Would Norman and Otto get married before or after that baby was born? And if after, would the baby be part of the ceremony?
Hmm... I'm not entirely sure? If it were to be a pseudo-shotgun wedding as they feel obliged to get married as a result of the baby, I think they would just carry out the basics at a courthouse early in the pregnancy. If it weren't like that, I'd imagine that Norman would want to do before (preparing something dramatic and extravagant before the stress of the baby is there) while Otto would want to do so after (no discomfort of the pregnancy for whoever is having it, the baby potentially getting to be present for the ceremony, etc.).
However it would go, I think the baby would be present if it were after, for sure. Like I've said in previous posts, Norman is adamant about being a better father this time around and that includes making sure his child is a much more present part of his life (and Harry would certainly be a part of things too, should he wish to be :) ).
i had most of this written out for my own reference but might as well post it! also sry for the lazy edit xoxo
STATISTICS:
population: approx. 211 million
area: 923,769 km2
currency: naira
capital: abuja
languages: english (official), yoruba, hausa, igbo
independence: october 1, 1960 (from the british)
rulling house: owolu
KEY FEATURES:
nigeria is the largest country in africa by population, and is inherently multinational with 250 ethnic groups and over 500 different languages. the three largest is hausa-fulani to the north, yoruba in the west, and igbo to the east. the rulling family are yoruban, which causes tenuous relations between the princely families / dukes in the region.
has freedom of religion written in the constitution, and is home to the world’s largest muslim and christian population simultaneously.
has the largest economy in africa, and is 27th in nominal GDP in the world. they supply most of the goods for west africa, although 32.1% of nigerians are unemployed. the wage gap continues to remain severe.
MODERN HISTORY
(19th century)
the monarchy in nigeria was young in comparison to ancient houses around the world, and despite having aristocratic backgrounds from both side of the family, ireti’s grandfather was more of a billionaire oil baron than a prince. however, it was his younger brother who led the revolt against british occupation and earned the respect of his peers. a yoruban general that even earned the begrudging respect of hausa-fulani princes and igbo chiefs — they knew that their best chance of survival against their colonisers was a united nigeria. however, in an act of selflessness, the younger olowu son pushed for his older brother to be king of nigeria instead of himself, preferring himself to be second-in-command of the army and a support to his brother. this decision was not taken lightly by those who rallied behind the general, and most of them refused to bend the knee to their new king.
there was bloodshed throughout the 60s and 70s. the ruling of the nation continued to changed hands despite the formal coronation of king adetokunbo the first, igbo chiefs sent their generals to seize control of the military, demanding that the igbo people to the south be granted an independent nation. civil war erupted between the factions, and by the end of 1966, the monarchy was forced to hand over control of the army. brother was made to fight against brother, both believing that they are the right and correct choice for the future of nigeria. the general crowned himself king adetokunbo the second, and declared that he will right the wrong that his brother decreed in his softness of heart. citing that there was nothing he regretted more than to relinquish the reigns of ruling from his own hands.
but that wasn’t all. through ironclad determination and a single-minded focus on building the nation as he sees fit, king adetokunbo ii ruled over the nation through complete military dictatorship. food was scarce, while any and all opposition or criticism that the new royal family had was silenced with executions, without trials. soon, the people longed for their previous king, although inexperienced, had basic human decency and compassion towards his citizens. those voices too were quickly silenced. the new king showed off his favouritism with riches, titles, and military promotions, he made as many enemies as he had friends.
finally, king adetokunbo the first felt the need to do right by his people. a plot was hatched, by the exiled king and a number of disgruntled army generals who fell loyal to his cause, they knew that there will be blood spilled, and decided that it was very much necessary in order to provide millions with a better quality of life. the coup came ahead on the day of king adetokunbo the second’s wedding to his new bride, a beautiful hausa princess with a terrifyingly large dowry. the illustrious guest list was exactly what they needed, and the imprisonment of the most important people in the new king’s regime was swiftly underway. the new king himself had fought until his last breath, before being gunned down by one of his most trusted generals.
king adetokunbo the first mourned the loss of his brother, despite their differences, he knew that the blood connecting them must be honoured in some way. this was a value he instilled to his children, the eldest of which who took the regnal name of adetokunbo the third, to his father’s first and uncle’s second. they did a great deal of rebuilding, using their billions upon billions to set up social services, and used their business connections to help grow industry within their borders. it’s a slow moving process, filled with political opposition from different factions, there were too many people to keep happy and content. traditional chiefs and princes were raised into dukes, and given a political ruling powers according within their territories. it took conscious effort to stop civil war from breaking once more, and the ruling family was fortunate that memories of their previous conflict still remained fresh in the public’s mind. they will treasure peace, for now.
now in the new millenium, the hausa elders still remembered their failed claim to power through the marriage of their princess to king adetokunbo the second, and the igbo princes still thought of the possibilities from an independent nation. the current king had married a nnewi princess that will keep the igbo people happy for at least a generation to come, and crown prince aremo was expected to announce his betrothal to a hausa princess in the near future.
peace wasn’t as tenuous as it was before, but everyone remained vigilant for any whiff of insurgence — no one wants to be caught on the wrong side of history.
