The search began before the drums finished their echo.
The palace gates opened wide. Horses were brought out. Spears lifted. Torches replaced by morning light.
Madam Esi Nyarko did not waste time.
"I know where he was raised," she said firmly. "A nearby state. Bono Manso. The woman who adopted him still lives there."
The Chief Priest stepped forward immediately.
"I will go," he declared. "The river spirits must not outsmart us."
Three elders joined him. Palace guards armed themselves. The air felt urgent, like time itself was running.
The Supreme King did not move.
"I will remain," he said. "A throne must not chase when it must judge."
Madam Esi nodded.
And so they left.
The Chief Priest.
Madam Esi.
Three elders.
Palace guards.
Riding toward Bono Manso.
Toward the missing twin.
The Palace Left Behind
Inside the great hall, silence returned.
Queen Owusu still lay on the floor, weak, breathing heavily. Her white cloth stained. Princess Adjoa rushed to her side.
"Call the royal physicians!" she shouted.
Guards lifted Queen Owusu carefully and carried her out.
Kwame still lay unconscious on the cold floor.
"Take him," the Supreme King ordered. "Let him not die before judgment."
Guards lifted him roughly and dragged him away.
The hall emptied slowly until only kings and a few remained.
Kofi moved closer to me quietly.
He did not speak.
He simply stood near enough that I could feel strength beside me.
Queen Afia Agyeman slowly joined the circle of kings.
Now it was only them.
The Supreme King.
King Owusu.
King Agyeman.
Queen Afia Agyeman.
And a few trusted elders.
The air changed.
This was no longer public truth.
This was royal truth.
The Confession Begins
King Owusu stood slowly.
His face was no longer proud.
It was heavy.
"I have a confession to make."
Every eye turned to him.
The Supreme King looked at him calmly.
"I have been expecting this," he said quietly. "Speak."
King Owusu took a deep breath.
"Twenty years ago… during the festive season… there was a fair maiden who danced in the palace courtyard."
His voice softened slightly.
"She danced like fire. The whole palace admired her."
He paused.
"One night… I called her."
Silence deepened.
"I lay with her."
Queen Afia's eyes hardened.
King Owusu continued.
"She later came to me through the guards. She said she was pregnant."
He looked down at his staff.
"My marriage to Queen Owusu was near. I could not allow scandal. I could not allow shame."
The Supreme King did not interrupt.
"I told her no one must hear of it. I settled her with two expensive gold ornaments. Worth billions in cedis. I told her to sell them and establish herself far away."
He swallowed.
"I told her to disappear."
The hall grew colder.
"I warned her that Queen Owusu must never hear of it."
He lifted his head slowly.
"When Akosua was summoned and entered this palace… the gold she wore…"
He paused.
"It was the same gold."
My heart stopped.
He continued.
"And Akosua… she is the photocopy of that woman."
Silence exploded inside me.
Unknowing to them, Mamaa Abena and I stood behind a pillar, listening.
My ears rang.
He continued speaking.
"That is all I know. I never saw the maiden again. She never contacted me. What led to her killing, the gods bear me witness, I do not know."
He raised his staff and struck it hard on the floor.
"But if my wife… Queen Owusu… is found guilty of killing an innocent woman…"
His voice hardened like stone.
"She will join the grave."
The kings froze.
The sound echoed in the hall.
The Weight of Truth
King Agyeman spoke first.
"You have spoken well."
Queen Afia cut in immediately.
"That is why your wife killed her," she said sharply. "So these children would not inherit from their own blood."
King Owusu did not deny.
The Supreme King remained silent for a long time.
Very long.
Then he spoke slowly.
"This is deep."
His voice carried weight.
"This demands cleansing. Purification. Appearing before the spirit of the dead."
He looked toward the ceiling.
"This could be why the gods restrained Queen Owusu from conceiving a male child."
King Agyeman nodded slowly.
"The gods are not blind."
The Supreme King's face darkened.
"This is deep," he repeated.
The Door Slams Open
Suddenly—
The palace doors slammed open violently.
Princess Adjoa stormed in.
Her eyes were red.
Her face furious.
She walked straight to her father.
"Your wife is dying," she said harshly. "And you sit here discussing stories?"
King Owusu looked at her without emotion.
"How can I check on a wicked murderer like your mother?" he replied coldly.
The hall gasped.
He continued.
"Very soon she will join the dead."
Princess Adjoa froze.
Then her voice rose dangerously.
"Before she dies, you might have rotted in the grave."
The kings stiffened.
"You are the root cause of this!" she shouted. "You cheated on your wife! You brought shame!"
King Owusu's face tightened.
"So you knew?"
She did not answer.
"You evil daughter," he continued, voice shaking with anger. "If your mother is found guilty… I will disown you. I do not think a murderer can be my blood."
That hit her.
Hard.
She screamed.
"You think you are free? The gods will strike you! You broke your marriage bed! You started this curse!"
The hall shook with tension.
The Supreme King finally raised his hand.
Enough.
Guards rushed in immediately.
They grabbed Princess Adjoa.
She struggled violently.
"Leave me! Leave me!"
Her screams echoed through the palace.
"You will regret this!" she shouted at her father. "All of you will regret this!"
The guards dragged her toward the doors.
She kicked. She screamed.
Then—
She was thrown outside the palace gates.
The doors slammed shut.
Silence.
Heavy.
Breathing hard, King Owusu looked broken.
The Supreme King closed his eyes briefly.
"This palace needs cleansing," he said quietly.
Outside the Palace
Far away, on the road to Bono Manso—
The Chief Priest suddenly raised his hand.
"Stop."
The horses halted.
The wind shifted.
He knelt and placed his palm on the ground.
His eyes rolled slightly as he began chanting.
Madam Esi stood beside him.
The elders watched in fear.
After some moments, he opened his eyes.
"The boy is not dead," he said.
"But evil powers surround the river."
He looked ahead.
"They are hiding him. The spirit of his mother shields him."
Madam Esi's face tightened.
"We must hurry."
The guards pushed their horses harder.
Speed increased.
Dust rose into the sky.
Back in the Palace
Inside the palace hall—
The Supreme King stood slowly.
"Prepare for ritual cleansing," he commanded.
"Send word to all shrines."
He turned to King Owusu.
"Your confession has opened a door that cannot be closed."
King Owusu lowered his head.
Kofi stood silently beside me.
My mind was racing.
If the twin is missing.
If evil powers surround the river.
If the gods are shielding him.
Then time is thin.
Very thin.
Suddenly—
A messenger ran into the hall, breathless.
He fell to his knees.
"Your Majesty!"
Everyone turned.
"The river at Bono Manso has overflowed suddenly!"
My heart dropped.
The messenger continued.
"Fishermen say they saw a young man struggling in the middle of the water… then the river swallowed him!"
The hall exploded.
The Supreme King gripped his staff tightly.
King Owusu froze completely.
Kofi grabbed my hand without thinking.
My twin.
The drums began again outside.
Not slow this time.
Wild.
Uncontrolled.
The Supreme King's voice thundered through the hall—
"Ride! Ride now!"
But the river does not wait.
And neither do evil powers.
To be continued…