Page 12 of Possessing the Prince

Kofi smirks. “No, I was an heir to my father’s kingdom and now I am king. You, on the other hand, are heir to a chiefdom…a village. You will never rise above your station, Thomas. It is time you make peace with the mediocrity that is your destiny.”

The corner of Thomas’ lips turn up as his gaze shifts to Adom. “Are you saying your brother Adom is also living a life of mediocrity because he is only a chief? If that is the case, maybe you should have given him the royal prince status instead of your half-breed brother. At least Adom is a real Ashanti. Senya is no more than an Ewe cast-off.”

He’s baiting Kofi and my brother knows it. I am impressed that Kofi manages to hold his peace. Unfortunately, that doesn’t stop Adom from grabbing Thomas by the neck and slamming him into the gold-trimmed, glass foyer table. Thomas is lying on his back across it.

I could go and remove Adom’s fingers from Thomas’ neck. After all, the man is my brother-in-law. But the larger part of me rather enjoys seeing Thomas on his ass. And he called me names. I’ll let this go for another minute or so. Adom is feeling himself.

“What the fuck did you say about my brother, Owusu?”

Thomas’ eyes bulge and he coughs as he struggles to answer. The smile on Adom’s face is menacing, but I know Adom will relent…eventually. Before Thomas ran off at the mouth, they were actually friends, but blood is thicker than water.

“Oh, I’m sorry, Thomas. Do you need me to lighten my grip so you can speak?” Thomas nods his head vigorously and continues to cough out his breaths. “Well, I better damn sure like what you’re going to say, jackal.” Adom lets him go and Thomas rolls off the table, grabbing his neck. Just as he catches his breath, a cadre of men led by Chief Owusu round the corner. Fuck.

“Whatwahalais this?! In my home! King Kofi, I hope you plan to–” Kofi raises his hand. I look over at Adom, but he is nonchalantly fixing the folds of his kente..

“Chief Owusu, we came to your home today to simply discuss a family matter that I am sure you are aware of. However, your son, as usual, decided to disrespect the prince with his insolence. I am sure you are aware that any antagonism toward the prince is an affront to the entire royal family. Did you not raise him better than this? The council may need to hear of his continued transgressions. How can he take your place as chief one day if he cannot respect his Asantehene?”

Thomas stands and avoids the murderous eyes of his father. Chief Owusu dares not cross Kofi—he knows my brother does not make idle threats. The idea of anyone else besides his only son sitting on Chief Owusu’s stool after he passes to the ancestors is unfathomable, so He takes his frustration out on Thomas. “Do you not see the king is honoring us with this visit?! This is not the time to rehash childish disagreements! You need to wrap your mind around yourself and watch what you say to our sovereign. Clean yourself up and join us in my office.”

Chief Owusu turns to Kofi, avoiding my gaze entirely. I know he hates me just because of my mother’s Ewe origins, but I do not care; he will yield.

“Asantehene, please excuse my son’s behavior. I’m sure whatever he said was meant in jest and no harm. Please join me in my office and we will discuss the business at hand.” He claps twice and the men that had surrounded him disappear.

When we enter his office, I notice the furnishings are entirely white and gold, much like the rest of his house. He gestures for the three of us to sit in chairs on the other side of his massive gold desk. Once he has settled his robust frame in a white chair that must be custom made to accommodate his girth, he begins to talk.

“Gentleman, a drink? King, the palm wine is ready to flow for you.”

Kofi smiles but declines. “Thank you, Kwabena, but not at the moment. As you know, this knocking visit is on behalf of my brother Senya. We can share wine once the matter is settled.”

Chief Owusu looks over at me and releases a sigh. He leans back, places his hands on his robust stomach, and speaks. “Prince Senya, why do you want my Abena? As you know, she is promised to Chief Apeagyei’s son, Michael. This has been in the works since the unfortunate cancellation of Abena’s last betrothal.” He throws a glance at Kofi, but quickly turns back to me. “Why do you want to cause trouble in an old man’s house?” He laughs to add levity, but I do not join him.

“I love your daughter, Chief, and she has agreed to marry me. I would hope such a match would bring joy to your house and not trouble.”

“An Ashanti princess marrying an Ewe bastard? I think not.” Thomas' voice vibrates as he stalks into the room. Apparently, his memory is short and the ass whooping he just received taught him nothing. Adom stirs, but Kofi holds his hand up to stop him. Adom looks like he is thinking about disobeying the royal hand until Kofi gives him a look that shuts him down.

Chief Owusu quickly tries to clean up the situation.

“Thomas! If you cannot speak civilly, please leave my face.” Thomas crosses his arms and leans against the wall. He nods at his father and Chief Owusu continues. “Senya. You are a fine prince who has served our Asantehene well. But Thomas has a point. You are half Ewe. That is not entirely an advantageous match for my daughter.”

Adom sighs. “Will this disrespect ever end? Senya is our brother, and it matters not if his mother was Ewe. He's your prince, and he is asking for your daughter’s hand in marriage. The Anglo-Ashanti wars and Ewe raids were centuries ago. We are now one Ghana.”

Chief Owusu clasps and unclasps his fingers before speaking. “The Ewe people are a tribe of artisans and builders with no king. Their decentralized economy and nomadic lifestyle is the reason they haven’t progressed in all this time. They have never meant the Ashanti any good. You want me to pledge my most precious jewel to that?Please!It is too much to ask! Can he evenaffordher hand?”

“Ahh, now we get to the heart of the matter, Kwabena.” Kofi scoots to the end of his chair so that he is leaning on Owusu’s desk. He slams his fist down on the gold-painted wood. “Do not lie to your king, Owusu. It is about money with you, not ancient grudges. You are shameless in how you try to pass Abena off to the highest bidder. Fortunately for you two, things are at play here that may yet spare you my wrath. Unbeknownst to you, Senya is rich. He has more money than the Ashanti crown thanks to sound investing. Two, he loves Abena, and she will be happy with him. We know she has no desire to marry that old man you are trying to force upon her. You want more land and riches? You don't need the Apeagyeis—we can take care of that for you. We are prepared to offer gold and Bobiri land.”

Chief Owusu gasps and his eyes reflect regret. He is about to protest, but I have a feeling he really does not want to. What ensnares him?

“King, nothing can be done no matter the price. Abena is promised to the Apeagyeis. The alliance in industry and policy between Tarkwa and Aboso hangs in the balance. I cannot renege now.”

He talks like Abena is no more than an object to be traded. My anger is nearly impossible to contain. “What about what Abena wants?” I slip the words between my teeth in an attempt to suppress my rage. “You speak as if her opinion does not matter. You also speak of her like she is a girl and not a grown and successful woman.”

Thomas moves from the wall and joins the conversation. “We have spoken to Abena. Her opinion was taken into account, and she agrees that securing Tarkwa’s industry and longevity is more important than any feelings of infatuation she may have felt for you.” He smirks, and I am tempted to wipe the stupid smile off his face. “However, now that we have been made aware of your great wealth, I understand her whim.”

I stand, and both Thomas and his father’s eyes go wide with concern. Everyone in Ashanti land knows that my six-foot-eight, 250-pound frame is a deadly weapon. I am a master of judo, kung fu, and Ju Jitsu. It was my job to protect the Asantehene for over a decade. It was my duty and pleasure to hit with an intention to incapacitate and shoot to kill. They are scared of me. And they should be.

“I do not believe you, Thomas. Abena and I spoke only two days ago and negotiated our engagement. I also collected her from the airport, and she was…accommodating. You want me to believe that suddenly she no longer wants to be married? I do not abide liars for long.”

Chief Owusu clears his throat and stands. His voice lowers into a placating tone. “It is true, Prince Senya. We do not lie. Abena now understands what is at stake and is willing to make this sacrifice. It is obvious that you're in love with my daughter, but I’m afraid she does not share the same depth of feeling. No matter what any of you think about my son or I, Abena has always been devoted to family.”

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