Page 7 of Possessing the Prince

I nod. “Yes, and I must say it is very generous. Seven figures for any photojournalism assignment is groundbreaking.”

Sophie laughs. “Why yes, but you must understand you will be giving up your life for a full year to follow the Duke and Duchess around Australia and the surrounding islands. The Duchess really wants to develop a plan for reparations for the aboriginal clans, and she plans to document every meeting and visit. You will be in both comfort and the wild. You will spend some eighteen-hour days shooting and developing film for the next news cycle. You will be a member of the royal entourage, and that is a sacrifice. You were perfect for this assignment because not only are you talented, but you also aren’t tied to anything or anyone here in London.”

Nope. Just a husband in Ghana.I stare ahead, and I must have paused for too long.

“Abena…Abena…is everything all right?”

I shake my head and smile. “Yes, I was just thinking about…about how great an opportunity this is.”

Sophie gives a sigh of relief. “Good. But it’s going to be a lot of hard work. You’ll be on call for the Duke and Duchess anytime and anywhere they want you. Are there any other questions I can answer for you?”

“No, this all looks good.” Sophie hands me a pen and I sign the contract. I’ve negotiated two life-altering contracts in less than two days.Crazy. “You will join us on the journey too, correct?”

Sophie nods and smiles while rubbing her belly. “Yes, me and my little one will be there with you and the team every step of the way. I want the wee one to get her passport stamps early.”

I look at her hand and see that she has no wedding ring. Is she really going to raise a baby on her own while juggling one of the most demanding jobs on Earth? It’s none of my business, but I am impressed.Women can do anything.

“Congratulations!” I smile. “I look forward to serving the royal family alongside you and your wee one.”

“Wonderful, Ms. Owusu. We will see you in a year.”

I stand and shake Sophie’s outstretched hand. “Yes, I look forward to it.”

As I walk out of the royal residence, I think of the irony of my situation. I entered this marriage with Senya to free myself from my father and make progress like this in my career. Now, if I don’t play my cards right, that very marriage may stop any progress in its tracks.

I now understand the proverb my mother used to mumble under her breath more than ever:A slave does not choose its master.

Reunion

Senya

My term as an Ashanti prince is barely two weeks old, and I am already weary of the pomp and circumstance. I can’t believe I actually miss my Italian-cut suits. I hate wearing only kente cloth draped around my sizable body. The draping is extensive. It will take time to get used to wearing it as a garment. Kofi insists I need to wear traditional wear whenever in public. Given the public is wary of my Ewe background, he’s got a point.Such bullshit.

I have given at least fifty speeches, visited countless businesses, and called to order one to many chief council meetings. The latter has been particularly vexing, because the meetings so far have all been about me. The council hates my Ewe blood co-ruling their kingdom with the Asantehene. Apparently, I'm not Ashanti enough. But I do not care.

I’ve been called every name but a child of God in those council meetings, but I keep my composure just as Abena said I should. Her words haunt me even now:An army is driven back by courage, and not by insults, however many.It’s a proverb worth remembering in my circumstances. I kept my mouth and temper even when they repeatedly referred to me as “the royal bastard.” I think my reserve shook the old men of the council more than anything else.

Abena is brilliant. She is a shrewd politician among many other things, and I am lucky to have her as my wife, even if she thinks it’s only for one year. Her father, Chief Owusu, is the worst critic of everyone on the council, and I suspect he riles the other chiefs up before each hearing.

What he fails to understand is I never cared about this title anyway. My father’s blood does not make me any more or less worthy of respect. If only he knew I put myself through this dog and pony show only to claim his precious daughter in every way a man can claim a woman. He’d move differently.

I do not know what his deal is, but he may as well get over it. He will soon find out that I have married his daughter. All of his machinations to marry her off to the Apeagyeis for a high price are void.

Tonight, I am sitting in my brother’s home discussing how we will navigate Chief Owusu and get his approval for an engagement. Kofi is always a diplomat first, and as king, he is exercising extreme caution. He was never a fan of my scheme to marry Abena to thwart her father’s plans to marry her to the highest bidder. But he respects me too much to say it. But that does not stop him from worrying and going over every single detail repeatedly. This is why I took all of the possible risk of our plans being thwarted away and married her in secret a week ago. Kofi will always think of the crown first.

Tonight, he is holding court with our brother Adom and me. I am sure he hopes Adom will assist him in talking me out of my plans. He even brought my twin baby nephews, Panin and Kumaa, into our meeting to lower my defenses. If he knew I married Abena without Owusu’s knowledge or his blessing, he'd go ballistic. So, I'm playing it cool and planning this now unnecessary knocking ceremony. As usual, Kofi is pontificating.

“Senya, are you sure you want to do this? What happens when you divorce? When Chief Owusu finds out you two tricked him, he is not going to just let that go. We do not need to give him or the village of Tarkwa another reason to distrust their Asantehene.”

“Kofi, I am not scared of Kwabena Owusu. He is a tiger with no bite. His fortune has dwindled. I performed a soft hack into his financial accounts—trust me, he needs me and my offer to marry his daughter more than I will ever need him.”

“Do not get cocky, brother. You know well that you do not have to be scared in order to experience the consequences of your actions. I pray the ‘soft hack’ cannot be traced back to you.”

“Jesus, Kofi! Give our brother a break.” Adom stands from our shared couch and walks over to pick up Panin, who was happily heading toward an electrical outlet. “Can’t you see Senya’s in love? Fear does not coexist with love. That is why he has no trepidation.”

Damn.When did Adom get so deep?Kofi looks at Adom like he has three heads. He picks up Kumaa and takes Adom’s place on the couch. “Are you truly in love with her?”

Adom does not give me a chance to answer. “Yes, he is. He told me in earnest the night of my installation. It was the last thing told to me before I became chief.”

---