Page 66 of Firstborn of the Sun
‘I’ve asked you here to discuss the prince Àlùfáà and the incident at the temple,’ the Lord Regent said, loud enough for the room to echo his voice.
Tofa nodded, thinking of how best to say he didn’t want this mission. ‘It’s been three days since the incident and the warrior maidens have searched every corner of this island to no avail. The royal guards are searching this ring and the next where the exiled priest lived but there is no news on the girl and all this stealth and secrecy is wasting our time. If the girl uses her evil powers on our people, the secret will be out either way. We need to contain this. We must summon the Lord General’s army from the sixth ring and have their portraits on every state wall, ordering a full search of anyone crossing any borders. We built this kingdom to protect itself. I’m unsure what the prince’s plan is, but Alawani can’t expect to escape through all six rings of Oru.’
The Lord Regent slowly swayed the horsetail in his hand as he listened to Tofa. ‘Àjànàkú tells us that the girl who took Alawani is more dangerous than we know.’ The priests shifted in their seats by Àlùfáà-Àgbà, who remained still. His father was still angry if he was calling the old man by his first name – something no one else in the kingdom could do. ‘This requires greater precision than an army. You need to go after them, Tofa. You have the most powerful agbára in the kingdom.’
Tofa clenched his fists – it was exactly as he suspected. ‘Why is the girl with the strange magic so important? Who is she?’ he asked.
‘She’s a direct threat to our kingdom and a mockery of ourgods. We will bring forth their wrath if we allow her to live,’ Àlùfáà-Àgbà said, his anger palpable.
The room echoed, ‘À??.’
The Lord Regent shifted on his throne. ‘More to the point, we can’t allow Alawani to abandon his duty. The Call to be Àlùfáà is a sacred oath we’ve made with our gods, our connection to the source of our agbára. Whatever the reason for his cowardice, I want him found. This is a dangerous precedent.’
‘And the girl?’ Tofa asked. ‘What is her name? What else do we know about her?’
‘Her name is L’?r?,’ Àlùfáà-Àgbà jumped in. ‘She was raised by the defect priest in the second ring. Find her and kill her on sight.’
The name rang like a bell, and his old friend’s face flashed before his mind. Alawani had sat with him until the sun was high in the sky. They had reminisced about the days long past, and most of all, he’d told Tofa about the girl who had won his heart. L’?r?.
‘He loves her,’ Tofa said. ‘If it’s the girl he told me about, he won’t return without her. Alawani is in love with her.’
‘Bring her to me alive,’ the Lord Regent contradicted.
‘Àdèlé ?ba – Lord Regent, permit me to speak,’ Ìyá-Ayé said, and the room turned to look at her. The Lord Regent nodded, and Tofa caught the flicker of a smile on his mother’s face as she looked at Ìyá-Ayé. ‘As your firstborn, the gods have indeed blessed the crown heir with the most powerful agbára in the kingdom,’ Ìyá-Ayé said.
Praise. A good way to start before asking the crown for anything. Tofa didn’t know Ìyá-Ayé very well, but her reputation preceded her. In the game of politics, she was second to none.
‘But, my Lord,’ Ìyá-Ayé continued, ‘we shouldn’t waste theblessing of the gods. How can we send a mountain to crush a termite? The crown heir is a few blood moons away from becoming the Aláàfin of our great land. We need his attention here in the capital. Let me send my girls to bring back the prince and this cursed girl. I can assure you, there’s no power she can possess that my maidens can’t handle. They are the sharp edge of this great kingdom. They are yours to command.’
‘You overestimate your maidens,’ Àlùfáà-Àgbà said, sneering.
‘You underestimate them – and me,’ Ìyá-Ayé said, not once taking her eyes off the throne.
Just as the Lord Regent was about to speak, Aya’ba Oyíndà turned to him and said, ‘Olówó orí mi. My husband. She is right. Our son’s place is here. Learning from you. Not chasing after Prince Alawani, who has brought as much shame to this kingdom as the late king once did.’
Tofa almost smiled. His mother had planned this. She wasn’t as subtle as she thought she was.
The Lord Regent grunted and then looked at High Priestess À?á. The woman didn’t turn, but somehow knew he was asking for her opinion. He’d seen his father interact with his mother and other wives, and Tofa was sure that what people said was true. The bond between a priest and his maiden was something different.
High Priestess À?á cleared her throat and said, ‘Send the crown heir after them. The gods blessed him with the agbára to protect this kingdom. This is his destiny.’
Behind him, K?ni shifted. She’d been so still, Tofa had nearly forgotten she was there.
Aya’ba Oyíndà seethed in her seat. If looks could kill, Tofa knew High Priestess À?á would already lie cold on the floor.
‘I have sent a maiden to find them, my Lord. I expect her to return soon with good news,’ Ìyá-Ayé said.
The room went quiet, and Ìyá-Ayé straightened, confident in her decision.
‘Without my permission?’ the Lord Regent asked.
‘My Lord, I only did what I would’ve done in my time as High Priestess, seated on that throne. My oath was to protect this kingdom. I’m only doing my part to keep that promise.’
‘How will your maiden find them?’
‘One of my girls saw the invaders moments before they entered the temple. And don’t you worry, she’s being punished for that oversight. She recognized the boy who broke in with L’?r?. He’s called Kyà. Brother to one of the royal guards. They are both in the temple dungeons as we speak, and my Milúà will have all she needs to find the prince.’
‘What instruction did you give this maiden? To kill them?’ the Lord Regent asked.
