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Sons of the Flaming Throne 3 – Ch. 24 | KT OLLA

NOW King Solomon rose back to his place. This time the tide was high.

‘So all that Adonijah want from me is the Shunammite?’ he asked the guest.

The woman affirmed the word.

‘Then with this he should be pacified?’

Bathsheba nodded.

The king tested her afresh. 

‘Did you say all I have to give this brother is my wife, the woman Father gave me to wed?’

Bathsheba spoke up then. ‘No, not your wife... it is the Shunammite lady; I mean—’

Solomon cut her short.

‘But if I give my wife and he isn’t satisfied, then he can come back to ask the throne—right?’

Bathsheba stuttered, but the king wouldn’t hear a word. He went on speaking as though she’d answered him.

‘Oh why would he trouble himself asking compensation? He deserves this seat, doesn’t he?

‘He should have simply asked for the throne! What a waste of ambition!

‘Definitely it was his wife I stole, how much less the throne! He should have come for both his wife and me!’

Bathsheba was a little scared. She moved to implore the king, but Solomon had an answer.

‘Oh wait, Mother; I’ll hear all you have to say; let me finish with this business.’

The woman trembled in her seat as she heard the king summon Benaiah, the chief of staff. She couldn’t preempt where things were going.

Upon Benaiah’s arrival, Solomon gave instructions.

‘You were there when I pardoned Adonijah and warned him never to eye anything of the throne.’

‘Yes, Your Majesty, I was there,’ replied the man.

‘Now today Adonijah has asked for the wife of the King. He has asked I surrender my queen!’

Benaiah went down immediately. He knew the next words he’d hear would be an order.

Now he was surprised at the prince who’d spent a whole day asking for the king’s mercy... that he could be back to them again sentenced guilty.

So he bowed to take his order.

‘Go to Adonijah, the Fourth Son of David,’ said the ruler. ‘Go to the man who coveted the King’s wife and throne—and judge him with the sword!’

Benaiah bowed down low. ‘Your Royal Majesty!’

Then he mounted a swift horse and rode to find Adonijah. He must be done before words reached him.

The king turned to the queen mother as soon as his soldier fled off in haste.

He said, ‘Now let me hear what you wanted to say.’

Bathsheba sat there completely overwhelmed. She shuddered with fear like she’d never seen herself do.

She trembled and sighed and thought to run, as she’d never seen her son defend a woman.

Now when the king asked her to say her matter, she only stood up and said, ‘I’d like to take my leave.’

King Solomon knew his mother could send men to his rival in a bid to save him from what she’d caused him.

So the monarch looked at her and smiled, ‘You should wait a little longer. You must stay and eat some food.’

That day, water rose with all the tide and threw all garbage back. That day, everybody cowered.

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