Inside the mosque, the wedding ceremony that united the people of the kingdom was underway. The guardian of the bridegroom and the bride were summoned to step forward. Waziri came from Sa’ayrasa, Fabarusa, and King Abdulrahman appeared as a dignified presence.
Outside, Khalil was engaged in conversation with Prince Barde, but his attention was fixated on Princess Kamariyya, may God bless Fatiha. He eagerly anticipated the moment when they could openly express their love. With the announcement that Fatiha had been anointed, Prince Barde stood up and beckoned to Khalil.
“Alhamdulillah, now that it’s been ordained, let’s go, shall we?” he suggested.
As Khalil and Jafar rose to their feet, they overheard a beggar’s proclamation that froze them in their tracks.
“Prince Abubakar BARDE has been wedded to Princess Fatima for a dowry of 50,000 CFA,” the beggar declared.
Prince Barde, oblivious to the words, looked at his friends and said, “What are you waiting for? Let’s go, I’m going to meet my princess.”
It was Khalil who found the courage to question, “Are you sure you’re Barde?”
Perplexed, Barde asked, “Who else would I be?”
“The promised bridegroom,” Jafar replied succinctly.
Prince Barde shook his head, as though unwilling to entertain disrespect. Khalil persisted, “Listen carefully, Barde.”
Then, a beggar approached them, lightly touching Barde’s ear and repeating, “The marriage of Prince Abubakar Barde and Princess Fatima has been ordained…”
Barde stood there as if the ground had crumbled beneath him, and his friends were equally shocked.
Inside the mosque, the wedding ceremony had concluded, leaving everyone, especially the people of Sa’ayrasa, bewildered by the sudden turn of events. Aisar contemplated how to navigate the crowd and search for Bintu. He had decided against leaving with Junaidu. Servants from Sa’ayrasa distributed plates of nuts and sweets, and children eagerly chased after them, extending the offerings to the attendees.
Aisar found himself near one of the servants, intending to accept some refreshments. However, when he noticed the servant’s fingers, his eyes widened in surprise. There, on the servant’s finger, was the ring he had given to Bintu. Without realizing it, Aisar grabbed the servant’s hand, who recoiled in fear, dropping the plate. Aisar knew without a doubt that he was facing members of the president’s team, with Junaidu and others now paying attention to them. Aisar gazed into the servant’s eyes and demanded answers.
“Where did you acquire this ring? What is your connection to the Zo6en? Where is Bintu, the slave’s daughter?”
Meanwhile, in the main house on Jakadiya’s side, Bintu sat among the women. Princess Kamariyya entered, adorned in exquisite red attire with a honey-colored cloak, followed by her retinue. She had come to collect the key to the door, specifically to fetch Prince Barde.
She waited patiently for Jakadiya to retrieve the key for her. Bintu’s heart was already heavy, for she knew what had transpired – she had been stolen from one man and married to another. Tears welled up in her eyes and threatened to escape.
The ambassador emerged with the keys, while Ladio entered, dancing and offering greetings. The ambassador inquired about her well-being, drawing everyone’s attention to her.
Ladio, with grace and courtesy, knelt before the ambassador. “Today, I witnessed the health and happiness of a poor man and four women.”
Princess Kamariyya whispered to herself, “What happened to Ladio?”
“In other words, God bless the princess, witnessing and hearing are not the end. Until one is deaf, mute, and blind, King Abdulraman of Fabarusa is full of surprises. Something unexpected…” Ladio began.
“Is there another surprise? Did he say he would break it?” the ambassador exclaimed.
Ladio replied, “Yes, whether he broke it or not, when he rose to speak, he ordered his son Barde to marry Bintu…”
Princess Kamariyya’s scream filled the air as she fainted, and immediate action was taken. As for Bintu, when the words reached her ears, she felt as though she had gone deaf, unable to hear anything else amidst the turmoil.
“He ordered his son Barde to marry Bintu…” The words reverberated in her mind, drowning out all other sounds.