In a distant neighborhood where the ordinary person in Accra, Ghana, can't dream of staying, a large exquisite villa stood erect beside the seashore.
Inside, a young man in a hoodie and shorts sat at the dining table, slowly sipping tea. If one paid attention, it could clearly be seen that he was the Prince, Asantehene III, Alu, who was present at Moon University.
"Oheneba, there is a call for you," a man with a hunched back and a respectful bow said to Alu.
Alu's actions of sipping tea stopped, and he slowly sighed. He had his own cell phone, which he used for his personal matters. It could only be his family that called, as there was another strict line designated for non-personal matters. If his father wanted to call, he knew his number; him calling using that specific line only meant business.
"Alright, lead the way," Alu said as he stood up, towering over the man.
The two headed upstairs and turned east, where a huge door with a golf emblem stood. The man with the hunched back personally placed his palm on the emblem, and the door opened.
He pushed it open and respectfully let Alu go through first, then followed before closing the door behind them.
Inside the room, most things were adorned with pure gold. The pictures that hung inside held a deep reminiscence of the historical past, featuring previous kings, princes, and princesses.
Alu headed to the chair in the center of the room; its handles were covered with gold, and so was the table before it.
The call was already on and waiting for him. He sat down in the chair before answering.
"Father," Alu unhurriedly called.
"Alu, were you busy just now?" a gentle but powerful voice answered on the other end of the phone.
"No, Father, you can tell me any matter bothering you; I am willing to take on your burden," Alu responded.
The King laughed heartily on the other end of the call. One could tell he was happy hearing Alu's words.
"Your majesty is favored by the gods to be able to have such a son. You will live long and enjoy many blessings," Suddenly, another voice said from the other end of the phone.
Alu's facial expression cracked after hearing it. He was suddenly lost in thought.
"Oh, forgive me, seer, I forgot to introduce you before. I am getting old, Alu. The seer is here with me," the king said.
"Your majesty is just in his youth. No need to worry," the seer responded.
Alu had yet to respond as he was still lost in thought. The man with the hunched back quickly walked towards him and signaled to him to respond, snapping him out of his thoughts.
"Oh! Right, Alu, remember the incident the seer talked about one year back? Have you seen anything out of the ordinary at Moon University?" the king inquired.
"I remember, Father, nothing out of the ordinary. I have surveillance all around the university; if anything is to happen, I will be the very first to know," Alu replied.
"That's good. This matter has to be handled with great caution; it relates to the whole kingdom, Ghana, and even the whole of Africa. The seer has already given us a heads-up; what else do we need?" the King expressed.
Alu reluctantly complied with his father. "I understand, Father. Please be at ease; I will handle everything," he gently replied.
"May the gods bless you and be with you, Oheneba. The going ahead will not be easy," the seer commented.
Alu really didn't believe in any of these supernatural talks; he was just complying to ease his father's worries. Although by tradition, he had to follow all the kingdom's norms and rituals, he didn't believe them at all.
"Thank you, elder, for your blessings," Alu replied.
"Alright, Alu, I will call you later to talk further. We were still in a conversation," the King said.
"Alright, Father, rest early," Alu said before bidding them goodnight and hanging up the phone.
He immediately stood up and swiftly left the room; the man with a hunched back quickly followed behind him.
"Oheneba, prepare. Tomorrow you are to meet the prime minister at 12 o'clock," the man said.
Alu showed some impatience and irritation at the reminder, but his upbringing didn't allow him to be rude, so he just waved at the man to show he understood before entering his room and shutting the door.
All people in the villa responded to his father just like Sion,the man who gave him the reminder and incharge of all his activities, each action of his was monitored and reported, he hated it.
He slowly massaged his brows and sat on a sofa beside his bed. Suddenly, a ringtone penetrated the air. Alu put his hand in his short pockets and picked out his phone. After seeing the caller ID, he proceeded to answer.
"Your Majesty! In his glory, he has finally answered. How is Ghana? Now that you left the UK, you have forgotten us, your buddies," a string of nonstop words echoed through the phone. Alu distanced the phone from his ear and gently shook his head.
"Shut up, Andrew. I told you not to call me 'majesty.' My father is still alive. Do you want me shunned by the masses, saying I wish my father a short life to usurp the throne?" Alu explained as he stood up and headed to the water dispenser, pouring himself a cup of hot water.
"You don't seem to be in a good mood, my friend. Tsk, tsk," Andrew commented.
"Just family issues," Alu stated as he sat back down, holding the cup of hot water in his left hand.
"What family issues? You are the only son; the throne is automatically yours," Andrew remarked.
"Is that the only family issue?" Alu absentmindedly said.
"Wait, are they forcing you to marry? Man, let me finish my degree and visit Ghana. I can't seem to find a girlfriend here in the UK; my wife might be in Ghana," Andrew lamented.
"What marriage? Don't think nonsense all day long. Also, you are a playboy; that's why you don't have a girlfriend. Aren't you worried that if you get a Ghanaian wife, your Ghanaian in-laws will beat you to death with that character of yours?" Alu rolled his eyes as he said.
"After getting myself an African queen, I promise not to cheat," Andrew promised, making Alu snort.
"Man, are you really alright though?" Andrew inquired.
"I am fine. There are many traditional secrets I can't reveal, and even if I did, no one would believe what I say," Alu said as he sipped the water.
"Hm, I might not understand, but give yourself a break. You are a good pal; I wouldn't like to see you burdened," Andrew said. Alu was touched by his words before he heard Andrew's other statement that woke him up from his good mood.
"Besides, if you are stressed and burdened, who would take me around Ghana to find myself a wife when I come there?" Andrew added with a hint of laughter.
"Buzz off, I am going to bed. Goodnight!" Alu said.
"Hi, listen..." Andrew didn't finish his words before Alu cut off the call and threw his phone to his right side on the sofa, shaking his head in annoyance. However, his mood, which had slightly fluctuated, improved.
Alu then headed towards a side room in the same space, and a small office came into view. He sat in the office chair and looked to his left. A large number of files was piled up.
He picked up the file on top and started going through it. Upon a closer look at the file, the name 'Renny Smith' came into view.