The Witch, the Warrior and the Wedding - Part II

TITILAYO“Come in, Titi,” Iya Bisi called.Bisi’s head rested on her mother’s lap. Her eyes met Titi’s for a second before she returned her gaze upward.Titi made her way into the room and subsided onto the mat beside Iya Bisi. The woman flashed a warm smile and patted her lap.An invitation.Bisi made a noise and rolled her eyes.Titi quietly bent until her head rested on Iya Bisi’s lap.Comfort.This was the first time she was tasting the comfort of a mother’s lap. Only it came from someone else’s mother.Titi closed her eyes, almost drifting off into sleep.Then her eyes drew open.When Iya Bisi finally spoke, her voice was gentle.“Now. Talk to me, my dear. What bothers you?”She gave each girl a gentle palm on the head.Titi steadied her breathing, stifled thoughts of her mother and finally spoke.“He sends me letters.”Bisi’s ears twitched and she turned excitedly.“Who does?”“Horse Boy—” Titi caught herself. “I meant Wale.”“Wale?” Iya Bisi asked. “Who might that be?”“Adewale Akinsola,” Titi answered.“The Governor’s son?!”Bisi rose in disbelief.“Yes,” Titi answered.“Isn’t he the man your sister is meant to marry?”A cool breeze crept through the window as Titi began her tale.The days at the Akinsola compound. Her escapades atop Wale’s mountain. Horse Boy’s shenanigans. Their meeting on the balcony. The night of the feast. The reunion and trip to Wale’s Domain.She finally revealed it all.She also told them about the letters he had been sending her since the campaign against Zonan began two months prior.He told her of the first battles they fought, how easy it was to encircle Bala the Butcher’s army at Karin-Ibadan. He gave the greatest credit to Tunji for devising the tactics. The rest of the band members also received their fair share of commendation.He humorously told her how Jaja smashed through a column of Zonan warriors. Apparently, seventeen swords were broken against his mace.The men were calling him the Iron Bender reborn.Wale believed Jaja had long surpassed Balogun the Iron Bender.Lekan was lethal and as comical as ever. He seized a turban from a Zonan soldier he had slain and ran through the battlefield screaming, “Wayyo! Wayyo!” as he cut down retreating soldiers.Ola the Eye-Snatcher and his band of former bandits were especially deadly. Wale spoke of the unconventional strategies and weapons they used and how he still had not gotten used to their style of warfare.Yetunde he described as “graceful and elegant.” Her slashes looked to him like intricate dances, beautiful yet lethal.He also described how she was not someone Titi would want to see in battle.And Aja.Wale had plenty to say about Aja.The cute, adorable large fox Titi knew transformed into the beast it was meant to be. Claw and fur were drenched in blood.Titi had wondered how he was able to observe all those details in the midst of battle. He even went as far as to express admiration for Zonan military culture.Their attire, in particular, fascinated him, though he doubted the utility of turbans in battle. He wrote about the ornate ornaments adorning their horses and beasts of war, the Star of Arewa blazoned boldly across their equipment. Even in war, the Zonan seemed to carry their culture with them.Titi could almost picture them from his descriptions: warriors clad in elaborate garments, their horses decorated with intricate ornaments, beasts of war adorned as though they were creatures meant for ceremony rather than battle.<img alt="" src="/media/inline_insight_image/IMG-20260821-WA0036.jpg"/>Wale found it beautiful.> _I cannot understand why they insist on wearing so much around their heads, he wrote in one letter. But I must admit, they make a fine sight upon the battlefield._He wondered aloud whether the Zonan decorated their weapons and beasts for practical reasons, tradition, or simply because they could not resist making even war beautiful.Then, almost as an afterthought, he added:> _Still, I would rather fight a man whose turban I can see than one whose sword I cannot._But not every letter was about war.One letter had begun with an apology.> _I intended to write yesterday, but Lekan stole my ink._Apparently, this was not entirely true.According to Wale, Lekan had taken the ink because he had wanted to write a letter to a woman in one of the villages they had passed.> _He claims she smiled at him. I told him women smile at men they do not intend to marry every day. He called me jealous. I have no idea why._Titi had laughed at that one.Another letter complained about the food.> _The cook insists that this is stew. I maintain that it is simply water that has spent several hours staring at a piece of meat._She had laughed again.Then, as though remembering something, Wale added:> _Jaja ate three bowls of it and asked for another._There were other little things.He complained that Aja had developed the irritating habit of placing her enormous head on his lap whenever he tried to read.He told Titi that Lekan had fallen into a stream while attempting to impress some villagers.He described Tunji's obsession with moving stones around whenever he was thinking.He mentioned that Yetunde had threatened to cut Lekan's beard off while he slept.> _I told her that would be cruel. Lekan's beard is the only thing keeping his face from resembling that of a goat._These were the letters Titi read twice.Sometimes three times.They made the distance between them feel smaller.But there were other letters.Some were much less cheerful.Wale described his reservations, his fears and the nightmares that came whenever the battles ceased.He spoke of fellow Walian generals giving him spiteful eyes whenever his soldiers won them victory.Babatunde Oladimeji, in particular, made no effort to mask his disdain.> _He envies my youth, my vigor and my independence, Wale wrote. My army brings us victory but they do not celebrate with me. They say my army harbors criminals even after Ola the Eye-Snatcher received a royal pardon._> _They despise me because I do what they cannot. They despise me because I am powerful. They despise me because I am free._> _Oladimeji, Akinwale and all of them. They despise me because I answer to no one._No army enjoyed as much freedom as Wale’s, even having a personal beast.The work of his apologetic father and the apologetic prince he had once called friend.He spoke of his weariness. How he wished battles would cease to exist.He looked upon every corpse he had slain and wondered whether, under different circumstances, they might have been friends.Why were they trying to kill them?Why were they killing them?Because the Northern Prince ordered them to?Because they were separate nations, different people?Were they fighting for land? For resources?Could land not be shared?Could resources not be divided amongst all?> _Because we are different, so we must battle? It makes no sense to me._ Titi lingered on those words.And then came the final letter.The news was of a victory that was nigh.The Zonan armies had been battered. Bala the Butcher’s men were scattered, unable to retreat. Suleiman’s army to the south had been pushed behind the Niger River as they retreated over the Ajagunla Bridge.Walia had won.Wale described the Northern Prince’s assault as strategically deficient. Lekan believed the Northern Prince to be foolish, calling him:> _Olodo, shege dan burauba._Yetunde believed less in Northern strategic incompetence and more in Walian superiority.Tunji was more divided.“It was far too easy,” he had said. Whichever it was, the battle was over.Wale was returning.The final words of the letter were simple.> _I cannot wait to see you again._Bisi’s eyes were still held open by disbelief.“I don’t know what he wants from me,” Titi confessed.Iya Bisi seemed lost in thought, her eyes closed as she took it all in.Finally, she sighed.Then she spoke.“Has he spoken to you affectionately?”“He... he has been gentle, and warm and kind.”“Titi—”Iya Bisi cut her off.“You know what I mean? Does he love you?”It was too dark to notice the redness that bloomed on Titi’s face.“I—I don’t know.”“He doesn’t love you,” Bisi entered.“Bisi!” Iya Bisi exclaimed.“It’s true. He is Adewale Akinsola. Do you truly believe a son of Oluwafemi Akinsola would wed Walia’s famed Wit—”She stopped.She glanced sideways and met her mother’s angered eyes.“All I’m saying is...” Bisi continued, “his is no small name. People with big names have reputations to uphold. Imagine the blow it would deal his house if he were to marry you, Titi. It's unfathomable"“Bisi!”Iya Bisi screamed again.Titi’s eyes were wet.“He does not love you. I apologize if my words sound hurtful, but I must be blunt with you.”“Bisi!”Titi’s eyes were now leaking.“I don’t know what fantasies you might have had, but end them now. Return to reality for your sake. He will not marry you. He’s most likely only using you. He’s a man, after all. I assume he speaks to his friends about the thrill of snatching the White Witch’s little heart.”“Bisi!”This time, the words were accompanied by a slap.Bisi grabbed her cheek and met her mother’s furious gaze.“Be quiet!”“But Mother, I’m only telling her the tru—”“I said be quiet.”Bisi rose with a furious look of her own.“Good luck trying to woo your sister’s husband.”She walked out, fuming.Iya Bisi reached her thumb to clean Titi’s tear-stained face.“She’s right,” Titi said, her voice breaking.“Be quiet, you too.”This time Iya Bisi’s voice was gentle.She cupped Titi’s face.“I don’t know what the nature of your relationship is with Adewale Akinsola, but I must admit, I fear for you. Your situation is precarious. There is sure to be heartbreak regardless of the outcome. He is your sister’s betrothed, Titi.”“I—I know... I know. I just—”“Are you willing to break your sister’s heart?”“I don’t know.”“Are you willing to have yours broken?”“I don’t know.”“Well, you must find the answers, my child. Because one of the two will surely come to pass.”She grabbed Titi’s chin gently, raising her head to look her in the eye.“Whatever you choose, know that I will always be here to support you.”

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