Ara brought out her phone, dialing the name that came to her mind first. "Hello, this is Ara. I feel like I'm being followed. I'm really really...scared right now...what do I do? You are really just the first person that came to my mind." Ara said in a haste, looking left and right again. Everywhere looked so busy. People walking in and out, some people dropping from Lagos busses, crossing and entering another one. Sellers also calling out for customers to buy what they were selling, but Ara could tell there was someone watching her.
"Hey, calm down." Ayoola said. "Where are you right now?"
"I'm at mushin right now. Prince Ire sent me here to meet someone, but the moment I got here, I had a feeling someone recognized me or something. I walked down here and there is this guy just walking the same direction with me."
"Ire sent you to meet someone?" Ayoola repeated a bit confused by what she said. "The Ire I know would never send you to meet someone and collect things for him. There are things he loves doing by himself and that's one of them. I think you've been scammed. Who gave you that instruction?"
Ara became more scared, shaking by the side of road she stood. Could it be Florence had sent her out here to harm her? She quickly replied Ayoola. "Florence told me. She even gave me the person's contact."
"Now you need to calm down." Ayoola instructed. "They can't know you've noticed something is wrong or else they will walk down to you now and scare you with a gun to have you follow them. This is what you will do," Ayoola paused. Then he said, "there is a pharmacy close by there. I know that place. Just get into the pharmacy and buy something. Just walk without giving them any reason to be suspicious. And lastly, you will have to call the number. Now."
Ara nodded like Ayoola was standing before her. "Okay," she agreed. Then the call ended. Immediately, she dialed the number in her hand. If she had thought she was just being too scared, then she wouldn't have really believed herself when she realized she was being watched. Just like she expected, the call was instantly picked.
"Is this Ara?" The voice was deep, boring and irritating Ara with so much impatience. She couldn't wait to end the call and save herself from the alcoholic voice. What a voice!
"Yes. Where are you?" Ara replied. "I was told to meet with you."
There was a dry throaty cough Ara thought could be contacted through phone with how long the cough lasted. Sick people. She cursed. Immediately the cough ended, a reply came through. "We saw you already babe. There is a wine car behind you. Just hop in and have the goods."
Foolish people! Ara cursed again, imitating the words said by the man in her mind just with the man's voice. Just hop in and have what goods? Good for nothing kidnappers. God punish you for me.
Ara hopped right into the big pharmacy just by the road instead. She asked for the drug that came into her mind. It was one of the drugs she had bought for her mom several times. Luckily, there was a long queue, but before Ara could say jack...all the queue had reduced. The people were very fast at managing their customers which Ara didn't like at that particular time.
After the glucophage she bought was given to her. Someone walked up to her asking why she was still waiting for long after being given drugs. Ara just had to lie, but she was told she couldn't stay for long because customers staying behind for long without any reason related to the pharmacy was not allowed in there.
"What do I do again?" Ara had dialed Ayoola's number explaining the situation of things again. Her phone kept vibrating with the kidnapper's number displaying repeatedly.
"Ara I'm on my way right now, but you really can't go out of that pharmacy. The moment you do, you are no longer safe. Listen to me, kidnappers are smart. He can even enter the pharmacy with you." Ayoola said firmly. "You will have to injure yourself somehow to have you stay in there with all eyes on you. I'm close, but it might take another twenty minutes. So, find a way to keep yourself in there. Will call Ire now. He could get policemen coming there, but you know it might take few minutes for them as well."
Ara sighed heavily. This is serious, she thought. She was scared of injuring herself but she really couldn't allow herself to be kidnapped. Without anyone explaining things to her, she knew this was done by Florence. This was definitely her trap because she confessed seeing her that night. Now, she realized Florence had something evil in mind for entering Prince Ire's room. Ara regretted not informing Prince Ire about it. She regretted her whole action about it. God, why am I too soft about things? Ara thought. She wished she had spoken to Prince Ire earlier, and realized she shouldn't have even confronted Florence at all. She would just have to wait for next time never to repeat that again.
Outside the pharmacy, the hefty tall guy on dark shades standing beside one of the cars parked outside the pharmacy, watched how Ara had intentionally hit her hand with force on the glass fixed at the entrance of the pharmacy. If he would keep deceiving himself, he would say Ara had not suspected anything, but no...he could tell Ara was playing them. He saw how blood gushed out of the hand that belonged to the fair girl who purposely hit her hand on the glass then cut her hand with one of the pieces so fast. He smiled. What a better way to save her life than being wasted. He saw how people rushed to her and he knew Ara wouldn't be coming out for another thirty minutes because the blood seemed much. And of course, the police could be there anytime soon. He thought she must have done that.
"Hello."
"She's dead?"
"She's not." The guy replied. "Whosoever sent her here didn't do it well. She somehow realized something isn't right."
"What nonsense!" The voice yelled at him. "I paid you gbaski! I paid you! You promise you gonna do that work clean and fast. What's this stupid excuse. I don't care how you will do it! You have to kill that girl."
"Shhhhhh.... Don't you think you need to bring your voice down." The guy entered the wine car he came with. "If I'm arrested, I will definitely spend the rest of life in prison. While you..." he coughed. "Will be in that goddamn palace playing the good Queen. Will you get me out or rather deny me? I kill to live. I kill not to be killed. I'm not stupid. You know what to do. You find a solution to the one with you or you are exposed. I can remind you." The guy mocked with a little laughter. "My stepson is a smart guy. I find him very dangerous." Then he ended the call.
Sitting with a small travelling bag on her laps was Florence. She had not left the palace yet. Instead, she ran straight to the first Queen quarters. She made sure she wasn't spotted just like she had been told to be very careful. Her hot palm was starting to sweat. She waited for the Queen who left her to receive a call that came in just when she was about talking to her. "Sorry my dear." Queen Adetutu came out, approaching Florence with a pretentious smile. "Well done darling. You did a good job. I was just told the stupid girl is on her way to hell." She sat down opposite Florence.
Florence smiled, finally relieved and no longer scared Ara could make it back alive. "Thank God," she smiled.
"I should thank you Girl." Queen Adetutu said. "With you, I killed two birds with one stone. I got the recording and the stupid girl out of my way."
Florence smiled happily. "Anything for you ma. I came into the palace through you. You've been a blessing to me."
The first Queen smiled forcefully, trying her best to act really happy when she felt like hitting Florence's face till she dropped dead. She was angry, but she knew her life was at stake. She had to continue with the acting until Florence was out of her sight. Queen Adetutu laughed, dragging a briefcase towards Florence. "I promised you two hundred and fifty thousand naira, but guess what... because you did a good job. I doubled it."
"Oh my God!" Florence almost screamed, extremely happy. She opened the briefcase and held the money with joy, hugging it to her body before dropping them back. With this, she could start something for herself after leaving the palace. She couldn't hide her happiness.
"Joy, where are you!" Queen Adetutu yelled. "I told that girl to get you something cold to drink before Alamu drives you out."
Florence smiled. The excitement she felt couldn't make her reject anything at all, especially when her throat suddenly went dry. She did want it. She accepted the glass from a girl Florence thought she had never seen before, lifting the glass to her mouth but stopped. "You are new right?"
The girl lifted her eyes at Florence. "Yes," she replied shortly. Just drink and get the hell out of here.
Florence gave a nod and finished up her drink instantly. The young girl who served Florence walked in back to the room meeting with Queen Adetutu. "She finished it ma. What's next ma?
Queen Adetutu rolled her eyes, finally releived. "When will that poison be effective?"
"After one hour ma."
"Good. Make sure you come back with my money. The dead can't spend a dime. I'm done with her."
  •      •     •      •
Laying on the bed was the woman Prince Damola could very much recognize. With a pounding heart, he watched, praying nothing was going to happen from what he was watching, but the next scene on the laptop threw him to a state of anger, looking at his brother bewildered. This was the driver that had worked for his father for over fifteen years before the King offered him some money to start something for himself.  
Prince Damola shut his eyes closed unable to watch the next scene that could disgust anyone. This was his Dad's wife. Queen for that matter. Who was being smashed down by a mere driver. Prince Damola shared a quick look with his brother. "What does this woman want again?"
"Pleasure!" Prince Ire shut down his laptop. "She wanted pleasure."
"Is she mad!" Prince Damola couldn't contain his anger. "This man has money. Well educated. BSC, Masters, PhD. A king for that matter. What does this gorilla sleeping with the King's wife has? Dad gives her everything in this world. This crazy woman is even closer to Dad more than mom. I thought women cheat only because of money?"
"Money, pleasure, revenge." Prince Ire returned his laptop, checking his phone repeatedly. "And don't bring them together. Some women. Not all. They cheat when they seek for materials things, if you can't satisfy them, if they plan on getting back at you. Some women cheat with these three things." Prince Ire explained.
"Even if I bought the whole Nigeria for her."
Prince Ire gave his brother a look of be kidding yourself, then responded. "Even if you bought the whole universe, some women are never satisfied."
"Whao!" Prince Damola sank deeply into his brother's bed, his breathing very slow, unable to stomach what he just saw. They realized Florence was working for Queen Adetutu instead. She had entered Prince Ire's room to find a video. She was lucky to find a disk of the same video, but couldn't believe his brother recorded half of the video on several disks knowing whosoever was going to steal them wouldn't wait to watch the whole thing. And the second laptop his brother had the video was out of sight where no one could find it. Now he realized this was one of the reasons Prince Ire never allowed anyone entering his room at all.
Prince Adedamola shared a look with his brother. "I guess this is why she bloody hates you. You found out her secret. She's not safe bro. If you send this video to Dad, she's done in the palace. No excuse can save her rotten ass. And she's leaving with nothing." Prince Damola stared at his brother, very impressive and laughed. "But how come bro?  How come she realized you have this video with you?"
"She's just guessing." Prince Ire said. "I sent the video to her with a different number. I told her someone knows her secret. I guess she just concluded I was the only one who could do such after having a peaceful pleasured life for only God knows how long without being noticed. But when her inquisitive stepson came back, she got  a video in one month. Who else could she have thought about? And I sent her a reminder every three months. If she dare set mom up again, she's done in this place."
Prince Damola stared at his brother and laughed so hard. His brother doesn't look like someone who could pull that with his straight face, but his look doesn't deceive people at all because he was aware half of their workers does not like Prince Ire at all. "Sometimes I wish I'm like you," Prince Damola confessed. "The way you handle things ehnn!" Then he was suddenly back with a frown. "Ara is now safe. What do you think will happen to Florence?"
"What do you think?" Prince Ire threw back the question at his brother, then decided to respond to it by himself. "Wherever she is right now, is either your Queen is planning her death or she's dead already. A word from Florence will expose her. You really think I'm that nice."
Prince Damola did the best thing he was good that. He laughed. "Bro, I know you well well." Then shook his head. ,"You are nothing close to nice." While laughing, he spotted a light staring at him. "Ire your phone." Prince Damola yelled getting to his feet. "I think Ayo is here with Ara."
"Go."
Prince Damola stared at his brother. "You are not going? Ire you were so worried. What now?"
Just go, I will join you." He said with no intention of going downstairs. He had never met someone as stupid as Ara in his life. He pissed him off.