The Colonial Heart ✓ (Editing)

Chapter 17

W I L L I A M

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I entered my chambers hoping for a good nap and maybe a bath. I thought of how lovely a bath would be but my breath hitched as I stared at the sight that beheld before me ,my eyes widening in dismay as Katherine emerged from the shadows.

The flickering candles cast eerie silhouettes on the walls, making her presence feel even more ominous. Her perfume, a cloying scent that always made my stomach turn, wafted towards me like a warning signal.

"Oh, for goodness' sake!" I exclaimed, my voice echoing off the high ceiling. "What ever are you doing here, Katherine? You should leave. Why would you even come?" I demanded, trying to hide my revulsion as I took in her overdressed appearance.

With pearls and rubies scattered across her like stars in a midnight sky, Katherine radiated an aura of luxury and sophistication.

She sauntered towards me, her heels clicking on the marble floor like a death knell.

A sly smile spread across her face, her lips painted a deep crimson that seemed to mock me.

"Willy, darling, how I have missed you so,"

she cooed, enveloping me in a suffocating embrace. I recoiled as she attempted to kiss me, her lips cold and calculating, her breath hot against my skin.

I pushed her away, my hands on her shoulders feeling like I was touching a snake. "Stop it, Katherine," I snapped, my voice firm but controlled. "I'm busy. You should leave."

Her eyes narrowed, the candlelight dancing in their depths like a malevolent spirit. But she quickly regained her composure, her mask slipping back into place. "Your father was worried sick about you, Willy. He was about to embark on a perilous journey to Ghana to fetch you himself, but I offered to come in his stead. I couldn't bear the thought of him leaving his royal duties behind, and you have not replied to his two letters."

I rolled my eyes, incredulous, as I took in the opulent decorations around us. The lavish chandelier above, the intricate patterns on the carpet, all seemed to mock me, reminding me of the gilded cage I was trapped in.

"I'm well and alive, as you can see. There is no need for you to be here."

Katherine pouted, her lower lip jutting out like a child's, her blonde curls quivering with the motion. "Oh, Willy, you're sending me away already? I've only just arrived. Can't we catch up, just a little?" She batted her eyelashes, the gesture as false as her smile.

I sighed, exasperated, as I glanced around the room, searching for an escape. But there was none. "I'm busy, Katherine. You can chat with Henry if you like, but I have no time for idle chatter." I said in truth.

Her eyes flashed with annoyance, but she masked it quickly, her voice dripping with sweetness. "Fine, be that way. But what about our wedding, William? You know that is the only reason I am in this... distressing place."

I stiffened, my patience wearing thin as I thought of Ama, her bright smile and infectious laughter. "Our wedding will happen when I have completed my task. Not before."

Katherine's face crumpled, and she burst into tears, her sobs theatrical and grating, like fingernails on a chalkboard. "Oh, William, are you saying I am of no importance?"

I hesitated, taken aback by her histrionics, as I wondered what had driven her to this point.

Was she this hungry for a title that she would come all this way to have it?

I suppose I could not blame her for I had done the very same.

"No, Katherine, that is not what I meant. We are young; we can wait. I promise I will be finished by October, and we can wed in December."

She sniffled, considering my words, her eyes gleaming with calculation. "Fine, but it must be sealed with a kiss."

I reluctantly obliged, pecking her lips quickly, the touch making my skin crawl. But she grabbed my hair, deepening the kiss with a fervor that made my stomach turn. I pushed her away, perhaps too forcefully, and she stumbled back, her eyes flashing with anger.

I turned and fled, escaping the suffocating grasp of her expectations, the sound of her angry cry echoing behind me like a curse.

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It indeed has been long since Kathy dear has been mentioned in our little play but here she is, as dramatic as always
I hope you have enjoyed this chapter.
Bare with me for it is a bit short but I will make it all up with a long chapter soon enough.

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