He hadn’t expected the negotiation to take so many hours. He lost interest in the meeting, as his mind was far away. Yemi had been thinking about Cassie while the men went on and on about the prices. He hadn’t set eyes on her that day, and he felt incomplete. Pelumi had reported back to him; she had gotten Cassie lovely dresses and she had even sent some pictures of his phone. He felt his blood rise, as he imagined her in one of the dresses, especially the thigh revealing red gown. ‘You don’t look fine brother,’ Tayo whispered. Most meetings were held in the throne room, and his sister’s mini thrown was next to his’ until he officially named his Queen. She had been the one striking the negotiations all these while, he only watched and listened. When the Russians tried to be smarter, he would step in occasionally and remind them about the scarcity of vermillion. ‘This meeting is taking too long. Aren’t you hungry?’ Yemi asked in Yoruba. ‘We need the money for business and power. We have to expand.’ Tayo replied. Both siblings watched as the foreigners conversed in Russian. They wanted to reach a conclusion and bring an end to the meeting. ‘Well, I am hungry.’ Yemi’s eyes feasted on the large clock that hung on the wall. It was 8:30. He wondered if Cassie would still be at the dining hall. He was going crazy for staying this long without her. Tayo relaxed against her throne and stole a glance at her brother. She had heard the maids whispering in hushed voices about the King and his love for Cassie. But at the sight of her, they all fled away like flies. ‘Why do I have a feeling that you are hungry for other things, huh?’ Tayo teased, she wanted to see his reaction and draw a conclusion. But Yemi was smarter; he knew his sister was drawing him out. She was setting a trap for his feet and he would escape. Yemi forced a smile as the Russians finished their own meeting. ‘I don’t know what you are talking about little sister. Now let us focus on sealing this deal before it gets out of our hands.’ He muttered. The leader of the Russian team was Mr. Gubin Ivanov and he had this to say to the king: ‘We have accepted your terms. We hope you are a good man and what you have to sell is genuine.’ The King laughed heartily knowing they had a deal. ‘You’ll love the element Mr. Ivanov. You’ll come begging for more.’ Yemi replied. ‘Good then, we must take our leave. We leave for Moscow first thing in the morning.’ The man announced, while the others came nearer for a final handshake with the King. Princess Tayo rolled her eyes as she noticed one of the men ogling her. ‘Ugly goat!’ She muttered in Yoruba. ‘You have a very lovely sister. She should pay Russia a visit sometime.’ The man winked at her, while shaking hands with her brother. Yemi almost laughed on hearing Tayo’s words, but like the King he was, he controlled himself. ‘My sister is an archeologist. If your country can arrange an excavating contract, I am sure she would love to visit.’ Yemi replied. It didn’t take long before the pleasantries ended, and the royals were left with a feeling of fulfillment and exhaustion. ‘Damn! I am going straight to bed.’ Tayo yawned and walked towards the door. ‘Aren’t you going to have dinner?’ Yemi wondered. ‘Not now, my bones hurt from too much sitting. Goodnight brother.’ She blew him a kiss and rushed out of the room. Now that he was alone, he had to take his decision. He could either check on Cassie in the dining hall or go to her room. But one thing was for sure, he had to see her before sleeping. Yemi was about rising from the throne when his cousin, Pelumi, walked in with an excited look on her face. ‘Good evening My King.’ She bowed. ‘Pelumi, you look happy. May I know why?’ Yemi asked. He had a feeling that she had valuable information that would help in winning Cassie’s love. ‘Can we talk now or tomorrow morning in the garden?’ Pelumi asked. She couldn’t wait to tell the King what she had discovered. She knew he would be deeply please. It was the desire of a subject to please the King. Whatever she had to tell him was important, but he still needed to see Cassie before it was too late to walk around the palace. ‘Now, but you have to be brief.’ His eyes strayed to the clock, and she understood that he was hurrying somewhere. Pelumi smiled and clasped her hands together, ‘She likes you.’ ‘What?’ Yemi relaxed against the throne. ‘She saw us speaking together in the garden and from the way her eyes ransacked me, she feels we are lovers. I can swear it. Jealousy was written all over her; she tried to cover it up, but failed.’ This information intrigued Yemi, ‘Are you sure it was jealousy that you saw in her eyes not hatred?’ His heart banged in an uneven motion. He couldn’t believe Cassie would feel jealous, it only meant one thing. ‘Find out more about her. I need to know if she is in a relationship.’ Yemi appreciated Pelumi’s efforts. He was ready to fight any man to the death for Cassie. He had let Eno slip through his fingers, but he wasn’t going to let the same thing happen to the woman that he loved. Pelumi felt satisfied because the King was happy with the results. ‘I will do as you have spoken.’ She bowed and rushed towards the door, but quickly halted when the King called her. ‘Pelumi?’ Yemi moved closer to her. ‘My Lord?’ She bowed. ‘Don’t tell Cassandra about us yet. She must not know that you are my cousin.’ Yemi wanted to be very sure that Cassie was jealous The sourness of the wine had bitten her insides and driven her to sleep. At first glass, Cassie had not felt anything, so she continued to drink from the bottle. It didn’t take long before a feeling of heaviness clipped her eyelids. She had known that sleep was coming, but rising from the table became a problem. With a rueful glitter in her eyes and a sad smile, she rested her head on the table and began to sleep. Cassie wasn’t happy that the King hadn’t showed up to dinner. Why had he bought her clothes in the first place when he wasn’t going to see them? She had wanted to spite him by wearing her flannel dress, but he had played out of her hands. Yemi had wanted to march straight to Cassie’s room, but one of the guards who kept watch by the dining hall told him that she was still indoors. ‘How long has she been in there?’ Yemi asked. ‘From 7,’ he replied. Hurriedly, he pushed the doors open and strolled into the hall majestically. Yemi didn’t have any action plan. He wasn’t ready to act on the information that Pelumi had given to him. He just wanted to see her lovely face tonight. From where he stood, there wasn’t anyone in the hall and he wondered if the guard was playing tricks on him. ‘He wouldn’t dare.’ Yemi sighed. He guessed Cassie had slipped out of the dining hall without the knowledge of the guard. Yemi was ready to leave the hall for her room when he noticed a large figure next to the chair meant for his sister. ‘Cassie?’ He was unsure if she was the one. Maybe his eyes were deceiving him, but the woman in the hall seemed fat. Last he remembered, Cassie was sexy and trim. Yemi grabbed his staff tightly and moved closer to the table. A frown furrowed his brows as he realized the servants were yet to take the bowls and plates out of the hall. On second thought, he didn’t blame them. They only cleaned out the hall when he had tasted the food. He would have to call the head servant, to check things out once morning came. He scoffed as he reached where Cassie lay. He noticed the dress she wore wasn’t one of those that Pelumi had purchased from the boutique. The flannel fabric was used in making royal curtains. ‘I can’t believe she would wear this.’ Yemi laughed for the first time, since his entry to the dining hall. ‘Oh you poor thing, you deliberately refused the dresses I sent to you. You wanted to get me angry, but you failed.’ Yemi reached out for her silky hair while running his eyes over the contents of the massive table. He was now thankful that the meeting had been delayed. If he had seen Cassie dressed in such a tacky manner, he would have been greatly upset. She wanted to get him angry tonight, but her plans had failed. His eyes rested on the bottle of rose that was almost half empty. Gently, he grabbed the bottle and examined it.‘Oh no,’ fear jumped into his eyes, as he realized the alcoholic content was high. Yemi had a feeling that Cassie hadn’t known about that.

she ended up hurting herself

I feel sorry for Cassie

hahahaha she end up sleeping in the dining room

Episode 12 He returned the bottle gently back to its place and focused on her angelic face. She was so beautiful in her sleep and he could watch her all night long. The golden dress she wore gave her an angelic allure. Her face was pure, peaceful and content. She even had a little smile on her lips. And it made him wonder, just what was on her mind before she fell asleep. ‘You must retire to your room.’ Yemi mumbled as his eyes met with the clock. It was 10.p.m and his bones were already aching. Like his sister, he was more fatigued than famished. So, he decided to take some rest instead of stuffing his belly with food that would take too long to digest. The King was about calling his guards to take Cassie to her room, when a thought crossed his mind. This was the closest he could ever get to her for now, why waste this opportunity? ‘Come now darling, you are sleeping in my bed tonight.’ Yemi sucked in an abundant supply of air into his lungs. First, he raised her head carefully from the table, and then reached for her waist. It didn’t take long before he walked out tardily from the dining hall. He had a feeling the night would be very interesting. An ominous silence hung in the air as the two friends met in the study. They hadn’t spoken to each other after their last encounter. It was time to take a decision and move forward. ‘I want out.’ Sam said. He was the first person to break the deadly ice that formed in the room. Sam had spent days and nights thinking about his life. He wanted to fight for humanity, which was a good cause, but his love for Eno had come and turned a lot of things around. All his life, he had been running from the call of the law. In his goodness, he was guilty. He had destroyed a lot of Government property and vandalized pipelines. He had soiled the hands with the blood of guilty men, when the need arose. He was a knight of Robin Hood. The second in command, after the death of the first master; he had tried his best to save the poor from the sins committed against them by those who ruled. But these same people were ignorant of his aid. They were the first to call him out whenever something went wrong. They didn’t like him, or appreciate his efforts. Only a few people did, but of what use was their gratitude? He was done with this sort of life. He was tired of running away from shadows and guns. He was tired of wearing a mask. Love had found him and he couldn’t deny himself the opportunity of being happy, since the death of his fiancée. ‘I understand,’ Elvis Benjamin nodded. He had known this day would come. Elvis had known that his best friend, Sam, would desert them all for another life. From the first night he returned from the States, wearing a confident smile and a smug, Elvis had noticed a change in Sam. He had fallen in love with his elder sister, Eno and that wasn’t a bad thing. This was the reason Sam couldn’t risk going after King Yemi concerning his sister Cassandra. That could backfire and bring his identity to the surface. ‘You aren’t mad? It seems like you don’t understand me.’ Sam exhaled sharply. Maybe Elvis didn’t realize that he no longer wanted to be a part of the knighthood. He wanted to walk away a free man. He was ready to burn his mask. Elvis shrugged, ‘I always knew you would leave us one day. I am not happy that you are leaving Sam, but you have to. I haven’t fallen in love before, but you look very happy with my sister. Go for it.’ Sam couldn’t believe his ears. He had expected Elvis to be mad at his decision, but his indifference made him respect Elvis more. ‘Thanks bro,’ Sam smiled and moved to hug Elvis. When they had broken apart, Sam whispered, ‘I may no longer be your leader physically, but I will always be one of you in my heart.’ Elvis knew he would miss Sam, the other boys would miss him too but they had to move on. Obviously, the mantle to rule the group fell upon him. He was ready to lead without complain. Like all the knights of Robin Hood, his desire would be to fight the Government that continued to make bad economic policies without taking the people they ruled into consideration. ‘This is easier than I thought.’ Sam wiped a strand of sweat from his brow. ‘You know I cannot stand against you. You are still very powerful. You are the Mask.’ Elvis smiled. Sam sighed, ‘So as the new leader of the knighthood, what are your plans for this year?’ He teased. Elvis didn’t smile. He clenched his fist as he thought about his missing sister and the vermillion that the Princess had stolen from them. ‘First, I’ll need access to our database. I would need all the information I can get my hands on. I need the list of all the corrupt Government officials. I need to be well grounded before any attack.’ Elvis replied. Sam nodded in agreement. ‘I would rekindle all my rights as leader and grant you access to our database.’ Elvis had plans to attack the King and find his sister, but he wouldn’t share that with Sam, knowing he wouldn’t approve. He would also find the attractive princess and get their share of the vermillion. ‘M-E-R-R-Y-M-E-N.’ Sam quickly added. ‘What does that mean?’ Elvis raised a brow. ‘It is the password to our database. You must never share it to anyone or all our identities would be discovered. And you know what that means.’ Sam warned. ‘Thanks.’ Elvis quickly rushed to the only laptop in the study and turned the computer on. He couldn’t wait access the well of information, that would help him rule the knighthood like others had done. Respite washed over Sam as he stared at his best friend. He felt like a free man now he had relinquished his position to his friend. There was no way he would be an outlaw and be in love at the same time. He had chosen Eno and there wasn’t any turning back. There was just one thing that he would do to straighten his ways finally. He had to tell her everything about his past, before someone else did. ‘Sam?’ Elvis called to his friend. He had just received a message on logging in. ‘Yes?’ Sam immediately rushed to his friend’s side. Elvis had clicked on the profile of the sender; his heart missed a beat as he stared into the seductive eyes of Princess Tayo Lasisi. The woman he couldn’t stop himself from admiring. ‘The princess sent us a message. She wants to trade. By revealing her profile, she shows seriousness.’ Elvis explained He couldn’t help but relish the fragrance of her flowery perfume. Her silky black hair poured over the sides of her face, adding a babyish touch to her already angelic features. ‘You’re going to sleep in my arms tonight.’ Yemi smiled as he led her towards his room. While at the meeting, he couldn’t stop thinking about the woman that had found a special spot in his heart. Cassie was an adorable creature, and he was even more intrigued after learning of her jealousy from Pelumi. He had to be certain of it himself. His heart thumped as he imagined what her facial expression while he was in the arms of another woman.

Good luck Sam to your new life and please be fast about telling Eno your past before someone else like Elena do it…

Yemi you take her against her wish, I bet she will be mad at u because she has her pride to protect even if she love you.

good luck to u Sam ,but making it fast in telling Eno b4 her sister we do it

Episode 13 ‘You have unleashed the mischievous part of me.’ The king smiled as he approached the bronze door of his chambers. The moment the guards saw him approach with the lovely woman in his arms, they didn’t waste time. They quickly pushed the door open and murmured their greetings. Yemi ignored the guards. He was more interested in the wellbeing of his angel. She must have waited in anticipation, so she would get under his skin and spite him. But her plans had failed. ‘Here we go…’ He dropped her gently on the left side of his massive bed. The king’s room was the largest in the palace. The walls were coated with an immaculate paint and at their middle, there were golden horizontal stripes. There were seven glassy wardrobes which sparkled like the stars of the night. All the King’s dresses were spotlessly white. The wardrobes stood in a straight line, and beside the seventh was a huge shoe rack which contained more than a hundred shoes with a similar design. Stepping into the King’s chamber always felt like a visit to the celestial realm; everything was white. Yemi carefully pulled a thick milky colored duvet over his sleeping beauty. He folded his arms across his chest and watched her sleep. She looked like a goddess, and he could do anything to be her worshipper. Yemi was about joining her on the other side of the bed when he remembered that he hadn’t taken her shoes off. He chuckled and knelt at the edge of the massive bed. He rolled the duvet gently above her feet. Her silver pumps looked so perfect on her tiny feet, and this made him wonder why Cassie would make such a dull dress for her cute shoes. After pulling off the pumps, he carried them to the desk where he usually stayed to work. Staring at her beautiful shoes while working on important documents would be such a great inspiration. Yemi smacked his hands, feeling exhausted, he decided it was time to take a rest. Now that the Russians had agreed to make his company their chief supplier, he had to draw up the terms of agreement and send it over to them for signing. ‘I’ll do that once I wake.’ He moved towards the mirror and stared at his reflection once more. His reflection was a happy man, someone who was in a good place but who was anticipating more. He pulled off his golden shoes and moved towards the bed. It didn’t take long, before he lay aside her, snoring. Cassie’s mind had floated to another realm of imagination. She was trapped in a sweet dream of love and passion; she didn’t want this to end. Her eyes glowed as she stared into the face of the nascent moon. The night had just begun, and the presence of her lover would make it more interesting. His back was to her. And he wasn’t putting any shirt on, so she could see clearly was his chest looked like. He was a well muscled man, his hard body glazed under the shine of the moon. He was so perfect and she couldn’t take her eyes off him. Slowly, her little feet kissed the wetness of the sand as she marched towards him. The evening wind played with the blue waves and teased the sides of the white dress she wore. Like a goddess advancing towards a worshipper, she took her steps carefully and majestically as he advanced towards him. Tonight was different, it was sacred. It was a night where her desire would be fulfilled. The wind played with her silky hair and pulled it backwards, but she didn’t bother arranging the strands. Her eyes were focused on one man. She craved him deeply, but there still parts of her that fought against her burgeoning desire. But Cassie had made up her mind to love him regardless. In this realm, she would pour out her heart to him and let him take the lead. ‘Yemi…’ his name was a whisper on her lips. The King whose eyes had been fixed on the beautiful waves of the sea tilted his head to the left; the direction where Cassie came from. His dark eyes caught a fire on beholding this beauty. He couldn’t wait to pull her into his arms and kiss her breathless. ‘My darling,’ his voice was deep and rough. He quickly rushed towards Cassie and swept her off the ground. His strong arms welcomed her delicate body. Her soft breasts settled on his hard chest. He couldn’t believe he had her in his arms now, all he wanted to do, was make love to her. ‘You are so beautiful under the moonlight. You are a child of the moon.’ He kissed her tender ears and led her closer to the beginning of the sea where they would make their covenant. Cassie’s heart danced, she hadn’t expected the King to react this way. ‘You look so adorable tonight.’ She surrendered herself in his arms as he dropped her on the wet sand. She was fascinated with this man and she could do anything for him. She closed her eyes as the water seeped into her white dress. Her feet were drenched by the slippery sand, but she didn’t mind. Cassie understood what he was about to do, and she would welcome him into her arms without hesitation. ‘I have always loved you. From the first time I set my eyes on you, I knew you’ll be mine.’ Yemi knelt beside her. Cassie took a deep breath, ‘I felt the same way too, but what about my sister Eno? Do you still love her?’ A wave of jealousy hit her chest as she imagined Yemi and her sister together. He shook his head, ‘I am a King Cassie, and I can have whoever I want. I chose you because there is something special about you. We have a strong connection. And the more you fight it, the stronger is becomes.’ She was about to say something in return when he pressed his lips against hers. The time for conversation was over. It was time to make her feel his love. He wanted nothing else but to express his undying passion for her tonight. Cassie trembled when his tongue found its way into her lips. Her skin burned with desire as he licked the insides of her mouth like his life depended on her. He was sucking the breath out of her body, but she liked it. Yemi crouched over her and deepened the kiss. He was taking all of her tonight, and there wasn’t going back. Cassie squirmed and twirled her hips. She couldn’t wait for the final communion of their souls. This hot kiss wasn’t enough for her, she wanted more. Swiftly, she pulled her lips away from him. Her eyes were like darts, sharp and precise. She knew exactly what she wanted, and she would get it. ‘Please…don’t torture me anymore. All my life I have been waiting for the right man, then you came along. I love you. Please show me that you feel the same way too.’ Cassie didn’t wait for him to respond, from the way his eyes lustfully fed from the sight of her cleavage, she knew he wanted a piece of her. Her slender fingers worked the buttons of her dress. It didn’t take long before her creamy breasts poured out once the buttons were undone. ‘Please Yemi, make me feel like a woman,’ she begged. Joy welled up within him as he realized she loved him. Cassie was offering herself to him, and he wouldn’t refuse her request. ‘Are you sure you want this?’ He licked his lips and leaned closer to her face, so he could search her eyes for the truth. He wanted her to, but on her own terms. Cassie nodded, ‘I want you.’ He paused and dug a hand into his pocket. She had accepted to be the love of his life forever and his queen and he wouldn’t turn her down because he felt the same way. All his life, he had yearned for true love but he had never found it. Most women that came to him were after the crown and the fame that followed. But Cassie was unique, she was indifferent about his wealth and power. She was a woman who wanted to write her own destiny, this was the reason he had fallen in love with her. He pulled out a necklace made out of jade. The jadestones radiated a soft green light as he led it towards her swan-like neck. ‘It looks expensive.’ Cassie tried to stop him, but it was too late to reject the gift. His strong hands encircled her slender neck and placed the necklace on it. Yemi ignored her complains, ‘I could buy you anything you want. But this necklace is hallowed. It was passed down from the first queen in my bloodline. I want you to have it Cassie. You deserve it.’ His eyes travelled to the swell of her breasts, he couldn’t wait to take her to his bed. Tears splashed on her cheeks as she felt the necklace on her neck. ‘I don’t know what to say,’ Cassie whispered. ‘Then say nothing,’ Yemi cupped her boobs into his palms. ‘I’ll make you a woman tonight Cassandra Benjamin.’ A moan rushed out of her lips as he replaced his burning mouth on her boobs. His lips played with her nipples. He kissed them. He sucked them. He drew a circle around them. When she thought her pleasure had almost ended, she felt his hand running up her thigh. He searched for the place where all her wanting lay. Her brain split apart when Yemi slipped a hand between her legs. ‘Arh…’ her moans increased as he began to stroke that erected bud between her thighs. The King was a deep sleeper, and his tendency to drift off completely from a state of consciousness worsened if he was stressed. However, this night was different from others. He wasn’t sleeping alone, but with a woman who sparked a new desire in him, and he could do anything to protect her.

Sam pls tell everything to Eno b4 her sister do it for you

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Episode 14 At first, the cries were faint, but it grew louder and he was forced to open his eyes. Yemi jerked out of sleep and straightened on his bed. His hands went straight to his bedside lamp which supplied all the light he needed at night. When the blue flame illuminated the room, he noticed that Cassie wasn’t crying or in some kind of trouble like he had thought. She was still sleeping… ‘A dream,’ he murmured and watched her face intently. To his surprise, her cries didn’t come from a place of pain or fear; they were intense cries from sexual pleasure. A mischievous smile danced on his lips as he stared closer at her face. Her pink lips were slightly parted, she was crying out his name. Cassie was obviously stuck in a sex dream where he played a key role. He knew this when her moans gave way to broken murmurs. ‘Please Yemi…harder, faster.’ He couldn’t take his eyes off her when he noticed that her fingers clung tightly to the bedcover. Yemi carefully straightened on the bed, afraid to wake her. He loved the spectacle before him and he would entertain himself all night. Suddenly, all his doubts and fears of never winning Cassie’s heart flew away. First, Pelumi had told him about her jealousy when she had seen them in the garden together, and now this. ‘She is attracted to me,’ he murmured. He wondered why she fought so hard to hide the truth for him when she was dying on the inside. He watched as her babyish face divided with a content smile, on the other side the lovemaking was over. And she had derived a good measure of satisfaction from his arms. Yemi quickly turned off the lights and rolled farther from her. He couldn’t wait to see her face in the morning. He considered a lot of mischievous thoughts as he giggled in a low voice. Cassie was meant for him and he would let her games play out. Now that he knew she felt something for him, he would no longer chase after her like a King who was hopeless. He had found his queen; all he needed was her surrender in this game of hearts. Mr. Benjamin had been used to living next to the sea in a lonely house. He wasn’t used to the sound of human voices but of speed boats taking the next cargo to its proper location. When Tamar his wife had filed for a divorce, he was more than delighted to leave the trap of a marriage that he had found himself. He had been far away for his family for too long. He had lived in isolation for many years and he never bothered to return home because he knew his ex wife had fed his kids lies about him. From the beginning, he had known that Tamar wasn’t the right woman for him. He had always wanted a woman who would believe in his dreams and persevere with him, but Tamar didn’t possess any of those qualities. She was extremely materialistic even before they got married, and her greed for mundane things only heightened when she began to make friends with women from elitist circles. Mr. Benjamin had taken a second look at the text he had gotten from a strange number inviting him to spend some time in the Benjamin mansion. At first, he had thought that Tamar had deliberately invited him over so she could humiliate him before his kids. But a closer look revealed that Elena, his last child had been the one to issue the invitation. He hadn’t set eyes on his children for a long time, and he didn’t bother. Tamar was a vile woman and she loved to poison people against him. He was embittered as he remembered how she had betrayed him on that night, but he wouldn’t tell her children what she had done yet. He was more mature than she was. He would keep her dirty secrets away from their children. His lips parted as he smiled. The sound of female voices singing love songs and the collision of beautiful laughter made his heart relaxed. He missed this. He missed being around people. It didn’t take long before he pushed the thick bedcovers from his lean frame and got out of bed. He had learned from the girls that their mother had travelled to Jamaica to see her sister and he found that odd. Tamar was a toxic person. While they had been married, she had quarreled with all her family members. She was more like an outcast, so whom would she be visiting in Jamaica? And why would she abandon her kids and travel like that? ‘Something is wrong somewhere.’ He strolled to the mirror and stared at his reflection. He was no fool. Something had happened while he was away and no one was willing to tell him anything. Mr. Benjamin knew that Elvis had kept himself far away from the family because of the way his mother treated him. It was Tamar’s ill treatment of him that had led Elvis to live among thugs. It was too late to change Elvis; all he did was pray for that child. He thought about his favorite child, the one whom he was yet to see. He had asked Eno and Elena about their sister, but they had seemed evasive. He decided to meet them downstairs and inquire about Cassie as she had been the only one to truly understand him. He thought about Cassie as he climbed down the stairs. His daughter had an interest in fashion design, but her mother had always discouraged her. Tamar wouldn’t fail to remind Cassie how poor he was and how fashion designing wouldn’t put food on a man’s table. He was on the last stair when he realized that the girls’ laughter had ceased. They were discussing something intimate and he yearned to be a part of their discussion. From the little he could garner, Elena was asking her sister about her valentine. Mr. Benjamin chuckled as he listened to his inquisitive lastborn. There was something that he noticed about his children. None of them could be manipulated by Tamar, and he loved it. He wanted them to live their own lives, make their mistakes and grow. Tamar’s mind control wasn’t good for anyone. She was one who clouded the atmosphere with her sharp tongue and cruel words. He felt at home again, after many years of being away. He couldn’t wait to set his eyes on Cassie. He wondered if she had given up on her career like her mother had advised, or she had defied Tamar and tried Fashion designing for herself. ‘So I googled up some special gifts you can get Sam on Val’s day. You should check them out,’ Elena took out her Smartphone and rushed to her sister’s side. She knew how deeply Eno had fallen for this guy, she still hoped that Sam wasn’t whom she thought he was. Elena had tried to get more information about the Knights of Robin hood which had been led by Ifeanyi Ogene, but nothing popped up in her search engine. Searching for such confidential information in reality could get her into trouble, so she had decided to tell Elvis all about their sister’s boyfriend. She had dropped all of her messages concerning Sam. She had made Elvis understand that Eno’s man had a scar on his forehead and the scar resembled the same on Ifeanyi Ogene’s forehead. Although Elvis was yet to send a response, she was confident that her brother would have some vital information for her.

Elena so you just haven’t given up already

Episode 15 ‘Yummy, these Balenciaga shoes are worth the price.’ Eno couldn’t take her eyes off the phone screen. The shoes were adorned with glittery silver stones which added a classic touch to it. She liked it that Elena was concerned about her happiness. Eno knew she was in a good place at this point in her life, but she her joy wasn’t complete as her sister was still missing. The moment Cassie crossed her mind; her zeal concerning the shoes waned. And Elena quickly noticed the frown on her face. ‘Don’t you like the shoes?’ Elena narrowed her eyes. One minute her sister had been bubbly, now she wore a gloomy face. Eno shrugged, ‘I don’t think Sam is really a shoe person. I’ve never seen him with a wristwatch. Maybe I should get him one, what do you think?’ She forced a smile and moved towards the sink to wash out the cabbages she had soaked in warm water. Elena rolled her eyes, ‘Come on sis, you can deceive every other person with your fake smile, but not me. What is wrong?’ Elena dragged in air sharply. She hoped that her sister hadn’t found out that she was researching about Sam. Eno closed her eyes shortly and opened them, ‘its Cassie. I don’t know how long we’ll keep floating in the air and pretending that she has been taken by someone unknown. I don’t know how long we’re going to do this.’ Elena had wanted to find out if the King was behind her sister’s kidnap, but Sam’s matter had popped up. Unlike her elder sister, she now had a conviction that her mother knew something about Cassie’s disappearance. ‘You know what I think?’ Elena moved over to the sink and placed two hands on Eno’s shoulders. ‘What do you think?’ Eno searched her sister’s eyes. ‘I think we should relax,’ Elena shrugged. Eno scoffed, she couldn’t believe what her younger sister had just said. ‘Relax? Why would we do something like that? Okay, I know we have spent a lot of money working the Police but that is not enough reason to forget our sister. Look at dad; we had to lie to him the other day. You know he was very close to Cassie, how do you think he would feel when he finally discovers that we haven’t seen her for two months plus?’ Elena got her sister’s points. She perfectly understood why they had to begin a fresh search. Cassie and father had been very close. Their love for fashion design had further strengthened their bond. ‘I had a conviction last night that mother knows about Cassie’s kidnap. Remember that we told her about it and she didn’t seem to worry about anything.’ Elena replied. Unknown to the sisters, their father had heard all of their conversations and it greatly shocked him. He now came to terms with the reason the girls had been so evasive about his questions of Cassie. His heart broke into a wild race and pound firmly against his chest. He almost fell from the stair because his legs lost their fire when he heard the news. At first, he wanted to storm back to his room and find a way to contact the devil he had married. But that wouldn’t lead him to Cassie. Tamar was more evil than he thought. Perhaps it was time to tell the children the secret about their mother. He walked slowly towards the kitchen. He had heard enough. A lot of things had changed while he was away, and it made him feel bad. He was a coward that had allowed Tamar emasculate him. He had abandoned his children at their greatest time of need; he hoped Cassie would forgive him if she was ever found. Eno’s lips shivered as she quickly noticed their father walk in. The old man had a scowl on his face, and she had a feeling he had overheard their conversation about Cassie. ‘Dad?’ Elena pulled her arms away from her sister and faced him. ‘Good morning, I trust that you slept well.’ Eno pushed a smile. Mr. Benjamin didn’t return either of their smiles. They had welcomed him with the same fake demeanor and he had felt everything was alright. ‘What happened to your sister? Tell me everything that happened while I was away!’ The girls quickly exchanged glances. They couldn’t tell their father the truth about Cassie’s mysterious disappearance. He had gone through enough in their mother’s hands. The old man deserved some peace and calm. He was worthy of rest. ‘Dad, can we talk about this later? You’ll need to eat your breakfast.’ Elena quickly rushed to his side so she could lead him away from the kitchen, but he wouldn’t have any more of their lies and deceit. ‘Stop right there!’ he yelled. ‘I want both of you to tell me what is happening now. I need to know if your sister is safe.’ The princess had been the first to wake. Tayo had woken up with a throbbing head and a swirling belly. She knew her condition was a result of the stress she’d encountered in the meeting with the Russians. The only cure to her discomfort was having breakfast and taking some milk, as she usually did when she was overstressed. Tayo grabbed her phone first before rolling out of the bed. So many thoughts had run through her mind as she strolled out of the bedroom towards the dining hall. She hadn’t received any message from the Mask or his men and that scared her. She had offered them a fair deal, and if they refused to take her offer, that would be an open declaration of war. ‘I can’t let that happen on my watch.’ She muttered under her breath as she neared the hall. Her brother was still mad at her for tricking the Mask and his men. If they rejected her offer, she would have no other choice but to sacrifice herself. The Mask was a dangerous criminal and she had offended him twice. His wrath could consume the whole royal family, but she didn’t want that. She loved Yemi too much to allow any harm come his way. ‘What am I having for breakfast?’ She stopped at the entrance. There were two guards in place and she had directed her questions at them. ‘The maids haven’t dropped anything yet.’ One of them replied, and his response annoyed her. Tayo bit her lip feeling quite disappointed. She had expected to fill her belly with a delicious breakfast before going about the day’s activities. Angrily, she strolled away from the dining hall and decided to check what the maids were up to. Her right hand held the phone tightly while the left encircled her flat belly. She wondered why the King wasn’t up yet. Yemi was a morning person and an early riser. Most times, he left the palace before she even woke up. “She has quality designs. If the princess has someone to fund her dreams of going to a fashion school, she could become a unique brand…” A female voice said. Tayo’s brows narrowed at the mention of “princess”. Had the maids resorted to early morning gossip about her instead of preparing her food? ‘I can’t believe this.’ Tayo increased her footsteps. The maids were all going to receive a tough punishment from her. They had easily forgotten their place in the royal house. It was necessary to remind that they were servants. Pelumi and the other maids had been talking about Cassie’s designs. They were awed by her high level of creativity and the sophistication of her designs. While in the royal garden, Cassie had told the maids about her ambitions and her hope to attend the best fashion school in the world. ‘Why are you girls talking about me?’ Tayo stormed into the kitchen. At once, the girls dispersed. They were all shocked to see the princess this morning and they were more surprised at the question she had thrown at them. None of them could remember talking about princess Tayo. Who would even dare try that, knowing how arrogant she was? ‘Are you all deaf? I heard my name in this place clearly. Is this what you do early in the morning instead of working?’ Tayo scoffed. Their silence enraged her further. The maids’ heads were bowed; they couldn’t utter a word in the presence of Princess Tayo. Pelumi had a feeling that her cousin, Tayo, had misunderstood them when she had heard the mention of her title. But she didn’t have the courage to speak. Tayo stared at their bowed heads and shivery feet. She didn’t know the name of the other girls, but she recognized her relative. She couldn’t believe that Pelumi would join these girls in backbiting her. ‘What were you guys talking about Pelumi?’ Tayo called out her cousin.

Episode 16 At first Pelumi had wanted to deny talking about the princess, but she pushed all her fears away. Now that she was working secretly with the king, it meant that she was in his good books. She had no reason to fear getting kicked out of the palace. Without her, the king wouldn’t get more information about the woman that he loved. ‘We were talking about Princess Cassie. She showed us her fashion design book and everything in it looked perfect,’ Pelumi replied. She also went on to add that Cassie was a professional designer and she had a lot of clients that patronized her. Tayo chuckled, ‘Princess Cassie?’ This was new to her. Well, she wasn’t aware of many changes that had taken place in the palace. And she wasn’t close to any of the domestic staff too, so she wasn’t aware that Cassie had also become a princess. ‘We were told to address her that way on the King’s command,’ Pelumi replied. ‘That’s laughable,’ Tayo grinned. The Benjamin sisters were not fit for the royal house, but she didn’t hate Cassie the way she hated Eno. Cassie seemed like a girl she would like to be friends with on a normal day. Only one thing interested her in this conversation with servants: Cassie’s designs. The princess was known for many things apart from her arrogance and ruthlessness in taking decisions. In the circle of nobility, she was known for her fashion sense and she was an addict when styles were involved. ‘How good is this Princess Cassie?’ Tayo mocked. Pelumi had seen enough designs to convince her that the next sentence wouldn’t lead her to jail. ‘She is better than your current designer. You should try her.’ Pelumi spoke swiftly. Tayo found the confidence of her relative odd. If Pelumi could say that about Cassie, then she was really good. Tayo sighed with relief, the anger that had grown inside her was gone and the hunger she had felt earlier had returned. ‘What is the king having for breakfast?’ Tayo licked her lips. ‘Fried plantain and grilled fish; he would take pap or a warm glass of milk alongside.’ Pelumi briefly explained. Already, the aroma of baked fish, onions and garlic spiraled in the air. It matched the delightful smell of fried plantain. Tayo knew she would lose control and act like a commoner if she didn’t leave the kitchen fast. ‘Hurry, I am famished.’ She scanned the faces of the girls once more, before strolling out of the kitchen. When the Princess was finally gone, they all fell on their knees and thanked the heavens they hadn’t been gossiping about her. ‘That was close,’ Esther whispered and pressed a shaky hand on her belly. ‘Yes it was. We have to hurry with breakfast.’ Pelumi quickly slipped on her baking gloves and rushed towards the kitchen. Tayo heard a beeping sound on her phone as she sauntered back to the dining hall. It seemed like someone had credited her bank account with some money. At first, she had wanted to ignore it, but she decided to check it out right there. The Mask is no longer a member of our knighthood. You’ll be dealing directly with me. I will accept your offer if you can answer just one question. My name is Elvis Benjamin. I am the new Mask. The android almost popped out of her shaky hands as she realized that the Mask and his team had responded to her messages. The name, “Elvis,” struck a chord and she remembered his sexy face easily. He was the only man she had been sexually attracted to for a very long time. ‘Shit,’ Tayo bit her lip and leaned on the wall for support. She had to reply his message as soon as she could. This was the only opportunity to fix things, and she couldn’t miss it. Princess Tayo: Hello, good morning. Please what is your question? I am willing to answer. Just take the offer. Elvis: I have two actually. Princess: What are they? Elvis: Does the king have a certain Cassandra Benjamin in his palace? If you lie to me and I discover you did. I would reject your offer and come for what is ours. Princess: ( doesn’t know what to type.) Elvis: Are you there? Princess: What is your second question? I need to weigh the risks. Elvis: LOL. I thought you had your brother eating from your palms. Are you scared of him now? Princess: Keep my brother out of this. What is your second question? Elvis: Answer the first. I give you two seconds. Your time starts now. Princess: Cassie is safe, that’s all you need to know. Elvis: She better be. Why do you want one man from our team? You broke the contract you had with Sam. You are not in a position to make demands. Princess: (She wished this was Whatsapp where she could stare at his handsome face again.) I need a certain man from your team. Elvis: Who? Princess: Elvis Benjamin. Tayo was about typing more when the King walked towards the dining hall with a bright smile on his face. He was about stepping into the dining hall when he noticed his eyes met with hers. Tayo’s features had all contorted as she tried to adjust to the shock of chatting with Elvis Benjamin. She knew it was too late for her to compose herself as her brother moved closer to her. She couldn’t tell him about the latest development yet. She had to cook up some lie and make him believe that she was alright. ‘Good morning your majesty,’ Tayo pulled herself from the wall and quickly dipped the phone in her pocket. Yemi’s smile faded. His sister had a little fear in her eyes, and that seemed odd for a fiery personality like Tayo. She looked pale and distressed. He had a feeling that something was wrong with her. ‘Are you alright? You look like you have just seen a ghost.’ He searched her face. Tayo quickly parted her lips for a smile, ‘Maybe I have. You always dress in white,’ she winked. When the king immediately began to laugh, she knew that her trick had worked. ‘For a second I thought a guy broke your heart,’ the King replied. Tayo snorted, ‘It would take a god to do that. You know me better than anyone. I don’t believe in love.’ Yemi shrugged as they strolled towards the dining hall. His sister had always made that statement and she was able to abide by it. But he was a believer in love, and it had found him. ‘I guess you wouldn’t feel comfortable in the palace because I’ll be throwing a valentine party in honor of a very special someone.’ Yemi replied. Tayo laughed. She had always known the Benjamin girls had cast a spell on her brother. When he had taken interest in Eno, she had fought with all of her strength to stop their union. But she wouldn’t repeat that mistake. Obviously the King was in love with Cassie. Bestowing the title of “Princess,” upon her was significant. He hoped to make her his queen someday. ‘Has she finally agreed to be your wife?’ Tayo pulled a chair and settled next to her brother. She had no business with his personal life, but she had noticed how stiffly Cassie related with the king. Yemi almost laughed as he remembered how she moaned his name at night. But he was able to stifle the giggle. He had come up with a beautiful plan and he would bring Cassie to her knees. ‘No, but she will.’ He quickly poured himself a glass of water and gulped while imagining what Cassie’s reaction would be when she awoke to find herself in the King’s chambers. To be continued…

Hmmmm continue pls

I can't wait also

go on

Episode 17 It didn’t take long before food was brought for the royal family. ‘I have an important meeting later today. Hold the fort while I’m gone.’ Yemi grabbed a chip of fried plantain but dropped it immediately it burned his hands. Leaving the palace earlier before Cassie awoke was part of his plan to conquer her. He had never felt this confident while wooing a woman. Now that he knew her secret, he would use it against her. ‘I don’t understand, where are you going?’ Tayo began to pick the grilled fish with her fork after chewing the pieces of garlic and onions. ‘None of your business little sister, now let us eat.’ From the feel of the velvety material on her legs, Cassie knew she wasn’t in the right place. Her bed cover was made out of pure cotton. Slowly, her brown eyes gave way to the deep blue light in the room. She took in the numerous wardrobes; the stack of expensive looking shoes and dazzling floors. It was the painting of King Adeyemi Lasisi in the middle of the wall that made her realize she was in the King’s chambers. ‘My God,’ Cassie gasped and quickly pushed the thick bedcover from her body. How had she gotten into his bed? What was she doing in Yemi’s room? Her heart thumped with so many questions. Her blood boiled in fear of what may have taken place on the previous night. Cassie jumped out of the bed and ran straight to the mirror. She was so terrified and confused as she remembered one of the things Yemi had threatened her with on one night. “I’ll have you in my bed.” His words reechoed in her memory, and she briefly wondered if he had taken her into his chambers to fulfill his vile promise. She tried to stay calm by breathing very slowly. She closed her eyes and searched the deepest parts of her soul, the place where all events were recorded. It didn’t take long before her mind presented her with loads of memories from the night before. She remembered making an ugly dress from her curtains. She also remembered feeling disappointed when Yemi didn’t turn up for dinner. She could recall finishing a bottle of rose by herself. Cassie tried to get more memories after the drinking part, but her mind went blank. ‘Damn!’ She opened her eyes and glared at her reflection. There seemed to be a sort of amalgam, which blinded her from the rest of what took place at night. Cassie averted her gaze and set it on the King’s picture. She briefly wondered if… ‘No,’ her legs felt wobbly as she began to move away from the spot. She began to wonder if she had sex with Yemi. ‘God please no,’ Cassie’s lips trembled. She couldn’t remember anything. What if Yemi had made good his promise? What if he had taken advantage of her all through the night? Cassie tried to believe the worst of him, but her mind told her that the king was a good person. He was a noble man and would never violate a woman’s body. Besides, she didn’t feel any strange sensation on her body. Everything was intact. Everything was alright. She felt humiliated and embarrassed. She had worn the ill-fitting dress to spite me, but she had ended up in his arms. Cassie ran her eyes over the room one last time, before making up her mind to leave. How would she even look at him? ‘I messed up,’ she murmured. From what she could make out of the few memories, she had taken too much wine and that had knocked out completely. A scene of a drunken Cassie, staggering or farting popped up in her mind. What if she had acted that way? Or done something more stupid? ‘I’ll never forgive myself,’ she whispered. Yemi would always use that to spite her, and she couldn’t live in the Palace like that. Cassie was about running out of the room, when she noticed she wasn’t wearing shoes. She carefully ran her eyes over the glittering floor which distracted her a bit. She couldn’t believe, Yemi would bring her to such a hallowed ground. The chamber of a king was holy. It was revered. How could he bring her into it? Did he consider her special? Did he like her? ‘No he doesn’t stupid.’ Her mind whispered, and quickly reminded her that the King could be having an affair with Pelumi. Yemi only lusted after her body, like the other men whom she’d dated in the past had done. The King was a classy man. He was refined in taste and pedigree. His room spoke of great wealth and majesty. It felt like she was in a five star hotel. A man like Yemi who lived in such an exquisite haven could never bring himself to love someone like her. Her sister was even better. Eno had been a medical doctor. She was educated and exposed. She was a better match for the king than herself. Cassie knew she could never fit in here. She had no money. She was just a struggling fashion designer. She had dreams to go to Milan or Venice, but who would be her sponsor? ‘I have no place here.’ Those were the last words that emanated from her lips after she had found her shoes beneath the bed. She didn’t hesitate before walking towards the door. She took a glance at the room one last time, before closing the door behind. Cassie slipped her tiny feet into the shoes, and decided to have some breakfast first. By now, the dining hall would be empty. The King was a very busy man, and she hardly saw him at breakfast. She would have to ignore or deal with his annoying little sister. She would have breakfast and retire to her room. She had a lot of designs to work on, and she would spend the whole day alone. Cassie felt like her time in the palace was up. She had no place in Yemi’s home or heart. She had to find a way back home. “Good morning princess Cassie.” The guards bellowed as she passed. ‘Morning,’ she replied calmly. How could these men give her such honor that she didn’t deserve? She was no princess and she knew it deep down. She was just an ordinary girl, from an ordinary home who had somehow made a terrible mistake. Even as she marched towards the dining hall, her thoughts were filled with his handsomeness. She couldn’t stop thinking about a man that would never be hers. She had made a grave mistake by falling in love with King Adeyemi Lasisi. ‘Wait!’ Tayo called to her brother. He was unusually excited this morning, and it made her wonder why he was in a rush. Yemi loved to savor his meals, especially the ones with fish in them. He was a fish lover. ‘How may I help you Tayo?’ Yemi paused. He had a meeting with an important person, and he couldn’t waste more time in the palace. Tayo drew in a deep breath. She was tempted to tell her brother that the deal with the Mask had pulled through. She needed Yemi to know that the coast was clear. But on second thoughts about the terms of agreement she’d entered with the Mask’s team, she decided to let the matter die. If her brother knew she had asked for a man in exchange for a quarter of vermillion, he would begin to ask her questions. Elvis Benjamin had caught her attention, and she liked the bad boy in him. She wasn’t ashamed of what she felt. It was just a sexual fire, and she wanted to be burned by him. But one thing was certain, Yemi could never approve of her relationship with an outlaw. He could throw her out of the palace if he discovered she was frolicking with the new Mask. She couldn’t even tell him that Sam had resigned from the militia. ‘You seem kind of lost.’ Yemi noticed. ‘Um, I’m fine. Just take good care of yourself. And let me know when you’re planning that valentine party. I may invite a few friends over, if it is okay.’ She lied. Yemi was surprised by her interest in the valentine party that he planned to organize. He had meant it. Now that he was sure that Cassie Benjamin was attracted to him, he would conquer her and make her his queen. ‘Well, let’s see how it goes.’ He winked.

Episode 18 He was about leaving the dining hall when the door burst wide open, and a palish faced Cassie strolled into the room with her eyes on the ground. He noticed she wasn’t bright this morning. She seemed sad, broken and lost. And this made him wonder why. Yemi was moved by her gloomy expression, but he couldn’t say a word to her now. He wanted to draw her out. He was playing a mind game on her, and he would watch her reaction closely. ‘See you later sis!’ He barked in a loud voice, which alerted Cassie of his presence. At the sound of his voice, all the sadness and pain she felt fled. She couldn’t believe one man would have such a great power over her. Cassie was shocked to see the King in the dining hall. She quickly felt embarrassed as she realized she had slept in his bed. ‘Are you fucking kidding me?’ Tayo’s eyes widened, and the fork she held, fell to the ground. ‘Where on earth did you get such an ugly dress?’ Tayo scoffed. How could Cassie whom the maids praised for her designing skills wear something so hideous? Blood rose up in Cassie’s cheeks as her eyes met with Yemi. She felt ashamed of the large dress she’d worn. She couldn’t blame the princess for screaming like that. She had wanted to annoy the king, but her plans had failed. ‘G…ood morning,’ Cassie tried to cover her shame by greeting Yemi and Tayo. Yemi quickly gulped some water and swiftly marched out of the dining hall, without one glance at her. Cassie felt horrible as his cologne danced after him. The King wasn’t pleased with her, he was angry that she had refused to wear the clothes he’d bought. Tayo began to laugh at the ugly dress again. ‘Girl, let us imagine you were going to the Grammys. Joan Rivers if she still were alive, would have ripped you apart for wearing that piece of depression.’ Cassie ignored the princess and pulled a chair. Yemi had never ignored her. He couldn’t even smile at her or answer her greeting. Fear gripped her as she wondered if she had made a show of herself while drunk. What if she had staggered into his chambers? The thought of it killed the strong appetite she had, and she quickly pushed the chair back to its place. She had to run away from the palace before she got insane. ‘Are you leaving because of what I said?’ Tayo rose to her feet. She had just learned that the man she liked was related to Cassie. In her world, food wasn’t a way into a man’s belly. It was his relatives. From the beginning, she had preferred Cassie to Eno. And now she learned of her prowess in fashion design, which could bring them closer. ‘And you care? Wow!’ Cassie gaped at the arrogant princess. She wasn’t in the mood for her insults. Tayo sighed, ‘Look, I am sorry for laughing at you Cassie. But truth be told, your dress is ugly. And why is my brother not talking to you, are you guys fighting?’ Cassie was surprised at the princess’ sudden behavior. Tayo had never apologized to her before, and she never asked her personal questions. At first, Cassie was about to warn the princess to keep away from her. But on a second thought, being close to Tayo could make her know why Yemi was angry. ‘Why are you talking to me princess high and mighty?’ Cassie folded her arms and crossed it over her chest. Tayo laughed and shook her head. She wasn’t surprised that Cassie addressed her that way. Princess Tayo knew how rude she was. She had been trained form childhood to be impatient, intolerant and arrogant. She was trained not to subject herself to ridicule by mixing with her subordinates or commoners. ‘Look, I admit that I am not a good person. I don’t even want to be. Good people don’t live long. I am sorry I treated you badly in the past. But when you walked into this hall, you had a sad look on your face. I want to know why my brother isn’t talking to you.’ Cassie could see an atom of concern in the princess’ eyes. However, her abusive relationships in the past had made her realize that not everyone had good intentions. Princess Tayo couldn’t just have started talking to her out of the blue. She wanted something, and Cassie was willing to offer it for a price. ‘Try harder,’ Cassie replied. Tayo couldn’t believe Cassie could see through her acting. Apparently, she was as smart as her brother Elvis. ‘Okay, let’s do this. I actually prefer you to Eno. You fit my brother, but you’ll need a little grooming on the palace way of life to be perfect. I like you Cassie, and it is obvious that you like my brother. Don’t even try to hide it now…you’re blushing.’ Truly, Cassie was reddening on the cheeks and neck. Was it that obvious what she felt for the king? Did Yemi know this? ‘Can you go straight to the point?’ Cassie snorted. ‘Fine, let’s eat breakfast.’ Tayo gestured towards the tray clustered table. ‘Okay,’ Cassie settled in a chair, and pulled a bottle of water close to her. Tayo nibbled on her fish for a few minutes, before she began to talk. ‘I heard about your designs, but the way you dressed this morning made me wonder if you’re truly that good. You should wear your profession. Carry it proudly like an artwork.’ Tayo advised, still skeptical about what the maids had said about the designs. Cassie remained quiet. The princess was in the dark about her large dress. She guessed Yemi hadn’t told his sister that he had purchased some designer clothes for her. ‘I need a new dress for a charity ball I’ll attend in two weeks at Abuja. I’ll be presenting the King.’ Cassie almost choked on her food, ‘Why do you want me to design for you? You have people that are better than me.’ Cassie thought the princess was joking at first, but when she looked into Tayo’s eyes, she realized Tayo was serious. Her heart began to race. ‘Who told you I design clothes?’ Cassie immediately asked. ‘Your little friends in the kitchen. Look, I haven’t seen the designs but from the way they praised your work, you’re good. I’d love to see them too.’ Tayo forked a chip of plantain. Cassie was still not comfortable around the princess. Why was she being so nice? ‘I’ve told you one of the things I need from you. It’s your turn, tell me yours.’ Tayo nibbled on the plantain. The only thing Cassie wanted from the princess was information about Yemi. Knowing more about the King, would make her feel better. ‘I got drunk last night. I woke up in your brother’s bed. We didn’t have sex.’ Cassie quickly added as she noted a mischievous gleam in Tayo’s eyes. Tayo chuckled and pulled a glass of water closer to her. How on earth had Yemi kept that away from her? ‘That’s hot. What if you did and you totally forgot? Maybe the sex was so bad and it got my brother in a foul mood. Your entrance probably reminded him of you.’ Tayo teased and giggled. Cassie ignored her. She had just learned something about the Princess. She wasn’t as cruel or arrogant like she made people to believe. She had a good sense of humor, and she loved to laugh. Tayo was a happy person. ‘Does your brother like me?’ Cassie blurted out. To be continued…

Moving to the next level in your relationship cass i guess

Whats up with the royal family and the Benjamins

hmmm interesting

Episode 19 At once, Tayo’s annoying laughter ceased. She noticed the solemn calm that fell upon Cassie’s face as she asked the question. Only a woman in love would make such an inquiry. Tayo was surprised. ‘Of course he does. Do you think a King would invite just anyone into his sacred chambers? You slept in the first and most spiritual chamber. You lay on the bed of the gods with my brother. I have never stepped into the first chamber, only the second and the third.’ Tayo couldn’t believe Yemi would lead Cassie into the first chamber. Cassie’s hands became jittery when she learned of this. Did he value her that much? ‘What does that mean?’ She wondered. Tayo shrugged, ‘Well, where I come from, it means you will become his queen. You have seen his nakedness.’ Elvis couldn’t stop going back to the chat he had with Princess Tayo. His eyes were glued to the computer screen, and it made him ponder what speaking to her in real life would be like. From the manner she expressed herself, the princess was confident and ruthless. She was smart and fearless too. And Elvis realized in that moment, that what he felt for her was more than a sexual attraction. It was a deep seated admiration. How many women would outsmart the Mask and still go ahead to strike a deal? She wasn’t afraid of him or his boys. She wasn’t afraid of Sam or anyone. The Princess was a woman of her own making, and he couldn’t wait to meet her. He felt relieved, knowing that Cassie was with Yemi. Although the princess had been tricky in answering his question about his sister’s whereabouts, he could tell Cassie was in the palace. She was safe. But he would still fight for her freedom, once the vermillion deal was sealed. ‘You’ve been staring at that laptop for too long. If I didn’t know you too well, I’d say you’re sexting.’ Sam rolled his eyes as he strolled into the study. He had been jogging, he was done now. It was time to rest. Elvis had already sensed his friend’s approach, so he wasn’t startled with the sharp baritone. ‘And morning to you,’ He quickly turned off the laptop and moved the swivel chair around. Sam laughed, Elvis was definitely hiding something. But he wasn’t interested. After Elvis’ initiation rites, he would finally be done with the Knights of Robin hood. He would start a new life with the woman that he loved. ‘I would take a quarter of the vermillion. It’s not a fair trade, but I don’t want to fight the King or the princess now.’ Elvis relayed the information he’d gotten from the princess. Sam moved closer to his friend. He dropped the water-bottle he carried and pulled out a chair. Elvis was acting very differently this morning. Sam knew how much Elvis hated King Yemi and his sister. Why did Elvis suddenly have a change of mind about attacking the royal family? ‘Look, I know you’re wondering why I’m taking just a quarter of the vermillion. They have Cassie. If I try anything stupid, they could my sister.’ Again, Sam spotted another lie. He knew a lot about the King and his sister. If anyone had the heart to shed innocent blood, it wouldn’t be Yemi. Tayo was more like the person who could frame an innocent person, just to achieve a selfish purpose. ‘We both know you’re lying, Elvis. You’re getting soft. Yemi would never harm Cassie. If he tries that, I’ll rip his head off and do same to his sister.’ Sam’s eyes rested on Elvis’ this whole time. Sam noticed that when he’d made mention of the princess, a flame of anger burned in Elvis’ eyes. Elvis couldn’t think of any harm coming to the princess. ‘Look, I don’t want any trouble. I was just telling you. Tell my sisters that Cassie is safe when you visit next.’ ‘Are you attracted to Princess Tayo?’ Sam scoffed. Elvis’ quickly look away. He couldn’t think of a suitable answer for Sam. Just when he was about to change the topic, his phone beeped. ‘Excuse me; I’ll have to check this out.’ Elvis grabbed the phone and moved a distance from Sam. ‘Whatever, liar,’ Sam giggled. He had been like Elvis once; passionate about the fight for the poor and full of hate for the government. All that had changed, since the day he set his eyes on Eno Benjamin. He had a feeling; Elvis would abandon the group soon. The position of the Mask was meant with someone who was ready to sacrifice his heart. Somebody could never be distracted by emotions. Sam had lived all his life for the people, but they always turned their backs on him and believed the worst of him. To them, he was the enemy not the government that was robbing them day and night. He had found completion in Eno and he would do more to make things right. He wondered if she would still love him after he revealed the truth to her. He touched his scar with his left thumb. It was the mark he’d gotten on the night of initiation as the leader of the knighthood. Elvis would get the same mark too. ‘We have a serious problem.’ Elvis rushed back to the table, with a confused look on his face. He had just received a troubling message from his younger sister, Elena. One day, her smartness was going to land her into trouble. ‘What is that?’ Sam quickly rose to his feet. ‘It’s Elena; she is just an inch away from knowing who you truly are.’ Elvis tossed the phone angrily on the table. She had done a quick research on the Knighthood, connecting the scar on Sam’s face to Ifeanyi; who was the first Mask to lead the Knight of Robin hood. ‘I always knew your sister didn’t trust me. She has been studying me all these while.’ Sam sank into the chair. If Elena found out that he was the Mask, it could ruin his chances with Eno, because it would be better if the revelation came from him. Elvis sighed and closed his eyes, ‘She’s asking me to do a research on you. She is a hundred percent sure that you aren’t innocent.’ ‘I told you it was dangerous for me to involve myself in Cassie’s case. If I’d succeeded in taking her from the King’s palace, even Eno would’ve become suspicious.’ Sam replied. Elvis thought about his initiation rites, and the deep cut that would be made on his forehead. If Elena ever saw a scar on his face, she would know about the knighthood, and that wasn’t safe. If she knew about his involvement in the group, it could land her in trouble. ‘You have to tell Eno who you are. Tell her you no longer belong to us. She needs to know the truth before Elena dishes it out to her.’ Elvis suggested. Sam didn’t argue. He had prepared himself for the confession, and the outcome. If Eno’s love waned because of his past, he would move and live in peace. Knowing you once were loved by someone so special like her was more than he could ever ask for. ‘I will. But you cannot have the scar on your face Elvis. It will expose you to your sisters and that is not good. If they know about the knighthood, the police or the Government could get them arrested one day.’ Elvis understood why this exception had to be made. ‘You were the former Mask. You still have the power to rewrite the rules of initiation. Anything that would bring exposure and hurt should be taken out.’ Sam agreed with his friend, ‘I will reveal only myself to your sister. But we both die with the secret of the knighthood. Tonight, I shall consecrate you to lead the boys. The people may not appreciate our goodness now, but in future, they’ll understand what we were up against.’

Episode 20 The Mask and his men were against the corrupt Nigerian government and the host of elites who fed on the people’s sweat. ‘I’ll need you to something for me. I am planning on a dinner date with Eno. Set the mood right by telling Elena that Cassie is safe. I want to walk into a happy house before my confession to Eno.’ ‘I will do as you have said,’ Elvis nodded. Sam turned on his heels, ready to leave when Elvis stopped him. ‘One more thing bro…’ ‘What?’ Sam asked. ‘My father is around. He is very protective of his girls,’ Elvis winked. Sam laughed, ‘No problem then. I guess I would have to answer a lot of questions from him.’ He walked of the room feeling a heavy weight on his shoulders. It was the weight of guilt. It was the weight of secrecy. He couldn’t wait to unburden himself by confessing to the woman that he loved. Mr. Benjamin had found it difficult to sleep after realizing that his beloved Cassie had been missing for over two months now. He felt angry and frustrated like his children. Already, Eno and Elena had tried their best to find Cassie, but the Police hadn’t come up with anything. ‘It’s my fault, I shouldn’t have ever left.’ The man sobbed. When Tamar had issued him the divorce papers, he could’ve rejected them and fought for the unity of his family. In his absence, she had used his kids as bargaining chips to secure wealth for herself. Now that things were messy, she had absconded to Jamaica. ‘Cursed woman, you’ll never find peace until my Cassie is found.’ The man was deeply broken and sad when he also learned of Eno’s kidnap by the King of Lagos. Even Tamar had him fooled that their daughter had won a scholarship. He imagined the shock Eno had received on the first night the King came to take her back to the palace. Mr. Benjamin held no grievances towards the King. If Tamar hadn’t sold off her children, no one would’ve bought them. His only wish was for Cassie to be safe wherever she was. He would be heartbroken should something happen to his baby girl. His lips trembled as he wept. Her sisters had told him of her passion for design. Elena had shown him some of Cassie’s samples; the ones she had posted on her blog. They could only be described in one word: excellent. Cassie’s designs were unique. They were in a league of their own; intricate and refined. She brought something new to the fashion world; it would be just a matter of time and luck, for her to become a big name. Unlike Tamar who had betrayed him, he was ready to support Cassie till the very end. Mr. Benjamin was still mourning the absence of his daughter when he heard a bang on the door. At first, he remained silent, wanting some alone time. But when the tone of the pounding increased, he sensed that all wasn’t right. The bang had been desperate, and hurried. ‘Who is it?’ He raised his head from the pillow and stared towards the door. ‘It’s me, Elena. I am here with Eno dad. We have good news.’ She sounded excited and relieved. The man sighed and wiped his face. The only news that could excite him would be the news of his daughter’s return. He loved all his children very much, and would go to extreme lengths to protect them. For someone like Elvis, he totally steered clear because Elvis wanted it to be so. ‘The door is open.’ Hurriedly, Elena pushed the door from outside and rushed into the room, closely followed by her elder sister. They both wore a look of excitement on their faces. He could tell that something good had happened. ‘What is it?’ The man asked. Suddenly, Elena’s smile was replaced with a scowl and so was Eno’s. ‘Dad, you have been crying.’ Elena observed. ‘You shouldn’t be too hard on yourself father. This was the reason we kept it from you, knowing how close you and Cassie were.’ Eno joined him on the bed. Mr. Benjamin blinked the tears that had gathered again away. He stared out the window, as if the ray of sunlight that had come in would give him a new hope to survive. ‘All my life, I’ve worked so hard to make the best for my family. I toiled all night, creating and working on designs. I was this close to getting a sponsor from Italy.’ He paused and gestured with his hands. The girls exchanged glances. Elena had just received a message from Elvis stating that their sister was alive and safe in the palace. She and Eno had come to share the good news, only to find their father weeping. ‘Dad…’Elena tried to cut in, she was desperate to break the news. ‘No, let me finish. Let me tell you the mistakes I made, so you wouldn’t make the same. I loved your mother to a fault, and she preyed on my weakness. I forgave her even after she committed the worst crime against me. But what did I get in return? A broken heart and a divided home is what I got. Your mother is a beast and she deserves a special place in hell. Have you ever heard of Talia Abdul?’ He paused. And the girls nodded. ‘She is one of the best designers in Africa. She is the wealthiest, currently.’ Elena supplied more information, while wondering where her father was headed. Eno wasn’t comfortable. She had a feeling her father was about to open up a huge can of worms. This made her nauseous. ‘Your mother sold my designs to this woman twenty years ago. She sold them all for a huge amount of money. When I first saw them in a fashion, I thought the replication was a coincidence, but how can hundred designs be coincidental? What hurt me most is that she couldn’t deny it when I confronted her. She told me that I should go to hell. But I forgave her, now I am wishing I’d smashed her head that night.’ The girls were stunned. They were fixed to the spot due to the shocking news about their mother. How could one woman be that evil? ‘Dad, please don’t talk like that. It is an established fact that our mum is a greedy person. I am sorry for the way she treated you in the past, but you have to move on to greater things.’ Eno moved closer to him. Elena felt terrible that her father had to go through such a toxic marriage. She quickly joined him on the other side of the bed. ‘Greater things?’ The man scoffed. How could he move on when Tamar was bent on destroying his kids? ‘You don’t understand Eno. Cassie is missing, and if we can’t find her, this family would never have peace.’ He replied calmly. Elena placed a hand on his shoulder, ‘Dad, Cassie is alive. That is what we came to share. She is with the King, and she is safe. I don’t know if she is happy, but her being alive is something we should be grateful for. We’ll talk about the best way to get her back later.’ Elena announced the news. Elvis had confirmed her suspicions. He had also cleared her doubts about Sam. Elvis had researched and told her to forget him. Sam wasn’t the Mask, even if he was, Elena saw him a nice person. ‘I don’t understand…’ The man stammered. He couldn’t believe things could just change overnight. ‘How do you know this? Did you speak with her on phone?’ He was eager to get the source of the information. Eno smiled and pulled the man closer to her, ‘Come on dad, don’t ask us that now. Why don’t we celebrate this good news with a glass of wine and some Samosas, huh?’ She tickled his sides and the old man burst out with laughter. Mr. Benjamin was thrilled with the news. He was too shocked to say anything. ‘Well, I don’t really have a choice here, do I?’ He winked at his beautiful daughters. The girls moved closer to their father and gave him a tight hug; this made the man feel alive and important. The love that radiated from his children drove all the anger and bitterness their mother had caused. ‘I can’t wait for Cassie to be home,’ he whispered. ‘Me too,’ Elena tightened the hug. She missed Cassie so much. She couldn’t even pen down the love she had for that sister. Eno was about adding to the conversation when her phone buzzed in the pocket of her jean. The minute she pulled it out, a smile played on her beautiful lips. It was Sam that was calling. ‘Um, I have to get his.’ She pulled away from her father and rose to her feet. ‘Valentine bells are ringing,’ Elena squealed with laughter, it was only Sam that could make Eno break the connection they had with their father. Mr. Benjamin laughed, and glanced at his eldest daughter. ‘I thought you always said you could live without a man.’ Eno had been the most ambitious one. She had been passionate about saving lives and making the world a better place. He was surprised that a guy was calling her. ‘Well dad, there are some people you meet who change your whole life forever.’ Without waiting for another word from Elena or her father, she rushed out to speak to the man that had claimed her heart. When Eno was out, Mr. Benjamin turned his youngest daughter. ‘What are your plans for Valentine?’ Elena blushed and looked away, ‘Can we just enjoy this hug dad? I am too busy publishing stories on my blog to notice any man. Besides, I am just twenty three. I still got time.’ Elena was confident that she would find her man at the right time. ‘I have a feeling you are the only single daughter I have.’ Mr. Benjamin returned. Elena bit her lip and pulled away from him. Obviously, her father was trying to tell her something, but she couldn’t understand. ‘Why do you say that? Eno is the only one dating, and her man is amazing. Cassie has been single for a very long time.’

Enjoying this. Go on

A lot has change @ Cassie’s Side dear Elena

Next please can't wait for the next episodes

Cassie is going to get married soon dear Elena

Episode 21 Mr. Benjamin sighed, ‘If what you said about Cassie is true, why you think she is still in the palace? Hell had no fury than an enslaved woman. Your sister is smart and intelligent; she would’ve found her way out. But, maybe the palace has become her second home.’ Elena could see where her father was going, ‘Nah, Cassie never liked the King. She considered him arrogant and proud. I don’t think she had feelings for him.’ He shrugged, ‘Sometimes love is not felt directly. Sometimes, we try to get rid of what we truly feel by seeing the worst in object of our admiration.’ Elena pondered on her father’s words carefully. She wanted to ask him another question, when Eno returned with a bright smile on her face. ‘Sam asked me out on a dinner date, but it’s not here! I am going to one of the best hotels for my Valentine!’ She was all smiles; she couldn’t wait to meet with Sam on that beautiful night ‘Your majesty, why don’t you quit playing the games? I think Princess Cassie likes you and you should go for it,’ Pelumi advised. The King had asked her to meet him at a bar which was a bit far away from the palace. He had come up with a plan that would make Cassie more jealous. He wanted Pelumi to pose as his girlfriend. He wanted Cassie to feel like he was having an affair with her. This plan was most suitable, because Cassie wasn’t aware that Pelumi was his cousin. He just couldn’t wait for her reaction. ‘Don’t tell me that Pelumi. Cassie is attracted to me. She wants to hide what she feels, why can’t I play my own games?’ Yemi asked. Pelumi sighed, ‘Your games could backfire, just like her baggy dress did. While she’d been making that dress, I am sure she never thought you’d miss dinner. I know you think your idea is good, but it could fail on someone like Cassie who has been through a lot.’ Yemi caressed his staff of office. He’d thought Pelumi would agree to his plan easily. She wasn’t into it, and he didn’t want to force it. ‘Fine, if you wouldn’t help me, I’d get one of my old girlfriends to do it.’ He said to her, while watching her reaction. Pelumi lifted her shoulders in indifference. She just wished the King would understand the reason for her advice. Though he had involved her in his personal life, she couldn’t be too forward with her opinion. Yemi was still the King. ‘You don’t approve?’ Yemi read her shrug as disapproval. One of the things he had learned while being groomed to be a King was to listen to the opinions of others. And he would apply that same knowledge to this case. Pelumi could see that the King wanted to hear her thoughts on his plans. Well, she didn’t like them. She had just discovered something about Cassie that could make the King change his mind, about his plant to make her jealous. ‘You asked me to find out everything I could about Cassie right?’ Pelumi clutched tightly to her black purse. Yemi nodded, ‘Yes I did. Did you find anything else?’ He wondered. ‘Yes, I did. But it is highly confidential. I read part of it. This would help you take your decision.’ Pelumi quietly unzipped the purse and fetched a diary. She had spotted a purse while in Cassie’s room. While Cassie had left for the dining hall, she had sneaked into the room and searched the purse. The yellow diary was the product of her search. Yemi dropped his staff, and collected the diary. He held it like he normally held his staff. Whatever Cassie had in there was personal, and reading it would make him feel like a terrible person. ‘I don’t think I can do this.’ He was reluctant to go through it. ‘Just read a page. It would give you an insight on the kind of woman you’re dealing with. She is a good woman, your majesty. She has been hurt by a lot of people, you cannot be on that list.’ Pelumi decided she was done with spying on Cassie. She had served the good King to her capacity. She had to return to the palace and finish her duties. ‘I must go now.’ She bowed and rose to her feet. The King was too engrossed in the pages of the yellow book to notice her departure. He wanted to know more about Cassie. He wanted to know the little things that made her happy, and those that made her sad. The first page spoke of her dreams and how she wanted to become a powerful force in the fashion industry. She planned to get schooled in a fashion institution, but she noted sadly, that there was no money. That broke his heart. ‘Ambitious woman,’ he opened another page. He was one of the wealthiest men in the world. His wealth had just increased by a hundred of billions, since the discovery of vermillion. He was ready to spend all that he had, just to make her happy. Cassie was different from Eno, she loved him. She wasn’t after a man’s money, but she was hungry to make her own. Cassie yearned for success and fame. She spent nights creating and working on designs. This explained the reason he had found her in the shop on the night of Christmas. As he flipped through the pages of the diary, he felt all the emotions Cassie had felt when passing through the numerous breakups. There were eight men in number, and they had all treated her like trash. She had taken a long break from relationships, and buried her time in work. ‘Fool,’ Yemi gritted his teeth angrily as he read a page on a particular guy: Dear Diary, May 22, 2009 I’ve always heard of this sort of thing in movies. I never knew Lekan could do this to me. He broke up with me, minutes after I’d raised some money for his fees. And today happens to be my birthday. Will I ever trust any man again? I am hurt. My pride is crushed. I feel used and stupid. And I cannot fight back, I feel helpless. He could feel her pain and humiliation after discovering that the man she sincerely loved was also sleeping with her best friend, Maria. Yemi wanted to find all these men in her diary, and pound their heads with his fists, until they passed out. How could they treat Cassie with such impunity? From what he observed, when Cassie fell in love, she felt deeply. He now understood why she had built up a wall of defense against him. She probably thought he was line her ex boyfriends. Her ugly encounters had blurred her mind’s eyes and made her to bundle all men into one class. ‘I can’t do this anymore.’ He closed the diary and made ready to live. He had feelings for Cassie. And if those feelings were returned in appropriate measure, he would make up for all the pain those guys inflicted on her. There was no need of trying to get her jealous, that would only drive her further from him. Pelumi was right. He had to abort his plans immediately. He had to go straight to Cassie and tell her how he felt. If she refused to open up, he would release her and allow her be with her family. But he prayed she accepted him.

Right decision king Yemi

Nice decision oh king.

I pray so too

and I think your sister will top your confidence because of the discussion she had with Cassie earlier

Episode 22 A week later, Her relationship with the princess had changed drastically. They were no longer enemies, but friends. The Princess found it difficult to stay in her room, since the day she discovered Cassie’s design book. The maids had been right about Cassie, she was better than all the designers she had hired in the past. ‘Where did you learn to design like this?’ Tayo’s eyes were on the notebook. Her eyes had strayed to a pink butterfly dress with a golden hook. It reminded her of some of the peculiar designs she saw on Fashion TV. Cassieloved that the princess greatly admired her work. Tayo had come to her room for some measurement. After changing her mind over a hundred times about the particular dress he wanted, she had finally settled on one. Cassie couldn’t wait to make the dress for the princess. Making dresses was something she enjoyed doing. ‘I fell in love with designing at an early age. My father is a fashion designer.’ Cassie informed the princess. She felt sad that her mother had divorced the man and sent him out of the house. Maybe if Tamar was like other good wives who supported their husbands, her dad would’ve been the biggest players in the fashion world She hated his job, and had transferred that same hatred to Cassie. But Cassie had persevered; she could be stubborn when her passion was involved. ‘That’s lovely, so what plans do you have? Where do you go from here?’ Tayo shut the book and stared at Cassie’s face. She was done looking through the design book. She wanted Cassie to talk more about her family, especially Elvis and why he exiled himself from the rest. But the princess didn’t want to push it, she wanted Cassie to open up to her willingly. Cassie averted the princess’ penetrating gaze. She was tired of talking about dreams that would never hatch. She had no money or sponsors. How would she make it? ‘I don’t know about that. Are you ready for your measurement?’ Cassie walked towards her dressing table where she kept a tape. She wasn’t comfortable around Tayo completely, and she didn’t want to talk about herself. Tayo saw this and decided to respect Cassie’s boundary. ‘Has the King spoken to you yet?’ Tayo changed the topic. His name had a strange effect on her. She hadn’t set her eyes on Yemi for the past seven days. She had tried waking up very early or sleeping very late. But she was never able to catch up with him. She loved him. And she missed him. Cassie knew she would go crazy in this palace, if another week passed without her meeting the King. She wanted to apologize for ending up drunk in his sacred chamber. After Tayo had explained the significance of the first chamber of the King, she was deeply awed that Yemi could let her into his world like that. She was tired of his silence. It was killing her. ‘We both know that I haven’t set my eyes on him.’ Cassie replied. Tayo smiled, Cassie was smitten by her brother. She was helplessly in love, though she had been fighting it from the beginning. The princess was glad that Yemi felt the same way. ‘Well, we are working on a deal with a foreign company in Russia. Yemi is very hard working and committed to contracts. You may not see him till the deal is fixed.’ ‘When will that be?’ Cassie licked her lips nervously. ‘Three weeks,’ Tayo lied, she wanted to have a good laugh and Cassie fell for her bait. ‘Okay,’ Cassie replied in a dull tone. Immediately she dropped her response, Tayo began to snigger. It was loud and crackling. It annoyed Cassie. ‘Look, I am tired of waiting for him. I love him okay? But I had to pretend. I have been hurt too many times by gorgeous men.’ Cassie rolled the tape around her wrist, and strolled towards the window that opened into the Royal garden. Most of her mornings and evenings were spent looking down at the garden; she was desperate to set her eyes on Yemi. ‘Now that is the mistake people make in life. Your experiences with men in the past have no bearing for the way you treat an innocent man in the present. You are a beautiful person Cassie, and I don’t mean physical beauty. I am talking of the kind that makes it difficult for people to stay away from you. You have found a man who cherishes you, just be patient.’ Tayo joined her by the window. Cassie’s body felt warm as she listened to the Princess’ kind words. ‘I just hope he forgives me for wearing that ugly dress and sleeping drunk beside him.’ ‘Come on, my brother doesn’t keep grudges…’Tayo trailed off as her phone vibrated in her palms. It was a strange number. The first thought that crossed her mind was that one of the Mask’s men had contacted her. She quickly excused herself and rushed out of the room. Unknown to her, Yemi had set up a distraction. He wanted time alone with the woman that has captured his heart. Her back was to the door, while her eyes dwelt on the flowers. She heard a creaking sound, but wasn’t perturbed. She guessed the princess had returned. ‘I am thinking of making a crown of flowers for you, but with fabric. What do you think?’ Cassie licked her lips, excited by this new idea. There wasn’t any reply. And it made her wonder why the princess wasn’t answering. ‘Did you hear me?’ Cassie murmured and swirled round. She almost died of shock, when she noticed that the King had walked into her bedroom. This time, he looked different. He wasn’t in his regal robes, but a simple denim and polo-shirt. She froze and rested her hands on the window frames to stop herself from falling. He looked younger and more handsome without all the regalia. His eyes were still dark, but less arrogant. And he wore a friendly smile. ‘Cassandra, I missed you.’ He called her by name.

That's good

Last episode Yemi had come fully prepared. Though he had been very busy the past few days, he had squeezed time out for her. He missed her. He yearned to look into her beautiful eyes and tell her about his feelings. ‘Can I sit?’ He scanned her room which seemed empty. He noticed a velvety material on the bed, which definitely belonged to his sister. She was a velvet addict. Cassie was too dazed by his presence to speak. When she parted her lips, no words came out and she blushed in embarrassment. Damn! Why can’t I control myself around him? She thought. Whenever Yemi was around, her senses would fail her. Her palms would become sweaty, and she would look like a confused person. And she hated for him to see her that. On a normal day, she was confident and bold. She wished she could walk right there and just throw her arms around him. Cassie wished she could make her fantasies come through at that moment. Yemi noticed she was shy and reserved. That was surprising, considering she was the person that’d been giggling with Tayo, some minutes ago. He decided to cut the chase and hit the hammer on the head. ‘I won’t sit then, I’ll stand by you.’ He walked closer to the window. Cassie died a thousand times even before he reached there. Yemi smiled, ‘Do you remember the first time you saw me?’ Cassie swallowed, and cast her mind back. It was the night they had been waiting for Eno’s arrival. The King had breezed in without permission. She hated him instantly, but she couldn’t deny the fact that Yemi was the most handsome man she had ever met. ‘I could tell from the way you looked at me, that you hated me. And your hatred increased when I took your sister.’ He stopped a breath apart from her. So that Cassie, could feel his warm breath on her skin. She licked her lips and forced her eyes on him. She had been with too many people to act up like school girl. No, this wasn’t who she was. She was a vocal and bold woman. And she would tell Yemi what she felt for him. ‘You couldn’t blame me. I am not used to Kings breaking into people’s homes uninvited.’ Yemi chuckled. He was happy Cassie was more relaxed than when he came. ‘I know, I truly loved your sister. I thought she was the one for me.’ Cassie felt a tinge of jealousy when he said that. It wasn’t like she hated her sister; she just couldn’t stand him talking about any other woman. ‘I don’t love her anymore. She was never meant for me.’ He quickly said, he noticed the way her eyes darkened. He had to dispel her fears. Cassie’s eyes didn’t falter from his’. She was no longer shy. She was ready for his amorous confession and he wouldn’t leave anything behind. ‘It is you I love.’ He collected her hands and began to play with them. He caressed and squeezed them at will. ‘I know you have passed through a lot with men. You have been hurt, deceived, betrayed and all of that. But I am different. I am not a polygamous King and would never be. I am promising you that. I love you Cassandra. Since the day you stepped into my palace, you’ve brought me joy and peace. You filled the hole that your sister left. All I am asking is for you trust me with your heart. I do not want your body. I would’ve had you when I carried you in my arms that night. You were so beautiful in your sleep and I couldn’t help but watch. You are special to me. You are the first woman to step into my chambers. I want you to be my queen and my valentine.’ He dipped a hand into his pocket and fetched and envelope. Cassie’s eyeballs burned with unshed tears. She had not known this man for a very long time, but he knew everything about her. All long, she’d blame herself for staggering into his room, but he had swept her into his arms. His action revealed the romantic part of him. He was a kind man. ‘Are you still angry with me?’ Cassie’s lips trembled. ‘Angry? I was never mad at you. I just wanted to keep my distance, but I couldn’t control what I felt anymore.’ He peeled the envelope and pulled out two tickets. A tear dribbled down her cheeks, ‘I love you too. But…I just hated being locked in this place. I miss my family. I miss my job…’ she began to sob. Yemi couldn’t stand her sobbing; he quickly pulled her into his arms and placed a soft kiss in her hair. ‘It’s okay darling, we’ve been fighting this for too long. Love is like the sun, it doesn’t hide.’ When she’d calmed, he released her and offered her a ticket. ‘What is this?’ She asked without looking at it. ‘What do you think it is?’ He winked. He had just been invited to Paris by the French President, who was also involved in the mineral he’d discovered. Vermillion was important, and most world powers would want to have a fair share. ‘I’m leaving for Paris in a few days. I’d like you to join me. We’ll celebrate our valentine over there. After which, we’ll look for a good fashion school for you.’ Yemi knew Cassie was different from most women. He prayed she didn’t turn down his gift. That would make him feel really terrible. ‘What?’ Cassie quickly skimmed the paper piece. The King was offering to take her on a luxurious trip. That wasn’t enough, he wanted to be a part of her fashion design by involving himself in her dreams. She couldn’t believe it. A part of her was excited about the offer, but another part made her feel like a gold digger. All her life, she was used to giving. She hardly received gifts from her past boyfriends. They only took her love for granted and the little cash she gave to them. ‘I…I don’t know what to say.’ She stuttered. ‘Just take this Cassie. You deserve it. You are diligent and hard working. Take this as a gift for my cruelty. If I hadn’t taken you away from your shop, you’ll still be working for your clients.’ He had to convince her somehow to accept this gift. Cassie loved the offer. It was huge and juicy. Maybe the King was right; she deserved to have a little fun and happiness. This was perfect. ‘I guess falling in love with a billionaire King comes with its perks.’ Cassie winked. She would accept his gift. Yemi couldn’t hold back his excitement. He pulled her roughly into his arms and crushed her tender lips with his wet and burning mouth. He had found the woman of his dreams. He had found a rightful Queen, who would share his bed and his throne. He had found his Valentine desire in Cassandra Benjamin; a woman of substance.

Season 3 starting soon Its between princess tayo and Elvis Benjamin You don't wanna miss it

@vikkychidi94 No I can't miss it...

Nice ending to Cassie and Yemi

So the season 1 for Eno was "Her Christmas Desire" The season 2 for Cassie is "Her Valentine Desire" so what will now be the title for Tayo "Her Easter Desire" Maybe... lolz

Wao! This is so lovely.

Can't wait

Bring on the season 3 quick

waiting for season 3 I love this episode

waiting...............