The Colonial Heart ✓ (Editing)

Chapter 10

                          W I L L I A M

"Travis",I tipped my hat while acknowledging the man that stood before me, the worker in charge, a stout man with a weathered complexion, greeted me with a deferential bow.

"Your Highness," he said, his voice dripping with respect. I acknowledged him with a gracious smile, my eyes scanning the landscape as I asked, "Is all well?"

The worker's enthusiastic response was laced with an air of pride. "Indeed, Your Highness! We've made tremendous progress. The Ashanti land, now under our control, is being cultivated and will soon yield bountiful harvests. The trading ports, too, are nearing completion, promising a new era of prosperity."

Yet, as he spoke, a nagging sense of unease crept over me, like a whispered secret in a crowded room. I couldn't shake the feeling that our actions were not entirely just. The locals, toiling alongside our workers, seemed to be shouldering an unfair burden. A soft voice in my mind whispered,

'This is how it all starts – taking something from someone which is rightfully theirs-'

My thoughts were interrupted by the worker's continued boasts, but I cut him short, my tone firm but polite.

"Tell me, how are the locals being compensated for their labor?" The worker's grin faltered, and he cleared his throat before responding,

"Well, they're paid... um... a fair wage, Your Highness."

I raised an eyebrow, my skepticism evident. "A fair wage? I think not. You're taking advantage of their ignorance, exploiting their desperation. That ends now. You will pay them a wage commensurate with their labor, and treat them with the dignity they deserve."

The worker's face paled, but he nodded hastily, recognizing the steel in my voice.

As I turned to depart, the weight of my conscience settled upon me like a shroud. Ama's gentle face floated in my mind's eye, her eyes sparkling with a fire that seemed to pierce my very soul.

What would she think if she knew of our actions? The thought sent a shiver down my spine.

As I grappled with the weight of my conscience,

the mantra 'I'm doing it all for a good cause' echoed through my mind like a hollow refrain.

Yet, the sardonic whisper at the back of my mind would not be silenced, taunting me with the cruel question: 'Are you truly altruistic, or merely convincing yourself?'

The knot in my stomach twisted tighter as I pondered Father's expectations.

Would he beam with pride if I achieved my goal, or would he see the faint shadow of doubt that haunted me?

The title

'King William Harry Harrington'

seemed a tenuous grasp at glory, a gossamer veil that threatened to unravel at the slightest touch of scrutiny.

And so, I wrestled with the demon of my own ambition, torn asunder by the conflicting desires of my heart. Was this really the legacy I wished to forge?

Or

was I merely ensnared by

the siren's song of power and prestige?

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This was indeed a short chapter but that is because I struggled to write it ,I only wrote it because I wanted you guys to see how colonizing the country is going and not just see how William and Amas relationship is improving.
Well I hope you enjoyed it

Until then