"Mom, please, stop it," Obinna pleaded, his voice breaking as he reached toward her.
Obinna straightened, swallowing his emotions. "The funeral will be tomorrow. Since there is no body to bury, it will be done quietly. I don't want the court or the kingdom to know exactly what happened."
But Queen Chioma surged forward, unwilling to be silenced. "So we're just going to bury him silently and move on?" she spat. Her eyes snapped to Nnenna, sharp and merciless.
"About a year ago, right after his coronation, he left with you. And when you return? You tell us he fell off a cliff. You recover only his clothes. And we're supposed to believe he's dead?"
"Mom, please!" Ebere's voice cracked as she grabbed her mother's arm. She had seen the color drain from Nnenna's face, seen her flinch under each word like it was a fresh wound.
