Prologue

In the time before the kingdoms clashed, there were many who rose and fell under the weight of ambition and fate. But this story, like so many others, is not just the tale of kings and queens, but of those whose names were written by the hands of time. I, Adazee, watched from afar as Queen Nosaze ascended, her kingdom shaken by the death of her father and the tremors of a world on the edge of war. My eyes saw it all, and I will tell you what I witnessed.

In the Golden Age, on the western coast of Africa, where lush forests gave way to expansive savannas, a kingdom of unparalleled might thrived. The Benin Kingdom, renowned for its intricate bronze sculptures, vibrant marketplaces, and warriors whose iron-forged weapons were the envy of the region, was ruled by a man whose ambition knew no bounds—King Akhigbe. His realm flourished under his stern leadership, its lands teeming with resources and its people skilled in both craft and combat. Yet, King Akhigbe desired more than prosperity; he yearned for dominance.

Driven by a hunger to make his kingdom feared and his name immortal, Akhigbe waged unrelenting campaigns against neighboring realms. Kingdom after kingdom fell to his forces, their rulers forced to kneel or perish. But his victories came at a heavy price. In their desperation, his enemies turned their wrath toward the king’s lineage, seeking to destroy what they could not conquer.

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One fateful night, their vengeance struck. Four of King Akhigbe’s five sons were mercilessly slaughtered along with their families. Only his youngest, Prince Akenzua, escaped the bloodbath, fleeing with his own wife and children. The loss shattered Akhigbe. The once-mighty king, who had reveled in his power, withdrew into isolation, leaving his kingdom in the hands of his sole surviving son.

Akenzua ascended the throne amidst a kingdom fractured by fear and anger. Unlike his father, he sought peace. With careful diplomacy, he brokered fragile alliances with neighboring rulers, though he stopped short of granting full autonomy to the minor kingdoms. Under his reign, Benin began to heal, but shadows of the past lingered.

Prince Nehikhare, Akenzua’s firstborn son, was a boy of thirteen when the mantle of vengeance quietly passed to him. Marked by a birthmark that stretched from his cheek to his neck, he inspired both admiration and fear. His mother called him “Nehizena,” a private name that symbolized her pride in his resilience and strength. But it was his grandfather, Akhigbe, who whispered lessons of retribution into his ear, planting the seeds of rebellion.