Page 35 of Possessing the Prince

“You know the rest of the story. You are here and you became a member of the Ashanti royal family. Afefa would be proud.”

The priest’s eyes moisten with tears. His love for Senya’s mother is apparent. The weeping man in front of us does not look like a monster who buys and sells women. When I pause to think, I realize he also did not talk to me like someone with malicious intentions. It took him two days to call me to him, and he seemed to hate that brute David more than I did. He has made no threats and no real protest about the killing of his devotees and liberation of his slaves. He almost seems relieved. Something is off.

I step up and eye the priest. “Priest, what is your given name? Are you allowed to share that information?”

He chuckles. “What does what I am allowed to do matter when I am being held at gunpoint? I am called Edem. Do you know what that means, Princess T’ogbe?”

“No. Please tell me.”

“In Ewe, it translates to ‘God delivered me.’”

“As he did today?”

“As he does every day. “

I shake my head. “I don’t believe God saved you to hold women captive against their will, deny them proper nutrition and health care, and use them for sexual exploitation.”

Edem sighs. “You assume a lot, Mrs. T’ogbe. Did you see any of the things you mentioned while you were here? Or is this the infamous journalism you have dedicated your talents to? What did you see with your own two eyes?”

I feel like he’s toying with me and I don’t like it. I will not feed into his world of alternative facts. When I open my mouth to give him a piece of my mind, I am interrupted by Senya. He is standing next to me with a fierce look of concentration on his face. A shimmer of recognition crosses over his countenance.

“You are Edem Adepa!” he accuses in a shout. “The former intelligence chief for African Affairs with the UN. You ran as an operative for years. I knew you looked familiar.” Senya cocks his gun and points it at the priest's head as he throws me behind him. “What is your mission here?! And what does Abena have to do with it?! And how do you know so much about my family history?!”

Edem eyes Senya carefully and gestures for him to put his rifle down. Senya takes a moment and complies. But I feel Adom and Zayd move closer. Adom picks up his phone and makes a call. Who the hell is he talking to at a moment like this?

The priest visibly exhales when Senya lowers his gun. “I thought you would recognize me after a while. Senya, I always admired your intelligence work for the Ashanti.” Edem exhales loudly and wipes a hand over his face. “I’m getting too old for this shit. I swear to Mawu this is my last mission.”

Senya’s jaw clenches. “What the fuck is going on here? You have sixty seconds to explain or I’ll blow your head off. And your Ewe god Mawu will not be able to save you.”

Edem sighs. “Calm down!” his voice booms, and then it lowers. “I’ve been on assignment here for the past five years. My goal has been twofold: Advance Ewe and Ashanti relations and free these women before destroying this shrine. You and Abena were a surprise.”

Senya looks as though he will kill the man anyway, not believing a word he says. I notice his trigger finger itching at his side. I speak up.

“Edem, you need to explain. How did you know Senya’s mother’s history? Why didn’t you return me immediately? Why did you even take me?”

“He’s a spy. That’s the how and why,” Senya hisses. “You were collateral damage to whatever his mission was here.”

Edem shakes his head. “No, Prince. You have me wrong. You see, I know you, because who I said I was…I am. My father and his fathers before him ran this shrine. The story I told you of Afefa is true. It’s just that at the end, when she died, I left this place forever. I was disgusted and grieving.

“I changed my name and entered the world of shadows on behalf of Ghana, but I always planned to come back here and shut down this God-forsaken place. I have led a secret organization of powerful Ewe for twenty years now, and we have been educating villages and shutting down fetish shrines. When my father died, it was easy to claim my place as priest. The people here are very traditional, and they did not blink twice at my absence. I was the old high priest’s son, so they believed I had power, and I do to some extent.

This practice will not define our tribe. And to be honest, the practice is operating in various tribes all over Ghana, including the Ashanti. Our goal is to work together to end it. That’s what we do as government operatives. Your king has been slow to join us. He is a cautious king who wants peace. But I have a feeling that now, because of you, he will.

“I have used my power to free over 1,000 women from this place one way or the other. The men you killed today, none of them were my comrades. My comrades are at our government-sanctioned safe house. I sent the men you killed today word of your inevitable attack only a day ago. They were the zealots from the surrounding villages that often banish women here for little or no reason. I knew you would bring the firepower to save Abena, and you did not disappoint. Your attack has brought a final end to this shrine and most of its militant adherents.

“When Abena was taken, I was not consulted. David acted solely on the orders of Michael Apeagyei and his father. They were obsessed with taking her, and I put it off as long as I could. The blood feud between them and the Owusus consumes them. Even now, when they hear what has happened, they will likely try to recapture her. They believe in the fetish religion deeply. They fund this place and many more like it. They also traffic women across borders. I’ve been building a case against them for years, but their status has made it difficult for anything to stick. They started to traffic women through this shrine over twenty years ago. But with your testimony, Senya, I think I may finally have enough to take the ringleader, Michael Apeagyei, down. But the father, that will be tricky.”

Senya slams the butt of his rifle on the ground. “They will both die slow deaths. How dare they try to espouse that the Ashanti are holier than any other tribe when they are knee deep in this practice. The prejudices they perpetuate against my Ewe blood and brethren is just to cover their own asses!”

Edem raises his hand. “Be careful. You must control your anger first. Their brother is the president’s chief advisor. They will not be easy to take down, but I vow to help you any way I can.”

Edem turns to me and asks for my hand. I look at Senya and he nods. I place my hand in his and he speaks.

“I apologize for what happened to you. But I want you to know I would have never given you to that jackal David. I knew your husband was coming, and I knew his time would come. I kept him close because he was pure evil, but he was also my father’s surrogate while I was gone. He had sway with all the men and the fear of the women. I had to tread carefully with him. I tried to keep him on a leash, but it was impossible. Sadly, some women suffered at his hands, but in exchange many more were freed.” The sadness in his eyes validates his honesty.

“Senya,” he continues. “You did something I’ve fought to do for five years in five minutes.”

“Exactly,” Senya growls. “Why didn't you do it sooner if what you say is true?”

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