Royal Scepter

In the early 1980s, there was a powerful kingdom in the western part of the country called Ilu Erú, meaning Town of Slaves.

According to history, the people of Ilu Erú were fierce warriors. They often went to war, captured their enemies, and took them as slaves. They also traded slaves, which was one of their major sources of wealth. Because of their strength and military power, the kingdom was feared by many of the surrounding kingdoms.

The King of Ilu Erú, Oba Adegoke, had two wives.

His first wife, Olori Ronke, was dearly loved by the King. However, she could not give him a male child. She had given birth to a beautiful daughter, Omoba Adesewa, but after that, she suffered several miscarriages.

This became a major concern for the chiefs. The people had already begun whispering that if the King could not produce a male heir, the throne would have to pass to another lineage, as required by the law of the land.

The chiefs eventually met with the King.

“Your Majesty,” one of them said, “you must marry another wife. The kingdom needs a male heir.”

The King was reluctant, but the chiefs were determined. They insisted that another wife had to be brought into the palace.

A few weeks later, the King married Asabi, a calm and respectful young woman from the community. She was the daughter of Balogun, the kingdom's powerful warlord.

One year after the marriage, Asabi became pregnant. She eventually gave birth to a handsome baby boy.

The entire kingdom erupted in joy.

There was dancing, singing, feasting, and celebration throughout Ilu Erú. The King was so happy that he organized a grand banquet for his chiefs, and the celebration lasted for seven days.

But something changed in Asabi.

The calm and respectful woman everyone once knew gradually disappeared. She became proud, arrogant, and disrespectful. She began behaving as though she was above everyone, including the King.

“I gave the King a crown prince,” she would often say. “I deserve to be worshipped.”

For twenty years, the kingdom continued to prosper.

Then came Odun Erú, the Festival of Slaves, one of the most important festivals in Ilu Erú's tradition. According to their belief, if the festival was not celebrated, great atrocities would befall the kingdom, and they could eventually become slaves to another kingdom.

The festival was filled with dancing, eating, drinking, and traditional celebrations.

After everyone had settled down, King Adegoke rose to speak.

He appreciated the people, prayed for the kingdom, and encouraged everyone to continue living in peace.

Then he made an announcement that shocked the entire kingdom.

He called his two children forward.

Adesewa and Adeyemi.

“My children,” the King began, “I have made a very important decision today. I believe leadership should not be determined by gender, but by capacity. Therefore, I have decided to give both of you the opportunity to prove yourselves worthy of leading this great kingdom.”

Silence fell over the gathering.

Everyone was shocked.

It was the first time such a decision had ever been made in Ilu Erú.

Balogun was furious.

Asabi was equally angry. Both of them had always believed that Adeyemi would automatically become the next King because of the law of the land.

Adeyemi, however, was a good and respectable young man. He was loved by the people and was highly skilled in martial arts and swordsmanship.

But Adesewa possessed a different kind of strength.

She was intelligent, wise, and diplomatic. She had solved several conflicts without the need for war, while Adeyemi was often quick to reach for his sword.

A few weeks later, disaster struck.

The King's royal sceptre disappeared.

According to the law of the land, if the royal sceptre left the palace, the King would lose his sanity within seven days.

King Adegoke was furious and confused.

“How could anyone enter my chambers and steal the royal sceptre?” he demanded.

Balogun was also furious. He immediately ordered his warriors to search every room in the palace.

After a thorough search, the sceptre was found in Adesewa's room.

The King was devastated.

Adesewa insisted that she knew nothing about the missing sceptre, but the evidence was against her. According to the law of the land, the King had no choice.

He banished his own daughter from the kingdom.

Two months later, a bitter argument broke out between Asabi and her father, Balogun.

By then, Asabi's pride had grown so much that she no longer respected even her own father.

One day, Balogun summoned her, but she refused to come.

Angered by her disrespect, Balogun went to the palace himself.

The two began exchanging angry words.

Then, in the heat of the argument, Balogun made a statement that changed everything.

“After everything I did for you? After helping you enter this palace and making your son the crown prince, is this how you repay me?”

The King, who happened to hear the statement, immediately became suspicious.

“What did you say?” he asked.

Balogun tried to remain silent, but it was too late.

The King demanded the truth.

Eventually, Balogun confessed everything.

He revealed that he had been responsible for Olori Ronke's miscarriages. He had also been the one pushing the chiefs to demand that the King marry another wife so that his daughter, Asabi, could become Queen.

But that was not all.

Balogun confessed that he had also arranged the incident involving the stolen royal sceptre. He had planted it in Adesewa's room to disgrace her and remove her from the race for the throne.

King Adegoke was filled with anger and regret.

He had banished his innocent daughter because of a crime she never committed.

The King immediately banished Asabi and Balogun from the kingdom and ordered that Adesewa be found and brought back.

When Adesewa returned, the King decided to make her the Crown Princess.

But Adesewa surprised everyone once again.

She respectfully declined.

“Father,” she said, “it is true that I am your first child, but my brother Adeyemi deserves to be King. He is brave, strong, and skilled in martial arts and swordsmanship. I believe he can protect this kingdom.”

She looked at her brother.

“I will support him. We will work together for the good of Ilu Erú.”

Adeyemi could not hold back his tears.

He went down on his knees and cried.

Adesewa gently lifted him up, and the two siblings embraced as they both wept.

King Adegoke watched them with tears in his eyes.

He finally understood that true leadership was not about gender, birth order, or tradition.

It was about character, ability, wisdom, and the willingness to serve others.

King Adegoke officially made Adeyemi the Crown Prince.

And he gave Adesewa a position of great authority, making her Basorun, the highest-ranking military and political title in the kingdom after the King.

For the first time in the history of Ilu Erú, a brother and sister stood together—not as rivals for the crown, but as partners determined to protect their kingdom.

And so, the kingdom learned a lesson it would never forget:

A crown is not made great by the person who wears it, but by the heart, wisdom, and character of the person beneath it.