Chapter 14

Laughter rang out around our table at the Zanzibar Night Market in Forodhani Gardens as I recounted the day's chaos, the story bringing everyone to hysterical tears while we ate dinner.

Sabrina wiped her eyes, trying to catch her breath. "You buried yourself in the sand?"

"What else was I supposed to do? I was naked!" I exclaimed, throwing my hands up for emphasis as another wave of laughter rolled through our group. "There was a shark, and I had to get out of the water, but then Veronica had run off with my trunks!"

"With all the people with their phones out, I'm surprised there's not a viral video of you floating around," Daphne said, then smirked. "I'd pay to see that."

"Me, too!" Sabrina said, taking a bite from a falafel that was as big as her face.

"I would pay for you to not see it!" I replied, laughing with them. "Plus, it was a ghastly endeavor to get all of the sand off—and out—of me!"

I leaned back and grinned, not minding at all that they were all being entertained at my expense, since Veronica was by my side, looking more relaxed than ever. The ambience of the night market was perfect for such a moment, the park by the pier coming to life with countless chefs, clad in white hats, working their gas grills, fryers, and rotisseries, and offering the best Swahili cuisine imaginable. I had already enjoyed grilled octopus, a kebab of tandoori lobster, Zanzibari pizza, and fresh-pressed sugarcane juices with ginger, but I was in the mood to sample something else.

"I'll be right back," I said, pushing my chair out and standing.

"Here he goes again," Simon commented. "What are you going for this time, August?"

I grinned. "I guess I'll find out when I see it."

"Hang on!" Caleb said, returning with a tray of drinks and setting it on the table in front of us. "Everybody has been saying we had to try these, so I couldn't resist getting a round."

I sat back down. "You won't hear me complaining."

As we passed the drinks around the table, Simon said, "Are those the spiced drinks?"

Caleb nodded. "Yes, sir. They're called Spiced Zanj Madafus, or something close to that." He laughed. "Fresh pineapple juice, madafu water—which is the young coconut, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, and a few other things I can't remember. Just drink it." He laughed again as we all toasted.

"Cheers!" everyone said in unison.

I leaned closer to Veronica, lowering my voice so only she could hear. "Have you noticed anything different about Caleb and Daphne? They've been unusually quiet tonight."

She whispered back, "I have. And they've been sneaking glances at each other all evening. Something definitely happened during their snorkeling trip."

Intrigued, I turned to them. "How was your day out in the ocean? See anything interesting?"

Caleb cleared his throat, his gaze flicking to Daphne before answering. "It was great. The coral reefs are amazing ... and, uh, we saw some pretty incredible marine life."

Daphne nodded, her cheeks tinged with pink. "The giant turtles are such beautiful creatures."

Their vague answers only piqued our interest further.

Veronica probed further when she said, "Sounds like there is more to the story. Anything else we should know?"

Daphne finally broke into a shy smile. "Well, we might have shared more than just a snorkeling adventure, but we don't need to get into it."

"She kissed me," Caleb blurted out.

"What?" Veronica said, her head whipping toward Daphne. "You kissed my brother?"

"It was an accident!" she defended with flushed cheeks.

I chuckled. "And just how do you accidentally kiss someone?"

Daphne hastened to explain, her voice filled with nervous laughter. "It happened on the packed local bus coming back from the snorkeling. We were standing, because there were no seats left, and we were both holding onto the same pole, just inches apart. Then the bus driver took a corner way too fast. I lost my balance completely and fell into his mouth."

I couldn't help laughing. "You fell into his mouth?"

Daphne shrugged. "Pretty much, yeah. Like I said, an accident."

"If you say so," Caleb said with a grin, playfully bumping her arm with his.

"Oh yeah, there is definitely something going on there," I whispered to Veronica.

Sabrina leaned back with a satisfied sigh after a sip of her drink. "Sounds like you all had a wonderful day. Ours wasn't bad at all, I must say. We were just being lazy around at the hotel, soaking up the spa treatments." She glanced over at me. "August, you and Veronica are playing nice today. I like the change."

Veronica smirked. "I'm taking it easy on him, at least for now."

"I learned while we were on the safari that in black rhino courtship, the female is in charge of the dance," Simon said. "She whistles and follows the male until he realizes it's time for romance. Then they head butt for hours."

"Yup—sounds like Veronica," I said with a chuckle, then took a sip of my spiced drink.

"I'm a little confused about your backstory, though, and I'm not sure how much of what I read online is true," Sabrina said, studying us both. "August, you have two brothers, right?"

I nodded. "Yes, Prince Oliver and Prince Theodore. I also have a sister, Princess Adriana."

She nodded. "Now, let's see if I've got this straight … You used to go out with Veronica, but then she got engaged to your brother instead. But now your brother is engaged to the wedding planner?"

"That about sums it up," I replied with a rueful grin. "Sounds like a soap opera plot, doesn't it?"

"It's a bit more complicated than that," Veronica said, her voice steady. "I never loved his brother. It was an arranged marriage."

Simon nodded in understanding. "But you two used to be in love …"

"I still love her," I confessed, the words slipping out before I could gauge the reaction they might provoke.

All eyes at the table shifted to Veronica. I didn't expect her to reciprocate her feelings openly, but I was eager to see how she'd respond.

She paused, visibly caught off guard.

After a moment, she said, "August, can we talk? Just the two of us, please?"

"Sure, as long as it's not another jousting match," I quipped, trying to lighten the mood despite the tension I'd just unleashed.

We excused ourselves and walked over to a quieter part of the grassy area under the soft glow of the full moon.

Veronica faced me, hands on her hips. "August, you can't just declare your love in front of everyone like that. It puts me on the spot. Love isn't something you switch on and off at will."

"I didn't say it as part of a scheme—my feelings for you never turned off," I admitted. "That's just the truth. Do you remember what I said back at the safari camp?"

Veronica sighed. "You said a lot of things. It's hard to keep track."

"I told you that instead of trying to rekindle the past, we should ignite something new. Something brighter and more genuine than before. I wasn't expecting a declaration from you tonight, but I can't suppress my feelings any longer. They haven't changed."

She looked at me, her expression softening. "And what about that confession you mentioned earlier? What did you want to tell me?"

I wasn't sure it was the best time, but maybe it would be best to just put it all out there, now that we were in private. But before I could reveal my long-held secret to Veronica, Caleb's urgent shout sliced through the air, redirecting our night.

"August! Stop that kid!" he said.

Turning sharply, I glimpsed a young boy, maybe nine or ten years old, dashing through the crowd with Veronica's purse clutched in his hand. My heart hammered in my chest as I took off after him, dodging between tables. The boy was quick, his compact frame slipping easily between groups of tourists and locals enjoying the food. I pushed past a vendor, flipping a crepe-like pizza, calling out an apology as I knocked a bottle of sauce to the ground. The vibrant chatter of the market became a blur of sound as my breaths grew heavy and desperate.

The boy darted into the street, and I followed suit, dodging cars and motorbikes that honked angrily at the sudden disruption. The glow of the street lamps flashed overhead as we raced through Zanzibar's historic Stone Town.

The chase led us to an empty lot scattered with debris and overgrown with weeds. The boy didn't hesitate at the sight of a barbed wire fence ahead. He slipped through a narrow gap with the agility of a cat. I paused, assessing the sharp barbs that promised pain.

I climbed the fence, feeling the barbs slice through the fabric of my shirt and even part of my skin. I suppressed a curse, focusing only on the figure now sprinting towards the pier. My torn clothes would be the least of my worries, but Veronica's purse—and possibly crucial contents like her diplomatic papers—were on the line. My sides ached, and I was out of breath, but I couldn't stop now.

I found the boy at the end of the pier, nervously looking around, aware that I had trapped him with nowhere to go.

I approached him slowly, then bent over, hands on my knees as I still tried to catch my breath "Do you speak English?"

"No," the boy replied in perfect English, a hint of defiance in his eyes.

"I just want the purse back," I said, holding out my hand. "I'll let you go after that. I promise I won't call the police."

His eyes flickered with conflict, then he said, "My family needs the money."

Once again, his English was perfect.

"I'll give you some money if you just hand over the purse," I said. "There's something I need inside. It has no value to you."

He glanced down at the purse clutched in his arms, thinking. But before I could say another word, he leaped without hesitation off the pier and into the ocean below.

Cursing under my breath, I kicked off my shoes, pulled off my shirt, then glanced down at the churning water below, hesitating only for a moment before leaping off the pier. The splash enveloped me as I plunged into the darkness, fighting the stubborn waves as I pushed myself back to the surface. The moonlight offered just enough illumination for me to spot the boy ahead, his strokes quick. I plowed through the waves, the adrenaline and the need to retrieve Veronica's purse sharpening my focus. I couldn't let him get away—not just for the purse, but something about his desperation tugged at me.

My muscles burned with the effort, but I finally caught up to him, lunging forward to snatch the purse from his grasp. We both surfaced near the shore, gasping for air as we walked out of the water and sat on the sand.

"I need it," the boy said, looking both defiant and defeated. "You promised to give me money."

That was if he had given up the purse while I was on dry land, but I wasn't about to argue with him. I pulled out a few soggy bills from my wallet, extending them towards him.

"Here, take this," I said, my tone softening. "Why do you do this? Does someone make you steal?"

He took the money, stuffing it into his pocket. "It's just me and my ma. We need it to eat."

"Listen," I said, tapping his shoulder to ensure he was paying attention. "This isn't the way. You're young. You can change things right now, if you want to. Go to school. It's tough, but it's a real way out. Don't let this be your life. How's that going to help your mother if you're in jail?"

He looked at the ground, scuffing the sand with his toe. "No one cares if I go to school."

"Don't let that stop you," I replied firmly. "Do it for yourself and for your mother. What do you like to do when you're not stealing from people?"

He met my gaze, a flicker of curiosity in his eyes, before he glanced up at the sky. "I love the stars."

"That's great!" I said. "There are so many jobs that are related to stars. You could become an astronomer, an astrophysicist, or even an aerospace engineer. The sky's the limit!"

Maybe I was being cheesy with the play of words, but that actually got a grin out of him as he looked up at the stars again.

"You can do it," I added.

He nodded, but didn't say another word. As he scampered off, I stood for a moment, watching him disappear into the night. Maybe he'd consider my words, maybe not. But at least I'd tried to point him in a better direction.

Shaking off the water, my thoughts drifted back to Veronica and the unending surprises Africa seemed to hold. I circled back and grabbed my shirt from the pier, deciding not to put it back on since it was now more rags than fabric because of the barbed wire encounter. I slipped my shoes back on, then took a short, contemplative walk back to the night market, my mind replaying the night's chaotic events.

As I approached our table, the group's expressions shifted from worry to stunned silence. Veronica was the first to move, her eyes wide as she jumped up from her chair.

"August! What happened?" Veronica exclaimed, her eyes wide with shock as she scanned me from head to toe. Her face contorted with worry as she noted the scrapes on my chest and the remnants of the torn shirt I was clutching in one hand. "This is unbelievable. You're bleeding. Do we need to get you treated for this?" Her voice trembled slightly, reflecting her concern. But I was going to be just fine.

Caleb eyed my chest. "Looks like you encountered that shark after all."

"Just a little scraped up, nothing serious," I reassured them all, then handed Veronica her soggy purse. "Here you go. Everything inside might be a bit waterlogged, though. I had to dive off the pier to catch that kid."

"Your chivalry never ends," Sabrina said, stepping closer.

Veronica glanced at me again, then went through the contents of her purse, relieved. "My phone wasn't in here, thankfully. I had it on the table."

"I can't believe you caught him—that boy was fast," Simon said. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"It looks worse than it is," I admitted with a forced smile, propping myself against the back of my chair. "Honestly, I'm just desperate for a drink now. I'm officially over surprises in Africa."

Simon glanced over my shoulder and winced. "Might be a tad early for declarations, mate."

Turning to follow his gaze, my heart sank as a police officer strode determinedly towards our table.

"You!" he barked, pointing directly at me. "You're under arrest."

"Not this again," I muttered, the prospect of another police station visit skewing between ridiculous and unbearable.

"For what this time?" I asked.

"Indecent exposure," he announced sternly.

I let out a laugh, more out of disbelief than amusement. "Since when is it a crime to show a bit of chest?"

"It's not your chest that's the problem," he retorted, nodding toward my lower half.

Following his gaze, I glanced down at my pants, noticing for the first time the bloodstains and the gaping tears from the barbed wire revealing far too much, including most of my boxer briefs.

I couldn't help but laugh, albeit nervously, then asked, "Any chance my diplomatic papers cover wardrobe malfunctions?"

"This is Prince August of Verdana!" Veronica proclaimed with a finger in the air.

The officer's demeanor shifted, his tone suddenly cheerful. "Ah, the naked prince on the beach! I heard about you! You'll be quite the legend here in Zanzibar!"

Just what I want to be known for.

"Don't move!" the officer said, rushing over to the chef preparing grilled sweet potatoes, then saying something to him in Swahili.

"What's he up to?" I murmured.

"Your guess is as good as mine," Veronica replied.

Simon's grin widened. "Perhaps he's fetching you another plate of food."

The officer returned, not with food, but with a clean tablecloth. With surprising gentleness, he wrapped it around my waist, securing it like a makeshift sarong. Not stopping there, he removed his police jacket and held it out to me. I slipped my arms through, and then he adjusted the lapel before stepping back to admire his handiwork and nod his approval.

"Now you're decent enough for Zanzibar!" he said.

Veronica snort-laughed. "Decent enough for the royal ball."

"Just lovely," Sabrina added, her smile filled with amusement.

Caleb smirked. "You look like a member of the Village People. Can you sing ‘YMCA' for us?"

As laughter erupted around the table, I felt a mix of embarrassment and amusement. Some people at other tables also laughed and pulled out their phones, aiming them right at me.

I sighed. "Okay, forget about that drink. Just bring me the bottle."