THE GREEN GARDEN

-: By Olayiwola Faith Adedolapo

The green garden was not green enough to attract woodpeckers. Everywhere smelt of sweat. Lady Raymond fanned herself earnestly with a round and handy material made of hay. She constantly tried to remove the pebbles that flew out of it as it danced in the air. Her blue long flowing gown made of silk looked gorgeous on her. She had made sure to draw the rope to her very chest to cover her cleavages unlike Beatrice, her concubine who came with her group.  They worn wool and line patched together. Their only road to decency was altered by the sacred flesh left to wallow in the open. They talked fast and made themselves unquiet. Beatrice’s hair was fairly kept. She had probably washed them for this event. Her gown hardly touched her ankle as the flowed behind her legs. Her stomach showed another life growing in her. It does not bother her as the various delicacies that courteously beautified the open garden. She and her companions noisily tasted from it all as her rival look arrogantly beyond.

Lady Felon moved close to Lady Raymond with her glass in her left hand. ‘Nature did not bring some fellows into grace; lust did’. She said with disgust written on her smile. ‘Yet it let matter reign as want’, Lady Raymond relied. ‘That is because the only difference between want and need is time. Jean defiled Lord Felon’ Lady Raymond moved her nose up and smirked. ‘That wreck? I knew that she was for no good. You should have sent her into abyss the moment you saw her wear you diamonds. And Lord Felon; how is he?’ she takes a step forward to pick a pick of cake which she places quietly on her plate. ‘He had a hot bath to relieve himself of street and dust. I must say the girl reek of demons.’ Lady Felon moved. ‘What do you expect from a life that is condemned by nature? They lay in waste. I care that you may feel molested when again for you he shall come. They have no heart I tell you. Where does her glory fade?’ ‘In the dungeon. I made her stay there still my anger subsided, Lady Raymond relied unmoved, Then I shall send her to her people.’ ‘Lord Felon shall be displeased by your act’, Lady Raymond observed. ‘Shall I care? If I let her be, she shall grow wings like your…like Beatrice. Fear you not that she a son for Lord Raymond shall bear?’ Lady Felon asks as she takes a new glass from the waitress. ‘My fate lies in the hands of the god’, she said soberly but her face stays in its arrogance form. ‘The gods are not’, Lady Felon replied.

Captain Frederick made a call for everyone with his newest medal which he won after he led the army to battle against Austria and his glass of wine. ‘Come everyone, come everyone! I now present to you the new couple in France: Prince Josh and Princess Amelia!’ Blue fireworks flew up from various points in the garden and the couple walked in with her hand on each other and a smile as though it was fixed on their face. The side of the peasants shouted ‘all hail the prince. May the throne of thy fathers be as a feather on thy hand.’ While the Lords stood and clapped in twos to resume their wines, the peasants at their quarters struggled to be the man with the loudest cry. ‘Alright! Alright! Quiet everyone!’ Prince Josh ordered. The whole hall became silent as though no life be in it. ‘It is to my grace that this hall again has gathered he souls of men from ancient mountains and hill; and cities and nations, France had claimed. ‘My Father, the king of France and Lord of Europe; king Ludovic’, Prince Josh and Princess Amelia slightly bowed. ‘All hail the king! All hail the king!’, every peasant shouted as each Lord took  their turns to bow alongside their wives.

‘And to the king of England, the king of Austria, Prussia, Switzerland, Netherlands and to every other Lord within and out of Europe who has come to honour my conjugal acceptance of Prince Amelia who amongst all fair beauty and royal blood has found favour in my sight to be call a princess in France; one of the most distinguished title of a lifetime.  To all men and wives and young children who took their time to come here; eat and merry with smile on thy face. This I say to see you again.’ He then stepped backwards to allow for Captain Frederick to proceed with his speech. Eunuch Harris went to Prince Josh as a sign to him to speak in clear and low tune. ‘She is here’, Harris said in between his breath. ‘Ensure behind the castle her feet lays’, Prince Josh shigned. ‘Yes my Prince’. Harris ran.

‘Who is ‘she’?’ Princess Amelia asked as she looked earnestly at the peasants who gathered large amounts of food into their pockets. ‘A spy. A matter of great discernment. Not for weaklings. Let us proceed to grace the Lords,’ he tries to make a move. ‘Lady Felon seeks my attention, I shall see her and join you in thy grace’’ she leaves before Prince Josh could stop her.

She walked along the pavement that housed the Lords but changed her mind and turned to pass the hall before moving towards the pavement. A woman panicking so hard that she took a step backward stopped suddenly in front of her. ‘I have a short time, Princess Amelia’ she sneezed, looked at her left and turned back almost immediately. Princess Amelia looked toward that direction and saw Harris walking quickly towards them. ‘Who are you’, she asked. ‘Who I am does not matter. Just listen.’ Princess Amelia noticed she does not look fearful and spoke with confidence. ‘Is she the Beatrice Lady Felon spoke of’ She wondered. ‘I bear in me a son for your husband, Prince Josh. Pray you bear none to earn my peace.’ She left. Harris arrived.

This place is so hot. Shall Amelia no more my request hour? Lady Felon asked looked disturbed. She has left the heir to the throne. He stands alone, Lady Raymond replied. ‘The heir to the throne’, Lady Felon quietly smiled, ‘only if he knew. Royalty!’ Lady Felon. Lady Raymond. ‘Your grace’, Princess Amelia bowed. ‘Princess Amelia, your courtesy’, they also bow. ‘Why do you look so dull?’ Lady Raymond asked. ‘She shall bear for him a son’, she replied. ‘Welcome to the royal world; brighten our face and smile. Prince Josh and the whole Europe looks up to you for a new world from today’, Lady Felon smiled. ‘So what shall I do to stay sane in all this? Princess Amelia asked still looking worried. Lady Raymond and Lady Felon both replied, ‘Stay happy by ignoring.’ They left. She signed.