Page 47 of Craving a King

I nod and take a sip of wine. “I’ve been like eight times. I just love the architecture and the food. Not to mention the shopping; the Grand Bazaar is everything!”

He laughs heartily before pouring another glass of wine. “Yes, I’m afraid our Kumasi market can’t compare to Istanbul’s four-mile odyssey into retail.” He looks at me as he takes a new sip and rests his eyes at my mouth. “You’re so beautiful, Ella. One day I will take you to Istanbul in the most luxurious manner possible. No expense will be spared. We will search every nook and cranny of the city to find treasures that compliment your loveliness.”

My heart skips a beat in response to his gesture. “Thank you,” I respond. “But before you can whisk me around the world, we’ve got to solve whatever problem you’ve brought back with you from Tarkwa. The worry is all over your face.”

He sighs. “Today was a disaster.”

“A disaster?”

He nods. “An absolute catastrophe. It ended with me breaking Thomas Owusu’s nose all over their precious white carpet.”

I’m shocked. “You fought Thomas Owusu! What happened? Why was he even there?”

He rolls his eyes. “Exactly. I asked for a private meeting, but instead I was greeted by the entire Owusu clan. Abena included.”

I tense at her name. That woman’s very presence screamsbitch. “What did she want?”

I ask even though I’m pretty sure I can guess. Women like her only want one of three things: money, power, or control. Sometimes all at the same time. He takes the next 30 minutes to recount the entire experience to me. His commentary is both colorful and thorough. He even reveals the gambling trouble his father had that created the need for such an agreement. This is a detail he could have chosen to omit. The fact that he shared it makes me feel closer to him. I share the sadness in his voice and witness the vulnerability in his eyes when he’s done. The man is hurting. So am I.

I shift in my chair and take another sip of wine. Kofi stands and looks out into the sky from the balcony railing. I know he’s trying to sort how he feels about it all, but I can’t help but wonder about him and I. I must ask. “What does this mean for us?”

He turns around to face me. “I don’t know. I’ve been thinking about us since the moment I saw the contract for myself. All I know is that I love you. I will figure this out. I just need some time to figure out what us will look like in the meantime.”

This is not the answer I’m looking for. At this point in my life, I need him to know. Especially with the life changes he asked me to make less than 24 hours ago.OK, Ella, calm down. Don’t freak out. Ask objective questions. You’re in the information-gathering stage.“Does that mean you are not marrying Abena?”

He leans back, places his elbows on the railing, and sighs. “It means I want to marry you.”

Whoa, was that a proposal?I decide not to question it and let him continue.

“I’m trying to figure out how to get what I want without jeopardizing the crown and my family’s legacy. If the terms of this contract get out along with my father’s transgressions, it will cause some unrest. The Owusus know it will tarnish our entire reign. Between the council hearings and the press, it will be a nightmare.”

I nod. “Kofi, that’s extortion. Can’t you bring them in front of the council for that? You’re the king.”

He simpers and shakes his head. “It doesn’t quite work that way. I mean, I absolutely can. But I don’t think that will win me any favors with the council. I’m also the speaker of the house in parliament, and reelection is coming next year. I can’t afford a scandal.”

The more he talks, the more I’m starting to feel animosity bubble up in my chest. I hate the Owusus, Abena, elections, and the council. This can’t be healthy. I think we both may need some space to figure out how to deal with this and the past three weeks. I stand from the table and walk over to Kofi.

“Maybe it’s good I’m heading back to Atlanta in a little less than two weeks. It sounds like you have a lot of thinking and big decisions to make. I don’t want to be a distraction.”

I walk over to him and he reaches out to grab my hands. “Ella, that’s the last thing I want. I meant what I said last night. I want you to stay here with me. I asked for a year, but I will gladly take a lifetime. I just need time to figure out how to make everyone and myself happy at the same time. There has to be a way to fix this.” His eyes look desperate. He’s searching my face for assurances I’m not prepared to offer.

“Kofi, let’s say you find a way for us to stay together. What does that mean for me? I mean besides moving to Ghana, what happens when we decide to marry? If I’m queen, what will my duties be? Will I be able to keep my company? My work is extremely important to me, and I don’t think I could give that up for anyone or anything. I’ve already neglected my other commitments and clients enough since I’ve been here.”

He squeezes my hands. “Of course. You will be able to continue the work of spreading free public education throughout Kumasi, Ghana, and even greater West Africa. Ella, with your talents, I believe the entire continent will benefit from the platform you will achieve as my wife. As far as your business, it will have to shift. You can’t be a UN contractor or independent education consultant if you are a government official. As my wife and queen, that is what you would become. So, it is not giving up the work, just the autonomy to run an independent organization.”

I release my hands from his and wrap my arms around my body. My head shakes in disbelief. “But Kofi, Revolution Academies has been my life for the past six years. I opened my first school a year out of law school at 26. When Marcus left me three years ago, a part of his reasoning was my business. He wanted me to practice corporate law like him, and I refused. After he left me, I was determined to make my work count and my business work, and it has. Now you’re asking me to give all that up. Why is the woman always the one that has to sacrifice? Why can’t we move to Atlanta and be bicoastal? I mean, surely we will have to travel quite a bit in our duties.”

He walks behind me and wraps his arms around me. “I’m not saying we can’t. I’m just saying I need some time to find out and share with you exactly what we can and can’t do. I’ve never explored this avenue of my royal life before. I never had to until I fell in love with you. Can you give me some time to figure this all out, and in the meantime stay with me for however long it takes?”

My tears start to fall. Time is the one thing that I don’t have to give. My flight back to Atlanta leaves in a little under two weeks. In that short amount of time, I’m hosting eight community meetings to promote the school network in the villages. Plus, I have a plethora of work waiting for me back in the states as well as engagements and business meetings. Not to mention my best friend is recovering from the biggest hit to her physical health she will ever see in her lifetime.

I don’t have time to wait for Kofi to research if I’m worth the sacrifices he might have to make. I need to know now what his intentions are, because if I’m staying in Ghana, I’m only staying as his future queen and an international CEO of Revolution Academies. I don’t know at what point it got that real, but with all the personal freedoms I will lose, those are the only two things worth gaining. It’s not about the title. It’s about being Kofi’s everything. I have to know he will fight for the things that I need. I have to know no matter who is coming for me, whether it’s the council or his messy auntie, that he will stop them before they get to my door. I have to come first. Without that assurance, I cannot stay.

“Kofi, we have time. Let’s see what we can come up with in the next two weeks. But I do think it’s best if I fly home at the end of my thirty days. I can always fly back when all this has worked itself out. If I’m going to come back to Ghana for good, there are loose ends I will need to tie up in Atlanta. There are also assurances I need that you still have to figure out how to provide. No matter what, our love is real and real love doesn’t break just because it’s tested.” I try to sound convincing. Instead, it sounds like goodbye.

He gives me a soft smile before pulling me into his hold. “I’m never letting you go, Ella. No matter how far away you go, I will come get you. You’re the only woman I love. Duty is just getting in the way right now. But please don’t give up on me. Don’t give up on us.”

I try to hide my sniffle. “I love you, too. I just have too much in jeopardy to uproot everything I’ve built for uncertainty. I need more than that right now.”

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