KINGDOM DIVIDED
Segun Iwasanmi@iwasanmisegun212159
16 days ago
Written by : Segun Iwasanmi
Chapter 3: The Stranger’s Warning
The night was restless. Even the wind refused to settle, rattling the wooden windows of Olatunde’s chamber as if it carried a message too urgent to be ignored. He sat on the floor, hands clasped, eyes closed, whispering a prayer that felt emptier than the throne room itself.
The betrayal weighed on his chest like a stone. His own brother—Adedeji—had declared himself ruler over the southern provinces, waving a fragment of the sacred crown like it was heaven’s signature on his claim. Olatunde’s people murmured that the kingdom’s misfortunes were not mere coincidence. Some whispered that Erelu’s favor had left with the stolen piece of the crown.
But was it truly the crown that held their blessing? Or something far greater?
The candlelight flickered violently. Then—silence. No wind. No movement. Even the restless crickets outside had fallen mute.
Then came the voice.
“You search for peace, but your hands hold war.”
Olatunde’s eyes shot open.
A figure stood at the edge of the room, robed in brown, hood drawn low over his face. He was neither soldier nor courtier, and yet, he stood as if he had always belonged there.
Olatunde rose slowly. “Who are you?”
The figure did not move. “One who comes with truth.”
Olatunde’s hand drifted toward his dagger. “Truth is rarely delivered in shadows.”
The stranger lifted a hand—not in threat, but in offering. A parchment, aged and sealed with wax, bore the imprint of a crown split in two.
Olatunde hesitated before reaching for it. The moment he broke the seal, a voice—soft as a whisper yet heavy as thunder—filled the room.
"The crown was never meant to be worshipped. Seek God’s will, not your own pride."
Olatunde’s grip tightened on the parchment. “What does this mean?”
The stranger’s head tilted slightly. “You chase a throne that was never yours to own. The true King is not seated on gold, but enthroned in the hearts of those who fear Him.”
The words struck deep. Had he not sought God? Had he not prayed, fasted, ruled with justice? But a truth, unspoken yet undeniable, gnawed at him—he had begun to trust the weight of his crown more than the weight of God’s hand.
The stranger took a step forward. “Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help.” (Psalm 146:3)
Olatunde swallowed. “Are you saying my kingdom is doomed?”
“Your kingdom?” The stranger’s voice was soft, but the rebuke was sharp. “A house divided against itself shall not stand.” (Mark 3:25)
Olatunde’s breath hitched. His brother’s rebellion. His people’s unrest. His own heart, torn between the throne and the God who placed him upon it.
The stranger placed the parchment in his palm. “You will find the truth written here. But only the humble will understand it.”
Olatunde looked down at the scroll, then back up—
The stranger was gone.
A gust of wind rushed through the chamber, relighting the candle with an eerie steadiness. Olatunde’s fingers trembled as he unrolled the parchment. Inked across the aged surface were verses from the Psalms:
“The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” (Psalm 27:1)
“If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14)
A chill ran down his spine. This was no mere message.
This was a warning.
This was a calling.
Had he allowed the throne to become his god? Had he placed his faith in a kingdom rather than its true Ruler?
His fingers curled around the parchment. If these words were true, then the battle for Erelu was far greater than a war for land and power.
It was a war for the soul of the kingdom.
And perhaps, for his own.
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To be continued in chapter four...
MORAL REFLECTION
Pride blinds even the righteous. Olatunde had prayed, but had he truly surrendered? Many chase power, believing it to be their purpose, forgetting that without God, even a crown is but dust.
"God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble." (James 4:6)
A divided kingdom was not Erelu’s greatest threat. A divided heart was.
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