Mocked and humiliated because she is skinny, she becomes the princess of the village.

In the darkest hours of a Saturday evening in the kingdom of Lat, twins were born: two beautiful little girls, born to Papa Orussa King and Mama Orussa King. Their father, a wealthy gold merchant who traded across every corner of the country, named the newborns Ayo and Asake.

Over the years, it became obvious that the twins were very different physically. Even though they were served the same meals at the same time, Ayo was surprisingly thin, tall, and willowy, while Asake was rounder and shorter. Because she was thinner, Ayo was often the target of mockery from the other children in the village. Whenever they saw her, they would start laughing and call her “the skinny girl” or “too thin.” They refused to play with her, convinced she would not be able to keep up with their games.

But Asake, her twin sister, was always there to defend her.

“If you call my sister any of those ugly names again, you will have to deal with me!” Asake shouted at anyone who mocked Ayo.

She was afraid of no one when it came to protecting her sister. Ayo knew she could always count on Asake to stand up for her.

The years passed, but things did not get better for Ayo. Asake and Ayo did everything together. They played, studied, and even sang side by side. They were inseparable. However, while Asake grew rounder and seemed healthy, Ayo remained very thin.

People in the village gossiped about Ayo, saying she was not good enough because she was too skinny.

“How will she ever get married if she stays like that?”

“She will never be able to take care of a home or a family,” the villagers whispered whenever Ayo walked by.

They did not know how much their words hurt her. Every time Ayo heard those remarks, she became sad and sometimes preferred to isolate herself in silence, full of shame.

But no matter how hard things became, Asake was always there to comfort her.

“Don’t listen to them, Ayo,” Asake would say, holding her close. “You are beautiful just as you are. Those who do not understand you do not matter. You are special, and one day people will see how wonderful you are.”

But the mockery did not come only from the children. The adults in the village, especially the older women, also pointed at her and whispered.

They would say, “Look how thin she is. She will never become strong enough to do family duties.”

It was difficult for Ayo to ignore those comments, especially when they came from people who were supposed to be kind and wise.

Despite that, Asake never allowed anyone to insult her sister. If someone mocked Ayo, Asake did not hesitate to threaten them.

“Stop immediately, or you will regret it!”

The villagers knew better than to provoke Asake, because she became fierce whenever it came to protecting Ayo.

One day, an event made Ayo even sadder. A big dance festival was to take place in the village. All the young people would gather there to dance, sing, and have fun. Ayo and Asake were excited because they loved dancing. They had practiced for a long time and had always dreamed of taking part in that great ball.

However, at the entrance of the celebration, the leader of the young women’s group, a girl named Queenie, looked at Ayo and declared:

“You cannot enter. We do not want a skinny girl like you ruining the atmosphere.”

Ayo’s heart tightened. Her face turned red with shame, and tears filled her eyes. She immediately turned around and ran home with a heavy heart.

Asake was furious. She wanted to shout at Queenie and tell her how wrong she was, but she did not want to cause a scene. Instead, she ran after Ayo, her heart broken for her sister.

She found her sitting by the window, crying.

“Do not let their words hurt you, Ayo,” Asake said gently, sitting beside her. “You are beautiful the way you are. You are special, and no one has the right to make you feel inferior. They do not understand you, and they probably never will.”

Ayo wiped her tears and managed a small smile. She was grateful to have a sister like Asake.

“But why do they say all these things about me? Why don’t they see who I really am?” she asked, her heart aching.

“People are afraid of what they do not understand,” Asake replied. “But we know the truth. You are wonderful as you are, and one day they will realize it.”

Despite those comforting words, Ayo could not help feeling sad at times. The villagers’ mockery did not stop, and nothing seemed able to change their opinion.

Ayo and Asake’s parents, Adissa and her husband, did everything they could to help Ayo gain weight. They consulted doctors, who prescribed special foods, then went to herbalists who promised to make Ayo stronger. But nothing worked. No matter what she ate, Ayo remained just as thin as before.

The villagers continued to mock her, saying she would never be useful to her family. They laughed and insulted her whenever she passed by. But Asake tirelessly defended her sister, always ready to fight for Ayo.

The one thing that truly comforted Ayo was her talent for cooking. She cooked so well that her family often licked their plates clean, praising her delicious dishes. At home, she felt safe. But as soon as she stepped outside, she faced the wolves in the form of villagers who tormented her because of her thinness.

This was especially true whenever Ayo and Asake went to the market. People compared them, whispered, and mocked them.

One afternoon, while the twins were at the market buying ingredients, a fish seller began to tease Asake.

“Why did you suck all the blood out of Ayo?” she shouted, bursting into laughter.

Everyone around joined in the mockery, and someone else added:

“Be careful of tomorrow’s strong wind, Ayo. Don’t get blown away!”

Ayo was so hurt that she was left speechless.

“You should be ashamed of yourselves,” Asake snapped angrily. “Most of you have children, and if you don’t, maybe it is because you are too bitter to have any. But I am sure at least you have brothers or sisters, so stop acting like fools!”

Ayo felt relieved to see her sister defending her. Asake always protected her from these bullies.

Until the day everything changed.

Asake’s boyfriend, Haru, came to visit her. The son of a famous cocoa producer, he had been in a relationship with Asake for two years. But he brought serious news: he would no longer marry her because his family did not approve of their union.

“Why?” Asake asked, crying. “Am I not good enough for you?”

“You are perfect,” Haru replied. “But my parents are afraid that your sister’s skinny genes might appear in our children.”

Asake could not believe her ears. Her world collapsed. She began to resent her twin sister, blaming Ayo for her heartbreak.

At the same time, she was excluded from her social circles because people did not like the way she defended her skinny sister. Asake blamed Ayo for all her misfortunes and decided to make her life a living hell.

Asake sat on the edge of her bed, staring blankly at the wall. For six days, she had spoken to no one. The silence in her room was deafening. She did not even have the strength to send a message to her ex-boyfriend, something she used to do every day before everything fell apart. Now she felt only a vast emptiness swallowing her.

How had she ended up here?

Asake could not hold back her tears. Every night, when the house fell silent and everyone was asleep, she locked herself in her room and cried. She could not stop thinking about her ex-boyfriend and the plans they had made together.

They had planned everything: the wedding, a large house, and four children. Asake had even chosen their names: Maline, then David, followed by Grace, and little Joshua. Their life was supposed to be beautiful and full of love.

Now everything was gone.

She could not believe that her dreams had shattered like a crystal vase falling to the ground in a thousand pieces. And all of it, in her mind, was because of her sister.

To Asake, Ayo had ruined everything.

Day after day, Asake’s anger grew. She fed a burning hatred toward her sister.

Ayo did not understand why Asake had become so distant and cold. She tried to speak to her, but each time, Asake reacted violently and walked away. Ayo could see the pain in her sister’s eyes, but it seemed that Asake refused to open up to her.

Ayo did not know what she had done wrong. She missed their conversations, their moments of closeness, and those nights when they stayed up late talking about their hopes and dreams. Now Asake wanted to hear nothing from her.

Day after day, Ayo watched Asake leave early in the morning and return late at night without ever saying where she had gone. Perhaps it did not matter. Asake was clearly avoiding her.

Ayo felt alone. When she saw Asake laughing and happily chatting with her new friend Christie, she felt a pinch in her heart. Asake spent hours locked in her room with Christie, chatting, making plans, while Ayo found herself excluded, unable to take part. Asake simply no longer wanted her around, and that hurt deeply.

Ayo’s life outside the house was no easier. She had lost the confidence she once had to walk through the village. People began whispering behind her back, pointing at her and judging her. No one was there to defend her anymore. No one was there to tell the villagers to be quiet.

Ayo had always been a strong and independent young girl, but now, without support, she felt vulnerable and powerless.

At home, the situation was not much better. Ayo spent most of her time locked in her room, afraid to go outside. She did not want to face the villagers’ stares, now full of contempt or pity. She thought with nostalgia about the days when Asake protected her, when the two of them were a united team.

Now, even at home, Ayo walked on eggshells around her sister.

She missed her so much. It felt as if her whole world had been turned upside down.

The worst part was that she did not know what had caused this sudden change. What had she done to deserve such rejection?

She spent entire days writing letters to Asake, hoping that at least one of them would be read. But every time she left a letter on Asake’s table, she later found it crumpled and thrown in the trash. Asake did not even bother reading them or giving her a chance to explain.

One day, after yet another attempt to convince Asake to talk to her, Ayo sat at her desk facing a blank page. She had already written so many letters, all filled with regret, without result.

As she thought about what to write next, she heard bursts of laughter coming from Asake’s room. It had been days since she had heard that sound, and it broke her heart.

She stood up and silently approached the door to look through the gap. She saw Asake and Christie sitting on the floor, laughing and talking.

Ayo felt a knot form in her throat. She could not even remember the last time she had laughed with her sister.

With tears in her eyes, Ayo returned to her room, her heart heavy with sadness. She missed her sister more than she could express.

But what could she do? Asake had clearly shown that she no longer wanted her affection. Ayo had tried everything: words, letters, silent presence. Nothing worked. She felt as if she had lost her sister forever.

Meanwhile, the bond between Asake and Christie grew stronger. They spent hours talking, imagining the future, and Asake felt she had finally found someone who understood her. Christie did not judge her and did not ask her to justify herself. For the first time in a long while, Asake felt she could rely on someone.

However, that friendship was not enough to erase the pain of her breakup or the frustration tied to her tense relationship with Ayo. The life plans she had built with her ex-boyfriend still haunted her, and every time she crossed paths with Ayo, she felt a sharp rush of anger and resentment.

Ayo, despite everything, continued trying to find a way to get close to Asake. She missed the old Asake, the protective one. Even though she did not understand why everything had changed, she refused to give up on her sister.

One day, Ayo prepared a delicious meal for the family as usual. But Asake entered the kitchen and threw sand into the pot.

“Why did you do that?” Ayo shouted, horrified.

“Shut up, skinny witch,” Asake replied.

The following week, Ayo filled a bucket and left it in the bathroom while she went to change before taking her bath. Asake took advantage of her absence to pour something into the water.

Without knowing, Ayo used it and began scratching her entire body frantically. Her parents had to apply palm oil to calm the irritation. All the while, Asake laughed loudly, and Ayo quickly understood who was responsible.

Now, instead of defending Ayo in public, Asake humiliated her in front of everyone. At the market, she gave her cruel nicknames such as “walking skeleton.”

Ayo spent her days crying.

Their parents scolded Asake and ordered her to stop.

“She is your twin sister!” their mother exclaimed. “I did not raise you to treat her like this.”

But Asake remained unmoved.

“Ayo destroyed my life! The love of my life, Haru, left me because of this stick!” she screamed.

Shocked, their mother slapped her hard.

Despite all the mockery Ayo endured daily from the villagers, and now from her own twin sister, an unexpected event soon shook the kingdom.

Every ten years, the kingdom of Lat and the neighboring kingdoms of Moheri and Bor organized a contest called the Queen Maiden Competition. Each kingdom had to present three of its most talented and beautiful young women. This time, the host kingdom was Bor, since the last edition had taken place in Lat.

In the kingdom of Lat, people began suggesting names of potential candidates. Some mentioned Ayo’s name mockingly.

“Who would think of sending a skeleton to represent human beings?”

One afternoon, while Ayo was going to fetch water from the village river, she met a man named Adio, one of the contest organizers from Bor. Without knowing it, Ayo was speaking to him for the first time.

As soon as Adio saw her, he was amazed.

“What beauty!” he exclaimed. “You have a figure many would dream of.”

At first, Ayo thought he was mocking her, but he seemed sincerely delighted.

He explained that he was in her village to collect the names of the three young girls who would take part in the competition.

“I am sure your name will be on the list,” he said. “You look perfectly suited for it.”

Ayo, incredulous, replied that it was impossible because everyone in the village hated her and would never want her for such an event. She also told him that he was the first person ever to compliment her appearance, while everyone else called her a skeleton or worse.

Shocked, Adio encouraged her to dress beautifully and at least attend the competition, even if she did not take part.

After thinking about it, Ayo promised she would go.

The day of the contest arrived. The inhabitants of Lat and Moheri traveled to the palace of Bor. Ayo and Asake were there too, accompanied by their parents, all looking radiant.

After presenting the three candidates from each kingdom, the organizers announced that there would be one additional contestant sponsored by the host king himself. Indeed, one of the privileges of the host kingdom was to add one extra candidate to the list.

Everyone wondered who would receive that chance.

Then the organizers called Ayo’s name.

Stunned, she froze in place. Her fellow villagers were shocked, and many became jealous. Asake, for her part, burned with anger.

“What is the point of putting a stick in this competition?” she muttered.

However, no one had the power to contest the king’s decision.

Ayo’s parents applauded joyfully and encouraged her. Despite her surprise, she drew strength from their support and stood tall and graceful beside the nine other contestants.

The competition began with a cooking test. Each contestant had to prepare a traditional dish. Thanks to her talent, Ayo finished quickly, guided by the instinct of an accomplished cook.

After tasting the dishes, the judges announced the five best candidates, including Ayo, who qualified for the next stage.

In the second test, the five young women had to find a hidden treasure in a forest. The first to bring it back would be crowned Queen Maiden of the Three Kingdoms.

But there was an added difficulty: before reaching the forest, they had to swim across a river.

Many of the candidates were not good swimmers, but Ayo, being lighter, crossed quickly and reached the forest first to begin searching.

About fifteen minutes later, another candidate named Jibike emerged from the water and also began searching for the treasure.

Suddenly, Ayo spotted a blue, shiny object in a bush.

“That must be it!” she cried, forgetting for a moment that she was not alone in the competition.

Hearing Ayo’s voice, Jibike rushed in the same direction. The two girls ran, but Ayo’s outfit got caught on a branch, causing her to fall.

Jibike reached the sparkling object first.

Then Ayo noticed that there were other identical blue objects scattered everywhere. She realized they were decoys. Not wanting to make the same mistake again, Ayo kept the secret to herself.

Jibike, convinced she had found the treasure, turned back and persuaded the three other girls that she had won. Disappointed, they gave up and also returned to the kingdom.

Ayo continued searching.

Then she felt drops of water falling on her. Looking up, she saw a golden chest perched in a tree. It sparkled so intensely that Ayo immediately understood it was the real treasure.

Thanks to her height, she climbed the tree easily, took down the box, and opened it. Inside, she found several of the same blue trinkets, confirming that the object she had found was indeed the true treasure.

She closed the box and made her way back to the palace.

When she arrived at the palace holding the box in her hands, all eyes turned toward Ayo. She was exhausted, but determined.

The organizers displayed a drawing of the true treasure that had been sought, and it matched perfectly with the one she had found.

She was declared the winner and crowned Queen Maiden of the Three Kingdoms.

As a reward, she received many gifts: gold, magnificent outfits, and even a house in her name.

The people of her village, stunned, had to admit they had been wrong about her. Many came to apologize, sometimes hypocritically, for the way they had treated her.

Her parents were overjoyed, while Asake, ashamed, did not know where to hide.

When they returned to the village, Asake decided to pack her bags and leave, overwhelmed by shame.

“Why do you want to leave your family, Asake?” Ayo asked.

Asake, in tears, replied:

“I regret what I did to you. You are my twin sister, and yet I treated you as if you were worthless. I gave more importance to other people’s opinions than to my own blood. Let me go. I am too ashamed.”

Ayo answered softly:

“We came into this world on the same day, from our mother’s womb. I love you no matter what, and I forgive you.”

They embraced each other.

From that day on, the twin sisters lived happily for the rest of their days.

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