Page 115 of Shâhzâdeh

“Was it hard to marry a man that was a different religion than you?”

“I can’t say hard but it had its challenges. Bijan was a man who wanted to stick as closely to his religion because it made him feel that it would keep him from turning out to be as worthless as his brothers and his father. Dealing with me made him feel as though he’d been lied to his entire life. And then when they tried to come after me—”

“After you?”

“Yeah girl. Them folks thought that Babette was a pretty little light skin thang from Virginia by way of Nawlins. They ain’t know she had that dog in her.” Auntie Pat was laughing and from what I’d heard Ms. Babette was definitely nothing to play with.

“They came for Bijan first. Then me. Neither of their assassins lived to tell the tale.” A small and seemingly deadly smile played across her lips.

“And you just get used to this? How you have to move about the world with protection?” I wasn’t going to change my mind, but I still wanted insight.

“Do you understand that most people would love the idea of having someone dedicated to watching their back? People praise the police for doing that, but they don’t prevent crime and half the time they don’t investigate it unless it benefits them in some capacity. We have people around us who are vetted to ensure we are safe. But that doesn’t mean you aren’t going to need to learn to handle yourself.” I gulped because Ms. Babette was speaking to something I’d been thinking on. I’d used my gun at the range, but I was nowhere near as equipped as Navi to handle a situation.

“I was lucky. My daughter-in-law is about wilder than me. Xerxes is a true lover cause he went and picked him a romantic. But if you’re out here slapping bitches for disrespecting your godchildren and protecting my nephew when he’s shot, you are more than capable of doing what you need to.” Auntie Pat gave me a wink and I blushed and turned my head.

“It didn’t feel like it. When the bullets were flying, I couldn’t help.”

Ms. Babette walked up toward me and took my face in her hands. “That wasn’t your job at the moment. Your job was to sit there and be safe so Xerxes could do what he does best: protect. Had you done anything else, it would’ve distracted him. I don’t think you understand that there are levels to being capable. Some women are quick to broadcast their ability to the world, like Jada. Others are sneaky about it, like Jasmine. Or even Francesca. The girl makes jam and preserves for a living. But when she needed to, she was more than ready to get down to business. You don’t have to be a—”

“Gat tottin’ pistol holdin’ nigga on these damn streets.” Auntie Patricia started rapping a song I didn’t know and I just stared at her wide eyed as she started to bounce around.

“I did not think now was the time forKnuck if You Bucklyrics,soer.”

“It was the perfect time because you were going to freak the girl out. Be you, Vanya. Have your big hair and sweet heart and let me send you all the clothes I can because you make them look so good. I love seeing my son and his wife and her friends wearing creations that were once just visions in my mind. I can’t wait until my new collection is finished. It is inclusive up to size thirty and I’m going to have all of y’all in the campaign. Even if the photos never get used in print, this generation of women will be complete when Ori stops playing around and I can’t wait to capture it on film.” Auntie Patricia might’ve been a badass, but the look on her face showed she was a big softie, too.

“Is it always like this? The family atmosphere?”

Ms. Babette rolled her eyes slightly before she answered me. She adjusted the soft green sundress she wore before smoothing her hand down the skirt. “No. We had one wife we couldn’t stand and another that didn’t want to be around us.”

“You mean Ori’s mom was the one who didn’t want to stay?”

Ms. Babette was shaking her head and I wondered who else had a mother they didn’t like. “She wanted a normal life. She ended up with a man who wanted what she had and didn’t wanter to have a voice in it. I’d offered to kill him several times but she never took me up on it. And Shantel, Jahmir’s mother, well—”

“Shantel didn’t let the depth of her evil shine through until it was too late. We would see her doting on Jahmir and think she was at least doing something right since Cardinal was always a piece of shit.” Auntie Patricia looked completely annoyed about this Cardinal person. I knew very little about what happened besides what Xerx had told me.

“I was told they made trouble for your family.”

“He needed to get himself out of trouble and tried to throw the Cannons under the bus discreetly. A shipment of guns had to be rerouted and a few people paid off. But it would’ve been the one thing that brought the Consortium to the light. Since then, we have changed things so that it’s never an issue, but I still won’t ever forgive him for that.”

“Good thing he’s dead.” My head snapped up to a laughing Auntie Patricia and Ms. Babette was trying to keep her face straight.

“Yeah, for him. I won’t mind watching him get tortured again.” Ms. Babette couldn’t hold it in any longer and bust out laughing.

“I’m going to assume this is a bad person.” I didn’t understand the humor but I was fighting not to laugh myself.

“Was. But they don’t matter anymore.”

“Is there anything you think I should know? About what it means to be married into this.” My hair was in a braid and I started playing with the ends of it as I waited anxiously for them to tell me something.

Auntie Pat took my hand and squeezed it softly before Ms. Babette spoke. “You’re already doing it. Go to him if there’s an issue no matter how big or small you think it might be. Always remember that y’all are a team. No one should tell him something about you that he doesn’t already know and vice versa. But stop thinking too much into this, you’re getting married. This is all about fun and joy. Remember that whatever you want this marriage to be, that’s what it will be. It will take work from both of y’all, but I don’t doubt that you’re willing to work hard and meet my son more than halfway.”

I wiped my cheeks quickly and I swore this was the most emotional I’d been in my entire life. Before my tears would’ve been ridiculed, my emotions swallowed so I could appear unaffected. But here it felt safe to be vulnerable. All the deadly people I’d come across, I was safe in their midst. They saw me as one of them and I was more accepted than I’d ever been. “I am.”

“Good. Now they’re going to be bringing up something for us to eat so that we are full and ready to relax. Is Nev joining us?” I wanted a chance to talk to her as well, since Midas and Xerxes had practically grown up as brothers.

“I’m sure she’ll be up shortly. Her and my son are somewhere trying to give Mansa a sibling.”

“And you will handle two at once?”

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