Jeanne sauntered into Nneka’s chamber, after Nneka asked her to comes in.
Her eyes traveled around the room, her mouth parted in awe, seeing how beautiful her room was more than her friend, she scoffed and muttered inwardly that everything will soon ends.
“Mother of the country,” Jeanne said with a respectful bow, “Concubine Xena requests your presence in her chambers. She needs your assistance.”
Nneka felt a wave of indignation wash over her. How dare Jeanne, Concubine Xena’s bed friend, demand her presence like this? She thought inwardly
She bristled at the condescending tone, but she couldn’t refuse a request from a concubine since she had always portrayed a good queen in front of everyone.
“Of course,” she said through gritted teeth. “Lead the way.”
Jeanne nodded. “Thank you, Nneka. Xena needs your help, and I’m sure she will be grateful for your presence.”
As they made their way through the palace, Jeanne maintained her polite demeanor but Nneka could sense something off about her behavior. She couldn’t quite put her finger on it, but her instincts were telling her that Jeanne was up to something.
As they approached the entrance to the royal prison, Jeanne suddenly turned to Nneka. “I need to retrieve some medicine for concluding Xena,” she said. “Please you can go inside.”
Nneka felt a sinking feeling in her stomach. She had a bad feeling about this, but she didn’t want to cause any trouble. “Of course,” she said, trying to keep her voice steady.
As Jeanne disappeared from the hallway Nneka walks inside Her mind was racing with possibilities, but she couldn’t quite grasp what was happening. Was this some sort of game that Jeanne and Xena were playing?
She snapped the thought away wondering what Xena could possibly do inside prison against her.
Then Nneka her way to the prison, she pushed open the door and walked in. “Why did you call for me?” Nneka asked, her voice laced with annoyance.
Xena’s face twisted into a smirk as she stood up from her seated position. “Oh, dear Nneka, I didn’t know you were this dumb,” Xena taunted, her voice dripping with venom.
“You may be the queen by title, but we all know who truly owns the king’s heart.”
Nneka’s eyes narrowed with anger. “What are you talking about, Xena?” she spat out.
Xena chuckled. “The king has never loved you. You are just a placeholder, a figurehead. The only reason he married you was because his minister pressured him, so he accepted to marry for his community sake”
Nneka’s blood boiled with rage at Xena’s words. “How dare you speak to me like that!” she yelled. “If the king truly doesn’t care for me, then why did he marry me in the first place?”
“Oh, Nneka, you really are naive, aren’t you? The king married you because he needed a queen, nothing more. Did you know I’m the only one he married himself, every other women were pushed to him?” Xena asked.
“Really?” Nneka’s voice was laced with sarcasm and a hint of amusement
Xena feeling a bit puzzled, then she asked “What?”
Nneka’s smile fading “The king only loves you, yet he bought jewelry for Aurora, the murdered girl, yet he loves playing around the garden with a masked girl.
Xena’s face twisting with anger healing her, Nneka saw the expression on her face and intensifying her word.
“He did because he was bored with you” Nneka uttered, her voice filled with sarcastic.
Xena suddenly raises her hand and slaps Nneka hard across the face
Nneka wastes no time in retaliating and slaps Xena multiple times consecutively
Xena staggering back, her hand clutching her stomach as she groaned in pain) How dare you!
With gritting her teeth in pain, Xena screamed “Stop it, Nneka!” As she slapped her hardly.
Nneka uttered with voice cold and unforgiving, “You brought this on yourself, Xena. You think you can mock me and get away with it?
Xena lutching her reddened cheek,” You’ll regret this, Nneka. I will make sure of it.
Nneka eyes blazing with fury”You’re the one who will regret it, Xena. Don’t ever cross me again” Xena hadn’t finished speaking when suddenly blood began to flow down Xena’s legs. “My baby,” Xena gasped out, her eyes wide with shock.
Nneka’s own eyes widened as she saw the blood on the ground. “What have you done?” she cried out, her voice shaking with fear and horror.
Xena glared up at Nneka, her face contorted with pain and fury. “You did this to me!” she hissed out, pointing an accusing finger at Nneka. “You and your jealousy and your desire for power!”
Nneka’s heart raced with fear and confusion as she looked at Xena’s bleeding form. What had she done? She had only meant to defend herself against Xena’s cruel words, but now she had hurt the unborn child of the woman who was the king favourites.
Nneka’s anger boiled over as she remembered giving orders to Morena to distribute infertility herbs to all the women, so no one could get pregnant before her. Despite her fury, she approached Xena to help her, but Xena yanked her hand away.
Tears filled Xena eyes as she fell to her knees beside Nneka, her eyes still held a pretentious smirk, knowing Nneka had fall into her trap.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered, Nneka voice trembling with emotion. “I never meant for this to happen.” Nneka said, trying to make Xena knows she didn’t do it intentional.
Xena’s eyes bore into Nneka’s, her expression full of pain and fury. “You will pay for this,” she spat out. “I will make sure that you are punished for what you’ve done, you kill my baby” Xena uttered and Nneka clutched her firstt, now she regretted of coming.
Just then, Jeanne burst into the room and gasped in horror at the sight before her. Xena was on the ground, blood pooling around her.
“Queen Mother, what happened here?!” she cried out, her eyes wide with shock and anger. “What have you done to my friend?”
Nneka’s heart raced with fear and confusion as she looked up at Jeanne. “I… I didn’t mean to,” she stammered out, “It was an accident.”
Jeanne’s face twisted with rage. “An accident? You hurt my friend and her unborn child!” she spat out.
“The king will hear of this, I swear it.”