Could This Be Real

"Could this be real?" The chief priest murmured to himself.

Although the queen pleaded with the chief priest to talk to her, he seemed oblivious to her request. rather, he kept staring at the baby prince, keeping a full, stride-length distance from the child. 

The queen finally decided to wait it out and instead, just watch out, for the next event.

"What did you say is wrong with the prince again?"

after a moment of intense stare, the chief priest finally asked.

"He hasn't cried at all, since I gave birth to him today. and he doesn't breathe either." replied, the queen.

"Humph.

Is that all?" The chief priest asked rather casually, still not spending a look at the queen. 

He didn't seem surprised, his tone indicated that he was expecting much worse.

"You're not surprised that my son doesn't breathe and has not cried yet?"

The queen was flabbergasted, she was finding the chief priest's behavior extremely odd

"Woman! you should be more concerned about your baby's health, rather than question me unnecessarily." Responding coldly, the chief priest seemed unimpressed with the queen's question.

"What. But, I care about my child. I'm concerned about my baby's health, that is why I asked the questions I'm asking, even now." With her shoulders dropped, and head bowed the queen spoke humbly to the chief priest. 

She could've taken any words from anybody but she couldn't accept been told she wasn't caring enough for her child. 

The chief priest's words had hurt her.

With dilated pupils, she was almost about to tear up. Her eyes had turned red and watery but she still couldn't understand the abrupt changes to coldness in the attitude of the chief priest. 

"I'll be back before the sun sits on the horizon." the chief priest said unperturbed by the queen's red eyes.

He strolled into the distance and soon his figure vanished.

Some moments later, when the sun had become a not too bright, super enormous, yellowish-red disk, kept at the edge of the world. Overlooking the horizon and the orange-red skies. 

The only silhouette of moving people, hills, palm trees, and huts scattered about were to be seen, then did the chief priest come back.

"Bring the baby prince here.

Remove the wrapper from his head." With counted words, and holding a palm kernel bunch in his right hand, the chief priest demanded. 

The queen and the other women hurried to bring the prince and remove the piece of cloth tied over the baby prince's head, to keep him warm.

"ukhunu  debua, Osamudiamen nohin

osita. . ." Chanting some incantations in some strange native language, the chief priest, drew a line through the baby's forehead using white chalk then hit the baby hard on the center of its head with the palm kernel bunch.

"Rah rah rah!"

Just then the baby prince burst into a hot cry. with neck veins popping out and forehead veins bulging, even as a child, its head remained intact and his skin unbroken from the impact with the palm kernel bunch with which it was hit, not even the slightest trace of blood could be seen.

"OGIDIGAN !"

The chief priest said before turning to leave

"Third chief priest, the prince is still not breathing" the queen stepped forward to inform the priest. 

"just as the sunrise of its own accord and the wind cannot be commanded not to blow, so can the prince not be compelled to breathe in this life. 

In essence, unless he wills it, no force in nature can give it nor deny him his breath, not even me. rest assured, however, that the prince will be perfectly fine." He stopped in his track for a while before speaking, then he continued walking away until his figure disappeared from sight.

the four nurses and a queen were awestruck and flabbergasted, with mouths agape.

"Could it be true?" 

one of the nurses finally broke the silence

"Is it true that the prince cannot have breath,

is it truly impossible, even for the great third chief priest to give the prince breath?"

although she asked a couple of questions, no one dared to answer her. as the rest, including the queen was still shock stricken. Not that she was expecting an answer though.

"Rah rah ah!" 

the baby prince's cry jolted the queen back to consciousness. 

She had been in a daze ever since the chief priest said those last words of his.

"my queen, we have to present the baby prince to the king now that he is still crying. who knows when he'd stop or if he'd ever cry again once he stops.

also,

remember that the first queen is also pregnant, and she might have entered labor today already she may give birth anytime soon.

we shouldn't deny the prince is birthright as heir by wasting time.

my queen."

The old nurse maiden said abruptly in one breath, buttressing her point.

"yes you're right Cynthia! how could I forget something so important.

ok. everyone, hurry up let's go to the king immediately, every other thing can wait." the gingered queen, hollered to her servants and the nurses.

Soon a group of about two hundred people, led by a beautiful black woman tying a red wrapper embroided with beads and gold left for a massive mud palace.