Have you heard the tale of the beautiful but prideful Princess Afiong? Well, gather round closely and listen to the story that’s been passed down…
Chapter 1: Afiong’s Arrogant Refusal
In the bountiful Efik Kingdom, ruled by a wealthy king, there lived a princess more radiant than the noonday sun. Afiong was her name, and her vanity and arrogance matched her beauty.
From far and wide, noble suitors flocked, all vying for Princess Afiong’s hand. Yet she turned away every attempt, no matter how accomplished or affluent the young man.
“You are old and unsightly!” she would proclaim with a haughty sneer, waving away the suitors like shooing an annoying insect.
Her aggrieved parents pleaded, but their headstrong daughter was resolute. “I shall only marry a prince from distant lands – the most perfectly handsome man in all the realms! He must be strong, loving, and flawless in every way imaginable.”
What fool-headed thoughts possessed the vain princess to reject all her kingdom’s finest? Could any man truly match her lofty standards?
Chapter 2: The Mysterious Stranger
One bustling market day, a hush suddenly fell over the rowdy crowds as an impossibly handsome stranger appeared. Whispers and gasps rippled through the onlookers.
“Who is this perfect vision of a man?”
“Not even our fairest warriors could match his beauty!”
It wasn’t long before word of the mysterious stranger reached the palace. Like an impatient cyclone, Princess Afiong burst into the market, shoving through the throngs until she beheld him.
He stood with sculpted features, sun-bronzed skin, and eyes that shimmered like jungle pools. It was as if the gods themselves had carved him from marble.
Afiong’s heart leaped, overflowing with desire. At last, she had found her flawless prince! She rushed toward the stranger, unable to contain her awestruck infatuation.
“You… You are the husband I’ve been seeking!” Afiong proclaimed breathlessly. “Come, join me at the palace at once!”
Delighted by her boldness, the stranger eagerly accompanied the smitten princess home to her bewildered parents…
Who could this mysteriously perfect man be? And what desires did he harbor under that radiant facade?
Chapter 3: An Ill-Fated Union
Meeting the king and queen, the charming stranger wasted no time. With flowery words and magnetic charisma, he swiftly requested Afiong’s hand in marriage.
The concerned monarchs were hesitant, not wishing to give their daughter’s future to a nameless wanderer. But the two young lovers could not be dissuaded. Under Afiong’s stubborn insistence, her parents at last relented and allowed the union.
For two rapturous days and starry nights, the newlyweds reveled in celebration at the palace. But all too quickly, the suave bridegroom announced it was time for them to depart together for his mysterious homeland across the seas.
“Do not fret, my beloved,” he assured the crestfallen princess. “For in my kingdom, our love will be immortal bliss!”
Despite her parents’ pleas to reconsider, Afiong was bewitched, eager to follow her dream prince to his “perfect” realm. As they tearfully watched their daughter disappear over the horizon, the king and queen could only pray she hadn’t been terribly deceived.
Do you sense a dark omen behind this stranger’s promises? What sinister surprises might await Afiong’s arrival in his illusory paradise?
