My Queen

Ranjit Pradhan

“Any girl who sees this box would be your life partner and the next Queen of this kingdom “, the king said after making some incantations on the box. “It is what my father, your grandfather, had laid down and must not be overlooked. It is always done to the crown prince when he is of marriageable age”, the king spoke further to Alexander as he performed the ritual. He dropped the box in the flowing river.

“Dad, but this box would be visible to everyone, then how would the lady set aside for me be able to see it?” Alex asked the king out of curiosity.

“Although, I was expecting this question from you. It's good you ask, as you will soon do the same to your son when he is of age. Anyway, you are the prince and the next king of this kingdom, and so was I when I was still your age. My dad, your grandfather, has made this a rule to always use this box to get the next queen. He called the chief priest to use his magical powers to make this box invisible, but only visible to the one who would be the next queen. It does not choose wrongly and has never chosen the wrong queen for any reason. This was what I used to get your mum. Along with the box, is a seagull that would bring back a message after the girl must have found the box”, the king explained clearly to Alex.

“I'm finding this so interesting. But how would you get the message from the seagull?” Alex asked in an exasperated manner.
“The former chief priest passed the magic power to his successor. He knew the best way to collect the message from the messenger, the seagull”, the king was ready to resign to his chamber as he was tired of answering Alex's questions.

“Alex, you need to get to the market today with your guards to get me the silver necklace I want to use in Chief Odogwu's coronation. I was supposed to send the maidens, but they would not select the best. I trust you with your tactics of making the best selection when it comes to my jewelry and so, you alone would be fit to go on the journey”, the Queen, Alex's mother said joyfully as she was trying her best to get the best outfits for the coronation.

“I will do as you say, but would love to go alone”, prince Alex said while he opened up his mind to her mum, the Queen.

“I'm the one sending you, but not the king, and you must do as I say.” She turned to the guard, “Hey, make sure to guard him until you are both back. You know it's not comfortable out there”, the Queen ordered in anger.

Alex left rushing alone without informing any of his guards. He went straight to the market in a nearby community. He saw a necklace shining in his sight. “Wow!!! This one is indeed the best in the whole of the market, but I still need to check around the market to feed my eyes”. He only saw the shining necklace from afar and was still admiring it until he made a head-on collision with Mona. She was carrying a basket full of oranges she bought from the market, just to deliver to her grandma. All her fruits fell on the floor.

“Who is this that can't even see properly?” Mona asked in anger.
“Please, I'm deeply sorry”, Alex said in an apologetic voice.
When Mona saw the way Alex was bending helping her to pick up the oranges, she felt touched. “He is so different from the men in this community. I even thought he would react after yelling at him”, Mona said within her.

“Please, let it be. I will manage to select them in the basket”, Mona said with a consoling tone.
Alex, being so adamant, kept selecting the oranges. When he was done, he carried the basket on his head as all the market women, both young and old, as well as the young men and youth, began to laugh at him. He is less concerned with their laugh.

“Please, let me carry it?” Mona said.
“Don't worry, I can do it myself”, he said. “But people are laughing at you”, she said, trying to feel for him.
“Don't worry about those people, I'm fine doing it”, Alex did not reveal his identity to anyone as he went as a commoner.

He carried the basket straight to the river very close to the market and began to wash the oranges one after the other. Mona also followed suit. As she bowed, trying to pick up one of the oranges, she saw a seagull approaching and perching on a golden box. As she saw the box, she shouted in surprise, which made Alex raise his head. He saw the seagull on the box and immediately, the seagull flew from the box to a tree behind them.

Alex watched as Mona carried the box. “Who might have left this box floating on the seashore?” She asked. “It's your luck, you need to take it home, it might be a surprise from the goddess of the sea”, Alex said to her in surprise. “Wow, my father said it. This is surprising. So, the girl I collided with is the rightful one?” Alex exclaimed within him.

After Alex was done, she helped Mona and headed to the jewelry shop. He bought the best silver jewelry in the market.

The seagull followed Mona to her doorstep, unknowingly to her. She only sighted the seagull flying away. “Is this not the same bird perching on the golden box? Anyway, it is unclear to me why I'm feeling something in the form of happiness is about to come to my doorstep”, Mona said to herself. Before Alex got home, the seagull had already taken information home.

Alex got home and met the Queen, his mum, waiting in anger. “I'm sorry, Mum!! I wanted to go alone, just to see what the world looks like”. “I don't know how you are going to apologize to your dad right now. He is not happy with you”, the Queen uttered.

As Alex got to the king's chamber, he knelt begging. “Please, Dad, forgive me, but my going alone was a blessing”. “What kind of blessing are you talking of after putting fear in all our faces? I was about to send a troop to search for you”, the king said, raising his voice to its brim.

“Dad, I saw the girl with the golden box. I made a head-on collision with her and threw her oranges on the floor accidentally in the market”.
“Did you just say you saw the girl? How?” The king asked. “I saw her taking the box while the seagull flew away”, Alex said.

The king was happy to hear this from Alex. “Is she beautiful?” He asked. “She is just like a goddess and well-mannered, but I forgot to ask her where she lives and Oh…!!! What a great mistake I have made. I forgot to ask for her name as well”, Alex said.

Two days later, the king sent his Chiefs as well as Alex to go bring his bride home. They left as the seagull led the way.

They got to Mona's house, and she was surprised to see Alex dressed in princely attire. “So, you are a prince?”. They presented their issues and indeed her parents were happy to have their daughter's hands in marriage to Alex. The box was taken back as they led Mona to the palace.