The mortar grunted each time the pestle made contact with it, the sisters worked in a comfortable silence. It was getting dark, their father would back from the farm soon and dinner wasn’t ready yet, their mother would be furious. They might not even eat out of the dinner they were making, as punishment for cooking late.

“Please put the yam in faster, you are too sluggish.” Omolewa chided her sister, who was a year younger than her.

“I can’t go any faster; I am not made for this.” Omolabake answered serenely.

Omolewa stopped pounding for a bit and stared at her sister slightly confused. “What are you are you made for?” She asked.

“I am going to be the Queen, I will have servants and slaves, and they will do all the work and…”

“And what?” Omolewa cut in. “Have you forgotten....
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http://www.aminatawastories.com/2016/07/23/sitting-on-the-throne-prologue-2/

King Aderoju Adegbite watched impatiently as the Chief Priest consulted the oracle; he was taking too long with his incantations. He needed to know the fate of his children, will they succeed him, or will the crown go to another family? He was dying and he needed to put things in order before he died. He had fought for his crown and there were still people who hated his reign, despite the fact that the Kingdom had known its best time of peace during his twenty year reign.

“Your Majesty, the gods are silent.” The Chief Priest said finally.

“After all your never-ending incantations, the gods still have nothing to say.” Aderoju tried unsuccessfully to hide his annoyance.

“The gods will not speak about a new King when there is still a King on the throne.” The Chief Priest answered respectfully.

“So you are saying I have to die before the gods will say who will succeed me?” Aderoju asked.

“May you live long Your Majesty.” The Chief Priest answered and began to pack his divination tools into his sack; he has done what the King asked of him; to continue to question the gods will be to provoke their anger. And, he had other duties to attend to...
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http://www.aminatawastories.com/2016/07/29/sitting-on-the-throne-1/

By the time Omolewa got home she was exhausted. Every day she tried to keep hope alive that someday it would get better. Their father had died of an unknown illness and they had spent their father’s entire savings on witch doctors and herbalists, but their efforts yielded futile fruit. Their mother had committed suicide shortly after their father died. Somehow, Omolewa and Omolabake had expected it, their mother had been too in love with their father, and she couldn’t have survived a day without him. They just wished she had thought of them before she made such a heart-breaking decision. Left to survive in the world alone, Omolewa had found a job as a serving girl in the royal tavern. She had been so excited when she got the job; she hoped it would get her close to royal dance troupe to fulfil her dream of becoming a dancer. But, it has been four seasons since had nothing had happened, the dancers came regularly to drink and celebrate at the tavern. But, they did not even look at her twice and she was too scared to work up to them.

Labake was already asleep on the mat when she came in; the oil lamps had not yet burned out so the first thing Omolewa noticed was the terrible state of their hut, the only property they had inherited from their late father.

“Get up! Get up! You lazy fool!” Omolewa kicked her sister in annoyance.

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http://www.aminatawastories.com/2016/08/05/sitting-on-the-throne-2/

You should have seen their faces when I mentioned marriage.” Aderoju said to his wife Iyiola as she refilled his calabash with palm-wine.

“Men acting like boys” She answered as she laughed with her husband. Her chamber was his resting place every night and she always enjoyed his company. But, she had noticed some changes in him; he talked with short forced breath. It was obvious that the King was sick although he tried desperately to hide it. She wished her sons would stop frustrating the King with their childish behaviour.

“I want them to find love- A good peaceful woman who will rule the Kingdom with them. I want them to find a woman like you.” Aderoju said and his wife laughed. Although their marriage had been arranged by their parents, they had fallen in love the moment they met.

“I would have asked you to arrange it but, I don’t trust any of these rich and noble families. How do you think we can go about it?” He asked.

“A feast” Iyiola answered.

“A feast?”

“Yes, My Lord, order a feast” She repeated and smiled, the King smiled with her as understanding crept in.
http://www.aminatawastories.com/2016/08/19/sitting-on-the-throne-3/