Chapter 3 #3
With a growl of irritation, Borji sat up, his braids falling over his shoulders.
The room was dark, save for the pale moonlight filtering through the gaps in the screen.
He reached for the short blade he kept beside his bed—a wise habit.
As much as infighting was discouraged in the harem, it didn't mean assassination attempts didn't happen. He moved silently towards the window.
He slid the screen open with one hand, blade ready in the other.
Golden eyes stared back at him.
"You look like a ghost!" Borji said in shock.
The Akwaugo stood outside his window, her face gaunt in the moonlight with dark circles beneath her eyes. Her hair, usually more carefully arranged, hung loose around her shoulders.
"I need food," she said simply.
Borji stared at her. "What?"
"Food," Azul repeated, her tone flat. "Do you have any?"
"Are you a beggar now? Or are these your uncivilised instincts?" The words came out sharper than he intended, but truly, what was he supposed to make of this?
Azul's expression didn't change. "Tonight, I am."
It was only then that Borji noticed the small figure trembling behind her—the girl with the bantu knots, the one who'd been serving her at the shrine. The child looked half-dead on her feet, swaying slightly in the night breeze.
Borji's jaw tightened. He slid the screen fully open and stepped aside. "Come in."
In half an hour, the girls had climbed through the window and Nkiru had been given a plate of leftover honey cakes.
Azul watched her hesitate but nodded, allowing her to eat freely.
"What? Iyom is starving you?" Borji asked, crossing his arms and leaning against the wall. His room was large and well decorated, but it lacked the feel of someone's personal space. It seemed like a spare room for guests or envoys.
Azul nodded. His question stopped her as she brought the piece of cake to her lips, so she lowered it to answer. "Four days ago. The kitchen didn't send any meals to the shrine."
"And you didn't bother to let me know."
"I wasn't planning to," Azul said, her voice quiet but firm. "I can endure hunger. But Nkiru is a child."
The girl in question had yet to stop eating.
"What about the others? Don't tell me you've lost all your servants already?" Borji watched Azul's face for a reaction.
She didn't give him one. "They made a sensible choice. Why starve for a mistress who has no power to protect them?"
"And yet this one stayed."
Azul glanced at Nkiru, and for the briefest moment, something soft crossed her face. "Yes. She did."
"You're an idiot," he said finally.
Azul's eyes snapped to his, angry despite her exhaustion. "Excuse me?"
"You should have come to me on the first day. Or gone to the Igwe yourself and complained. He bought you, didn't he? At least you should've caused a scene. I don't believe someone who dared raise a sword at a prince would allow herself to starve. Is it your pride?"
Azul's fingers tightened into a fist, but her voice remained level. "Am I not allowed my pride? I will not beg for mercy from people who wish to see me broken."
"Then you'll die," Borji said bluntly. "And Somadina will laugh over your corpse or keep your body in his room until it decomposes; that isn't a distant future if you continue like this."
Silence stretched between them, broken only by Nkiru's quiet chewing. The girl stopped eating, her eyes darting nervously between them.
Finally, Azul spoke. "Why do you care?"
It was a fair question.
"I don't," Borji lied. "But I told you I wanted to watch what you'd do next. Can't do that if you're dead."
Azul made a dismissive sound, then looked away. "I'll finish the scripture in three days. After that, I'll deal with the kitchen myself."
"You'll finish it in two days," Borji corrected. "I'll bring you proper food tomorrow. Finish the scripture ahead of schedule. And when you present it to my grandmother, she will have a favourable impression of you."
Azul was about to argue, then something crossed her mind.
"Hold on—usually no one can see the Dowager unless it is preplanned. What do you mean, submit a day earlier? Surely I won't be allowed to see her."
Borji choked on his words; she was right.
"Shit," he hissed in realisation.
Azul seemed to have understood at the same time because she grinned and laughed.
"Good! They really want my head in a basket one way or another!"
He clenched his jaw, unsure of what to say. Normal people couldn't see the Dowager as they wished, and the wives had to pay respects to her once a month. That day was in two days, not three, so why did the Ugoeze give Azul seven days?
"It seems I should get going; thank you for feeding her." Azul was quick to adjust the cloak she had worn on the way here to hide her hair. Nkiru stood up quickly, following behind her.
Wait, you're leaving?
She turned towards the front door, but Borji's voice stopped her.
"Azul."
She looked back, and he found himself arrested in place, unsure of how to broach the topic.
"...Make sure you don't make any mistakes with the transcript," he blurted.
She nodded once, took the girl's hand and left.
Only after the door had shut did he look at the table. Azul's plate was full.
It seemed she was determined not to trust him.
Yet the child's plate was empty.