Running Around Royal (Prince Harry #4)

Chapter Forty-Six

Accra was the coast of Ghana, and it was beautiful to look across the city and out to the water. From the high suite in the hotel, Meredith was able to see every surrounding. The sun had already began to rise, even though it was too early for Meredith yet. She did this because she had no other time today to see an old friend from university, Akua. Stifling a yawn, Meredith was ready for the day because after breakfast with Akua, it was off to work. It was another busy day ahead of them.

Akua had been studying math at the University of Wisconsin-Superior, and Meredith had gotten to know her well as her RA. Akua certainly never was the problem, but that didn't stop her boyfriend from getting in trouble. Of course, Terry was always a charmer. Nowadays, Akua had graduated at the half year and returned home to Accra.

By security, she was shown up to the top suite, where there were too many rooms and too much space. Meredith was still trying to get used to all of this. It was different as Kensington Palace became her home, but all these ritzy hotels made Meredith a little uneasy. Akua put that uneasiness to rest as she entered and gave the duchess a curtsy.

"Really?" Meredith asked.

Akua laughed, turning her face and covering her mouth like she did each time. The girl was shy, but whenever dealing with Meredith in university, she had no choice but to get out of her shell. Akua gave a hug to Meredith. "Thank you for having me, Meredith." Akua looked around with her mouth in a wide "O."

"I missed you." Meredith sat down at the breakfast table, where food had been laid out. "How was university? How's Terry?"

"Good and good." Terry was her boyfriend, and he had always been charming. Once when he got in trouble with me, he tried to charm his way out it, but it never worked with me. "My math degree will make me a teacher here, and Terry is planning on coming here once he finishes his communications degree."

"And how long is that going to take?"

"He entered two years before me, and he's leaving after me. What do you think?" Akua shrugged. "Where is your prince charming?"

"Sleeping," Meredith said, or at least she thought he was. That was where she left him. "I got up early for you."

"I thank you for that. I know how much you like your sleep." In the university dorms, Meredith was known for keeping a strict sleep schedule and was known for being a hardass when it came time for quiet hours. Akua usually lived next to Meredith, so it came with perks when Meredith started yelling at people down the hall. "How much sleep are you getting now?"

"Not as much as I would like. What's it like to be home?"

"I missed all this. I had the chance to go somewhere else, but Ghana is my home. There is no place like it, and while I do enjoy the snow, I love being here."

Meredith understood in a way. As much as she liked London, she loved Minnesota. "Oh the snow...."

"Do you wish you had it now?"

Glancing out the window, her green eyes swept over Accra below. Astonishing Accra spread out. However, Meredith only saw the modern and thriving Accra. Moving further out, that was when poverty started to seep in before it was all around. Ghana was one of the top countries in Africa, yet it still had one of the highest poverty rates. Akua had been lucky growing up. "Yeah," Meredith said, "I would love snow. I would love to roll through it and throw snowballs."

Akua and Meredith talked for a good hour before Jessica stuck her head in and said that it was all over. The Duchess of Windsor had duties to attend to, which meant a freshening up and then out in the public eye. Meredith knew the time had been coming she heard Harry moving around in the master bedroom and then the water turning on; she just didn't want to believe it that the time was almost over.