Olufunke and the Name Aramide
The next morning, the palace was busy as always. Servants carried water. Guards walked around the gates. The king sat in the open hall, speaking with his chiefs.
But Prince Adetunji could not think of anything except the strange woman from the river — Aramide. Her face stayed in his mind like a shadow that would not go away.
“Tunji,” Queen Olufunke said when she saw him sitting alone. “You have not eaten. What troubles you?”
Tunji looked down. “Mother, I saw someone by the river last night.”
The queen frowned. “At night? Alone?”
“Yes,” he said. “She was... not human. But she spoke to me. Her name is Aramide.”
Olufunke Tells the Curse
The queen’s face changed. “Aramide?” she repeated quietly. “That name belongs to the spirit of the Òsun River. She was once a woman cursed by the gods long ago.”
Tunji’s eyes widened. “Cursed? Why?”
“She fell in love with a mortal man,” the queen said softly. “The gods were angry. They turned her into a creature of the river. Since then, she has waited for someone with the heart of light to free her. But whoever tries will face great danger.”
Adetunji’s Promise
Tunji’s heart beat fast. “Maybe I am the one,” he said without thinking.
The queen shook her head. “My son, do not speak carelessly. Spirits do not love like humans do. They bring sorrow.”
But Tunji could not stop thinking about Aramide. That night, when everyone slept, he went again to the forest.
The mist was thicker. The forest was quiet. The river shone brighter than before. When he reached the bank, he called out, “Aramide, are you there?”
The water rippled. Then she appeared again, rising from the river like before.
“You came back,” she said softly.
“Yes,” Tunji replied. “I want to understand who you are.”
Aramide looked at him sadly. “I am bound to this river. I cannot step far from it. Every full moon, my soul cries to the wind. That is when you hear my song.”
Love and the Moon Oath
Tunji moved closer. “Can the curse be broken?”
She looked up at the moon. “Only by love that does not fear death. But many have tried and failed. Their hearts were not strong enough.”
Tunji did not speak for a while. The sound of frogs and water filled the silence.
“I am not afraid,” he said at last. “Tell me what I must do.”
Aramide stared at him. For a moment, her eyes glowed blue. “You must give a promise under the moon. Once spoken, it cannot be broken.”
Tunji nodded slowly. “Then I promise I will not leave you, Aramide, no matter what the gods say.”
The Awakening Curse
A strange wind blew across the river. The water rose and circled them both. Aramide reached out and touched his hand. Her skin felt cold, but her eyes were warm.
“The gods have heard you,” she whispered. “Now our fates are one.”
Before he could answer, a loud roar came from deep in the forest not human, not animal. The ground shook.
Aramide’s face turned pale. “It is too soon,” she said. “They know.”
Then the river swallowed her whole, and she was gone.
Tunji stood alone, the echo of the roar still shaking the air. He did not know it yet, but the curse had already begun to wake.
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