The Quest - Episode 7

 

The King and Queen were sitting on their various chair with their daughter Princess Shaba, Tasha and Dona.

Dona: Thank you for the cloths my Queen (the queen had given her some of Shaba's old dresses to put on. Dona putting on the cloths made her to look like a princess).

Queen: You are welcome my dear.

Dona: For showing me how good you are, am going to tell a story. They say I am gifted in telling stories.

Princess Shaba: Story? Wow, it's been long I have heard one . I can't wait to hear it.

King: Tell us, we are all listening.

Dona: Well, once upon a time, there live a girl from the ancient times who lived with her mother who is old. Her mother had told her that her being old wasn't her true self, that something came and took away her youthful look rendering her as an old woman.
One day she heard that there was something that could make her look young again, so she sent her daughter to go and fetch the stone from a faraway kingdom. When her daughter came to the kingdom, the king and its people were good to her. She became confused whether to steal the stone from the kingdom or tell them her purpose.

Queen: What an interesting story, if I were that girl, I would tell them the truth.

Dona: What if that causes her death.

Princess Shaba: Well she can't die, because if a king can keep a magical stone, then surely that Palace is protected.

Dona: (Nodding her head) You are right but I have been meaning to ask.

Queen: What is it?

Dona: Why is this Palace called the Palace of Magic?

Princess Shaba: Who had told you that?.

Dona: (lied through her teeth) The person who had directed me here.

Princess Shaba: I see

King: I can see that you want to know the history or rather the story behind that name, right my dear?

Dona: (Nodded her head) Yes your highness. I just wanted to know why it is called that name.

King: Very well then, it is called the Palace of Magic because this is where Magic begins.

Dona: (Looking confused) I don't get you, how do you mean?

King: There lived two immortals twins, who had lived in this Palace a very long, long, long time ago

All episodes of this story can be found here >> https://www.ebonystory.com/story/the-quest

. You see those twins has different gifts. One of them loved nature, she has the gift to communicate with animals. While the other twin loved music, she has the gift of healing and vision. Both twins has powerful magic each. They had lived in peace until one gloomy day. (The King paused)

Dona: (Anxious) What happened next?

King: (Continued) The one with the gifts of healing and vision fell in love with a man. They loved themselves so much but their love was short lived. (The King pauses again)

Dona: (confused now) How?

King: She found out her twin sister and the man she loved were having an affair right under her nose. When she confronted her twin, her twin then told her that she and the man had met a long time ago. In fact it was their plan for him to pretend he loved her so that they would kill her when she least expect. Even the food she had been eaten all these while had been poisoned to weaken her. The one with the gift of healing and vision went livid and out of rage killed the man she had loved and banished her twin sister from Ampoka.

Read " The Last Survivors " by the same author ( Ifeoma Isabella Okeke )

. But before she banished her twin she lay a curse on her. No one knows what the curse is, but the cursed of the twin with healing powers appeared in a heart shape stone and was never seen again.

Dona: So what happened next.

King: After banishing her twin sister she found out that she was already pregnant for the man she had loved and killed. She later on kept the baby and gave birth to a boy who she made king to rule Ampoka Kingdom. After that she went in search of her twin sister to reconcile with her. Ever since that day, no one has ever heard of her neither did she returned

Dona: (Confused the more about something) but how did you know this story well. It seems as if you were there when it happened.

King: (laughed out loud) That is because the son she has left to rule Ampoka Kingdom a long time ago was me.

Dona: (Shocked) But how come? How can it be you? I don't believe you.

King: (Smiled not bothered about what Dona said) I know you are surprised. We can never age like normal people That is why it is called the Palace of Magic. I am my mothers child, I take after her but my daughter here took over her gifts. You see magic should serve not rule. Not everyone is bad.

Dona: Okay. Thank you for telling me this story your highness.

King: You are welcome my dear. 

(Dana was in a deep thought)