Year: 1885
The Uzama assembled at dawn for the formal vote.
Seven kingmakers took their seats in the council chamber. The air was thick with incense and tension. Akenzua stood before them in mourning white. Behind him, Oronmwen waited in the shadows--his presence a statement of unity.
Chief Oliha rose to speak. "We gather to confirm a king. Does any challenge the heir?"
Silence filled the chamber.
"Does any challenge?"
Osaro stood. "Not a challenge, Chief Oliha. A question. The council should know what kind of king it confirms."
"The late Oba confirmed his heir before this very body."
"The late Oba was ill. His judgment may have been affected." Osaro's voice carried to every corner. "I ask only that the council examine the evidence."
---
Osaro turned to face the assembled chiefs.
"Prince Akenzua has built a secret army. Hidden weapons. He consorts with foreign traders and practices methods no traditional warrior would recognize."
"I prepare for threats to come," Akenzua said, his voice level.
"What threats? The British trade with us peacefully."
"The enemies who will come when they are ready. Not when we are ready."
"Prophecy? The prince speaks of prophecy now?"
A murmur rippled through the chamber.
Akenzua let the murmur fade. "I speak of observation. Of pattern. The Ashanti believed in British friendship. They learned the truth when British soldiers burned their capital. The peoples of the Niger Delta believed in British trade. They're learning the truth now, as the Royal Niger Company signs treaties that steal their sovereignty."
"So we should build secret armies because the prince fears what hasn't happened?"
"You should support your king because the alternative is extinction."
---
The chamber erupted. Oliha raised his hand for silence.
"Enough. Does Prince Akenzua become Oba, as tradition and the late king's wishes demand? Or does the council reject the succession?"
"There are other princes," Osaro pressed. "Prince Oronmwen is of the same blood--"
"Does not want the throne."
Oronmwen stepped forward. "I support my brother's succession. Fully. Without reservation."
Shock rippled through the chamber.
"You would give up your claim?" Osaro demanded.
"I would serve my kingdom. My father chose Akenzua. I honor that choice."
Oronmwen moved to stand beside his brother. Osaro's careful planning was collapsing.
"The princes are united," Oliha observed. "The late Oba's wishes are clear. The vote. Those who confirm Prince Akenzua as Oba, raise your hands."
Hands rose. More than half. More than enough.
"Those who oppose?"
A smaller number. Osaro and his closest allies. Isolated. Defeated.
"The motion carries. Prince Akenzua is confirmed as Oba of Benin."
---
The chamber erupted differently now--supporters celebrating while opponents calculated their next moves.
Osaro's expression conveyed a single message: This isn't over.
But the succession was confirmed. The throne was secured.
"Thank you," Akenzua said quietly to his brother.
"I meant what I said. Father trusted you." Oronmwen paused. "Show me what you're building. When you're ready."
"After the coronation, I'll show you everything. The forge. The plans for expansion. You deserve to know what's at stake."
---
The three days before the coronation were the longest of Akenzua's life.
Osarobo coordinated security. "Osaro met with Henderson an hour after the vote. We don't know what was discussed."
"He's reporting the succession. Asking for instructions."
"And if those instructions include removing the obstacle..."
"Assassination."
"British intelligence services have methods that make local attempts look crude."
Akenzua looked at the palace walls. "Triple the security. Every entrance covered. Every face identified."
---
The night before the coronation, Esohe found him on the balcony.
"You should sleep."
"I've tried."
"Tomorrow you become king. Everything changes."
"Everything has already changed. Tomorrow makes it official." He turned to face her. "It means I can act openly. Send envoys to the Itsekiri without pretense. Begin integrating the territories we need. The naval facilities at Warri. The Ijaw waterway agreements. The Igala alliance."
"You've been waiting for this."
"I've been waiting for authority to match the responsibility I've already taken." He paused. "Phase Two begins the day after the coronation. I won't waste the momentum."
She took his hand. "Whatever happens tomorrow, you won't face it alone."
---
He slept badly. When dawn came, he rose and dressed in ceremonial robes. Heavy fabric rich with symbolism.
Esohe found him standing before the mirror.
"Ready?"
"No."
"Good. If you were ready, I'd be worried." She adjusted a fold in his robes. "Kings who think they're ready are the ones who fail."
The drums began outside--the ceremonial rhythm calling the people to witness.
Akenzua looked at himself one last time. The prince who had survived fever and assassination attempts and betrayal.
Today he would become something else. Something more.
He turned away from the mirror and walked toward the door.
The coronation was waiting.
And beyond it, the transformation of Benin into the naval and river empire that would survive what was coming.