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"Stop there! Who are you?" barked one of the king's guards, holding his sword up to a man he caught lurking around the royal kitchen.
The haggard-looking man froze in his tracks without uttering a word.
"Speak!" The soldier barked again to the man who was shaking now. "Are you here to poison the king?! Who sent you?" He barked
"My.. name is Cedric..," the man replied, trembling. "Please, I mean no harm."
"I think you'll have to save your explanation for the king" the guard sparked, dragging the intruder to the king's palace.
There have been several death threats towards King Agu in the kingdom of Odumodu. The palace had been placed on lockdown with guards patrolling every day and every time, making sure nobody entered or left the palace without thorough checks.
It got to a level where a royal taster named Roland was hired just to make sure no one poisoned the king's food. His only job was to taste the king's meals hours before they were served to the king; all these were to ensure they were safe.
"Young man, who are you?" The king asked the intruder as the guards brought the Intruder before him.
"Your Highness, I'm just a traveller passing by. I didn't know there was a curfew at the palace. I was just unlucky to be at the wrong place at the wrong time " the intruder explained, still trembling.
"Lock him up in the cell downstairs. I'll decide his fate tomorrow, but for now, I'm hungry and I need to eat. Get me to my royal diner" King Agu commanded with a wave of his hands standing up as his guards led the way to the royal diner.
They walked through a large hallway to a big door made of wood and clipped together with irons. Behind the door was a large dining hall which was also used for parties by the king.
On the large dining table which could seat up to twenty people was a sumptuous feast of roasted yam, steamed vegetables, and a new sauce prepared by the head chef Henri which he specifically made for the,
Standing beside the table was Roland the royal taster. Who announced immediately he saw the king enter with his royal regalia, commanding attention.
"It's safe my king, You can dine." He said with a bow.
King Agu sat at the head of the table and nodded at Roland in acknowledgement.
"Thank you, Roland, for your very valuable service," the king acknowledged.
Roland bowed, his heart swelling with pride as he walked out of the dining hall. Leaving the king to eat his meal with so much gusto.
And when he was done eating he retired to his royal chambers with strict warning that he needed no disturbance. But in the morning, King Agu did not wake.
The news of the king's long sleep spread through the palace.
Immediately the royal cabinet members consisting of Sir Uche and others gathered in the palace. Each with a worry etched face.
"Please, tell me, what happened to my husband?" Queen Ngozi wailed to the royal physician, Dr. Mba who was doing his best to revive the king.
"For now, we know nothing. But we will run a quick test at the lab to know what happened". The physician said in a confused voice.
"Is he dead?" The queen asked with a voice weak from crying.
"No, but he's in a deep coma. Excuse me, my queen. I need to get to work,' he grabbed his equipment and headed out of the room.
"Must be the Intruder" one of the cabinet members suggested. "Remember he was found lurking around the royal kitchen"
"The royal taster. It's the royal taster" Sir Uche, the king's right hand, said out loud. Rubbing his hands in his jaws and his face to the ground. "He was the last to taste the food before the king. He lives but the king is in a deep coma."He must have poisoned the king."
To the guards, he commanded, "Get him to the palace now!"
The guard returned minutes later dragging the royal taster along.
"You!" Sir Uche yelled with so much anger at Roland. "You were the only person who tasted the food before the king ate. You must have poisoned the king?"
"No.. no...I did no such thing" to the Queen he pleaded with tears and innocence in his eyes. "My queen, I would never harm the king!"
But Sir Uche couldn't have none of that. He commanded that they lock Roland up in a cell next to the intruder.
Just as they were about to drag him away the royal physician barged into the room.
"Stop! I know what happened to the king," he announced. "He was not poisoned by Roland."
A collective gasp filled the room as the guards dragging Roland out of the room stopped.
"Then what happened?" Queen Ngozi demanded.
"It's the sauce he ate. The results show he has a severe allergic reaction to an ingredient used" he paused to catch his breath as everyone listened with so much attention. "I asked the chef, he said he experimented with a new sauce for the king with a rare spice from the east. Turns out the king is allergic to it. And it makes him fall into a deep slumber."
"Can he be revived": Queen Ngozi asked.
"No. I mean yes. We just have to wait till the allergy wears off by itself in a few hours. We should be grateful it didn't kill him" the physician said.
Relief and regret washed over the cabinet members.
"Release Roland," Sir Gareth commanded heavily with guilt in his voice. "And as for the chef, the king will decide his fate when he wakes".
Just as the physician said the king woke up a few hours just before sunset. He was grateful for life and there was happiness in the faces of his cabinet members who waited patiently for him.
He didn't have a choice but to relieve the chef of his work for a mistake that nearly took his life. Kept Roland to continue his service as the king's royal taster. And for the intruder, he let him go after he proved with evidence to be a traveller passing by.
