Page 56 of Shâhzâdeh

“As I said, I know her. And she’s a nice girl. Whether we’re compatible outside of working on a case,” he shrugged like marriage wasn’t that big a deal. “And don’t think of it as a sacrifice. This is what family does. Just make sure you get your girl so this wasn’t all for nothing.” He looked back at the screen and I knew his eyes were on me.

Mr. Avery grimaced before he spoke up. “I wouldn’t say that my daughter was for nothing.” I could appreciate the fact that he was going to stand up for his daughter no matter that he needed our help.

“No, but you should know upfront that my mother and father had an arranged marriage. It’s something I said I would never do. I’m not a cruel man, despite how I may look or sound. She will be well respected and I wouldn’t want her to change anything about herself.”

“Ori, are you sure?”

I had to ask him. I hated that the trip I’d taken to see him had been me talking about Vanya. I felt like I’d backed him into having to accept this without either of us thinking of an alternative.

“It makes sense, Xerx. We run the ports and have the shipping contacts. They need help to get to their people who are along the coast of the Red Sea so it’s accessible. If your people want to help, they’re literally on the other side of the peninsula in the Gulf. We could launch a ship from Bushehr to Massawa and have our first delivery to the people within 9 days since its roughly 1500 nautical miles.” Ori wasn’t going to let me change my mind. He was giving logic for the benefit of everyone else. I knew once he agreed that he would’ve jumped through whatever hoops necessary to keep his word.

“Can’t believe you can still do zhat in your head wizout (without) issue.”

His grin was faint as he sat back and seemed resigned to his fate. “Y’all call me Aquaman for a reason.”

“Yeah, cause you look like zhe actor if he bazed and actually cared about putting his best face forward.” He smiled at the screen and I was thankful my joke had eased the forlorn look on his face.

“So is this agreed then?” Mr. Avery interrupted the moment of levity but I could understand that he was anxious. My father had been the same when he found out that his people were still suffering under his family’s greed.

“Further conversations have to take place. And I’m remiss to do anything without speaking to your daughter myself. As the father of a princess who I love more than my sons, I have to know this is her will and not pressure from you. I will offer her a haven from you if I think you’re forcing her into this.” Mr. Miller didn’t hold back putting Mr. Avery on notice that we didn’t play that shit. I knew he would speak to Dr. Avery to ensure she was doing something that she wanted to do.

“I wouldn’t do that. If you only understood—”

Mr. Miller held up his hand to stop whatever he was going to say. “Your reasons are not for me to hear. They are for her. And maybe Ori. Ori is a good man. One that I’ve watched come out of his shell. When he says he will treat your daughter well, that’s not lip service. Just because you didn’t have the example that we would’ve wanted you to son, doesn’t mean that the ability to make something like this work isn’t within you. The only person who ever doubts you is you, Ori. Maybe it’s time you stopped.” The sincerity in Mr. Miller’s words let me know he’d allowed a little Uncle X to sneak into this conversation.

I wasn’t sure when this turned into a pep talk, but Ori was only nodding his head like he appreciated Mr. Miller’s words.

“So we are agreed then? Xerxes may pursue his choice?” My mother’s words cut into the conversation and I was stunned she was putting it out there so easily.

“You’ve more than approved of her, Babette. If House Cannon sees no issue, then we have no problem with Xerxes pursuing her. He’s got to win her over first though from what I heard.” The smirk on his face let me know that Uncle X was in full control.

“You doubt me?”

“I’ll be awaiting the wedding invitation.” He grinned and wrapped up the meeting. “If nothing else, I’ll be speaking with you William and you Ori very soon. We’re done here.”

The call ended and I realized now why maman couldn’t lead it. She was too involved in the outcome since I was her son and Uncle X would’ve given a semblance of neutrality. He wasn’t big on the idea of arranged unions, so I knew deep down he was biased.

“This is a lot.” Midas blew out a breath and I could only nod.

“So, anozer family is going to join. Zhat’s zhe big secret.” We turned our seats around to face maman who looked less stressed than she had when we walked in.

“It was brought to us and I’d already told them you wouldn’t be interested because your attentions were elsewhere. For now, Ori has prevented your name from even being in the running.”

“Crazy. He didn’t even try to come up with another solution.” I know Midas had hung around Ori enough to know him, but I’d seen another side of him on our last visit.

“He’s trying to prevent her from becoming his mother.” The timing of his mother coming back was either kismet or foreshadowing a hell that was yet to come.

“How so? I thought this life was something that his mama didn’t want even before the marriage. That’s why she was okay with being hands off.”

“Trust me. Nomi was the type of woman who would’ve folded under pressure. I don’t know what it was about this life that she just refused to accept.” Maman looked mildly irritated at the memory of Ori’s mother, which didn’t bode well.

“What was the issue?”

My mother sighed and leaned back into her white leather chair that reclined slightly. “I think she let what her father said get her down. And then he married her off to someone that was all too happy to further instill in her that she had no power. The Franklin branch wasn’t doing as well as the rest of ours. If there was anyone who wasn’t holding up their end of things, it was them. But that was through mismanagement, not from lack of opportunities.”

I nodded remembering the bits of information that had been gathered. The Franklins were doing so poorly that Ori didn’t even have to take his mother’s name when he was born. The old heads were more than happy to allow the Nakoas to step up as long as Ori was leader when he came of age. His father wasn’t allowed the power he thought he would get by marrying and his bitterness washed over to his son. The rest of the Franklins felt slighted because of the lack of involvement once the Nakoas ousted them from their seat and they cut contact with Ori. No one fought for him except his grandfather. Although the two of them bumped heads, there was a lot of mutual respect between the two of them. It took him a long time to warm up to any of us because of the abandonment issues he had with his people. His grandfather never wanted him to forget the Franklin side of his family, despite how angry they were at what happened.

“You tink they’re going to vork it out?”

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