Chapter Five

It is a busy morning for the people of Omaha. Despite the sadness that filled the atmosphere, the fact that they had to do what was necessary according to the customs of their land had them astir.

One of such customs is being present or involved in the affairs of the kingdom especially when there's a special occasion that carries the potency to affect everyone. One such occasion is the Coronation of a new king.

The dreaded day of the coronation finally came and Miller and his daughter were still nowhere to be found. The Chiefs in the position to handle the coronation had already decided on what to do.

While every other person in Omaha put on a sad face that morning as they dreaded their nightmare coming to reality, only two people were happy in the whole kingdom. They were Rico and Rogers. They happily anticipated this day as nothing feels more important to them than being in power. Rico would rule as king while Rogers, his only friend would be there to assist him as the second man in authority.

Elton was another person who would've been happy. After all, he never knew much about his father's evil deeds. He only felt that people might just envy his father because he is from the royal house. It should've been a happy morning for him but the situation of his missing lover and her father had made him melancholic. 

"Why?"

"Why now, that their love had just spiraled into a new phase?"

Those were the thoughts that flooded Elton's mind as he lay on his bed that morning. He remembered how he had his first kiss with Beverly recently and how exhilarating that felt.

The two of them have been childhood friends. They played hide and seek around the royal house when they were much younger. 

Miller didn't mind seeing them together but one person who was not always pleased to see them playing together was Rico. He would scold Elton many times and tell him to get back into the room. 

For some time, they acted as if they didn't even know each other when they walk past each other.  Rico once caught sight of this and was impressed. The two good friends soon discovered somewhere else to meet, away from Rico's sight and even anyone from the royal house. 

Occasionally, they would embark on secret adventures into the woods. They would climb some trees, gist, laugh and tease each other playfully. But they were always conscious of time. They made sure they do not stay too long outside and they never got caught. This went on and on for many years and as the years rolled by, their affection for each other grew. 

Elton was still wondering where Beverly and her father could be at the moment when he suddenly heard one of the king's Messenger announcing that the coronation ceremony would soon begin so people should prepare. 

Rico was double sure that the kingship was not eluding him. Nothing felt more soothing than being double sure that no one could stop him from becoming the king. He and his friend, Rogers had been In the room all morning. They mocked Miller's present situation and laughed so hard.

"How's the loser doing?" Rico asked

"He must be there in his cell regretting that he came to this world, let alone wanting to become king and rule over you," Rogers said.

Rico let out a sinister laugh and said:

"He must be dreaming to think he'll become king and rule over me." 

"I'll pay the dreamer a visit soon after I'm crowned"

"Good plan, your highness," Rogers said teasingly.

They looked at each other for a few seconds before they burst into laughter and prepared to step out for the coronation ceremony.

After some time, People were gathered in the compound. The chiefs and every other person were seated. It was supposed to be a  joyous occasion, but by a simple look at the reception of the individual's faces, a stranger wouldn't be able to tell if it was a coronation or just another burial. 

One of the chiefs suddenly broke the silence and began….

"Great People of Omaha, it is so sad and no news to us that for about two days now, our supposed king, Miller, and his beloved daughter are nowhere to be found. I know this is so disheartening to all of us, but it is against our custom to continue like this without appointing another king. So in place of this, we must follow the available alternative we have in the royal house which is Crowning Rico as king since he is the second son of the deceased king George."

Elton sat somewhere at a corner where he watched sadly as Rico was summoned to the front seat for the coronation. To him, it would be okay for his father to become the king, but he would be happier if Miller who is the rightful person became the king.

As one of the chiefs hoisted the crown to set it on Rico's head, Elton closed his eyes and wished that all of these weren't real and that Miller and Beverly should just appear right now. The next thing he heard was applause. He saw how his father was relishing the crown on his head and the authority that has just been bestowed upon him. He looked back to see who was clapping and it was no other person but Rogers. So he joined the clapping Rogers to support his father.

Rico read the countenance on each face that was present there. He looked to see that Rogers and Elton were the only ones jeering him up. He forced a cool smile openly but inwardly, he swore to show these haters hell. 

Whether you like me or not, I would rule over you and now that I'm king, I would exercise my power and anger on you, and you must do as I …..say

Miller was carried away with his little devilish thought that he didn't know when he banged his hand angrily on the wooden table before him when he was about to say 'say' in his mind. 

When he noticed the confusion that reflected in people's eyes after what he did, he let out a fake smile again, told them it was nothing, thanked the chiefs, and promised to serve the people better. But all his evil intentions towards the people lie within him.  Rogers read this very well and gave Rico a satisfying gesture that no one else could understand apart from Rico.

At the end of the ceremony, it was just as though people had been waiting desperately for the Coronation ceremony to come to an end. Unlike the past coronations in Omaha, a lot of people did not even wait to eat and drink or engage in other merriments. Instead, a large Exodus ensued.