The Diamond

I fear Na’Nikò will not be so lucky as to get out of this situation alive.

* * *

“This is the room of treasures. You will now be expected to prepare the sacred jewelry for all ceremonies. The gold must be perfectly polished. The gems must be spotless so that light may flow through them. That is extremely important. Do you understand, girl?”

“Yes Aunt… Yes, Priestess Na’Nikò.”

In this palace, especially in public, families did not truly exist. The only such unit that mattered was that of the Queen. No other bonds were recognized but those of loyalty and obedience to the Golden Seat.

“Do not disappoint me… girl.”

Mambusa lowered her head in acquiescence. Na’Nikò approached her and with her pointing finger on the girl’s chin, raised the young face to meet hers and looked her straight in the eyes.

“Everything must be perfect.” She was stretching every syllable. “The Queen will not be forgiving. Understood?”

“Yes, Priestess Na’Nikò.”

From the look of things, the priestess’s influence had withered. For the past six Moon rituals, she had found herself losing favor with the Queen—crops had been meager; there had been two leopard attacks within the city walls; and the Queen, herself, had failed to produce another heir to replace the present sickly one. A few discrete voices suggested that the priestess had been shunned by the very gods she purported to represent.

She came closer to the girl’s face and spoke in a low voice.

“Our family’s honor hangs in the balance, Mambusa.”

That may have been an overstatement. The court gossip that reached this room told a different story. Na’Nikò’s sisters were fine where they were. Their positions remained unchallenged. They had successful husbands and were blessed with sons and daughters… including timid and currently terrified Mambusa.

“I understand.”

The priestess straightened back up and resumed her instructions to the apprentice.

“You will have the afternoon to prepare the jewelry in this section.”

She was pointing in my direction.

“Once that is done, you will lay the jewels on this golden tray, on top of the white cloth and bring them to me for inspection before the Moon ritual.”

She did not wait for a reply but turned around and left the room.

* * *

I am just one part of a composite structure—the Moon ritual ceremonial crown.

The crown is made of four elements: the tiara—on its own, a breathtaking piece made of gold lace and decorated with cool colored gemstones; two perfectly identical side broaches meant to be placed in the Queen’s hair about three inches above her ears; and myself, a golden medallion with a blue sapphire half the length of a thumb, either to be placed in the Queen’s hair, above her brow, or hanging on her forehead with a leather string.

Mambusa went straight to work. However, the poor girl had apparently never seen the ceremonial crown for she did not notice that I was never on the cushion. I had slipped softly from its softness and had ended lodged in a crevasse at the base of the display stand.

When the girl was done—that is, when she believed she was—she picked up the ornate tray and took it to Na’Nikò.

* * *

“Are you lying to me?”

The priestess had entered the room, holding the apprentice’s arm with a death grip. Once inside, she pushed her away from her.

“I swear, A… Priestess Na’Nikò!”

The woman was furious and the girl was crying.

“Let me search your robe!”

She did not allow time for consent and lunged at the trembling girl. Of course, she found nothing but slapped her anyway. It sounded—and probably felt—like a clap of thunder. The girl did not move or make another sound. Her aunt seemed to try hard not to scream.

“Do you know what they’ll do to you? What they’ll do to me!”

She seized her niece’s collar with both hands and yanked her close.

“They’ll say you stole from the Queen and I allowed it. Perhaps I even put you up to it. Do you know how many of them want to see my head on a spike?” The poor girl was shaking. “We have less than an hour until the Moon ritual. Find it! Or we are both dead!”

She stormed out.

If the chirping of the many little birds in the palace are to be believed, the priestess very likely went in search of ways to shield herself from any life-threatening consequences and abandon her niece to the wolves.

* * *

The frightened apprentice took a candle and searched all the dark nooks and crannies. Every single space she had passed with the jewels was examined.

She came back to the ceremonial crown display stand and was probably too shaken to notice me. But, you see, the blue sapphire was specifically selected for its affinity with soft light. When Mambusa moved the candle near enough, she could not miss my glow.

* * *

It is dark now and there is a shuffling sound around me.

“The Queen is approaching. Have you found the medallion?” Na’Nikò sounds rattled to the bone and speaks in nervous and angry murmurs, as if through her teeth.

“Yes, Priestess Na’Nikò.” The girl whispers back.

* * *

More sounds of steps and rubbing fabric and now, Na’Nikò is opening the ceremony with a blessing ritual.

“Bring me the ceremonial jewels.”

The tray likely passed in front of the Queen who wonders out loud.

“Where is my blue sapphire?”

“Uh… It… Girl…” Na’Nikò stutters.

More shuffling. A hand takes hold of me. Mambusa throws herself at the feet of the Queen, head down, both hands up… holding me.

“Your Majesty, Priestess Na’Nikò wanted me to steal it and ruin your fortune but my allegiance is to my Queen before my blood. Please forgive me and I beg you to have mercy on her. You can see how desperate and bitter she has become.”

Aside from a collective gasp, the room is speechless and so is Na’Nikò who looks too stunned to even react.

Clever girl… a diamond in the political rough.