BINTA I hurried to the palace the next day to tell the Sarki my decision. On getting there, I found the throne room fully occupied. The people all looked gloomy, making me wonder what was happening. The entire elders of the villages were there, including every deity's priest and the chief Boka of the island. The Sarki saw me but had a look of concern on his face. It was apparent the look was not for me, but I was curious to know what had brought them all together without it being a special day. A maiden came to usher me to the Sarki's living room. I was so glad because, with everything that was going on with me at home, I did not want to be a part of the blue people gathered in the throne room. Yes, the atmosphere of the throne room was blue and not the best place to break the happy news to the king (to me, my decision to come live with them in the palace was a thing of joy, and that blue atmosphere was inappropriate for me). The maiden insisted I sit on the couch, and that made m

ADAM Binta had left. She told me she was finally accepting my father's request and moving in. I was overjoyed because I would get to spend more time with her. I wasn't ready to tell anyone about us yet, especially my father. Binta had agreed to keep us a secret to buy me time enough to plan how I would tell my father about us. Binta was a young, beautiful, innocent and kindhearted girl. I have never felt so lucky in my life. I was heartbroken about Leila, but being with Binta made me grateful for calling off our engagement. There was a knock on my door, and I decided to step outside. I met my personal guard at my door. "The King has sent for you." He told me. I asked him if there was an issue, and he assured me there was none. So I slipped on my slipper and headed to my father's room. On getting there, my father asked me to sit on the couch. "I need to inform you of something." He said calmly, and I was all ears. "The harvest has gone bad, and hunting has become dangerous for our

Safia is Binta's mother. She is to embark on a journey with Mai'Aljanu and his daughter, Aisha, Safia's husband's second wife, to save Aisha's sons and retrieve her own son, whom the deity took from her many years ago. We will be reading about the journey through Safia. SAFIA The night before my journey, I could not sleep. I was restless. I was happy and nervous. Mai'Aljanu had a reputation for not warning people of the dangers of his actions until it was too late. My mind was filled with questions. Would this journey be successful? Will I finally have my son back? Will he come with me? The questions baffled my heart. I learnt that the Sarki threw a party for my daughter. I was proud of her, and I was grateful to the Almighty for granting me the opportunity to witness my daughter's success. She had brought honour to the family. My daughter was the family's pillar, and I was her mother. I wondered how Haliru would have felt if he were alive. A girl child had brought honour and worth

ADAM I couldn't believe what was going on in my home. This man comes with the disguise that he came to settle some unknown difference between himself and my father. We all knew he wanted to be president; to achieve that, he would need my father's approval. But then he shows up with his daughter and niece and imposes them to stay with us for three weeks without prior notice. Binta was so uncomfortable. I could see the fear and concern in her eyes even though she tried to mask it. I needed to talk to her to reassure her she had absolutely nothing to worry about. I had to find out where she was in the palace. I asked some of the maidens, and they said she was in the television room. Ever since Binta discovered television, she had been hooked. She was a breath of fresh air; maybe that was why I loved her so much. She never pretended. She was readable; she had absolutely nothing to hide. Binta was a gentle soul. Easily contented, never greedy, kind, virtuous, and beautiful. She was every

ADAM I intended to please her. Every time she moaned, begged, and screamed, I was filled with joy. Her moaning made me hard, and I wanted to take her there and then. She even asked me to, but I had promised not to take her until our wedding night. I intended to keep it, although it would be hard. I had a strong erection that needed handling. Binta was so sweet, warm and fresh. I was enjoying what no man had ever experienced before, and it felt good to know I was her first. I promised myself to make sure I remained her first and only one. She was on fire, and she went wild. As she lost herself, I did too. It was easy. Every part of me wanted to fuck her hard, gentle, and intense and make sweet love to her, but I couldn't. I wanted to feel her. I wanted to be inside of her. I was close to being tempted to damn it and take it all, but I knew better. Binta was perfect for me. She responded to my touch as no other had. I was willing to do anything to please her in and out of bed. Her moa