Queen Amara got married to King Eze at the age of 20. When she was getting married, she thought she would conceive within the first month of her marriage. She thought it would be very easy for her to bear children because she was young and beautiful. Also, she is from a fertile family. There is no barren woman in her lineage. But after her marriage, she could not get pregnant. Many months passed and she did not conceive. She began to wonder if something was wrong with her or the king.
She thought the barrenness was temporary but 20 years have passed since she got married to King Eze, yet, she has no children. The king has been very patient, but they were both growing old. Amara knew that there is a problem. The king is now 55 years old and Amara is 40. They need a son that will replace the king when he dies. No matter how patient the king is, he cannot escape the reality that as the king of his town, he needs children or at least, one child.
“I need to give the king a child. At this point, I know that the king will soon start disturbing me. The man has been very patient. I feel like if I don’t give him a child soon, he may marry another woman. I don’t want to lose my position in this palace. I have to find a way and get pregnant. We have gone to many hospitals and the doctors said nothing is wrong with me and my husband. What then is stopping me from bearing children?” The queen asked herself. She was in her room weeping.
Soon, the king sent a maid to come and call queen Amara. She quickly wipped the tears in her eyes and followed the maid.
“I suspect that the king wants to talk to me about bearing children. I know he has been patient. I won’t blame him if he says he wants to marry another woman. He has tried but I will not allow that to happen. I will fight to maintain my position in this palace. I will remain the queen.” The queen said to herself as she followed the maid to the king’s chambers.
When she entered the king’s chambers, she looked at his face and saw that he is not looking happy at all.
“This one you called me this afternoon, is everything alright?” The queen asked.
“Everything is not alright. I want to tell you that I’m getting married to another woman. I need a child. I’m the king. If I can’t produce a prince that will take over from me, the kingship will move to another family and I don’t want this to happen. I have given you enough time. We have been married for 20 years. You will soon enter menopause and there are no signs of pregnancy. Please, I want you to know that I love you, but the painful truth is that I need a child urgently. I will look for a young woman and marry so that I will bear a heir for the throne. You will remain the first wife and the queen.” The king said.
“My king please give me more time. I promise, I will conceive and bear a child for you very soon. Remember we are in this together. I’m also concerned about the fact that we don’t have children. I’m praying to God to help me conceive. I know he will answer me very soon.” The queen said with tears in her eyes.
“There is no more time to waste. I have given you 20 years, and yet, not even one pregnancy. Haven’t I tried? I deserve to have my own children. I’m not going to delay the decision anymore. I will find a young woman to marry. Let me try another woman to see if I will have a child. I have delayed for too long. Please go back to your chambers, the decision has been taken and I just wanted to inform you out of love.” The king said. Queen Amara left the place with heartbreak and tears in her eyes. Though, she was weeping, she knew that her husband was right. She knew that the man has been patient. He has never disturbed her because of her barrenness. In fact, she regards her husband as a very kind man.
However, Amara was prepared to fight to retain her honour in the palace. She decided not to give up too easily.
“I have to find a way out of this problem. I have to find a way to give my husband a child. I must do it as fast as possible. There is not time to waste.” The queen tells her self. As soon as she got to her room, she called her most beautiful and most trusted maid. Her name is Oge. Oge has been loyal and a humble maid in the palace and the queen loves her. She decided that Oge should sleep with her husband, get pregnant and bear a child. Oge would then hand over the child to her.
“I want you to sleep with the king and get pregnant. You will give birth to the child and hand the baby over to me. I will present the child to the kingdom as my own. No one will know you are the one who gave birth to the child. This must be a secret. I will pay you N10 million and then you will disappear and relocate to another town after giving birth.” The queen said.
Oge was shocked to hear what the queen said.
“My queen, are you sure this is the right thing to do? How are you going to convince the king to sleep with me?” Oge asked.
“Leave that to me. Once you agree to do it, I will convince him. But first, you must promise me that you will keep this a secret. I will take you to our house in town. You will start living there. The king will be visiting you there to sleep with you until you get pregnant. When you get pregnant, you will live there until you give birth. After giving birth, you will hand over the baby to me and disappear. I will pay you N10 million. Can you do this for me?” The queen asked.
“Yes, I will do it. You have been good to me and this is an opportunity for me to pay you back for all the good things you have done for me. You are a good woman and I don’t want you to lose your position as the queen.” Oge said.
“Good! Thank you so much Oge. Now, get prepared. Wear your best clothes. I will give you money to buy attractive clothes. I will take you to our house in the town this evening. Then, I will bring the king in the night. You will stay in the bedroom and wait for him to come and sleep with you.” The queen said.
After Queen Amara successfully convinced Oge to sleep with the king, it was now time to take the next step. She decided that the next thing to do was to take Oge shopping. She wants to change her status from a housemaid to a very attractive woman who the King cannot resist.
“Let us go to the shopping mall in town. I want to transform you into a chick. I want you to look very attractive so that by the time the king looks at you, he will have no option but to rush and sleep with you.” The queen said. Oge did not say anything. She just smiled and followed the queen to her car. The queen did not allow anyone else to go with them. In fact, she was the one who drove the car.
“I want everything we are doing to be top secret. That is why I will be the one to drive us to the shopping mall where I will buy you espensive wigs and clothes. You will look exceptionally beautiful and irressitable when I’m done with you.” The queen said as she and Oge drove out of the compound.
At the shopping mall, Oge was asked to pick expensive wigs that would make her look like a celebrity. She also picked nice clothes that transformed her appearance. She was no longer looking like a housemaid.
“Pick more clothes and wigs for yourself. Pick expensive shoes. Pick attractive home wears. Pick perfumes. Pick nice clothes that can attract a man to the bedroom. Make sure you look stunning enough so that my husband will not be able to resist you.” Queen Amara tells Oge when they were in the shopping mall. She spent a lot of money already.
“Thank you my queen. I think I have picked enough. The king will love these ones. I think we can go back to the palace now.” Oge said with a smile.
“No, we are not going back to the palace. I’m going to take you to our house in the town. We have a good mansion where you will stay. The king will be coming there to sleep with you. Everything is available in the house. But you will be the only one living there. It’s like a secret house. Please, don’t disapoint me. Don’t tell anyone about this.” The queen said.
“Alright my queen. I will not disappoint you. I promise to keep everything a secret as discussed. But what about the king? When are you going to bring him to the house to join me?” Oge asked with happiness in her voice. She was more than happy to help the queen because Amara has been good to her.
“Once I drop you off at the house, I will go back to the palace and pick the king. I know what to tell him and he will follow me. And when he comes, make sure you are ready.” The queen said as they left the shopping mall and started driving to the masion. Soon, they got to the house. It was so beautiful and big.
“You mean I’m going to live her for the next one year? And I will be provided with everything I want?” Oge asked.
“Exactly! All I want you to do for me is give me a child. You will also be paid N10 million. If it is a baby boy, I will pay you N15 million. You will have everything you want. You will have a car and every other expenses will be covered by me. All you have to do for me is keep the secret. Don’t let anyone know about it. And when you have given birth, you will hand the baby to me and disappear forever.” The queen said.
“Alright! I’m so happy and I promise to do exactly as planned.” Oge responded as the queen leaves the house and headed for the palace. The time was already around 6pm when she drove into the palace. She packed the car and stepped down with speed. She rushed into the king’s chambers and entered his bedroom. The king was there resting.
“Please, my king, follow me. I have a big surprise for you.” The queen said.
“Where is the surprise? Where do you want to take me to?” The king asked.
“Just follow me. I have something very beautiful waiting for you. I will not disappoint you. You will enjoy yourself this night. I have prepared a beautiful package for you.” The queen said. The king really loves his wife despite the fact that he said he is going to marry a new wife. Each time he looks at the queen, he still gets attracted to her.
“Alright! Let’s go!” The king said. He stood up from the bed and followed the queen to her car. They entered the car and the queen drove off. Night has already fallen.
“Are we going to the restaurant?” The king asked. He thought the queen was taking him out for a surprise date.
“No! We will soon get to where we are going.” The queen said with a beautiful smile on her face. She was not ready to mention anything to the king or discuss her plan with him. She just wants to unwrap Oge as a special gift to him and she knows the king cannot resist the young woman.
Soon, they drove into the mansion.
“You want us to spend the night in the mansion today? I have already told you that I’m tired of sleeping with you. You have not gotten pregnant for years. I don’t want to stay her. Please, take me back to the palace.” The king said with anger. But the queen was already dragging him into the mansion.
“Please, follow me. I did not bring you here to sleep with me. Please, don’t be angry. Just be patient and follow me to the bedroom. I want to show you something nice.” The queen said. The king followed her relutanctly. Soon, Queen Amara opened the bedroom door.
Oge was standing in the bedroom, looking beautiful and stunning. She was dressed in a short gown that made her look very actractive.
“Please my king, since I have not been able to get pregnant for you, I want you to sleep with Oge. Get her pregnant so she can bear a child for you. I don’t want you to marry any other woman. I want to remain your only wife. Oge will give you a child and everything will be kept as a secret.” Queen Amara said.
Queen Amara was very strategic with her plans. She did not allow the king to say anything after she mentioned what she wanted. She did not give him the chance to respond to what she said. She just locked the door and left the compound entirely after telling the king to sleep with Oge. The queen etered her car and drove back to the palace. At first, the king was shocked. He did not know how to handle the whole thing. He felt shame. How can the whole king be sleeping with a housemaid?
He quickly recognised Oge. He knows her as a very beautiful and a humble woman at the palace, but he has never had any romantic intentions towards her. The king felt like such a behaviour was beneath him and that he cannot sleep with a maid in his house. But his wife was the one telling him to do it. This felt strange.
“I don’t think I can do what my wife is asking. It’s an abomination for the king to sleep with another woman that he is not married to. Please, open the door let me leave. I want to go back to the palace. I know I need a child but I’m not mad. I’m not desperate. I don’t want to do anything that will tarnish my name and bring shame to the kingdom.” The king said. But before he could stand up, Oge has already removed her clothes. She is such a beautiful and attractive young lady of 25. It will take a miracle for a man to look at her and not desire her. She knows she can use her beautiful body to trap the king. That’s exactly what she did.
“My king, look at me and tell me you don’t want enjoy my fresh tomatoes. If you can look at me and tell me you don’t want, then I will let you go.” Oge said. She stood before the king. She looks as fresh as freshly baked bread. The king looked at her once and he could not even open his mouth to talk again. He started trembling. He started dangling like bannana leaves. All he wants is to enjoy the fresh tomatoes he was served to him.
“Who am I to say no when someone is putting sugar in my mouth? Please, locked the door properly.” The king said. Oge rushed and locked the door.
“Your wife meant well for you and your future. She wants to give you a child through me. I promise, I will do exactly what she asked. And once she pays me my N15 million, I will disappear. I will get pregnant for you and give you a son. No one will ever know. Besides, you also have the opportunity to enjoy my tomatoes for the next nine months. I will always be in this bedroom waiting for you. Please, come to bed and do whatever you want with me.” Oge said with a romantic smile.
“I cannot say no to this beautiful tomoto. You are so beautiful. I will do as my wife said.” The king responded. He quickly removed his clothes and enjoyed the food. He loved it. He vowed never to stop coming to the mansion until Oge has conceived a child.
“You are so good. I will be coming here to meet with you every evening. You are better than my wife. You are younger and more active. You have more strength than my wife.” The king said. They were still sitting in bed.
“I told you it is enjoyable. I will continue to make you happy. I will also give you a child.” Oge said.
The next day, Oge decided that she wants more than just N15 million. She decided that this is an opportunity for her to get rich or possibly marry the king and push the queen away.
“I will use my beauty to charm the king. He will never go back to the queen. I will make sure that I snatch the king from her. Already, the king said he wants another wife. I will make sure he will marry me and push her away. As soon as I’m able to conceive and bear a child, it is over for queen Amara. However, I’m not going to wait until I bear a child for him. I have to look for a way to make him fall in love with me. If he falls in love with me, he will never leave me.” Oge tells herself. She has already prepared nice breakfast for the king. The king ate and went back to the palace.
Oge decided to visit a native doctor.
“I need a strong love portion which will make the king to love me. I don’t want him to ever leave me.” She tells herself as she set out to visit the powerful native doctor recommended to her by a friend. When she got there, the native doctor prepared a powerful charm for her.
“When you get home, pour this powder into your bathing water and use it to bathe. Also, use the water to wash your pot of honey. Make sure you sprinkle the powder on your pot of honey each day before the king will make love to you. If you do this correctly, he will never leave you. He will stick with you like super glue. Also, whatever you ask him to do for you, he will do it without delay. If you ask him for money, he will give you, if you ask him to dump his wife and marry you, he will do it.” The native doctor said.
When Oge got home that evening, she did exactly what the native doctor said. She used the powder to bathe and also sprinkled it on her pot of honey. She made food and ate, then went to the bedroom to wait for the king. Already, the king has called her that he was on his way. About one hour later, the king arrived.
“I have been waiting for you. I have taken my bathe. I prepared myself for you to come and enjoy as usual.” Oge said. It was an important night for her. She knew it was the night she would finally trap the king using the charm from the native doctor.
“I’m so sorry for coming late. I was attending to some matters at the palace. Please, let us go and do it. I have been thinking about you since morning. I enjoyed myself yesterday and I don’t want to miss it today.” The king said.
“This man has no idea that I’m about to trap him with my pot of honey. He will become mine forever and he will do everything I ask him to do for me.” Oge said as she lay on the bed waiting for the king to come and join her.
“You look more beautiful today than yesterday. It’s as if you applied gold on your body. Your face is radiating like sunshine. You are mazingly attractive.” The king said when he looked at Oge. Oge was happy. She knew that the charm given to her by the native doctor has started working.
“Thank you my king. Please, come fast and make love to me. I’m prepared to give you my sweet food. Come fast and enjoy yourself. I can’t wait to get pregnant for you.” Oge said. The king rushed and started bedroom action as soon as Oge opened the pot of honey for him.
“This is what I want to be doing for the rest of my life. I mean, I have fallen in love with you. All I want now is to get married to you and make you my second wife. After all, Queen Amara is barren. And if you are able to give me a child, you will become my number one woman. You will even become the queen.” The king said after he finished enjoying.
“This is exactly what I want to hear my King. I’m supposed to be your queen. Amara is barren and she is good for nothing. I’m still young and I can give you many children.” Oge said with joy and happiness.
“You are already the queen. I will announce to the kingdom that I’m getting married to another woman. There is no more time to waste. Get ready to be my second wife.” The King responded.
After the king finished enjoying with Oge that night, he became charmed just as the native doctor said. The next day, he refused to go back to the palace. Oge knew the charm has started working.
“I want to live here permanently with you. There is no need going back to the palace. This place is better and more enjoyable than the palace. I don’t want to ever leave your presence.” King Eze said.
Oge was happy that the king has refused to leave, but after one week of his absence from the palace, people started asking questions. The council of chiefs started asking what happened to the king. They wanted to know if the king was still alive or dead or if anything bad had happened to him.
Amara was worried too. She has been lying to everyone that the king is sick and that he is being treated at the hospital. However, as days passed, it became impossible to keep telling lies. She did not want people to know that the king is sleeping with another woman in a bid to get a child.
“I think I have to go to town and see the king. I wonder why he has stayed there with Oge for so many days. What is stopping him from coming back to the palace? I didn’t tell him to stay there forever. He was supposed to visit the mansion, do the bedroom job and return him every day. But it is now up to two weeks and no one has seen him in the palace. I need to drive to the mansion and see things for myself.” Amara said to herself.
She quickly picked her car keys and drove out of the palace. She did not let anyone know where she was going. Soon, she arrived at the mansion. She packed her car and rushed into the living room of the mansion. As soon as she entered, she saw the king sitting in the living room.
“Why haven’t you returned to the palace? It’s been almost two weeks since I last saw you. Many people are asking about you. What happened? Please, stand up let us go back to the palace. I’m tired of telling lies about your absence.” The queen said.
“I’m not going anywhere. This is my palace. Why are you talking of another palace when I already have one? This has always been my palace. I’m enjoying myself here and there is no need to leave.” The king responded. Queen Amara was surprised when she heard what her husband said.
“Are you drunk or what? You are talking as if you have been drinking today. What happened to you? You are not sounding normal to me.” The queen said.
“I’m perfectly okay. In fact, I have taken an important decision. I’m going to marry Oge. Announce this to the entire kingdom. Tell them I’m bringing a new wife home. When I marry her, she will become the new queen of the kigndom.” The king said.
“Why are you talking about a new wife? I gave you Oge so that she can get pregnant and bear a child for you. The agreement is that you will not get married to another woman while I will remain the queen. Now, you are still talking about a new wife? What is going on?” The queen asked.
“Nothing is going on. The truth is that I have seen the light. I have fallen in love with Oge. She is the sweetest food I have ever tasted. She is the woman I want to marry. She will become my queen.” King Eze responded.
“You can’t marry Oge. She is just a housemaid. Her duty is to give us a child and disappear.” Queen Amara said.
“And who says he can’t marry me?” Oge said. She was in the kitchen cooking and decided to come when she heard the queen’s voice. Oge knows that the charms given to her by the native doctor is working wonders. She is still using it.
“We are planning to get married. You better go to the palace and tell everyone. The king is now my lover. He has promised to marry me and you cannot stop him.” Oge said to the queen.
“Oge, why are you betraying me? This is not what we discussed. And by the way, what did you do to the king? Did you give him love portion? Why is he talking like a drunk person? Did you use charms to make him fall in love with you?” The queen said with tears in her eyes.
“My queen, there is nothing like betrayal here. And I did not use charms on him. The king loves me. I’m younger than you. Did you honestly think the king would taste my pot of honey and still return to you? No way!” Oge said with a smile.
“Alright! The battle line is drawn. I will show you pepper. You want to snatch my husband because I gave you a little opportunity? Get ready for me. I’m coming for you.” The queen said as she left the mansion in anger.
Queen Amara knew she had to fight hard to retain her place in the palace. After what she saw at the mansion, she came to the conclussion that Oge used love portion to capture the king’s heart. She knew that it would be difficult to persuade the king to leave the mansion because he was already under powerful spell which was controlling his behaviour.
“That girl has used charms to capture my husband’s heart. She is holding him captive with a powerful love portion. Oge is evil! I thought I could trust him to help me with this problem but I was making a serious mistake. I thought she would give me a child and disappear calmly, but she wants to take my husband. She wants to take the king from me. She has succeeded in turning the king’s heart against me. My marriage is in geopardy. I have to act fast to secure my place in the palace and save myself from disgrace and shame. I can’t allow a small girl like that to take my husband. I will show her that I have been in this game called marriage for many years.” Queen Amara said to herself when she was driving back to the palace.
When Queen Amara returned to the palace, she called a meeting of the members of the king’s cabinet. She made an announcement that shocked everyone. She has decided to take the bull by the horn. She has decided that if anyone would lose the fight, she would not be the one. She would be the winner and her husband and Oge would be the two biggest losers. As she was speaking, the king’s cabinet listened attentively.
“The king is dead. He died yesterday at the hospital where he was receiving treatment. May his soul rest in peace.” The queen said. She waited a little to make sure the men sitting before her understood what she said, then continued to talk.
“The king had a heart disease. All efforts to save him proved abbortive. I’m just coming back from the hosptal where the doctors confirmed him dead.” The queen said. Members of the king’s cabinet were shocked after they heard what queen Amara said. None of them knew she was telling lies. They have been hearing that the king was sick and that he was receiving treatment at the hospital, so they could not doubt that he was dead.
“To avoid a vacuume, we are going to crown a new leader.” The queen said. Everyone was shocked because the king does not have a child that could be crowned king. They wondered who would take over from the king.
“I will be crowned the queen of the kingdom.” Queen Amara said. The men were shocked because that is not allowed in the kingdom. Women are not allowed to lead in that capacity or to even occupy the sacred throne.
“Yes! You all shall join hands and crown me as the next person to occupy that throne. My husband is dead and gone. There is nothing we can do about it. You are going to crown me king here and now.” Queen Amara declared.
“But this is not allowed.” One of the men sitting before her said. However, the queen removed a gun from her handbag and shot the person that made the statement. The rest of the men became afraid. There and then, they all stood up and pronounced Amara as the new queen of the kingdom. She sat on the King’s throne.
The next day, the queen went out herself and bought a casket. She brought a large stone and dropped it into the casket and closed it. She announced to the whole kingdom that a burial ceremony would be held for the dead king. A date was set and people gathered, believing that their king was dead, not knowing that Amara deceived them. They had no idea that the queen was telling lies.
“No one should open the casket. It should be buried exactly the way it is locked. Drope it like that into the grave.” Queen Amara said. She knew that if the casket is opened, people will quickly see that it is a stone that they were burying, not the king. Her instructions were followed by the palace guards.
When Oge heard what happened, she decided that the best way to cement her place in the kingdom is for her to return to the palace with the king. She told the king what was happening. She told him that Queen Amara has declared himself queen. She told him that the queen has taken over his throne.
“We need to return to the palace quickly. Your throne is gone. The queen has taken over everything you built. She has declared you dead. She is now sitting on your throne as the leader of the kingdom. You must not allow this to happen.” Oge said. However, the king seemed not to understand her.
“I don’t want to go back to the palace. I don’t want the throne anymore. The queen can take the throne. The only thing I want in this life is to be with you. I don’t ever want to leave this mansion. I want to continue to live with you. If you take me away from this mansion, I will die.” The king said.
At this point, Oge knew that the love portion she used has taken a strong root. She wondered if she had made a mistake.
“The king has lost his mind. What am I going to do?” Oge asked herself. She decided to revisit the native doctor who prepared the charms for her.
“The man I gave the love portion has completely lost his mind. He does not want to ever leave my presence. This kind of love is too much. Please, help me and reduce it. He has even refused to step outside the house. Please, can we reverse the love portion? I don’t want the love again.” Oge said to the native doctor.
“Unfortunately, it is irreversible. The person you gave the love portion will continue to grow attached to you. You people can never separate. The charm is final.” The native doctor said.
After the native doctor said the charm cannot be reversed, sadness took over Oge’s heart. She walked out of the native doctor’s shrine with weak legs. The harmattan breeze brushed her face, but she did not feel it. Her heart was pounding like stone against another stone. Her mind was unstable. In fact, she was running mad. The words of the native doctor kept echoing in her head like a heavy slap.
She stopped beside a lonely footpath and leaned on a tree. Tears gathered in her eyes like ocean. She tried to blink them away, but she couldn’t.
“How can the charm be irreversible? How can a simple love portion turn into this kind of prison? What have I done to myself? What have I done to my future?” Oge asked herself in tears. She wiped her tears, but more came. She cried like a baby.
“My life is finished. The king will never leave me again. He will never return to the palace. Queen Amara has already taken over everything. She has declared him dead. She has become the queen of the whole kingdom. She is powerful now. She has the throne. She has the army and the guards. She has the authority. How can I fight her? What will I use to fight a woman like that?” She asked herself.
She stood there for a long time, talking to herself like a mad woman.
“I thought I would become powerful. I thought I would become the queen. I thought I would carry the king’s child. I thought I would rise from housemaid to royalty. But look at me now. I am trapped. And to make matters worse… I am not even pregnant.” She said.
Her mind went back to the past weeks. Every day, the king touched her. Every night, he held her like a starving man. Every moment, he followed her around as if he was afraid she would disappear. Yet, despite all of that, nothing changed in her body.
No sign of pregnancy. Nothing!
“Am I also barren like Queen Amara?” She asked.
A cold fear entered her body.
“What if the king is impo.tent? What if that is why Queen Amara has been barren all these years? What if no woman can conceive for him? What if I have been sleeping with a man who cannot give me a child?” Oge asked.
She shook her head slowly as the truth began to settle.
“If I cannot get pregnant, everything is over for me. I will lose everything. Queen Amara will destroy me. She will send me away. I will be left with nothing. I must not lose this war. I must not.” She said.
Her tears stopped. She was determined to do something.
“I will fight. I will not lose. I will find another way. If the charm cannot be reversed, then I must use the charm itself to my advantage. The king loves me too much. He will give me anything I ask for.” She said.
A dangerous idea entered her mind. She tried to push it away, but it came back stronger.
She remembered Chike, her old lover. The only person she truly cared about before the king entered her life.
“I will call him. He will help me. He must help me to get pregnant.”
Later that evening, she waited until the king slept—his head resting on her lap like a child—before she carefully stood up, tiptoed to the balcony, and dialed Chike’s number.
“Please my love, come and see me tomorrow, I have something to tell you.” Oge said.
Chike arrived at the mansion the next day, moving with caution and fear. When she opened the door for him, he looked around quickly.
“Oge, what is going on? You sounded desperate on the phone. And why did you call me here? This place looks dangerous.” Chike said.
“I will explain everything. Just come in.” Oge said.
They went into the guest room and she locked the door. She held his hands and looked into his eyes deeply.
“Chike, I will not lie to you. I have made mistakes. I let greed lead me. I let fear control me. I’m supposed to get pregnant for the king because his wife is barren. I used charms on the king. And now he is completely in love with me. He will never leave my side again. But Chike… the plan is collapsing.”
“What do you mean?” Chike asked. Oge sat on the bed and started crying.
“I am not pregnant. I have tried. I have done everything. But the king cannot give me a child. I am sure of it now. He must be imp.otent.”
“So you collected money to give the king a child, but instead you started playing around with charms. Now, the thing has backfired and you remembered me. So, what do you want me to do?” Chike asked.
“I want you to help me get pregnant.” She said.
“What?” Chike asked.
“Yes. If I become pregnant, the king will believe the child is his. I will pin the child on him. I will become the queen. And when that happens, Chike, I will have money. I will have power. I will have access to everything. I will take care of you. I will give you anything you want.” She said.
“Alright, I cannot do this kind of thing for free. This matter is big. It is risky. If anyone catches me, my life will end.” Chike said.
“How much do you want?” Oge asked.
“I want N2 million naira.”
Oge did not even argue. She knew the king would give her any money she asked for. And he did. Within hours she transferred the full amount to Chike.
That night, Oge sneaked into the guest room where Chike was waiting. She closed the door gently and leaned against it. Chike walked closer.
“Oge, are you ready?” he asked.
“Yes. Let us do it. I must win this battle. I must not lose. Come and get me pregnant.” Oge said.
Chike held her. Their bodies met. The room became silent except for the sound of their movements. They made love.
“I must get pregnant.” Oge said when they were done.
For many weeks, Oge kept Chike in the mansion. They made love so many times. Her intention is to get pregnant before the end of the month. She treated Chike like a king. For the weeks that Chike was in the mansion, Oge stayed away from King Eze. She did not give him any attention. The king did not complain because he was not in his right senses. He would see Oge in a room with Chike but he will not say anything. He will just laugh and leave the room as if to give them space to do whatever they wanted to do.
“It is as if the king is now fully mad. He is behaving like a ‘mugu.’ Even when he sees me with you in bed, he does not say anything. I pity the man a lot.” Chike said one day when the king caught them making love and still did not say a word.
“The love portion is doing too much. The man may eventually lose his head. But before then, I will see what I can do to rescue him. However, the most important thing is for me to get pregnant and bear him a child. Once I can get pregnant, I will look for another native doctor to destroy the love portion. I hope all these love we have been making will result into pregnancy. If I can give birth, I will take the king to the palace to reclaim the throne. And if he reclaims the throne, I will become his wife and the queen.” Oge said.
“Do you think the queen will just fold her hands and allow you take the throne? I heard she killed one of the chiefs who tried to resist her. You better be careful with Queen Amara. She is a very dangerous person to play with.” Chike said.
“Leave the queen to me. My ambition is to become the queen and she cannot stop me. I’m also dangerous and prepared to do anything to take her place in the palace. She is a barren woman. She is not supposed to be sitting on the throne. I will get pregnant, give birth and look for a native doctor to heal the king so that he can be in his normal senses. If he is in his normal senses, he will fight with me to take the throne.” Oge responded.
Weeks later, just as she planned, she got pregnant. She was overjoyed. But she was still shocked that the king could not get her pregnant. She concluded that the king cannot get a woman pregnant. Something was surely wrong with the king.
“This means the queen is not really barren. The fault is from the king. He is the one who is not capable of getting a woman pregnant.” Oge said to herself. After getting her pregnant, Chike left the mansion. He had already collected his money from Oge and he had no interest in the child.
Oge was happy.
“My next step is to find another native doctor to break the yoke on the king. I want him to be in his normal senses so he can follow me to the palace.” Oge said.
The next day, she set out in search of another native doctor who can break the yoke. She went to her village where she knows a powerful native doctor. The native doctor is named Mbe. He is known for performing powerful charms. Oge travelled for the whole day before arriving in her village. She went alone. As soon as she entered the native doctor’s shrine, the man knew what brought her.
“You gave love portion to a king and you are looking for a way to break the yoke. The love portion has become too powerful and the king is losing his mind. You want the love portion to stop working. And you want to take over the position of the queen. You want to be the queen. I have the solution you are looking for.” The native doctor said. Oge was shocked after listening to Mbe.
“Yes! You are right! I can pay any amount you want. If you give me the solution to problems, I will pay you well and bring more customers for you.” Oge said.
“If you can pay N1 million, I will do the job. I can do the job, but it is 50/50. That means if I break the yoke, the king will stop loving you. Immediately, he will start hating you completely. The love will vanish and he will develop serious hatred for you. So, if you are ready, I will go ahead and prepare the charms.” The native doctor said.
“You mean he is going to hate me completely? Is there no other way to do it? What will now be my benefit if the king hates me? I want him to marry me. Will he still marry me if he hates me?” Oge asked.
“There is no other way. I don’t know if he will marry you. However, what I can say is that we are about to remove the love he has for you. That means the love will be replaced with hatred. If you are ready, I will go ahead and do it.” Mbe said.
“I have no option. Do it.” Oge said tearfully. She came to the shrine with a lot of money. She removed N1 million from her handbag and gave it to the native doctor who smiled broadly. He put his hand in one earthen pot and removed a black charm that looked like powder.
“Take this charm. Mix it in his food. Once he eats it, the love portion you gave him earlier will be destroyed.” The native doctor said. Oge collected the charm, thanked the native doctor and left.
When she got home, she prepared nice ‘egusi’ soup for the king. She carefully mixed the charm in the food and then served the king. As soon as the king tasted the food, his facial expression changed. The charm worked immediately and the king lost all the love he had for Oge. He lifted his head as if he was angry.
“What am I doing here?” The king asked Oge.
“My king, calm down and eat, I will explain later.” Oge said. However, the king landed her three hot slaps.
“I asked you what I’m doing here and you are saying you will explain later. Have you forgoten that I’m the king?” King Eze asked. The slaps threw Oge off balance. Just as the native doctor Mbe said, the hatred has started.
“Oge. What am I doing here? I’m not going to ask you this question again. Give me the answer or I will deal with you.” The king said.
“My king… please calm down. I can explain. Just eat first. Please, don’t slap me again. I have the answer to your question but I want you to calm down.” Oge said.
Before she finished, the king dropped the spoon. His eyes were filled with anger and disbelief. He lifted the plate of soup with both hands as if he wanted to throw everything away.
“Oge! Answer me! Tell me the truth. Why am I here? Who brought me here and why? What am I doing here? Why am I not in my palace?” He asked.
Before she could speak, he flung the entire plate of hot soup at her body.
“Aaaaah!” Oge screamed as the soup splashed all over her chest, her arms, her stomach. She staggered backward, her wrapper half falling off. She shouted in pain.
She turned and tried to run, but the king dashed forward and grabbed her hand so hard that she cried out again.
“You will not run! You will tell me what is going on in this place! Tell me why I left my palace! Tell me why I am living like a madman inside this mansion! Speak before I destroy you with my own hands!” The king said.
“My king, please—please… I beg you.” Oge cried.
But the king pulled her closer, shaking her arm.
“Oge! I asked you a question! What am I doing here? Who brought me here? Why did I abandon the throne? Why did I leave my people? Why—?” He asked.
He lifted his hand, ready to slap her again.
“No! Please stop! I will talk! I will tell you everything! Please don’t hit me again!” She said.
The king froze. His face was red with anger, but he lowered his hand slightly.
“I am listening. Talk before my anger burns this whole mansion down.”
Oge wiped her tears with her left hand. Her entire body was in pains.
“My king, this whole thing, it was not my plan. Please believe me. I did not want to harm you. I did not want to deceive you. I was only following instructions.” She said.
“Whose instructions? Who told you to keep me here?” The king asked.
“It was Queen Amara. She planned everything.” Oge responded.
“Amara?”
“Yes, my king. She came to me one night and told me that she wanted me to help her. She said she was afraid that you would marry another woman. She said she could not conceive. She said she needed a child to secure her place on the throne.”
The king appears to be remembering things. Oge continued to talk.
“She told me that she wanted me to get pregnant and give the child to her. She said she would pay me and afterwards I would disappear from the kingdom. She said nobody would ever know. She promised me everything. I trusted her. I believed her. I thought I was doing something that would save your marriage.”
The king shook his head slowly, as though his mind was struggling to absorb her words.
“Queen Amara paid you to carry a child for me?” he asked.
“Yes, my king. That was the original plan. But things got out of hand. She gave me money to buy beautiful clothes. She took me to this mansion. She told me she would bring you here at night. She said you would come only to make me pregnant and return home every morning. But…”
Her voice broke.
“But what?” the king demanded.
“But I wanted more” she whispered. “I made a terrible mistake. I added love portion to your food. I thought it would help you desire me enough to get me pregnant. I thought it would make you come to this mansion willingly. I did not know the charm was too strong. I did not know it would turn you into a prisoner of your own heart.” She said.
The king stepped back.
“You charmed me?” he asked.
Tears rolled down Oge’s cheeks. “Yes, my king. I charmed you. I am guilty. I accept it. I did it because I was afraid the plan would fail. I did it because I wanted the child to come quickly. I did it because I was blind. And when I saw the charm had overtaken your mind… when I saw that you no longer cared about the kingdom… when I saw that you no longer remembered anything except me… I became afraid. I realized I was losing you in another way. I saw that you were becoming someone else.”
The king lowered himself into a chair. He touched his head.
Oge knelt down before him.
“My king… I broke the yoke because I wanted you to return to your senses. I wanted you to know the truth before everything fell apart. I did not want you to lose your throne because of me. I am begging you… forgive me. Please forgive me.” Oge said.
The king stared at her with cold eyes.
“You charmed me… and yet you want forgiveness?” He asked.
“Yes. Because, my king… I am pregnant.”
“You… you are pregnant?” He asked.
“Yes. I am carrying your child. I know I made mistakes. I know I charmed you. I know I deceived you. But this child is real. This child is from your bloodline. You have always wanted a child. I can give you what you have been praying for.” Oge said.
The king remained silent for a long moment. His eyes softened. His shoulders relaxed. Slowly, very slowly, he stood up and helped Oge to her feet.
He hugged her.
“Oge, if you are carrying my child… then I cannot throw you away. I have suffered too long without a child. I have prayed and cried for a child. If you can give me one… then you have given me life.” The king said.
“My king, there is more you must know.” Oge said.
“What is it?” King Eze asked.
“Queen Amara. She has taken over everything. She declared you dead. She took the throne. She forced the chiefs to crown her the leader of the kingdom. She buried an empty casket. She is now ruling in your place.” Oge said.
The king was shocked.
“What? She did WHAT?” The king shouted.
“She took everything, my king. She sits on your throne.” Oge responded.
The king’s anger grew like fire.
“She is mad! I will teach Amara a lesson. Let us go to the palace. I will reclaim the throne, get married to you, and you will become my queen.” The king said.
The palace compound was unusually quiet that morning. The sun was bright, the sky clear, and the harmattan wind carried a strange calmness. Yet beneath the calmness, there was tension. There was unseen, unspoken, but heavy enough to bend the air. Everyone could feel something strange.
Then something broke the silence.
A black SUV drove into the palace gates with force. The tyres screeched on the ground. Dust rose behind the vehicle like a disturbed spirit. The palace guards at the gate looked up. They were confused. The plate number was familiar. The car was familiar. The shadow of the man behind the wheel was very familiar.
They guards were shocked by what they saw.
“N–no… no… this cannot be possible,” one of the guards said.
Another guard dropped his spear and took two steps back. “Is that not… the king’s car?”
“Yes… but the king is dead,” the first guard replied.
Gradually, the car came closer. The guards began to shake because of fear. When the king stepped out of the vehicle, the guards screamed and ran in different directions. Two climbed the fence. Another ran back to the gate shouting:
“A ghost has come! The king’s ghost has come!”
Oge stepped out of the car beside King Eze. She watched the guards scatter like frightened goats. It would have been funny if the situation were not so tense.
“My king, they think you are a ghost,” Oge said. King Eze nodded slowly. His eyes had regained their sharpness and authority.
“I know. Amara told them I was dead. So, of course, they believe she buried me.”
He looked around the palace compound—his palace—but everything felt strange to him now. He had been away for weeks, trapped under a charm, lost in a fog of forced love. Now, standing here, he felt as though he had returned from the land of spirits.
“Let them run. I did not come here to convince anybody. I came for one reason. I came to reclaim the throne of my forefathers.
Oge looked at him with a smile. “Yes my king, I will support you to reclaim the throne.”
“Yes. I will reclaim everything that belongs to me.” The king said.
They began walking into the palace. Every servant they saw screamed and ran. One of the palace cooks fainted the moment he saw the king approaching. The news spread like wildfire:
“The king’s ghost has returned.” People said in the village streets.
The corridors echoed with footsteps fleeing in fear. No one dared to get close. No one dared to greet him. The entire palace moved like a beehive that had been kicked open.
Oge held the king’s hand tightly.
“My king, will they ever believe you are alive?”
“They will. But not today. Fear is stronger than truth.” The king said as he kept walking with strong, purposeful steps.
The palace doors opened into the great chamber—a large hall where elders, chiefs, and titled men held their meetings. Inside, Queen Amara sat on the throne, with her head lifted high like a queen who had conquered the world. She was addressing the council of chiefs.
“Elders, since the king is no more. I’m happy for your support so far.” The Queen said.
But just then, the doors burst open. Everyone turned. Queen Amara froze in shock. Every chief’s mouth fell open. King Eze walked into the chamber like a lion. For a long moment, the room was silent. Silent enough to hear hearts beating. Silent enough to hear breath trembling.
One elder whispered, “Is that the king or is that… his ghost?”
Another elder dropped his cap. “The dead king has returned… we are finished.” They all stood up at once. Queen Amara rose from the throne slowly, disbelief all over her face. King Eze did not talk.
He stormed across the chamber with the rage of a man who had been betrayed. He grabbed Queen Amara by the arm and pushed her off the throne with one powerful shove. She screamed and fell to the floor, her crown rolling across the tiles. The elders panicked. They ran.
Some climbed on the chairs trying to escape. One old man ran so fast he forgot his walking stick. Another dived under the table. They all fled from the chamber, shouting:
“The king’s ghost is angry! The ghost has come for revenge!”
Within seconds, the mighty chamber was empty—except for Oge, the king, and the fallen queen. Amara lay on the floor, shaking. She looked at him with wide eyes.
King Eze looked down at her with a cold, burning anger. “You lied to them. You told the whole kingdom I was dead. You buried a stone and called it my body. You took my throne. You disgraced me.”
“My king, please, let me explain—”
“Silence!” he thundered.
Oge walked boldly into the chamber and sat beside the throne. She looked down at Amara with triumph.
Amara stared at her belly. “You… you are pregnant?”
Oge did not speak. She simply placed her hand on her stomach. Amara burst into tears.
King Eze climbed the steps to the throne. His footsteps were heavy, echoing with fury. He turned around slowly, faced the empty chamber, then faced Queen Amara. And then he sat on the throne—his throne.
“I have taken back my throne. You think you can replace me? You think you can bury a stone and call it a king? You think you can deceive the entire kingdom and sit where you do not belong? I will show you pepper.” The king tells Amara.
The chamber was filled with the elders, chiefs, and palace guards. King Eze stood before them, tall and unmoving, his voice steady but heavy with authority.
“Queen Amara committed a great crime. She announced my death when I was still alive. She buried a stone and took the throne. By the law of this land, such a crime is punishable by death.” The king said.
The room fell into frightened silence. The king paused and looked at Amara. “But I will not kill you. Instead, you will be banished from this kingdom forever.”
Amara dropped to her knees at once. “My king, please have mercy. Yes, I lied. Yes, I took the throne. But I did it because fear ruled my heart. I was terrified of losing everything. I was terrified of growing old without a child. I was terrified of becoming nothing after giving you my youth.” She said.
“I beg you, do not send me to the evil forest. That place is where people go to die.” She begged. The king watched her without blinking.
“The judgment stands,” he said quietly.
Days later, at the edge of the village, Amara was stripped of everything that once defined her. Her royal clothes were taken away. Her jewelry was removed. Her phone, her money, her servants, her power—everything vanished like smoke. She was given only a plain wrapper and sent toward the thick shadow of the evil forest. The people watched in silence as she walked away. Some whispered prayers for her. Others whispered curses. That day, the truth spread fully through the land: Queen Amara had lied about the king’s death and stolen the throne.
Back at the palace, celebration replaced fear. The drums were beaten. Dancers filled the square. The king announced his marriage to Oge, and the entire kingdom prepared for a grand ceremony. Within days, the palace overflowed with guests. Cows were slaug,htered. Wine flowed in abundance. Oge walked into the palace not as a maid, not as a secret lover, but as the chosen queen. Her head was lifted high as the crown was placed on her. The same people who once ignored her now bowed before her, calling her “Your Majesty.”
In the evil forest, Amara sat alone beneath a twisted tree, her body thin, her wrapper torn, her eyes teary. Days passed without proper food. Nights passed with strange sounds around her. She spoke to herself as though she were speaking to the world she had lost.
“I was once a queen. I wore gold. I slept on soft beds. I commanded servants. Now I am lower than dust. I committed sins out of fear. And fear has repaid me with shame.” She said while weeping. Yet deep inside her, a small flame of survival still burned.
Meanwhile, far from the palace celebration, Chike could not sleep. Guilt ate at him like fire under the skin. Each night, the image of Amara in the forest returned to him. He walked around his small room, talking to himself.
“I took money to destroy a woman’s home. I planted a child that was not the king’s. I allowed a lie to become a crown. That woman is suffering today because I kept quiet. I should have said the truth.” Chike said himself. He stopped by the window and pressed his forehead against the bars.
“This guilt will kill me if I do nothing.” He said.
By the next morning, Chike made up his mind. He gathered bag and set out toward the evil forest, asking questions quietly until someone pointed him toward the path. The forest swallowed him with thick darkness. After hours of searching and calling her name, he found Amara sitting weakly under a tree.
“I have come to confess. And to tell you the truth that can change everything.” Chike said.
Amara listened as Chike poured out everything with trembling lips.
“The pregnancy Oge carries does not belong to the king. It belongs to me. The king cannot get a woman pregnant. The problem was never you. You were not barren. He was the one who could not make children.” Chike said. Amara was shocked.
“I slept with her for money. I was weak. I was greedy. I helped build the lie that destroyed your life.” He said.
For a long time, Amara did not speak. Then she rose slowly to her feet, strength returning to her spine.
“So all those years… all the shame… all the prayers… the insults… the fear of losing my place, it was never my body that failed me. It was the King’s fault?” she said quietly.
“Now they celebrate a pregnancy that does not belong to their king. If your words are true, then Oge’s throne is built on sand.” She said.
“Everything I told you is the truth. And I will repeat it before the king, the elders, and the entire kingdom. I will stand beside you and bear the consequences of my sins.” Chime said.
Amara looked toward the distant village, where drums still echoed faintly from Oge’s celebration.
“Then we must return. Not for revenge, but for truth.”
Chike stepped closer to her and said with a firm, unshaking voice, “Let’s go and expose Oge.”
Queen Amara and Chike walked into the palace compound with confident steps. The guards were unsure whether to stop them or let them pass. Under a wide shade not far from the throne hall, King Eze sat on a decorated chair, holding a cup of wine.
Oge sat beside him, glowing with pride. Her hand was resting on her stomach. That was when Amara’s quiet but heavy voice broke the peace.
“So you think you can deceive everyone and take over my home? You told lies, but I have discovered the truth.” Amara said.
Oge’s cup almost fell from her hand as she looked up. Her face turned into shock the moment she saw Amara standing beside Chike. For a second, fear flashed across her eyes. She stood up sharply.
“What are you doing here? How did you enter this palace?” Oge asked.
She pointed at Amara angrily. “Leave this place now. Leave at once! You are a barren witch! I am pregnant for the king. I will give him a prince. This is what you could not do for many years. You have no place here anymore.” Oge said. Her voice trembled with forced boldness.
Amara smiled in a wicked way, knowing that the secret she discovered gave her power. She stepped forward slowly.
“Pregnant for the king? Have you told the king how you got pregnant for another man?” Amara asked. The words dropped like thunder. Oge’s mouth opened, but no sound came out. Her eyes darted toward Chike and back to the king. Panic climbed her face.
“My king, she is lying. She wants to destroy my happiness. This child belongs to the king.” Oge said.
“You have built your crown on lies, Oge. That is why it is shaking already. I’m here to expose you.” Amara said.
King Eze stood slowly to his feet and spoke with a firm voice.
“I want to hear the truth. Enough of shouting. Enough of insults. Someone should speak plainly now.” The king said. All eyes turned to Chike. Chike stepped forward with boldness.
“My king, what I am about to say will bring shame to me, but I must speak. It was I who got Oge pregnant. The pregnancy does not belong to you.” Chike said.
Oge screamed. “He is lying! He is lying!” But Chike did not stop. His voice grew stronger.
“My king,” Chike continued, “the truth is painful. You are imp.otent. That is why Queen Amara never conceived for you. It was never her fault. She is not barren. The problem was from you.” Chike said. The king staggered back as if struck by lightning. His cup fell and shattered on the floor.
He clutched his chest. His breathing became rough. His knees became weak. With a loud sound, King Eze fell to the ground as everyone screamed in terror.
The palace turned into chaos. Guards rushed in. Servants screamed for help.
“The king has collapsed!” someone shouted. The king was lifted and rushed into a waiting vehicle. Oge stood trembling, unable to speak. Amara watched in silence, her heart breaking in many directions at once. At the hospital, doctors fought to stabilize the king. After long minutes of tension, a doctor came out and said softly, “We revived him, but his heart is very weak. He may not survive for long.” Amara closed her eyes and whispered a broken prayer inside her heart.
The king asked to see Amara alone. When she entered the ward, he looked thinner already, as if life was slipping away with every breath.
“Amara, I wronged you. I listened to lies. I doubted your body. I allowed Oge to poison my judgment. Forgive me… I now know the truth. You were never barren. I was blind.” Amara wept openly.
“I forgive you, my king. Please, forgive me too. I was the one who brought Oge into your life. May your heart find peace.” Amara said.
He held her hand tightly. “When I am gone, rule the kingdom in my absence. You understand the land. You understand the people. Lead them with wisdom.” The king said. Amara shook her head through tears.
“Do not talk like this, my king. You will live.” She said.
“My journey ends here. Protect the throne from lies,” he whispered. And then his hand fell gently from hers. The machines beeped once, twice, and went silent. King Eze was gone.
Before the news of the king’s death even spread through the palace, Oge disappeared. She ran away in fear, knowing that her lies had fully collapsed. No one saw her leave. No one tried to stop her. The crown she fought so hard to wear slipped from her head without a fight. When the elders gathered again, the truth had already filled the land. The kingdom learned that Amara was never barren. They learned that Oge carried another man’s child. They learned that the pregnancy had been built on deception. And this time, the truth stood taller than lies.
Amara was crowned once again, not through force, not through lies, but through truth and sorrow. She returned to the palace not as a woman seeking power, but as a woman who had lost everything and found her strength again. The kingdom mourned their king and embraced their queen. As for Chike, he accepted his shame openly and left the village quietly, carrying the weight of his confession. Oge was never seen again. And so, the throne returned to the woman it once rejected—Queen Amara—this time not as a wife, but as a ruler forged by pain, truth, and survival.
The End…
