CHAPTER 1

"Dad if I'm to hear you correctly, you mean you find another job for me? At the palace? Without asking me first?" Pamilerin Henshaw demanded indignantly. "Baby, your mother and I thought it would make you happy, and besides, you know we're not comfortable with that activist job," he tried to cajole her, "baby girl, this job will be good for you, and besides, it a temporary job, just for a month or so. All you need to do is stand in as the king's secretary until they find a stable one. Please, I have given the king's adviser my word."

"But dad you know I have other commitments," she groans.

"Sweetheart please just do this for me love" he cajoled her.

"You know I can't say no to you..." She groaned in frustration at the situation her father has backed her into.

"OK dad I will do it, I just hope I won't regret this, you know how much I hate working for arrogant men, and have heard it from a reliable source that he is—"

"Honey don't listen to gossip just do your job that's all, thank you for doing this for me, so when should I expect you?" He asked, cutting her off before she changes her mind.

"The rally ends today, so I will leave Abuja tomorrow. By evening tide I should be with you, send my love to mum. I love you." Disconnecting the call.

"So did she agree? " Adebayo asked, curiosity lacing his voice.

"She did my friend, and I think our plan might just work after all." David Henshaw replied him. Adebayo drew in a deep breath; after he spoke with the king about remarrying, he knew he had to take matters into his own hands and find a suitable wife for his friend. He knew Alexander has enough matters to worry about, not to add the pressure of going through list of women to decide from.

Adebayo did not know things will fall in place so quick when he paid his David a visit, and he saw the picture of his daughter, now things are moving in the Right direction. When he saw Pamilerin's picture, he knew she was the right person for his friend, beautiful, a little plump, light skinned with a small mole in her chin, giving her a stubborn yet cherubic look.

He carefully asked David about his daughter, and he raised his concern to him about how she is overly involved with the women right organization activities without giving thought to getting married, he knew he is in luck. He came up with the temporary secretary position to him, and he loved the idea, especially because it will bring his daughter home closer to him, he jokingly teased him about his daughter being the new wife for their king, just to see how he will react to it, and he was not against the idea. So he told him to call her about the job.

Now all he needed to do is convince the Alexander, that he really needs a secretary. He knew Alexander will be reluctant about it, seeing how he does not like being caught on aware, but he plans to convince him to see reason.

Thank you, David, but I'm afraid I have to take my leave now. Let me know when your daughter gets back so I can make the proper arrangements for her." David walked him out after promising him that he would let him know once she got back.

The moment Pamilerin ended the call she knew her father had just backed her into a corner, she squeezed her face in deep thought trying to figure out how to back out of the arrangement. But the love she has for her parents especially her father will not allow her to.

She came to the Henshaw family at the tender age of six, and they had immediately adopted her. They showered her with immense love, and as years rolled by, she forgot that she used to be an orphan. She owes them her life and that's why it is difficult for her not to do everything in her capacity to make them happy.

"I must learn how to say no to him sometimes " she sighed, drawing her laptop closer. She typed on the search engine to check update about Alexander, she saw the news about the crash that claimed his wife's life, and she wondered how he was still alive with the wreck she saw. She clicked on one of the few pictures of him on internet and saw that it was an old picture of him and his beautiful wife. He looked so handsome and happy in the picture, gazing down into her eyes. "Wow, he's hot for a king. I thought kings are meant to be old" she mused. She searched for a more recent pictures of him and could not find anyone taken after the accident.

"I guess he did not go to social events again after the accident. Who can blame him?" she mutters to herself. Pamilerin saw another picture, in which he was alone, and felt his piercing eyes as if he was looking directly at her, which caused a shudder to run through her. Weird. She imagined how she would work with him, wondering what kind of boss and king he was, as she closed the laptop and rearranged the fliers they would use for the evening rally at the women empowerment foundation.

~*~

King Alexander Adegbade was king of Oniko kingdom. With an estimated population of over one hundred thousand, the kingdom was rich in oil and gold, its resources making it indispensable to the government and bringing lots of expatriates into their city for business. Alexander has even surpassed what his late father had done for the kingdom, with new businesses opening up, creating more jobs and making lives much better.

He knew his friend is up to something the moment he came in to his office, " so what are you up to this time around " he asked amusingly.

"What…can't I come around to say hello to my friend turn king again?" Adebayo replied with feigned annoyance, "anyways I came to give you a good news old friend, I found a suitable temporary secretary for you, pending the time you will get a permanent one" he quickly rushed to explain.

Alexander was surprised with what he said, "wow that's a pleasant surprise indeed I need a new secretary have just not found a suitable candidate, but thank you my friend, so when is he coming, so I can access him?" He inquired, resting his hands on the oak wood massive table.

"Uhn...but it's a she."

"What! But I don't want a female I want a man and have specifically asked for that from the outsourcing teams, I don't want any women hassle please " he said, with a glare.

"But that's why I said it was temporary, until you get a new one—a male one, I mean—but if you insist, I will just hire her for myself. I even need one. I just thought yours was urgent," Adebayo explained, ducking his head sideways to hide the mischievous grin on his face, sneaking a glance at Alexander as he struggles to reason with him on his decision.

"Alright then, who is she? And when is she coming?" He conceded.

Adebayo drops a dossier of her information on the table for him to go through, "I see you have done a thorough check on her, but I can't see a picture here?" He asked as he glances through Pamilerin's information. Alexander could not shake the feeling that his friend is hiding something from him, with the way he is trying so hard to hide his grin. "Okay spill it, you know I hate it when you hide things from me, what are you up to" he demanded.

Adebayo sighed, he could never hide anything from his friend, try as he may, the years they have spent together has made them to know each other so well. "Alright, and please don't get mad. You know how we discuss how you should think of getting married again soon, well…I thought I can help out, so I found you a girl with a good background that I'm sure you will like" He explained avoiding his gaze.

"Good gracious! You did what? But that's outrageous! I can find my own damn wife. Wait a minute" pausing a bit, with his right hand raised, "Why do I feel that there is more?"

"Well my King, the person is the lady I found for your secretarial position" holding his gaze.

"Good lord, have you lost your damn mind, Adebayo? This is just crazy," he felt like wringing his friend's neck. He can be exasperating sometimes.

"So tell me, does she know?" He asked.

"No your majesty she didn't. She is coming here as a favour, nothing more."

"Wow it's just keep getting better" releasing his breath. "Fine let me meet her and I will decide," he sighed. He knows his friend is only trying to be of help. It's important for him to get married soon indeed, if he did not want to pass the throne over to his nephew, He needs to produce an heir soon.

"I'm sure I can arrange that as soon as possible your Highness" he eagerly replied.

"Alright then, I'm sure I can spare some few minutes to meet her."

He glanced through the file again after his friend had left and noticed that she was involved in empowerment programs. "Interesting choice of work for a pastime" he muttered to himself before Dropping the file into a drawer. He left his sit and stroll to stand at the glass window of his office overlooking the garden area, but not really seeing anything, deep in thought, imagining his children running around on the field playing and having fun. The chiefs were worried, they have already asked him to hold an event and invite all the eligible singles of noble background, so he can select his choice and, but he kept postponing it. It's not like he did not want to marry again, nor is he still in mourning, but the accident left more than a scar on him, a secret that he has kept to himself for years.

A year after the accident, he discovered that he had just lost all interest in women. At first, he thought it was because of the tragedy, but two years down the line, he realized he was just not capable of performing sexually again. He met with different specialist, and they all told him the same thing: It was psychological. He would regain his abilities. They just didn't know when. Now the pressure is mounting from his council every day, he needs to act fast.

He can't dally around again, Alexander sighed as he made a decision to hold an event as his chiefs had suggested, but first he wants to meet the lady that Adebayo found for him. He knew it would please Adebayo as well. It was funny how easy it was for him to make decisions concerning his kingdom, but he dragged his feet when making personal ones. Alexander paced around the tastefully furnished office, finally settling down again, to go through some reports on his computer.