To stand before the king was death; to kneel was worse and perhaps to lie flat was his ideal way of being approached.
Such was the cruelty of King Lo. He was Feared across the land, he ruled with iron fists and a heart as hard as stone. His judgments were harsh, his taxes crippling, and his pleasure found only in the misery of his people. He had countless wives, yet still sent his servants out to scour the villages for more, searching for “fair ones” to satisfy his appetite.
In one peaceful village, lived Mr. Ibangha and his wife, blessed with a daughter, Iteyo. She was as beautiful as a goddess, she was fair, her lips red like apple and hrr hair fell in dark waves down her back. But beyond her beauty was a spirit even rarer: bold, intelligent, and fiercely unyielding. She spoke truth without fear and carried herself like a queen, though she came from humble roots.
Iteyo had long been betrothed to a modest young man named Ojonugwa. Though not wealthy, he was hardworking, kind, and deeply loved her. Together, they had vowed never to belong to anyone else.
One day, as Iteyo went to fetch water from the stream, King Lo’s men spotted her and were stunned by her beauty. Remembering the king’s standing order to report any fair maiden, they rushed back to the palace. Immediately, the king ordered her to be brought.
The message arrived Iteyo's parents: “Send your daughter to the palace. The king desires her.”
Mr. Ibangha and his wife trembled. They fell to their knees, praying for deliverance, cause they knew it met death for the king to send for a person. They could not help but did as the king instructed cause they knew disobedience meant death. When they told Iteyo, their voices cracked with fear, urging her to comply.
But she did not tremble.
“Why has the king summoned me?” she asked calmly.
“You must go,” her mother pleaded. “Just listen to what he says.
Obediently, Iteyo went. But when King Lo laid eyes on her, he gasped. “Where has this beauty been hiding? Thank the gods I saw you before some fool husband took you.”
But Iteyo met his eyes and said boldly, “I am already promised. I love another, and soon we are to wed.”
The king’s face darkened. “You have one day to pack your things and come to me. Disobey, and your family suffers.”
She raised her eyes and retorted “That will never happen. Nothing would make me marry you unless you are ready to marry my dead body. That is my decision, and it is final.
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