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Teresa Southwick

The Sheikhs Contract Bride


(The second book in the Brothers of BhaKhar series)
Sheikh Malik Hourani, Crown Prince of BhaKhar, is a rich and powerful an
dedicated to rulin! his kin!do"but e#perience has ade hi war$ of lo%e&
Beth 'arrah has been betrothed to the sheikh since birth, but she has a secret(
Shes not the woan he thinks she is)&
CHAPTER ONE
SINCE she was headed for the seventh level of hell, now would be a good time
to sunsreen her soul!
Alina "ethia #arrah $new truth was the best wa% to avoid the burning issues of
the afterlife! And she&d admit to not alwa%s valuing honest% as muh as she
should have! "ut as muh as she hated 'retending, she&d made a 'romise to
swith 'laes with her idential twin and stand u' to the man her sister ouldn&t
( His Ro%al Highness, )ali$ Hourani the Crown Prine of "ha&*har!
"eth had onl% ever had her sister to ount on, and Adina was the onl% 'erson
who had ever loved her! Her re+uest was the emotional e+uivalent of bleeding
or being on fire! Sa%ing no wasn&t an o'tion!
"ut now that "eth was here in the 'alae, waiting to meet the Prine, the
re$less s'irit that had onvined her she ould 'ull this off om'letel%
wim'ed out! As she stared at her suitases lined u' on the e,+uisite marble
floor of the entr%wa%, the dee'tion that in her -!A! a'artment had felt noble
( wrong thing, right reason ( now .ust seemed wrong!
She was 'retending to be the woman who was going to marr% the shei$h
beause her sister wanted out of the marriage agreement!
As the firstborn b% two minutes! Addie had been betrothed b% their father, the
"ha&*harian ambassador to the /nited States, to the ro%al heir! Now, Addie
was torn between being disowned b% the father she adored or marr%ing a man
she&d never met! Neither alternative was a''ealing, es'eiall% after she&d
begun dating a man ( 'ossibl% the man!
It had been several %ears sine she&d ome of age, and she&d begun to ho'e the
shei$h had forgotten their arrangement! "ut onl% a few wee$s ago he&d begun
the 'roess of finali0ing their betrothal with wedding vows 1 and he wanted to
do it sooner rather than later! That was when Addie had ome u' with the idea
of swithing 'laes!
Outs'o$en "eth had often run interferene for intros'etive Addie when the%
were hildren, and had assumed her identit%! "ut this wasn&t about whih twin
had bro$en the lam' or hadn&t eaten her "russels s'routs! This seret ould
have international re'erussions!
"eth didn&t li$e serets! "ut she li$ed her sister&s situation even less! "eth had
one fallen for a gu% li$e the shei$h, a man from a 'olitiall% onneted famil%
who believed it was 'erfetl% all right to be married and have a mistress! He
felt entitled to 'la% b% different rules beause he was a 'owerful man! Now her
sister was engaged to one of the world&s most 'owerful men, and "eth ould
onl% imagine what rules he lived b%! This arranged marriage was .ust wrong,
and somehow "eth would get Addie out of it!
Now she waited for the Crown Prine in the a'artment where the ro%al
intended, or in this ase her fasimile, would sta% until the wedding! Nervous,
"eth 'aed and he$ed out the 'lae! The living room was s'aious and
bright, and filled with e,'ensive art ( 'aintings, blown glass, and figurines!
#renh doors o'ened onto a balon% overloo$ing the Arabian Sea, and when
she 'ulled the doors wide the bree0e blowing off the oean ooled her hot
hee$s!
She ould do this! She and her twin were interhangeable2 no one ould tell
them a'art, not even their father! This should be as eas% as falling off a log,
es'eiall% with a gu% who&d never met either of them!
The $no$ on the a'artment door startled her, even though she&d been
e,'eting it ( ma%be beause she&d been e,'eting it!
-etting out a long breath, she wal$ed through the a'artment, then o'ened the
door and stared li$e a fool! The man standing there was tail and dar$ and1
3ow! Handsome was an understatement!
Pulling herself together, she said, 4Hi!5
4I am )ali$ Hourani5 3ith the barest movement of his shoulders and head, he
e,euted a res'etful bow!
4The Prine65
4Indeed,5 he said!
4How do %ou do65
4I do ver% well!5 His dar$ e%es glowed with male a''roval! 4Although I regret
that I was not there when %our 'lane arrived!5
4Tehniall%, it&s %our 'lane!5
4That is true,5 he said seriousl%! 4"ut I did want to greet %ou and was unable to
do so!5
4That&s all right!5 She&d been relieved! 4I was told that %ou&d be tied u' with
business until this evening!5
4Things went better than I had e,'eted and I am grateful as I was eager to
meet %ou! 3elome to "ha&*har, Adina #arrah!5
#irst hurdle rossed! At first sight he believed she was Addie! Her heart started
thum'ing reall% hard! She had no more time to 're'are herself! Here he was in
the flesh! And ver% nie flesh it was 1 what she ould see of it! The e,'ensive
bla$ suit hid a lot, although it fit his tall, musular bod% 'erfetl%! His lean
hee$s and straight nose were e,e'tionall% attrative! "ut it was his mouth
that mesmeri0ed her and, she sus'eted, ommanded the attention of an%
female who was still breathing! There was an innate sensualit% to his li's, a
defined urve as if arved from stone, %et the% were soft with the 'romise of
'assion!
"eth had never met a man who instantl% made her want to $now what his
mouth would feel li$e against her own! Not until now! That was definitel% a
distration, and she so didn&t need it! She needed to $ee' her wits shar' and
ome u' with a 'lausible reason for him to all her b% a name she would
atuall% answer to!
4Hardl% an%one alls me Adina!5 she said!
43h%65
7ood +uestion! And this was where the truth wor$ed!
4Ever%one alls me "eth, for "ethia!5
4Oh5
She nodded! 4It&s m% middle name! Our 'arents didn&t thin$ it through when
m% sister and I were named! Adina! Alina5 She shrugged!
48ou are twins!5
43e are!5 Her heart 'ounded as she waited for him to reogni0e her dee'tion,
even though there was no reason for him to sus'et an%thing! 3hen he waited
'atientl%, she said! 48ou an imagine the onfusion when our names sound so
muh ali$e! So I beame "eth!5 Alwa%s best to go with as muh of the truth as
'ossible!
4Is that how %ou would 'refer to be addressed65
48es!5
He nodded! 4Then "eth is what I shall all %ou!5
4Than$ %ou, 8our Highness!5
4Please all me )ali$! I wish to 'ut %ou at ease!5
So he had notied her nerves! Ho'efull% he&d hal$ it u' to the irumstanes!
4"eing an ambassador&s daughter! I learned the 'ro'er form of address for
distinguished 'ersons at an earl% age! It&s diffiult for me to rela, old habits
and training!5
4That is understandable! Thin$ of it this wa%! Sometimes I am alled His Ro%al
Highness! Sometimes Sir! Oasionall% I am alled things not fit to re'eat in
front of a lad%!5 He grinned suddenl%, showing ver% white teeth against his
tanned s$in! 4However, in 'rivate, as we are now, m% given name is
'referable!5
3as it her imagination or had his voie dro''ed and beome se,ier on the
word 'rivate6 3as it also her imagination that the o,%gen in this room had
suddenl% thinned, ma$ing her want to ta$e long, dee' breaths6
4)ali$ it is, then,5 she said, tr%ing to rela,, 4it&s a 'leasure to finall% meet
%ou!5
4The 'leasure is mine, "eth!5 He held out his hand!
She 'ut hers into his 'alm and felt the warmth and strength of his long fingers!
Then the tingles started! The% daned u' her arm and settled in her breasts, as if
he were touhing her there! His dar$ e%es turned smo$% and intense, as if he
felt the same flash of heat!
48es! O$a%! Introdutions aom'lished,5 she said, 'ulling her hand from his!
Again she ouldn&t thin$ straight! It was as if touhing him short9iruited her
brain funtions!
4Indeed 4He nodded toward the other room! 4-et us sit and rela,, get to $now
one another!5
4All right!5
She ba$ed awa% from him! then turned and went into the living room, grateful
that she made it all the wa% to the sofa without her legs giving out! Rela,ing
wasn&t going to ha''en! She had a feeling that even if she wasn&t 'retending to
be her sister she&d be a fool to let down her guard around this man! The aura of
onfidene and 'ower surrounding him ( the ver% +ualities that had landed
her in trouble before ( were om'elling and e,iting!
4I wish %ou to tell me ever%thing about %ourself,5 he said!
3as that an order6 The im'erious tone touhed a nerve before the words san$
in! 4"ut we&re betrothed! :on&t %ou alread% $now ever%thing65
He unbuttoned his suit oat, revealing a snow9white shirt and flat abdomen!
Then he sat a foot awa% and met her ga0e! 4It is im'ossible to $now ever%thing!
I $now %ou were raised in the /nited States until attending boarding shool in
Swit0erland and ollege in #rane, where %ou reeived a degree in Histor%! I
$now we are betrothed beause %our father is m% father&s trusted ambassador
and friend! )a% I as$ how he is65
4#ine!5 The last time she&d seen him, and she ouldn&t remember when that
was!
4I am 'leased that he is well! He has assured me of %our im'eable
ba$ground and s'ea$s ver% highl% of %ou! "ut I have been su''lied onl% with
details!5
The devil was in the details! She hated this, and it was on the ti' of her tongue
to tell him what was going on, but she deided to wait! 43ell, I don&t $now
what to sa%!5 And that was definitel% the truth!
He met her ga0e and his own dar$ened! 4I 'refer to at as if we had met b%
hane! I wish the faets of %our individualit% to be revealed as we indulge in
the dane of learning about eah other, I li$e sur'rises!5
That was good! If he ever found out she wasn&t who he thought, he was in for a
big sur'rise! The thing was, when she and Addie were $ids, who dressed ali$e
and wore their hair in idential st%les, it had been far easier to fool ever%one!
The%&d both gone to finishing shool, but "eth had beome a teaher and
Addie ould throw a formal dinner 'art% for the 'o'ulation of a small ountr%!
4Pre'are to be sur'rised,5 she said! If her over was blown and the 'retense
sto''ed here, Addie would 'a% a high 'rie! The best 'lan was to tell the truth
when at all 'ossible! 4I&m a teaher ( high shool English!5 And this ruse was
how she was s'ending her summer vaation!
4That is a detail I did not $now! So %ou have a areer65
48es!5
4:o %ou li$e teahing65 His e,'ression a''eared to be one of genuine interest,
not an aha9%ou&re9l%ing9and9now9%ou& re 9busted loo$!
48es!5
4And hildren65
4I li$e them ver% muh! 3h% do %ou as$65
4"eause I am e,'eted to 'rodue an heir to the throne!5
4Then %ou be 'regnant and go through hildbirth!5 The words 'o''ed out of
her mouth before she ould sto' them! Her sister wouldn&t have sli''ed u' li$e
that!
He frowned! 48ou do not want hildren65
4Someda% I&d li$e to be a mother5 "ut she didn&t e,'et it to ha''en! Not
without love! And she reall% didn&t e,'et that!
43ill %ou miss it when we are married65
43hat65
4Teahing! 8our areer!5
So it was e,'eted that being his bride would be a full9time .ob, one for whih
her sister had been e,+uisitel% trained! "ut he&d as$ed her, "eth, and she&d
wor$ed hard! She loved her .ob and felt she reall% onneted with the teenagers
she taught! 4I have to be honest!5
4I e,'et nothing less!5
4I would miss it ver% muh! Is that a 'roblem65
He sat ba$ as he thought! 4It is a bridge we will ross when the time omes!5
S'o$en li$e a 'owerful 'olitiian, she thought! Translation; we&ll do it m% wa%,
and it doesn&t matter if %our heart gets bro$en! The woman he married would
be sub.et to this attitude! "ut "eth wasn&t the woman he was su''osed to
marr%, than$ goodness!
4-ater wor$s for me!5 she said!
43hat do %ou Thin$ of "ha&*har65
4I haven&t seen muh %et5 she admitted! 4"ut I remember going to the o'en9air
mar$et when I was a hild! )% mother used to(5
She had a sudden, vivid vision of smells and sights and sounds, and the safe,
seure feeling of her hand in her mother&s! The em'tiness inside her was li$e a
bla$ hole that swallowed u' all the light! A 'art of her had sta%ed em't% ever
sine her mother had abandoned her and Addie to be raised b% a stern!
autorati father! The sandal and abandonment had devastated "eth, but her
twin had ta$en it even harder!
43hat is it,5 he as$ed!
4Nothing!5 The $not in her stomah said different, but this wasn&t the right
time to disuss it! 3hile she was in the ountr% she 'lanned to see her mother
and tell her to her fae e,atl% what she thought about someone who would
abandon her hildren! And, more than that, "eth wanted to $now wh% she&d
done it!
S'ea$ing of interrogations, )ali$ was as$ing most of the +uestions! It was time
to ta$e the heat off herself and learn about him! #or Addie&s agenda to e,triate
herself from this ontrat, she told herself, not her own relutant uriosit% about
a man who had shown a romanti strea$ in that 4dane of learning about eah
other5 remar$!
4Tell me about %ou,5 she said!
He thought for a moment! 4I will soon be the *ing! #rom birth! I have been in
training to assume the throne and lead m% ountr% and m% 'eo'le into more
'ros'erit% than we urrentl% en.o%! )% father has been a great e,am'le and has
hallenged me ontinuousl% to sur'ass him 4
43here did %ou go to ollege65
The +uestion sli''ed out before she ould sto' it! That information was readil%
available if she had ared to loo$! She ho'ed he was not offended that she
hadn&t bothered to find out!
4I was eduated at the 3harton Shool one of the most 'restigious business
olleges in the eastern /nited States! I have a )aster&s :egree in Eonomis!5
<er% im'ressive, she thought! So he was smart! That would hel' in running the
ountr%! It wouldn&t hel' on the attration front! A smart, good9loo$ing man
with a sense of humor was too eas% to li$e!
43hat are %our intentions toward m%(5 She sto''ed and leared her throat!
4Toward me! I mean, what do %ou e,'et of a wife65
4This is beginning to sound li$e a .ob interview,5 he said!
4Reall%6 Have %ou ever had a .ob interview65
43h% do %ou as$65
She shrugged! 4Sine %ou&re first in the line of suession, %ou have the
'osition in the bag, so to s'ea$! How would %ou $now what it feels li$e to be
interrogated about %our abilit% ( or la$ thereof ( to do a .ob65
48ou are orret! There is no interview! 3hih is wh% the suessor to the
*ing is held to a higher standard! )ore is e,'eted!5
4Is the same e,'eted of a husband6 And what about the woman %ou marr%6
Sine she ( I ( was born into it, does that mean she ( I ( have to wor$
harder at being a wife65
He frowned! 4I had not thought about it!5
4Newsflash, 8our Highness, the lo$ is ti$ing! It&s time to thin$ about it5
)ali$ deteted an edge in her voie! Not onl% that, he had notied immediatel%
that she was nervous! It was evident in the tightness of her mouth, the hooded
e,'ression in her light brown e%es and the swiftness with whih she had
removed her hand from his when he&d introdued himself!
In another woman he would have ta$en it as 'roof of a hidden agenda! After
being 'la%ed for a fool and betra%ed b% suh a woman, he was war% of
'retenders! "ut "eth had reason for this show of an,iet%! )eeting her betrothed
for the first time was worth% of an aute ase of nerves!
He had to admit to some nervousness himself! He had onl% seen her in
'hotogra'hs! "eaut% was not a re+uirement for his bride2 truthfulness and
integrit% were of more im'ortane! However, he had been e,eedingl% 'leased
b% her features!
He li$ed the shin% dar$ hair that framed her oval fae and fell to her slender
shoulders! The sil$ blouse tu$ed into the small waist of her suit 'ants lung to
her breasts and highlighted her 'leasing urves! "ut that was not all that had
sur'rised him! There was a strength about her that had not been a''arent in the
'itures 'assed on to him b% her father!
The eight9b%9ten 'hotogra'hs did not a'ture the three9dimensional woman!
The warmth! <ibran%! The s'irit that had flashed in her e%es when she&d said
the lo$ was ti$ing on their betrothal!
4:o %ou feel too hurried in the business of this marriage65 he as$ed! 4I do not
wish to reate e,essive 'ressure!5
4I&ve alwa%s $nown about it,5 she said, s'ea$ing slowl% and a''arentl%
hoosing her words with are! 4"ut there was no firm date!5
"% his own hoie! He had lost his heart to a woman who had 'retended to be
something she was not! His error in .udgment had nearl% been made 'ubli and
it had been neessar% to inform the *ing! The inident had embarrassed him
'ersonall% and 'rofessionall%, and! worse, had dee'l% disa''ointed his father!
The 'oor .udgment he had e,hibited had ast doubt on his abilit% to be an
effetive leader! Afterwards! )ali$ had not wanted an emotional ommitment
of an% $ind! He would have 'ut off ta$ing vows indefinitel%, e,e't that it was
a wa% to 'rove he would ommit ever%thing to his dut%! /nli$e women, dut%
was onstant and without 'retense!
4)% father has e,'ressed his wish to retire! He wants me to assume leadershi'
res'onsibilities as soon as 'ossible!5
4I see!5 Silting on the edge of the sofa, she folded her hands in her la'! 4"ut
%ou ould be *ing and ta$e over the government without getting married6
Right65
48ou are orret! "ut as I said before, it is m% dut% to 'rodue an heir to the
throne and the hild must be legitimate! That re+uires marriage!5
A fat the *ing had 'ointed out when )ali$ had attem'ted to dela% the
inevitable! His father had also firml% staled that marriage gave a man stabilit%
and dignit%, both of whih were desirable +ualities in an effetive ruler!
"eause his bride had been seleted based on im'eable lineage, and raised to
be obedient, to 'ut their 'atrioti dut% before 'ersonal 'ursuits, there would be
no hane of another embarrassing inident!
However, "eth was a teaher, and that detail had not ome to his attention! Her
father had no doubt felt it unim'ortant, but )ali$ disagreed! It boded well for
her maternal s$ills ( a desirable trait in the woman who would bear his
hildren!
4Still, what&s the rush65 she as$ed!
4"esides the *ing&s retirement6 It is sim'l% time to fulfill our destin%, and
%ours is to be the =ueen of "ha&*har! To ta$e %our 'lae b% m% side in the
servie of our 'eo'le!5
Her big e%es grew bigger! 4Oh, wow(5
4Something troubles %ou65
48eah! =ueen of "ha&*har6 That&s a 'rett% overwhelming thought!5
Something a$in to 'ani stirred in her ga0e!
4I do not understand! As %ou said, %ou&ve alwa%s $nown what was in %our
future 4
48es!5 She stood! 4"ut $nowing and doing are two different things! *ind of
li$e being e,'osed to the flu, then losing %our lunh!5
He stood and loo$ed down at her! 4I understand that a good deal of %our
e,'eriene and u'bringing ha''ened in the /nited Slates, and Amerians are
more asual! It is one of their most uni+ue and harming +ualities! "ut I wish to
ma$e ertain > understand what %ou are sa%ing!5
4I&m sorr%!5 She sighed! 4That ame out a bit harsher than I intended! I sim'l%
meant that it&s one thing to $now what&s going to ha''en and +uite another to
atuall% go through the ste's! -i$e being ondemned(5
He held u' his hand! 48ou are not ma$ing it better!5
4Sorr%!5
4)a% I as$ %ou a +uestion65
4:o %ou have to65
He refused to be distrated b% her teasing or her beaut%! 4In all of %our
instrution on 'rotool, di'loma%, and eti+uette, were %ou ever one told that
it was 'olitiall% inorret to om'are ro%al life to the flu or a death sentene65
Her hin lifted slightl% as she said, 4I&d li$e to be lear on something as well!5
4I am ha''% to disuss an%thing with %ou!5 He notied that she had not
answered his +uestion! 43hat is it %ou wish to $now65
4Are %ou reall% all right with having %our bride 'i$ed out for %ou6 -i$e a tie6
Or a 'air of shoes65
48ou are hardl% a tie 4
She started 'aing! 4"ut %ou $now what I mean! 3hat if we don&t get along6
3hat if I snore6 3hat if we don&t get eah other&s sense of humor6 3hat if %ou
don&t have one6 3hat if(5
He held u' a hand! 4Clearl% %ou have reservations about the betrothal!5
48es,5 she said with great feeling! 4:on&t %ou65
4No!5
She had been hosen and eduated in the 'ro'er behavior of the wife of the
*ing! Together the% would guide this ountr% into a 'owerful 'osition in the
global ommunit%! That was all he needed to $now! And she had not one
mentioned the matter that he would have e,'eted a woman with doubts to
bring u'!
4Are %ou not onerned about love65 he as$ed!
4No!5 Her tone was rife with une,'eted 'assion!
48ou do not wish to be in love65
4Not even for mone%,5 she onfirmed! "ut her ga0e lowered .ust before she
turned awa% and started 'aing again! 4-ove is not all it&s ra$ed u' to be!5
4I agree!5 He $new wh% he did not wish to e,'eriene the emotion again, but
he was most urious to $now what had 'oisoned her against it!
4That&s good!5
48es! Aord is something to be treasured between a man and his wife! That
bodes well for15
43ait!5
43hat65 he as$ed!
4?ust beause neither of us wants to be in love it doesn&t get us on the same
'lanet with aord! -ove is sim'l% one issue! There are billions of things to
thin$ about!5
4Again, I agree! After we are married we will have the rest of our lives to wor$
out these things!5
She sto''ed in front of him! 4And there&s m% 'oint! A man and woman
ontem'lating s'ending the rest of their lives together usuall% wor$ the big
stuff out before the% get engaged!5
4Ro%alt% is different!5
Her loo$ was wr%! 4No $idding!5
4Is %our father aware of %our misgivings6 Have %ou disussed this with him65
Her ga0e s$ivered awa%! 4He&s more into issuing 'rolamations and orders than
in having atual disussions,5 she answered, whih was not an answer at all!
4If %ou do not ae't the time9honored tradition of this betrothal, then wh% did
%ou ome all this wa% to marr% me65
4That&s the thing,5 she said! Her ga0e was diret when she met his! 4I ame all
this wa% to tal$ %ou out of it!5
CHAPTER T3O
48ou ame halfwa% around the world to hange m% mind about an honored
"ha&*harian tradition65
"eth wined when he 'ut it li$e that! She&d ome beause her sister had begged
her! Addie needed time to figure out how to brea$ off the engagement without
alienating their father! An%thing less than blind obediene would result in being
ut out of his life as if she&d never e,isted! Addie was terrified to ta$e that ste'
and lose the door on her relationshi' with the onl% 'arent she had!
"eth wasn&t as doile as her sister and said what was on her mind 1 a flaw that
had alread% damaged her relationshi' with her father! Raised without a mother,
she understood wh% Addie was des'erate to 'reserve her remaining famil%
onnetions! If not for her sister! "eth would have grown u' in an emotional
vauum! She&d have no blue'rint for love! 7ranted, she&d been burned b% the
emotion, but better to have loved and lost, as the sa%ing went! She ouldn&t
stand b% and do nothing when the sister who&d taught her to love might be ut
off from it!
Tal$ing )ali$ out of this tradition made 'erfet sense for ever%one! Putting
herself in his shoes 1 $nowing that his bride had been hosen and he&d had no
sa% in the matter 1 ma%be she had a better than even hane of ma$ing him
see reason! #or 7od&s sa$e, he was going to be *ing! Shouldn&t he have a
hoie about the woman who would hel' him shoulder that res'onsibilit%6
She loo$ed u' at him! 4Sometimes hange is good! Sha$e things u'!5
4Sometimes the old wa%s are better!5
4All right,5 she said, ta''ing her li'! 4"ut %ou never answered m% +uestion
about whether or not %ou&re o$a% with not hoosing %our own bride!5
4There are advantages to letting others with nothing louding their ob.etivit%
do the 'i$ing!5
4Pi$ing65 She 'ut her hands on her hi's as she met his ga0e! 48ou ma$e me
sound li$e a ri'e 'lum!5
4On the ontrar%, 'lums are sweeter and more doile! Aside from those two
things 15 he shrugged 4 1 I am well 'leased with the seletion m% father
made!5
"eth didn&t $now if she&d .ust been om'limented or insulted! Or both!
43ell, of ourse %ou&re 'leased! 3hat&s not to li$e65
4Please e,'lain,5 He folded his arms over his hest and gave her his full
attention!
4An arranged marriage wor$s in %our favor beause %ou&re a 'owerful man!5
He shoo$ his head! 4I do not understand what that has to do with an%thing!5
3as he deliberatel% being obtuse6 4"eing in a 'osition of 'ower means %ou get
to ontrol ever%thing! 8ou an set the rules! Nothing about this situation wor$s
in m% favor!5
4Nothing65 He frowned! 4:o %ou find me unattrative65
4No!5 3hat she wanted to sa% was 7ood 7od, no! 48ou&re ver% handsome!5
One orner of his mouth lifted! 4:oes m% 'ersonalit% dis'lease %ou65
4Sine we .ust met, it&s too soon to tell! So far %ou seem o$a%!5
He nodded! 4Is the 'alae not to %our li$ing6 8ou ob.et to living here65
4Oh! 'lease! 3hat I&ve seen of it is gorgeous, and %ou $now it!5
4Then I am at a loss to understand %our ob.etions!5
4)% ob.etions have to do with the fat that there&s more to marriage than
'leasing loo$s, 'ersonalit% and a 'alae!5 3hen 'ut li$e that, it ourred to her
that 'erha's her standards were a tad high! 4There&s something to be said for a
normal ourtshi'!5
4:efine this for me!5
The fat that he needed a definition for normal should have been a big lue! "ut
she was su''osed to be im'ersonating her sister, and Adina was nothing if not
oo'erative! 4O$a%! The average ourting ritual goes li$e this; girl meets bo%!
7irl is wildl% attrated to bo%! 7irl gets to $now bo% and falls in love!
"ha&*harian tradition for hoosing its =ueen is robbing %ou of this
e,'eriene!5
4)e65 he as$ed! 4Or %ou65
4"oth of us5
4In the s'irit of girl getting to $now bo%, I am told that I am +uite a ath!5
She&d heard her father tell Adina the same thing! 4It&s .ust that marriage is a big
ste', and 'rett% sar% when one doesn&t $now one&s intended from a ro$!5
He wal$ed over to the #renh doors and loo$ed out for several moments, then
turned! A frown had re'laed the good9natured e,'ression on his fae! 4@I do
not believe an%one has ever om'ared me to a ro$!5
4That&s .ust an e,'ression! It means that I don&t $now %ou 15
4I understand the e,'ression! "ut there is something I do not om'rehend! In
%our training to be the =ueen of "ha&*har, it should have been e,'lained that
the 'eriod of engagement is the time to beome a+uainted!5
4It was e,'lained!5 Probabl%! "ut the ste'9b%9ste' rules of ourtshi' were still
being violated! #ather 'i$s bo%! 7irl is engaged to bo%! 7irl meets bo% and!
after too brief a time, girl marries bo%! And the% live ha''il% ever after6 The
odds were so against that!
She wal$ed over to him and the bree0e from the oean ooled her fae!
-oo$ing into his dar$ e%es, she as$ed, beause she sinerel% wanted to $now
how he felt! 43hat if it goes badl%6 3hat if %ou don&t li$e me6 3hat if I don&t
li$e %ou6 3hat if we 15
He touhed a finger to her li's to silene her! 4:o %ou alwa%s borrow trouble65
43hat if I do6 Is that a deal9brea$er65
He laughed! 4If I did not $now better I would thin$ %ou are deliberatel% tr%ing
to ma$e me disli$e %ou!5
4Is it wor$ing65
4I do not $now!5
4:o I need to tr% harder65
4That de'ends on %our 'ur'ose! I have not %et made u' m% mind about %ou!
And %ou should not form an o'inion about me! either!5
4I&m not 're9.udging(5
4I disagree! 8ou ame all this wa% to tal$ me out of this marriage, whih means
%ou have alread% losed %our mind to the 'ossibilit% that this arrangement
ould be a good thing!5
She didn&t see how it ould be good, but that onl% 'roved his 'oint! 43hat if I
have formed an o'inion alread%65
He too$ a ste' loser! 4-et go of %our 'reoneived ideas!5 He touhed his
finger to her hin, nudging it u' so their ga0es lo$ed! 4@7ive me a hane to
'rove that I am indeed a good ath!5
"eth didn&t $now whether to let out the breath she was holding or breathe
dee'l% and overdose on his s'i%, e,iting sent, letting it invade and on+uer
her senses! A gleam stole into his e%es, a loo$ that both e,ited and unnerved
her It was a 'urel% masuline e,'ression, full of male onfidene in his 'ower
to get what he wanted!
There was little doubt in her mind that he would 'ull out all the sto's in his
mission to 'rove his worth, and sedution was right at the to' of his list! 3hile
her romanti 'arts +uivered with enthusiasm, her rational 'arts struggled to
'revail!
4)ali$, I have no doubt that %ou re a 'erfetl% nie man! It was not m%
intention to insult %ou! and I a'ologi0e if I have!5
48our misgivings are understandable!5
She wasn&t sure if his eas%going manner made the situation better or worse!
Although he was ver% attrative and harming, she had no reason to believe he
was an% different from the man who had disarded her in favor of his alread%
hosen, 'olitiall% orret wife! If an%thing! )ali$ was more 'owerful, and
therefore more dangerous!
If it was u' to her, she would tell this shei$h to ta$e a fl%ing lea'! "ut it was
Addie&s hoie! And! beause her sister was hoosing a time out! "eth was
there to ma$e sure she had it! In that s'irit, she needed to dial down her
o''osition! 4Than$ %ou for %our 'atiene, )ali$!5
48ou an re'a% me with 'atiene of %our own! -et us get to $now eah other!
3e will give it a hane and see what ha''ens! Then if either of us has doubts
we will hoose an a''ro'riate ourse of ation!5
In essene, he was as$ing for a true! It would ma$e things easier if he was a
.er$ and she ould tell him what to do with his engagement!
On the other hand, if )ali$ deided this arrangement didn&t wor$ for him either
and alled off the wedding, Addie would be off me hoo$ and their father
ouldn&t hold it against her! So, nie it was! She smiled! 4How an I sa% no65
Nine out of ten women would be over.o%ed to be his betrothed, %et )ali$
found himself with number ten! Sur'risingl%, the idea did not ran$le as he
would have thought! Obediene was a 'leasing harateristi in a woman, but
after meeting "eth he reali0ed a fawning fianAe would be boring!
He was most urious about this lovel%, stubborn %oung woman who hallenged
him at ever% turn! 3hen she&d alled him a 'owerful man! the edge in her
voie had warned him it was not a om'liment! Oddl% enough, he was loo$ing
forward to this ourtshi', to the o''ortunit% for hanging her mind about him
and disovering the soure of her misgivings about marriage!
)ali$ wal$ed into his dining room and touhed the ontrol that lowered the
handelier illumination to a romanti glow! Then he lit the andles on either
side of the fragrant flower arrangement graing the table! He had a bottle of the
finest ham'agne ooling in a silver bu$et and r%stal flutes waited
e,'etantl%, as did he!
"eth would be here an% moment, and the dane of learning about eah other
would ontinue! E,itement hummed through him! and he reali0ed he had not
e,'eriened suh a level of antii'ation in longer than he ould remember! Of
ourse, it had been a long time sine he had met suh a fasinating woman! The
last time it had ha''ened he had been fooled! It was omforting and onvenient
to $now there was no hane of re'eating the same mista$e with his betrothed!
He he$ed his a''earane in the beveled gilt mirror in his suite&s irular
entr% wa%! Ever% hair was in 'lae, and he&d shaved a short while before 1 in
ase he $issed her, whih he ver% muh wanted to do! His sil$ shirt, o'en at the
ollar, and his dar$ 'ants evo$ed .ust the right informal tone, whih was
im'ortant, as he wished to 'ut her at ease!
He heard a $no$, so soft it would not have been audible had he not been
standing near the door! "eth stood in the doorwa%, a vision of heaven in a high9
ne$ed, sleeveless white linen dress with a wide bla$ belt that drew his
attention to her small waist! It was a sim'le, elegant loo$, full of so'histiation!
The allure was in what he ould not see as muh as in what he ould! Then he
met her ga0e and notied the wariness in her large e%es 1 brown e%es, filled
with fle$s of gold!
He bowed slightl%! 47ood evening! "eth! Please ome in!5
4Than$ %ou!5
As she 'assed him, her subtle floral fragrane filled his head with visions that
had nothing to do with gardens and ever%thing to do with twisted sheets and
bare flesh! Instead of entering, she stood and loo$ed around! Of ourse she
would be urious!
43elome to %our new home,5 he said! 4This is where we shall live after we
are married!5
4About the whole marriage thing(5
4"eth!5
She turned to loo$ at him! 43hat65
48ou 'romised to give it a hane,5 he reminded her!
4Promise ma% not be the right word! As I reall, m% e,at words were BHow
an I sa% no6&5
He grinned! 4Nevertheless, %our res'onse im'lied %our agreement for us to get
to $now eah other In the s'irit of that! I would re+uest that for the duration of
the evening %ou refrain from an% negative referenes to a state of marriage
between us!5
4Is that a 'rolamation65
4It is a heartfelt 'lea! And, under the irumstanes, it is +uite o'en9minded of
me!5
Her e%es s'ar$led with mishief, as he&d ho'ed the% would! 4So, 8our
Highness, an we tal$ about %our humilit%65
4Of ourse!5 He held out a hand and indiated the #renh doors off the living
room! 43ait for me on the terrae and I will bring ham'agne!5
4Is that an order65
He did not miss the war% e,'ression on her fae, or the edge in her voie!
Clearl% she was e,'eting him to sedue her! It was a tem'ting thought, but
that was not his 'lan! Not %et! No, tonight was all about harming her! There
was a full moon, a warm bree0e, and the fragrane of .asmine mi,ed with the
sent of the sea! )other Nature would wra' them in romane!
4Not an order A suggestion! I sim'l% thought %ou would en.o% the view and the
fresh air!5
4I see!5 3ithout further 'rotest or a ba$ward glane she wal$ed through the
living room and onto the terrae!
)ali$ o'ened the ham'agne and 'oured golden li+uid into flutes, then arried
them outside! He handed one to "eth!
4To what shall we drin$65 he as$ed!
After thin$ing for a moment she said, 4-o%alt%!5
That seemed an odd hoie, but with his own 'ainful lesson fresh in his mind
he highl% a''roved of her toast! 4And honest%!5
As the% touhed glasses, a musial tin$le sounded! Then "eth si''ed from her
flute as she ga0ed out over the sea! The moon&s light reated a silver 'ath on
the water, and the rh%thmi adene of the surf on the shore drifted u'!
47reat view,5 she said!
48es!5 "ut his ga0e was not on the sea! )ali$ was wondering if there was a
more beautiful sight in the world than "eth b% moonlight! And if his thoughts
ontinued in that manner he was not at all ertain he ould resist her! 4So, tell
me more about %ourself,5 he said, stud%ing the long, graeful olumn of her
ne$ revealed b% her u'swe't hair!
The 'ulse at the base of her throat fluttered! 43hat do %ou want to $now65
4Tell me what ha''ened to ma$e %ou believe that love is not all it is ra$ed u'
to be!5
4Oh, %ou don&t reall% want to $now about that!5
4On the ontrar%! I believe it is at the heart of %our resistane to marriage!5
Si''ing from his glass! he studied her as she weighed his re+uest!
4All right! There was a man! I met him when I was in ollege and there was an
instant onnetion!5
48ou are in love with this man65 The idea 'rodued a $not of resentment in
him that seemed out of 'ro'ortion to the amount of time he had $nown her, and
that ve,ed him!
4Not an%more!5
4"ut %ou were65
4I thought I was!5
43hat ha''ened65
4He made me believe I was the onl% woman for him! Then he bro$e m% heart
when he married someone else!5
The $not inside him eased somewhat and made rational thought easier! Then he
reali0ed something! 4Surel% %ou were aware that, as m% betrothed, %ou are not
'ermitted to give %our heart to another man65
4It was onl% m% heart, )ali$! To m% everlasting shame, I ouldn&t hel' it! "ut
at least I didn&t om'ound m% mista$e b% slee'ing with him!5 She did not loo$
awa%, but met his ga0e diretl%!
The% had .ust toasted honest%, and he had no reason to doubt her! 4I believe
%ou!5
She sat on the low stuo wall surrounding the terrae and sighed! 4I bet %ou&re
sorr% %ou as$ed!5
48our andor is refreshing! The truth is not alwa%s eas%, but it is 'referable to
'retense!5
She was .ust si''ing ham'agne and started to ough!
)ali$ sat ne,t to her and too$ her glass! 4Are %ou all right65
She nodded and leared her throat! 4I swallowed wrong!5
4I do not li$e it when that ha''ens! I also do not li$e the thought of %ou and
another man!5 That was the truth!
4As the relationshi' ended badl%, there&s no real harm done!5
4I disagree!5
4So %ou&re going to hold it against me65 3as that ho'e in her voie6 4If so,
there&s alwa%s the o'tion of alling off the wedding! I an ertainl% understand
if that&s what %ou deide to do! ?ust sa% the word and I go ba$ to Ameria
and(5
4On the ontrar%,5 he interru'ted, noting that when she was nervous she was
inlined to tal$ too muh and too fast! 4I believe a woman whose heart has
$nown love one is more li$el% to loo$ for it again!5
4Even though I told %ou I don&t want to be in love65
4Even then!5
48ou&re wrong!5 She shoo$ her head and her full li's 'ulled tight! 4I never
want to feel that wa% again!5
43h%65
4If I&d never loved I never would have ried! And I 'romised m%self it was the
last time I would r% over a man!5
He ould understand the sentiment! He had made himself a similar 'romise
about not being vulnerable to the harms of a woman, in his father&s esteemed
o'inion )ali$ had shown 'oor .udgment, and it ould not ha''en again! 8et
)ali$&s dut% was to marr% and 'rodue an heir to sueed him on the throne! A
love that burned him li$e wildfire would be unae'table! And that was wh%
marr%ing the woman hosen b% his father was the solution! 3ith "eth he ould
as'ire to a full% ontained warmth and res'et!
Their shoulders brushed as the% sat side b% side and stared into the
romantiall% dimmed light of the suite! )ali$ felt the soft s$in of her forearm
gra0e him and flames of desire heat u' his blood!
4I feel om'elled to 'oint out that our betrothal is a good thing in light of %our
e,'eriene!5
4How do %ou figure65
48ou an have all the benefits of marriage to the *ing of "ha&*har without the
messiness of dealing with love!5
4So I an be li$e a man65 She met his ga0e! The gleam of mishief mi,ed with
hallenge dar$ened her e%es!
The loo$ was growing on him but in no wa% 're'ared him for what ame ne,t!
She smiled a smile that seemed to steal all the air from his lungs!
He 'i$ed u' one of her small hands, then touhed his li's to her $nu$les!
Satisfation filled him to see the gleam in her e%es re'laed b% awareness! "ut,
li$e her, he did not wish to be vulnerable to love! He was most 'leased that
the% were in agreement beause his betrothed was +uite a tem'ting
ombination of s'irit and beaut%! Theirs was a ontrat, a business
arrangement, and that suited him well!
He brushed his thumb over the s'ot on her hand that he&d .ust $issed! 4I annot
order or 'rolaim that %ou fall in love with me! "ut, little one, %ou will never
be li$e a man!5 His voie dro''ed into the dee'l% sedutive range! 4And this
man is e,traordinaril% grateful for that fat!
CHAPTER THREE
THE ne,t morning "eth stood on her balon% with a u' of offee in her hands
while she loo$ed out over the sea! )emories of last night li$ed through her
mind li$e a sensual slide show! )ali$ smiling his harming smile! )ali$ telling
her he was glad she wasn&t a man and $issing her hand! Her wanting to feel his
li's 'ressed against her own, followed b% disa''ointment when he didn&t $iss
her! Then the rushing guilt beause shed forgotten wh% she was there!
She leaned her hi' on the low wall as the bree0e aressed her fae! )ali$
Hourani was not what she&d e,'eted! He was $ind, onsiderate and romanti!
:amn him! If he didn&t mess u' soon, and do something to ma$e her disli$e
him! the onse+uenes ouldn&t be good! There was no wa% to 'ut a 'ositive
s'in on this harade! She was l%ing to )ali$ and her soul was doomed to the
seventh level of hell! 3hat was more, she deserved it!
She wal$ed into the suite and 'i$ed u' her ell 'hone, intending to all Addie
and beg her sister to end this! "efore she ould 'ut in the number, the 'hone
attahed to the landline rang!
She 'i$ed it u'! 4Hello65
47ood morning 4
There was no mista$ing that dee' velvet voie! 4)ali$! 7ood morning!5
4I trust %ou sle't well65
4Never better!5 she lied, and reali0ed the lies were getting easier in s'ite of her
resolution to tell as muh of the truth as 'ossible!
4I am glad to bear it! I have a sur'rise for %ou!5
43hat is it65 she as$ed!
4If I tell %ou it wouldn&t be a sur'rise! "ut I will ome for %ou in an hour5
43here are we going65
48ou are attem'ting to tri$ me into revealing the sur'rise!5
4Atuall%, I need to $now what to wear5
4:ress asuall%5
Casuall%6 That ould mean an%thing, from .eans to a sil$ lounging outfit!
4Casual as in sundress6 Or asual as in 'ants65
4?eans,5 he said! 4And that is all I will sa%!5
The line went dead! "efore she ould sto' it, e,itement ared through her! In
her life, sur'rises had been few, and usuall% bad! Her mother had wal$ed out
and her father wasn&t the warm, fu00% t%'e! The man she&d loved had married
someone else! "ut the 'leasure in )ali$&s voie made her believe his sur'rise
was something good, and she hurried to get read%!
In 'reisel% an hour the Crown Prine showed u' at her door, wearing .eans, a
loose white otton shirt and boots! He refused to sa% where the% were going but
esorted her to the ar he had waiting! A few minutes later the% drove 'ast
white slat fening that loo$ed a lot li$e horse orrals! 3hen the ar sto''ed in
front of a stable she had a ver% strong feeling that her good sur'rise was going
to turn bad!
43h% are we here65 she as$ed, as he loo$ her hand to hel' her from the ba$
seat!
4I wish to show %ou the horse that m% brother *ardahl 'urhased for %ou when
he visited his wife&s famil%! The mountain 'eo'le raise some of the finest
horses in the world!5
"eth wal$ed with him into the stable&s shaded interior and reali0ed the .ig
might ver% well be u'! In finishing shool, along with learning eti+uette, how
to throw elaborate dinner 'arties and 'rotool, Addie had beome an
aom'lished horsewoman! "eause all the ro%als were avid riders, it would be
e,'eted of the *ing&s wife! On the other hand, "eth had never been on
an%thing besides a arousel 'on%!
4I don t $now what to sa%!5 After so man% lies, it almost felt good to tell the
truth!
4Come and meet the mare!5 he said, ta$ing her hand! He led her to the stall
where the animal stood waiting, her oat shin% bla$ with s'lothes of white on
her fae! Addie would have been thrilled 1 would be thrilled 1 about this
sur'rise! "eth 1 not so muh! She was going to have to fl% b% the seat of her
'ants 1 so to s'ea$! At the ver% least she needed to be 'olite!
4Than$ %ou! )ali$5
48ou are most welome!5
"eth tried lo loo$ onfident when she 'ut her hand on the horse&s ne$! She
$new enough that mare meant female! 4:oes she have a name65
)ali$ smiled down at her! then hu$led when the horse nu00led his shoulder!
4As she is %ours, %ou must hoose what to all her!5
4?e0ebel!5 It was the first name that ame to mind 1 from one shameless
woman to another! At his +uestioning loo$, she shrugged! 4I li$e the sound of
it!5
4Then ?e0ebel it is! I will have two horses saddled and we an ride 15
4No!5
He frowned! 4I do not understand! I was under the im'ression that m%
betrothed en.o%ed riding!5
4She does!5 On to' of ever%thing else, "eth reali0ed she was tal$ing in the
third 'erson, but tehniall% it was the truth! Addie loved riding!
4Then I&m at a loss5
4It&s .ust that I&m a little tired 15
4"ut %ou sle't well!5
And %et again her words ame ba$ to bite her! Oh, what a tangled web we
weave!!!
4I did! "ut I lost ount of how man% time 0ones I rossed traveling here! I
guess I&m still getting used to the differene! ?et9lagged!5
4Another time, then! I should have waited, but I was an,ious to give %ou this
gift!5
4I&m definitel% sur'rised5 she said, feeling li$e slime, 4it&s ver% thoughtful of
%ou!5 Again, that was the truth! And, strething it a bit! she said, 4"ut I have to
onfess it&s been a long time sine I&ve been on a horse! I&m 'robabl% 'rett%
rust%!5
4Then we must ma$e it a 'riorit% when %ou are suffiientl% alimated and
well rested!5
And b% that time, if "eth hadn&t alienated all the gods! Addie would have
gotten her out of this situation!
4I loo$ forward to that!5 She gave ?e0ebel one last 'at on the ne$, then wal$ed
out of the stables! Standing on the bottom rung of the fene, she rested her arms
on the to' and stared at the mountains in the distane!
"ha&*har had a beaut% all its own! and the air here seemed full of romane!
3hile )ali$ would be nie to loo$ at over brea$fast ever% morning, there was
more at sta$e than an un'leasant view! "eth had been wathing her sister&s
ba$ for as long as she ould remember, and she ouldn&t sto' now! /nless she
ould somehow onvine )ali$ that this tradition was wrong there was ever%
hane that Addie would be disowned! In "eth&s view that would be 'referable
to Addie marr%ing and falling for him beause he would 'robabl% 'la% b% the
rules of 'owerful men and brea$ her heart with his infidelit%!
)ali$ stood beside her! lose enough that she ould feel the heat of his s$in!
48ou are loo$ing most 'ensive about something! 3ould I be wrong to assume
it is about our betrothal65
48ou would not!5
4Tell me what %ou are thin$ing!5
She sighed! 4It .ust seems wrong to ma' out a 'erson&s life and rob them of
free will!5
4That is one 'oint of view! )ine is that traditions are reassuring! And the
ustom of ro%al betrothal is even more reassuring than most! If %ou trul% ob.et
to the marriage, %ou have onl% to sa% so!5
4If onl% it were that sim'le,5 she said softl%!
Her father would be furious! She and Addie had grown u' under their father&s
thumb, learning to 'lease him and tr%ing to earn a rare word of 'raise in the
battle to win his love! "ut "eth had reali0ed earl% on that rebellion garnered his
attention as following the rules did not! #inall% she had ome to the onlusion
that he would never love her! Addie would beome a +ueen, but she "eth, was
nothing s'eial! So she&d followed her heart and beome a teaher! 3hen he
had disowned her for hoosing areer over waiting for marriage, as he&d
ordered, she hadn&t e,'eted it to hurt so muh!
She&d alwa%s said, 3hat&s he going to do6 Not are about me6 "ut when he
had indeed sto''ed aring about her, the 'ain of being ut off had been far
worse than sheCd reali0ed! So "eth understood Addie&s hesitation to stand u' to
him about the marriage! 3hen her sister had begged "eth to fill in and give
Addie a little time to see if she&d met 4the one5, time to find out if he was
worth the 'rie she would have to 'a%! "eth had agreed! "eause she $new
how hard it was to lose the onl% famil% %ou had!
)ali$ leaned his shoulder against the fene and stared down at her! 4I do not
$now what is troubling %ou, but it is m% wish that in time %ou will feel
omfortable onfiding in me!5
4I a''reiate the offer!5 He had no idea how tem'ted she was to do .ust that! If
it were onl% about her! she&d onfess in a heartbeat! "ut the truth wasn&t hers to
tell, and it ould dee'l% hurt her sister! 4Than$ %ou, )ali$!5
4Something else I wish to 'oint out is that there are worse things than having a
ma' of one&s life! Having things in 'erfet order is not a negative!5
4Oh65 She met his ga0e! 4This from the man who li$es sur'rises65
4There an be sur'rises even in the onte,t of a well9ordered life!5 he
defended!
4So %ou li$e sur'rises as long as %ou&re in ontrol65 she observed!
48ou sa% this as if it is a bad thing!5
4Isn&t it65
4No!5 The s'ar$le in his e%es hinted at une,'eted wonders, and her heart
s$i''ed twie before a dee' breath steadied her!
4How&s that wor$ing for %ou65
The s'ar$le disa''eared for .ust a seond before he answered! 4It wor$s well!
And! while we are on the sub.et, are there an% sur'rises that %ou wish me to
'rovide for %ou65
4I don&t $now if it&s a sur'rise, e,atl%!5
43hat is it %ou wish65
It was the other reason she&d agreed to ome here! 4I&d li$e to find m% mother!5
4Even though she has not been a 'art of %our life for man% %ears65 he
+uestioned!
So he $new about that! 4Probabl% beause of it! I .ust need to tal$ to her!5
4Then I will arrange it,5 he said, without a moment&s hesitation!
4?ust li$e that65
4Indeed!5
4Than$ %ou! I&m ver% grateful!5
The mishievous twin$le rea''eared in his e%es as his white teeth flashed in a
heart9melting grin! 4)ight %our gratitude inlude a $iss65
It might, and all he had to do was stand there loo$ing li$e sin for the ta$ing!
Her li's tingled with the tem'tation he offered! ?um'ing off the fene, she
turned awa% and started to wal$!
4I don&t thin$ so!5
He followed! 4Have I offended %ou65
If onl%! 4No!5
4"ut I have made %ou unomfortable65
Oh, %eah! 4Not reall%!5
He wra''ed his fingers around her u''er arm to sto' her, then turned her to
fae him! 4Tell me the truth!5
4I am not offended!5
47ood!5 His smoldering ga0e was li$e a magnet! refusing to release her!
4"eause there is something %ou must $now!5
43hat65 she whis'ered!
4I will $iss %ou! And soon!5
4Oh65 The single s%llable was almost a s+uea$!
43hen it ha''ens, I wish it to mean something!5
It would mean that she was going straight to hell! :o not 'ass go! :o not
ollet wings and halo! She was going to lose her soul!
43hen it ha''ens,5 he ontinued, 4it will be beause %ou annot get me out of
%our mind! 3hen our li's finall% touh, %ou will feel it ever%where! The
meeting of our mouths will be so sweet and dee' and 'assionate that %ou will
never want it to end!5
"eth was s'eehless! And breathless! The intensit% in his e%es, along with his
words, removed an% doubt that he meant what he said! 3hen it ha''ened! she
wasn&t sure she would be able to resist him! And that was a big 'roblem,
beause he was romaning an im'oster!
She was finding a lot to li$e about )ali$, and l%ing to him was beoming
harder and harder to defend! Agreeing to the ruse had been easier before she&d
met him! She $new how it felt to be lied to, and as far as she ould tell )ali$
didn&t deserve it!
She had to tal$ to Addie!
3ith a u' of tea delivered b% the 'alae staff in one hand and her ell 'hone
in the other, "eth san$ into the ouh in her suite! She set the u' and sauer on
the offee table, then fli''ed o'en the 'hone and 'ressed ommands until she
got to her world lo$ and he$ed the time in -os Angeles!
4Too bad, Addie! 3e&ve got a risis and it&s worth losing slee' over!5 She hit
s'eed dial and waited for the ring, then heard an answer!
4Hello65 Addie&s slee'% voie ame through loud and lear!
4Hi, Ad! Its me!5
4"eth!5 All traes of drowsiness in her voie were gone! 4Are %ou all right65
4Ph%siall%, I&m fine! Ever%thing else ( not so muh!5
43hat&s wrong65
4I have to let )ali$ $now the truth ( that I&m not %ou!5
There was a silene on the other end of the line that had nothing to do with the
distane dela%! "eth ould almost hear her sister thin$ing that over!
43hat&s going on65 Addie finall% as$ed! 4Is he sus'iious65
"eth grabbed a tur+uoise throw 'illow and luthed it to her hest! 4If he
wasn&t before, he 'robabl% is now! He gave me ( %ou ( a horse, and wanted
to ride with me!5
4Oh! m%!5
4No $idding, oh, m%! 8ou $now how I feel about horses!5
43hat did %ou do65
4I 'retended to be tired from the tri' and the time hange!5 She was getting
awfull% good at 'retending! and it wasn&t something she was 'artiularl% 'roud
of!
4:id he believe %ou65
4I thin$ so! I&m not sure!5 She 'lu$ed at the nubb% 'illow material! 4I almost
told him the truth!5
48ou an&t, "eth5
Her stomah lenhed! 4I hate this! He seems li$e a reall% nie man, Addie!
Romanti! Handsome! *ind! He&s going to hel' me find our mother!5
4Are %ou sure %ou want to onfront her65 Addie as$ed!
4She wal$ed out on us when we were .ust little girls without a word of
e,'lanation! She left us with a old, unemotional man who flaunted his affairs,
shi''ed us off to boarding shool and tried to ontrol our lives! 8ou bet I want
an e,'lanation! I thin$ she&s selfish and shallow and I want to tell her so to her
fae!5 She too$ a dee' breath to 'ush out the $not 'ulling tight in her hest!
4#ather means well,5 her sister defended! 4In his own wa% he loves us!5
4He loves %ou!5
There was a dee' sigh from the other end of the line! 4I owe %ou so muh,
"ethie! 8ou alwa%s too$ are of me and stood u' for me! 3hat would I do
without %ou65
"eth s+uirmed on the soft sofa, her ba$side remembering the blows! 48ou&re
m% sister I love %ou!5
4I $now! And I feel awful as$ing %ou to 'retend .ust a little longer!5
48ou&re going to li$e )ali$ a lot! Addie!5
"eth wished he were an ogre! Then Addie ouldn&t marr% him and their father
would .ust have to get over it! "ut the Crown Prine&s harm and wit made this
whole situation more diffiult!
4I need more time!5
43h%65
4I&m getting to $now Ton%! I thin$ he ould be s'eial! I&ve never been in love,
and I want to $now what it feels li$e5
4It&s not all it&s ra$ed u' to be!5 "eth said, remembering her onversation
with )ali$! He felt the same wa%, and the%&d sort of bonded over their mutual
aversion to more tender emotions! How inonvenient was that6
4If %ou ould .ust give me a little longer!5
4The rest of %our life wouldn&t be long enough to be sure! 8ou&re alwa%s going
to wonder!5
-i$e "eth wondered how in the world she ould have been so stu'id as to fall
for a gu% who thought he was entitled to a wife and a mistress beause his
'olitial influene 'ut him above regular 'eo'le! -i$e she wondered if )ali$
thought he was entitled to ste' on whoever got in his wa%!
4If onl% the Crown Prine hadn&t sent for me so suddenl%,5 Addie said!
4Ever%thing was going along so niel%, and then he deided he wanted to at
on the betrothal!5
4The *ing is retiring soon and )ali$ will ta$e over the throne! It&s e,'eted
that he will be married and settled b% his oronation!5 "eth e,'lained! 4I $now!
His timing ouldn&t be worse!5 "eth figured it ouldn&t hurt to tr% one more
time! 4?ust tell #ather %ou an&t go through with this arranged marriage!5
4I need to see if Ton% is worth 'ossibl% losing m% father,5 Addie 'leaded!
48ou&re missing the 'oint! :o it for %ou, not for a man! Stand u' to him!
Addie!5
4I&m not as strong as %ou are, "ethie! I $now #ather an be overbearing, and he
doesn&t sa% what&s in his heart! "ut I $now he ares!5
4If %ou weren&t the firstborn(5
4"% two minutes,5 Addie reminded her!
4It ould be two seonds! The timing doesn&t matter! 8ou beat me out of the
womb! Therefore %ou&re the oldest and the one he 'romised to the Crown
Prine! He ould never tell us a'art, but I guess he didn&t have to, sine he
barel% a$nowledged I was alive!5
4He&s a flawed man, I grant %ou! "ut he&s our father! I&ve alread% lost one
'arent and I&m not read% to sa% the words that ould ost me the onl% one I
have left! I need a little more time to wor$ u' the ourage!5
"eth losed her e%es! 4All right! I won&t sa% an%thing to )ali$! #or now!5
4Than$ %ou! "eth5
4:on&t mention it! I&ll do m% best to be %ou until %ou get here!5
3hen "eth had agreed to the dee'tion she&d onvined herself it was the
wrong thing for the right reason! That was getting more diffiult to believe! She
des'ised deeiving )ali$, and she sus'eted the de'th of her des'iableness
was in diret 'ro'ortion to her growing attration to him!
This fasination was om'letel% unforeseen, sine she hadn&t e,'eted to li$e
him at all! Still, 'owerful men didn&t neessaril% show their true selves right
awa%! Time would tell about )ali$, and she ho'ed her sister showed u' soon
so "eth ould hand off the 'roblem!
"efore her growing feelings beame a bigger 'roblem!
CHAPTER #O/R
4S/RE-8 %ou have better things to do65 "eth stood beside the waiting town
ar beneath the 'alae 'ortio!
At lunh the *ing and =ueen had been harmed b% their daughter9in9law9to9be
and had suggested that )ali$ show her around! "eth had said all the right
things, but he had seen the hesitation in her e%es! He had felt a deliberate
distane between them ever sine his delaration several da%s before that he
wished to $iss her! The more time he s'ent with her, the more aute was his
im'atiene to ma$e it so! The tension he felt in her now ould be aused b% his
words, and that thought filled him with a great deal of satisfation! It 'leased
him that his nearness ould affet her! That meant he was not alone in his
attration!
He did have im'ortant things to do! After all! he was the Crown Prine of
"ha&*har, who would soon beome *ing! "ut when his father, the urrent
*ing, made a suggestion! )ali$ had learned the wisdom of heeding it!
4"etter things to do than what65 he as$ed!
4Showing me around!5
48ou are m% betrothed! It is m% dut% to introdue %ou to life in "ha&*har in
general and the e,'erienes of the ro%al famil% in 'artiular,5 he said, o'ening
the ar door!
She slid inside and brushed her shoulder against the o''osite door, as far awa%
from him as she ould 'ossibl% get! 4The ro%al famil% is ver% nie! I li$ed %our
'arents and %our brother and his wife a lot! "ut it seems to me that although
%ou ould have staffed out the 'alae tour, %ou didn&t! And someone not as
bus% as %ou are ould show me whatever it is I&m going to see now!5
4I wish to be with %ou,5 he informed her!
Her unertain ga0e lo$ed with his! 48ou were .ust with me! 3hen %ou showed
me the 'alae! I was 'rett% im'ressed b% all those ars, although I lost ount of
the number of Rolls Ro%es, "entle%s and #erraris!5
4It is not the number that is im'ortant,5 he 'ointed out, realling her
ama0ement when he had shown her the 'alae garage! 4"ut the fat that,
should %ou wish it, there would be a vehile at %our dis'osal!5
4Assuming I ould loate them again!5
4I would be ha''% to show %ou the wa%!5
She shoo$ her head! 4Not neessar%!5
So she was ontinuing her attem't to $ee' him at arm&s length! He had been
told b% more than one 'erson that he was ontrar% and his reation to "eth
'roved their 'oint! The more she tried to 'ush him awa%, the more he was
determined not to let her!
4:id %ou not en.o% seeing where %ou will live65
4I en.o%ed it ver% muh! "ut .ust in ase %ou re in the mood to sur'rise me
again, instead of a horse I ould use a 7PS unit to 'lot m% route! It&s 'robabl%
more effiient and aurate than a trail of breadrumbs to find m% wa%!5
48ou will get used to the 'alae!5
4"etter %et5 she said, ta''ing her li'! 4ma%be some $ind of transmitter or
tra$ing devie, so I ould be loated in the event that I don&t show u' when
e,'eted! Or a sign around m% ne$ sa%ing BIf lost, return to!!!&5
He laughed as the ar moved smoothl% 'ast the 'alae gates and through the
it%! The sun refleted off the beige and 'in$ stuo buildings with their white
ro$ and red9tiled roofs as heat merilessl% ba$ed the desert! After all, it was
summer, but the interior of the ar was ool! So far "eth had not said a negative
word about his ountr%, unli$e her o'inion regarding him! On that sub.et she
had been most andid! Toda% he would show her that being the wife of the
*ing of "ha&*har was not all bad!
4The 'alae is not so big!5
She shot him a s$e'tial loo$! 48es, it is that big!5
4There are bigger I had the honor of visiting the Sultan of "runei, whose 'alae
is two hundred thousand s+uare feet, inluding two hundred and fift%9seven
bathrooms!5
Her e%es grew wide! 4So %ou had to share with the u'stairs staff65
4Hardl%! )% 'oint is 14
4that %our 'alae is a manageable s'ae! Probabl% to %ou it is beause %ou
grew u' there and $now %our wa% around! "ut to me it&s overwhelming! It&s
ama0ing, I&ll grant %ou that 1 ballrooms, ban+uet rooms and meeting rooms
1 oh, m%!5
)ali$ had never given it muh thought! He had grown u' in the 'alae, and
'la%ed with his brother there! It was his home, and had been in the ro%al famil%
for several hundred %ears! He had e,'lored all its noo$s and aloves, 'la%ed
hide9and9see$ with *ardahl and learned to suessfull% elude the governess,
nann% and an%one else he did not wish to see! /nfortunatel%, it had not been
large enough to elude the one woman whose agenda had inluded du'liit% for
the 'ur'ose of furthering her areer!
He had grown u' understanding his 'rivileged 'osition ould be a magnet for
'ersonal gain, but he had not e,'eted to enounter a shemer em'lo%ed b% the
'alae ( under his own roof, so to s'ea$! "eause he had been taught to
beware of on men, the lesson had been twie as bitter! He did not need
another, and most definitel% would not lose his heart again!
4So where are we going now65 she as$ed! 4I&ve met %our famil%, seen the
'alae 1 inluding enough ars to ensure trans'ortation for a small ountr%(
and been to the stables! That doesn&t inlude m% air'lane tri' on the famil% .et!
3hat else ould there 'ossibl% be65 She glaned out the window and stared at
the sea as the% s'ed b%! 4About the onl% thing left is the ro%al %aht!5
4Alas, %ou have guessed! Now it will no longer be a sur'rise!5
4Is there more than one65
4No! "ut it is big enough for the whole famil%!5
A few minutes later the ar was 'ar$ed beside the %aht, and )ali$ was
esorting "eth u' the ram' to the de$! The a'tain, steward and oo$ greeted
them then disreetl% disa''eared as he showed her the bridge, dining room and
several of the staterooms, with their mahogan% walls and brass trim! E%es wide,
she followed him as he showed her all four de$s of the two9hundred9si,t%9foot
%aht, inluding the s'a and g%m!
In the main salon, with its tea$9trimmed walls, he as$ed the steward to bring
them a old drin$! )ali$ felt the gentle swa% of the raft and indiated she
should sit on the beige leather irular sofa set in front of the s+uare windows,
overloo$ing the do$ on one side, the sea on the other!
4So, tell me 1 what do %ou thin$65 he as$ed, sitting beside her! 4I $now %ou
have an o'inion!5
4It&s im'ressive!5 She loo$ed through the large windows aross from them!
The surfae of the sea gleamed li$e diamonds in the sun! 4And what a wa% to
esa'e!5
Interesting wa% to 'hrase it! "ut before he ould as$ what she meant, the% were
interru'ted!
The steward brought two glasses of s'ar$ling water and set them on the
stationar% table! 43ill there be an%thing else, 8our Highness65
4Than$ %ou, Salleh! That will be all!5
"eth si''ed her water, then wra''ed her hands around the old glass! 4I have to
tell %ou I&m a little disa''ointed!5
Her loo$ was serious, but he was beginning to $now the teasing gleam in her
dar$ e%es! 4Oh6 How so65
4It&s all about gu% to%s! Cars, 'lanes, %ahts!5
48ou do not li$e these to%s65
4:on&t get me wrong! I wouldn&t turn down a ruise on the o'en sea! "ut I
an&t hel' thin$ing %ou forgot to show me the ro%al vault!5
4I did not thin$ it would interest %ou!5
4It would if there are diamond tiaras, rub% ne$laes and emerald rings inside!
3here are the lothes, shoes and .ewelr% stashed6 The things that ma$e a
woman&s heart beat a little faster!5
He suddenl% reali0ed that he did desire to ma$e her heart beat faster 1 but not
with .ewels and lothes! He favored her good o'inion beause of this damned
attration that was more than he had e,'eted to feel! The thought was
disonerting, as this arrangement was to be no more or less than business! It
was never meant to be 'ersonal!
4If there is something that %ou desire, %ou need onl% voie %our wish and I will
ma$e it ome true!5
She traed a finger through the moisture on the outside of her glass! 4I wish
%ou would all off the wedding!5
So! The% were ba$ to s+uare one, as the Amerians would sa%! In one regard
he was 'leased that all the lu,ur% he had shown her had not swa%ed her in her
o'inions! That s'o$e well of her harater! 8et he had thought his im'ressive
wealth would soften her attitude about beoming his wife!
4I do a'ologi0e!5 He had one felt as she did, resisting the tradition that
allowed the *ing to hoose his mate! "ut he had hosen 'oorl% in love, whih
had hanged his o'inion about a+uiesing to the deision of someone older
and wiser than himself! He embraed the hoie his father had made and the
dut% he would fulfill! There would be no emotional distrations! 4That is the
single re+uest that I annot grant %ou!5
4I should 'robabl% warn %ou that I&ll $ee' as$ing!5 She sighed! 4I figured it
ouldn&t hurt to tr%!5
Hurt! A single word that made him wonder! It ourred to him that "eth had
'ossessed ro%al a''roval from birth! She had the eduation and training
re+uired of the future =ueen of "ha&*har, %et she was still resistant to ta$ing
her rightful 'lae! 3as it 'ossible that, des'ite her denial, she was still in love
with the man who had ast her aside6
He too$ her glass and set it on the table, then too$ her old hand between his
own! He stared at her until her ga0e met his! 4I annot hel' feeling that
something more is bothering %ou!5
4Nothing new!5 she said, glaning awa%!
48ou are not still 'ining for the soundrel who hurt %ou65
A small smile urved her full li's! 4I an truthfull% sa% that I feel as if I dodged
a bullet when he married someone else!5
48ou are ertain65
4Absolutel%!5
4As I said! I li$e sur'rises! As long as I am the one doing the sur'rising! I do
not li$e being sur'rised! Now is the time to tell me if there is an%thing I should
$now!5
48ou $now ever%thing in m% 'ast that %ou need to!5
That he needed to6 :isonertingl%, he felt the need to $now ever%thing!
Her words were what he wanted to hear, but the shadows that flitted through
her e%es made him doubt! He&d been fooled b% a woman one and had not li$ed
the feeling! 3orse, he had given his love to an im'oster! It would not ha''en
again! He would give "eth whatever her heart desired 1 e,e't his own heart!
That was a wea$ness that he would not re'eat!
"eth stood +uietl% ne,t to )ali$ before his brother&s wedding rehearsal, still
unlear about wh% it was ha''ening! The wedding! Not the rehearsal! Posing
for 'hotogra'hers, the ro%al famil% was standing on a dais in the front of a
small room where the eremon% would ta$e 'lae two da%s from now! Ne,t
door, the main ballroom was being readied for a ree'tion that would be
attended b% dignitaries from around the world! Surrounded b% famil%, *ardahl
and ?essia stood holding hands as the% ga0ed adoringl% into eah other&s e%es!
?essia&s grand'arents and two aunts were on one side! The *ing and =ueen
were on the other, with her and )ali$!
*ardahl $issed his bride and ameras li$ed while flashes went off li$e
'reision9timed e,'losives! "eth was blinded b% the light and her .aw ahed
from smiling! On to' of that, she was still not lear what all this fuss was about!
It felt li$e over$ill sine )ali$&s brother was alread% married to ?essia 1 b%
'ro,%! "eth had been told! So it was 'ossible for Addie&s betrothal to be worse!
Her sister ould alread% be married, without having said 4I do!5
That would ma$e "eth the 'ro,% im'oster! "ut 'retending b% an% other name
was still 'retending, and it would have been even more aw$ward if he&d
alread% believed her to be his wife and had e,'eted se,!
A shiver went through her! and it wasn&t beause she was old! ?ust the
o''osite! A man who ould ma$e her +uiver from head to toe .ust desribing a
$iss would be devastating in bed! Probabl%! "eth would never $now, and the
thought arried a sur'rising bite of disa''ointment!
)ali$ must have felt her movement, beause he loo$ed down and as$ed, 4Are
%ou all right65
4#ine! ?ust a little disoriented!5
4The 'hotogra'hers65 he guessed!
O$a%, she thought, shrugging, it would be less om'liated to blame it on that!
If she was atuall% his betrothed, it would be good that she was attrated to
him! As the emissar% sent b% her twin to tal$ him out of the ontrat 1 not so
muh!
He slid his arm around her waist and gave her a reassuring s+uee0e! 4It is a
staged 'hoto o''ortunit% and will be over soon! :uring the atual rehearsal the
media will be removed! The 'alae 'hotogra'her will reord the event for
'ersonal famil% remembrane!5
4I see!5
And, as if he&d ordered it, the wedding oordinator direted the seurit% staff to
lean the room! "eth moved off to the side and leaned against one of the ornate
'illars that marhed in a dignified line on either side of the room! 3hile she
wathed, ever%one in the wedding 'art% was assigned their 'lae!
As best man, )ali$ stood beside his brother! ?essia had her two aunts as
attendants, and the% were direted where to wal$ and stand! Her grand'arents
would be esorted in, then the *ing and =ueen! After that the bride made her
rehearsal tri' down the aisle between the seats! She sto''ed in front of
"ha&*har&s )inister of ?ustie, who would be offiiating at the state rite! The
bride and groom had written vows the% were saving for the eremon% but
words were all *ardahl saved! He 'ulled his wife into his arms and 'roeeded
to $iss the living da%lights out of her!
As "eth wathed, she heard )ali$&s voie in her head; 3hen our li's finall%
touh, %ou will feel it ever%where! The meeting of our mouths will be so sweet
and dee' and 'assionate that %ou will never want it to end! The words 'rodued
a thrill that tra''ed the breath in her hest and made her s$in flush with
warmth!
The ne,t thing she $new, ever%one was filing out on their wa% to the rehearsal
dinner, waiting in one of the smaller ban+uet rooms!
)ali$ e,tended his arm in a ourtl% gesture that indiated he would esort her!
4Shall we .oin the others65
4In a minute!5
He frowned down al her! 4Are %ou ertain nothing troubles %ou65
So muh troubled her she ould hardl% ount the wa%s, and %et she ouldn&t sa%
an%thing to him! She hadn&t reali0ed this ruse would re+uire +uite so muh
deeit! Tal$ about not thin$ing something through! Pretending to be Addie had
seemed eas%! "ut now, "eth had to 'retend to li$e her betrothed! The downside
was that this 'art wasn&t a 'retense! She atuall% did li$e him!
And it wasn&t the $ind of fondness that said how9nie9he9ould9have9been9m%9
brother9in9law! It was more the $ind of li$ing where he made her heart beat too
fast and she wanted to be in his arms! )ore and more she had to remind herself
that he ould be a 'owerful man, 'utting on a good at to ma$e her fall for him!
Not her 1 Addie she reminded herself! "eth wasn&t there to fall under his
s'ell! "ut more and more she wasn&t believing her own h%'e, and her feelings
were getting in the wa%! If she ouldn&t get them under ontrol the
onse+uenes of 'la%ing this role ould be 'ersonall% devastating!
4I&m fine! ?ust onfused!5
48ou have onl% to as$ and I will ease %our onfusion!5
4O$a%! Here&s the thing! I thought that *ardahl and ?essia were alread%
married!5
48ou are orret5
4Then wh% are the% getting married again65
4The% are in love and wish for the world to see how ha''% the% are when the%
s'ea$ their vows fae to fae!5
43h% didn&t the% do that the first time65
He slid his hands into the 'o$ets of his haroal9olored suit 'ants! The
movement disru'ted the 'erfet line of his .a$et! 4Their union was
aom'lished through a 'ro,% arrangement!5
4So I was told! I find it hard to believe that atuall% still ha''ens in this da% and
age!5
He nodded! 4It is 'erfetl% legal!5
48ou sound defensive!5
4On the ontrar%!5
She studied the e,'ression on his fae and $new there was something he wasn&t
sa%ing! 43hat aren&t %ou telling me65
He stared at her for so long it didn&t a''ear he would answer the +uestion!
#inall% he sighed! 4It is a long stor%!5
She glaned at the doorwa% where ever%one else had disa''eared! 4I thin$ we
have time! 3e&re onl% missing o$tail hour!5
48ou are not going to let this go are %ou65
She shoo$ her head! 4That&s not m% 'lan, no!5
4As %ou wish!5 He leaned against the 'illar! 4?essia was betrothed to m%
brother before she was born, but her mother disa''eared in the /nited States!
She was loated at a tumultuous time in m% brother&s life, and our father was
insistent on the marriage! The emissar% he dis'athed to failitate ?essia&s visit
to this ountr% was over0ealous in the 'ursuit of his duties!5
43hat did he do65
)ali$ glaned awa%, then met her ga0e! 4The 'ro,% was written in
"ha&*harian! He 'ut the agreement in a sla$ of 'a'ers for ?essia&s signature
and misre'resented the doument when she in+uired!5
4"eause he was tr%ing lo im'ress the *ing65
4?ust so!5
4I see!5
This onfirmed all her worst fears about the abuse of 'ower She&d heard it said
that absolute 'ower orru'ted absolutel%! It wasn&t that she thought an%one in
)ali$&s famil% was underhanded or dishonest, but her fears went ba$ to
'owerful men 'la%ing b% their own rules! "eth had learned her lesson in a
humiliating and 'ainful wa%! She was a +ui$ learner and didn&t need a
refresher ourse! 3hat a relief that Addie had made u' her mind to all off the
marriage ontrat!
)ali$ straightened and roo$ed a $nu$le beneath "eth&s hin, lifting it so she
would meet his ga0e! 4I thin$ %ou do not see at all!5
4How&s that65
4*ardahl and ?essia are an e,am'le of ever%thing that is right about those
wiser than ourselves hoosing a life 'artner for us!5
4Tell me what&s so right about an%one but the man and woman involved
deiding who the% should marr%!5
4The% fell in love, and are ver% ha''% with the results of their mathma$ing!5
4The% got lu$%!5 she said!
Against the odds! "ut she&d seen for herself how ha''% ?essia and *ardahl
a''eared to be! And "eth was trul% ha''% for them! As for wiser men 1 she
had trouble 'utting her father in that ategor%! The man was old and distant
and didn&t have a lue what $ind of man would suit Addie! Or "eth, for that
matter! )a%be he didn&t are! )a%be it was all about 'ower 1 through his
daughter!
"eth loved her sister more than an%one in the world, and would do an%thing to
$ee' her from being hurt! She wanted Addie to find a love li$e *ardahl and
?essia had!
And wasn&t it ironi that "eth was attrated to )ali$6 Part of her regretted the
fat that she would never $now if it ould have blossomed into something
dee'er! The other 'art reminded her that he would rule "ha&*har soon! He was
a 'owerful man, and her worst nightmare!
CHAPTER #I<E
)A-I* half9listened as his brother made a toast to his bride at the rehearsal
dinner! The famil% and friends gathered for the oasion lifted their ham'agne
glasses in res'onse! Photogra'hers sna''ed 'itures while the 'ress reorded
ever% word! The details of the wedding would be s'lashed on televisions,
news'a'ers and maga0ines the world over! At least it was a 'ositive stor%! No
one ould mista$e the dee' and genuine emotion the ou'le felt for eah other!
It was good to see his brother ha''%, so dee'l% in love and!!!ontent! )ali$ felt
the heartening outome of this arranged marriage boded well for his own
betrothal! Sine he would asend the throne when he married "eth the
elebration would be on an even grander sale! A bud of antii'ation too$ root
and grew inside him 1 something he would not have believed 'ossible for
what he onsidered no more than a business deal! The reali0ation did not 'lease
him!
7laning around the handelier9fit, flower9adorned room, he reali0ed he did
not see his bride9to9be! and wondered where she had gone! After sanning
ever% orner without suess, he felt a growing im'atiene to find her!
He wal$ed through the #renh doors and onto the terrae! -ights from inside
illuminated the tile 'atio that gave wa% to sand and eliminated the shadows
almost down to where small waves la''ed the shore! A full moon $e't dar$ness
at ba%, and showed him a lone, slender female standing on the beah!
4"eth!5 he whis'ered, eager to feel the warmth of her beside him, hear her
laughter and see the s'ar$le of her e%es b% moonlight!
The sand slowed his 'rogress, and as he moved loser it didn&t esa'e his
notie that she had removed the silver high9heeled sandals that had turned her
legs into endless tem'tation! Her ling% bla$ satin dress, high9ne$ed and
sleeveless, showed .ust enough bare flesh to fuel a man&s fantasies! His aute
reation to her had nothing to do with the fat that she was his hosen 1 and
he was not 'artiularl% 'leased that he felt the wa% he did! These softer feelings
rendered a man vulnerable, and de'endent on the female to whom he was
attrated! He would not all it love! He would never all it love again! -ove, he
had learned, was a lie, and he refused to let it taint his relationshi' with the
woman who would be his =ueen!
4Here %ou are!5 he said, oming u' behind her!
She turned and did not loo$ ha''% to see him! BI needed some air!5
4Oh65
4The rush of 'eo'le was getting to me!5
The bree0e from the oean made the urls around her fae dane against her
s$in, and )ali$&s hands ahed to touh the strands! He slid his fingers into his
'o$ets and stared at the silver tra$ of moonlight on the water! 4I understand!5
48ou do65
He felt her sur'rise2 she had e,'eted dissent! 48es! The ro%al famil% is sub.et
to intense srutin%! Our ever% move is doumented and hroniled the world
over! Stories about us sell news'a'ers and maga0ines! It is .ust a regrettable
fat of our life!5
4-et me ma$e sure I&m getting this! 8ou&re admitting that there&s a downside to
life in the ro%al fast lane65
4I am!5
43ow,5 she said, sha$ing her head!
43h% do %ou sound so sur'rised65
4"eause %ou&ve been doing the full ourt 'ress(5
4:efine full ourt 'ress!5
48ou&ve been 'ulling out all the sto's to sell me on this ro%al marriage! 8ou&ve
been singing the 'raises of the wise old men mas+uerading as mathma$ers!
I&m $ind of sho$ed that %ou&d admit there&s a flaw in the s%stem!5
4I a'ologi0e if that is the im'ression I have given %ou! Nothing is 'erfet!
Palae life, while 'leasant for the most 'art, has its downside!D
That was an understatement! In the 'alae business wing he had felt insulated
from the 'r%ing e%es of the world, until a woman had insinuated herself into his
life! He had been foolish and thi$headed enough to lower his guard, and he
had learned a valuable lesson! No matter how safe things seemed, aution was
advisable, even with the woman hosen b% his own father!
4Is there an%thing else I should $now about 'alae life65 she as$ed!
4)an% things!5
4Pi$ one!5
He thought for a moment, and it did not ta$e long to hoose .ust one!
43ithhold %our trust!5
4That&s ver% %nial!5
4I have reason to feel this wa%!5
She swung the silver sandals dangling from her fingers as she faed him! 48ou
don&t seem li$e an unreasonable man so I&m sure %ou do! And don&t loo$ now
but what %ou .ust said su''orts m% negative feelings about this marriage!5
It was no doubt a flaw in his nature that the more she fought against marr%ing
him! the more he loo$ed forward to it!
4And so we are ba$ to this!5 He shoo$ his head but ould not su''ress a smile!
48ou are not $ee'ing to our agreement!5
4Not true,5 she retorted! 4I&m here, aren&t I65
Indeed, she was! In all her fresh and harming beaut%! "ut it was not her
'h%sial 'resene he +uestioned! 48ou ta$e ever% o''ortunit% to 'oint out the
un'leasant 'arts of life as a member of the ro%al famil%! To m% wa% of thin$ing
that violates the s'irit of %our 'romise to $ee' an o'en mind!5
8et, in s'ite of her inlination to do this, she stirred something inside him! It
wasn&t sim'l% her beaut% 1 there were man% beautiful women in the world,
and he had $nown a good number of them before ommitting to this betrothal!
Her intelligene and humor were a''ealing +ualities, but he&d met smart, funn%
females before! So what was it about this one that he found so entiing6
Perha's it was the ver% thing he +uestioned her about; the fat that she resisted
marriage to him at ever% turn! This ould be beause the one who had betra%ed
him had flattered and mani'ulated her wa% into his heart and he had not seen
what she was doing! "eth, on the other hand, made no seret of her o'inion!
She was harmingl% honest and refreshing! And her full li's, soft and alluring
in the moonlight, were almost more than he ould resist!
4)% mind is o'en,5 she 'rotested! 4I&m sim'l% ta$ing ever% o''ortunit% to
debate the issue!5
4:ebate is all well and good! It is e,hilarating! "ut it would be a disservie for
me to not be honest about the drawba$s! And ro%al life does have them!5
She thought about that for several moments! 4Now that %ou mention it, I guess
it must be diffiult to maintain friendshi's in %our 'osition! Peo'le want
something from %ou, and %ou never $now whether the% li$e %ou for %ourself or
what %ou an do for them!5
Truer words were never s'o$en, he thought!
4)ore than the lifest%le restritions, feigned interest for 'ersonal gain is b% far
the most diffiult as'et of ro%al life!5
4:oes this have an%thing to do with what %ou told me about ma$ing a 'oor
hoie in love65 She studied his e,'ression more losel%! 43ow, I thin$ I hit a
bull&s9e%e!5
She had indeed! The truth of her words tightened and twisted inside him!
sra'ing his nerves raw and reigniting the anger he had thought was gone!
4That is not something I wish to disuss!5
4Are %ou still in love with her65
4Absolutel% not!5 he hotl% denied!
4Hmm! )ethin$s he doth 'rotest too muh! Should I be .ealous65 she as$ed!
4That is a deision %ou must ma$e for %ourself!5
48our wife would be .ustified in her .ealous% if %ou married her and %et
ontinued to arr% on with another woman after the wedding!5
4I&m insulted that %ou would suggest suh a thing!5
43h%6 )en do it all the lime! Es'eiall% 'owerful men who thin$ basi rules
of deen% don&t a''l% to them beause the% are 'owerful!5
This was not the first time she had said suh a thing! She +uestioned his
'rini'les, but he wondered if her +ueries s'rang from a 'lae where she still
harbored dee' emotion for the man who had bro$en her heart! The thought
'rodued a stab of something that was ommon and distasteful and disturbingl%
li$e the .ealous% the% had .ust been disussing! He had alread% +uestioned her
and she had denied an% feelings! It was the truth as she $new it! He would tell
the truth as well, and in time she would $now the sinerit% of it!
4She no longer matters to me,5 he said!
E,e't in as muh as he would never forget or forgive being made a fool of!
4Then wh% haven&t %ou $issed me65 "eth&s e%es widened, as if she ould not
believe she had s'o$en the thought out loud!
4If %ou believe nothing else, believe this!5 He urved his fingers around her
u''er arms and brushed his thumbs over the soft flesh! The blood in his veins
stirred and grew hot as he stared at her mouth, the beautiful tem'ting li's that
had $e't him awa$e nights! 4Sine the first time we met! I have thought of ver%
little besides $issing %ou!5
4"9but %ou haven&t! *issed me, I mean!5 The 'ulse at the base of her throat
throbbed and her voie was breath% with desire!
Satisfation 'oured through )ali$ when he reali0ed that she was affeted b%
his nearness! 3ords ould be twisted, and were o'en to inter'retation regarding
sinerit%! "ut he did not believe she ould feign her bod%&s res'onse to him an%
more than he ould 'retend his own wasn&t ahing for her He would not give
his heart to an% woman, but! with an im'atiene he had never $nown, he
wanted this woman in his bed!
4I have not $issed %ou!5 he agreed, his voie harsh even to his own ears!
He bent his head and felt her breath touh his ti's!
Their mouths were a whis'er awa%, but if "eth had taught him an%thing it was
that denial inreased attration! The more she hallenged their betrothal, the
more autel% he wanted her! "ut he wanted her to want him with the same
intensit%! 3hen he finall% $issed her, he wished her to rave it li$e her ne,t
breath!
4I will orret the oversight,5 he said! 4Soon!5
"eth rode beside )ali$ in the town ar and again he&d been m%sterious about
their destination! A man who li$ed sur'rises! That made her uneas%! She
wondered what he would show her this time, and struggled to generate
enthusiasm instead of feeling so rabb%!
As if the wedding rehearsal and ree'tion, om'lete with media fren0%, hadn&t
strained her emotional reserves enough, she&d held her breath on the beah,
waiting for )ali$ to $iss her! 7laning over at him now, in the seat beside her,
she sighed! She was still waiting, and the frustration had $e't her awa$e long
into the night! If onl% she&d been able to get the onversation out of her mind!
His brooding loo$ when she&d +uestioned him about love had onvined her he
still harbored dee' feelings for a woman! ?ealous% had tri$led through her,
followed b% an intense reation to give whoever had hurt him a 'iee of her
mind! If that hadn&t onvined her she was no longer an im'artial 'laeholder
for her sister then her 'rofound disa''ointment at him not $issing her ertainl%
did!
3ith ever% fiber of her being "eth had wanted 1 no, needed ( to feel his li's
against her own! 8et he&d held ba$! She ould have heerfull% ho$ed him
and a few hours alone hadn&t diminished the heat of the emotion!
3hen he&d arrived at her suite with an invitation to ta$e a drive, she&d almost
told him what he ould do with it! E,e't she&d been too ha''% to see him! And
that was bad! She had no right to be so ha''% about s'ending time in his
om'an%! She also had no hoie!
So the%&d been driving! And now the elegant ar 'ulled to a sto' in from of a
small, s+uare white stuo house with a flat roof and a tin% %ard landsa'ed
with ro$s to om'lement the desert!
"eth loo$ed at him! 4Are we there %et65
43e are5
The driver o'ened the door and )ali$ got out, then too$ her hand to assist her!
She slid out and loo$ed around! 43here is Bthere&65
4This is %our mother&s house! She is e,'eting %ou!5
Her ga0e sna''ed to his! 4How did %ou(65
4I have m% wa%s! I am a 'owerful man!5 He grinned!
"eth turned and saw a woman about her own height standing in the o'en
doorwa%, staring at her with a ombination of e,'etation, ho'e and an,iet% on
her fae! She was wearing a ream9olored, a'9sleeved, full9s$irted otton
dress that ame to mid9alf! Her silver9strea$ed dar$ hair was 'arted in the
enter and 'ulled into a $not at her na'e!
)ali$ held out his arm! 48our mother is waiting!5
"eth 'ut her hand into the bend of his elbow, but her legs started to sha$e as
the% wal$ed u' the short sidewal$ and sto''ed in the shade on the front 'orh!
The two women stared at eah other for several moments, sim'l% stud%ing one
another! Then her mother said, 4"eth!5
Tears burned "eth&s e%es! This woman $new her! Almost instantl% she&d
$nown "eth for herself, and hadn&t mista$en her for Addie! Then the %ears of
abandonment flashed through her memor%, and the heat of anger dried u' her
tears!
4Hello, )other!5 There was an aw$ward moment when she saw the woman lift
her arms for a hug but "eth stood still, not moving into them!
4Please ome in!5 her mother said, hurt flashing in her dar$ e%es as she stood
aside to let them enter! 4I am Sameera #arrah! 8our Highness,5 she introdued
herself!
He shoo$ her hand! 4It is a 'leasure to meet m% fianAe&s mother!5
"eth went old as she met her mother&s sur'rised ga0e! This woman reogni0ed
her as "eth, and she $new whih of the twins was betrothed to the Crown
Prine! "eth shoo$ her head, a small warning movement, and om'rehension
flashed in the other woman&s e%es!
4)a% I offer %ou some refreshment65
4Than$ %ou no I annot sta%!5 He met "eth&s ga0e! 4I sim'l% wished to fulfill
m% 'romise and sur'rise %ou!5
4)ission aom'lished,5 "eth said with a sha$% laugh!
4I will leave %ou now, so that %ou an tal$ 'rivatel%! The ar will return and
wait to ta$e %ou ba$ to the 'alae!5
3hat a sweet, thoughtful and nearl% atastro'hi gesture! "eth lifted her arms
to hug him! 4Than$ %ou5
He 'ressed her lose! 48ou are most welome!5
His ga0e held hers for a long moment, then he was gone!
"eth savored the ool air against her hot hee$s as she glaned around the
small room and noted the wood floor! white sofa and glass9to''ed offee table!
3hen she ould no longer avoid it she loo$ed at her mother!
43ould %ou are for a old drin$65 She shoo$ her head and Sameera held out
her arm! 4Then let us sit!5
4O$a%!5 "eth gratefull% lowered herself to the soft ushions!
4I ta$e it the Crown Prine is unaware that %ou are im'ersonating %our twin
sister65 Her mother sat to her right!
48es!5 It was weird, this sensation that there was nothing she ould hide from
this woman! And that begged the +uestion! 4How did %ou $now I was me6 Not
Addie65
Her mother reahed out a sha$% hand, then brushed a thumb aross "eth&s
hee$ and down her ne$! 48ou have a small birthmar$ behind %our ear! 3hen
%ou were first born, it was how I $new %ou from %our sister! "efore %our
'ersonalities develo'ed and made %ou distint!5
"eth touhed her ne$! She&d forgotten about it! 4Is #ather aware of this
mar$65
4I brought it to his attention when %ou were first born!5
4A''arentl% he forgot,5 she said wr%l%! 4He never $nows whih of us is whih!
In fat the onl% attention I get from him is when he thin$s I&m Addie!
Otherwise he 'rett% muh ignores me!5
48ou were not the first born! 8ou were not the one who was 'romised to the
future *ing of "ha&*har!5
4And %ou&re not the least bit sur'rised b% his behavior!5 Suddenl% "eth $new
her mother had $nown what would ha''en to her, and still she had sim'l%
wal$ed awa% and let it ha''en! 8ears of resentment and loneliness and neglet
ame flooding ba$! Hurting over and over beause no one had ever loved her!
No one but Addie!
4How ould %ou leave me with him65 She said it +uietl%, arefull%, to $ee' her
voie from ra$ing!
48ou did not get m% letters65 Sho$, sadness, then resignation dee'ened the
age lines in her mother s fae!
43hat letters6 3e didn&t get an% messages from %ou! 8ou wal$ed out on us!5
Sadl%, Sameera shoo$ her head! 4I wrote ever% da% for months! 8ears!5
48ou wrote to us65 It was something she&d never onsidered!
4Obviousl% m% letters were intere'ted! I was afraid of that!5
Her sigh was soul9dee'! 4If I were %ou! I would have doubts, too! "ut believe
this 1 I love %ou, "eth! And I love %our sister! )% girls, m% twin daughters are
more im'ortant to me than an%thing in this world!5 Her mother folded her
hands in her la' and said +uietl%, 4I did not leave! 8our father too$ %ou from
me!5
4I don&t understand! 3h%65 She held her hands out in a hel'less gesture! 43h%
would he do that65
4"eause I was going to leave him!5
Sho$ didn&t begin to desribe "eth&s feelings, and all she ould sa% was!
43h%65
Sameera sighed, and her dar$ e%es too$ on a farawa%, 'ained loo$! 4It was after
I had a visit from his mistress!5
43hat65
4She told me that he had never been mine! That he&d sim'l% married me
beause of m% distant onnetions to the ro%al famil%! The% had been lovers
before he married me and the affair had ontinued to that da%!5
4Oh! )%,5 "eth 'ressed a hand to her mouth, tr%ing to absorb the information!
4I was sho$ed, but refused to believe what she said! Onl% after the information
was onfirmed did the humiliation set in! That was when I told him the
marriage was over!5
4And then65 "eth as$ed, but she $new what was oming!
48our father was a rising star in the "ha&*harian di'lomati servie! He used
his 'ower and influene to ta$e %ou awa%!5
4To the /nited States65
Her mother nodded! 4He&d reeived an a''ointment and we were ma$ing 'lans
for the move! I onfronted him, and he sim'l% loo$ %ou and Addie and left
without me!5
4I an&t believe he would do that!5
4Can&t %ou65 Her mother&s loo$ was wr%!
4O$a%, I an believe it! "ut wh% didn&t %ou ome after us6 3h% didn&t %ou
fight for us65
4I tried! I followed, and tried to see %ou! "ut he $e't me awa%! He has
di'lomati immunit%! He has onnetions! "od%guards! Staff! He was able to
insulate himself from ever%thing! I ouldn&t brea$ through! I waited and
wathed, but then I found out he had sent %ou awa% to shool! No one would
tell me where %ou were and I did not $now how to find %ou! That&s when I
started sending the letters, ho'ing the% would get to %ou somehow! I reeived
onl% one res'onse, a letter from %ou and one from %our sister, sa%ing that %ou
did not wish to see or hear from me ever again!5
"eth was stunned! 4I didn&t send that message! Neither did Addie! I swear!5
Tears gathered in her mother&s e%es, and when her mouth trembled, "eth
des'eratel% wanted to omfort her!
4It must have been #ather! I $now he&s old9hearted, but I had no idea he was a
liar, too!5 She wined at her own words, unwilling to believe that she was at all
li$e him! reent dishonest behavior to the ontrar%!
4I believe %ou!5 Sameera reahed over and s+uee0ed her hands! 4"ut %ou must
believe that I alwa%s loved %ou and %our sister with all m% heart! I never
sto''ed loving %ou and I never will!5
4I should have $nown!5 "eth admitted! 4"ut too man% %ears of #ather&s
indotrination loo$ a toll!5
4If an% one understands this, it is I! As I understand that there is undoubtedl%
an e,'lanation for the fat that %ou are im'ersonating %our sister!5
4There is!5
And her mother had .ust reinfored the neessit% of this 'retense that was
giving Addie the time and s'ae she needed to end the engagement in her own
wa%!
"eth thought it a sad iron% that she and her mother shared the dubious
distintion of being a autionar% tale on the 'erils of loving a 'owerful man!
#or the first time in her life she felt a measure of 'eae!
She too$ a dee' breath! 43hen the Crown Prine deided it was time to
ativate the arranged marriage, Addie wanted to all it off! "ut she&s relutant
to stand u' to #ather and ris$ being disowned!5
4I wish I ould sa% he would not do that, but I have lived through the trauma he
is a'able of ausing!5
4So have I,5 "eth filled her in on her own e,'eriene! How she&d onfronted
her father about her teahing ambitions, then felt his dis'leasure, followed b%
his re.etion, when she had refused to abandon her areer goals and wait for
marriage, as he&d ordered!
Sameera moved lose and 'ut an arm around "eth&s shoulders! 4#or what it is
worth! I am 'roud of %ou for standing u' to him! If an%one understands how
diffiult that is, it is me!5
4That means a lot!5 "eth smiled! 4Not onl% that! Addie met a man she reall%
li$es! She begged me to ste' in, .ust for a little while, so she an figure out how
to handle #ather!5
4So the two of %ou have swithed identities6 And %ou have beome a+uainted
with the Crown Prine65 He! mother&s loo$ was 'enetrating! 43hat is he li$e65
4His Highness the hun$65 An instant visual flashed through her mind! 4He&s
handsome 1 but %ou saw that for %ourself!5 "eth fell her fae flush! 4He&s
$ind and thoughtful! #unn%! Smart!5
4I would sa% %our sister is not the onl% one who has met a man she reall%
li$es!5
3hen her mother smiled a $nowing smile! "eth 'rotested! 4No! 3ell, %es! I
li$e him! "ut it&s not what %ou thin$! I don&t li$e him, li$e him! He&s not m%
t%'e! So it would be wrong to li$e him!, li$e that,5 she finished lamel%!
4And %ou 'lan to ste' aside when all is resolved65
4Of ourse,5 she answered, without hesitation!
4-et me re'hrase! Are %ou beoming too fond of this man6 3ill %ou be able to
let him go without regret6 3ithout hurting %our heart65
4Of ourse!5
"ut this time there was little or no onvition in the words! In s'ite of the fat
that her mother had .ust onfirmed that her worst fears were .ustified, "eth was
unable to den% her attration to the most 'owerful man in "ha&*har 1 the man
who would be *ing!
#or the first time she was grateful he hadn&t $issed her under the full moon last
night! -ove at first sight was a long shot, and she&d survived that! "ut love at
first $iss was something else again! She had a bad feeling that )ali$ might
bring her to her $nees, and she didn&t intend to let that ha''en ever again!
CHAPTER SIE
IT 3AS a breathta$ingl% beautiful wedding!
"eth wathed from her from row seat as *ardahl vowed that famil% was the
most im'ortant thing and ?essia was now his famil%! In front of dignitaries
from around the world, their friends and, most im'ortant of all! their families,
the two 'ledged to love and res'et eah other forever! She notied that the
word 4obe%5 was left out of the offiial "ha&*harian vows, as well as the
informal ones the%&d written to eah other!
"eth 'retended to brush her fingers over her hee$ as she disreetl% wi'ed
awa% the tears that .ust wouldn&t be su''ressed! /nder a star9.asmine9overed
arbor, the bride and groom loo$ed out over a room transformed from four walls
and a eiling into a magial garden, with red roses and small white lights strung
through lush 'lants!
*ardahl was handsome in his tu,edo, with traditional ne$wear instead of a
bowtie! And ?essia loo$ed ever% inh his 'erfet bride, a 'riness in her
ream9olored dress with a long9sleeved bolero .a$et, a tied satin bow at the
waist and a full s$irt! It was ever% little girl&s fantas% ome true and "eth was
no e,e'tion! She shed a tear or two for her own dream, that wouldn&t ome
true beause she had no illusions about finding love!
S'ea$ing of forbidden love, she had diffiult% ta$ing her e%es off )ali$, who
stood beside his brother! He was also in a dar$ suit, and so e,traordinaril%
handsome he loo$ her breath awa%! Something about the formal wear made his
dar$ e%es loo$ dar$er and his sensuous mouth more sedutive! The slight flare
in his nostrils hinted at a de'th of 'assion she ould onl% guess would swee' a
girl off her feet and ma$e her love ever% seond!
"eth&s heart s$i''ed li$e a stone over water, then 'ounded frantiall% as she
lifted a hand to her bodie and drew air dee'l% into her lungs! Her own ro%al
blue dress had been a sur'rise from )ali$, sent from a Paris designer and fitted
right here in the 'alae! The long sleeves, high ne$ and floor9length s$irt
lung to her bod% li$e a seond s$in! Sa''hire teardro' earrings dangled from
her earlobes and the mathing tiara held her u'swe't hair in 'lae! ?ewelr%
from the =ueen&s olletion had been loaned to her for the oasion, 'roving
that )ali$ had told the truth about life with the ro%als having an u'side!
She atuall% felt li$e a 'riness 1 and, worse, she li$ed it! That was 'robabl%
normal, but it made her feel li$e she was selling out her soul!
3hen the eremon% was over, )ali$ sto''ed beside her and offered his arm to
esort her to the enormous ban+uet room for the ree'tion! She was getting
used to his ourtl% gestures! The% were doing a lot to soften her u' and the heat
in his e%es when he loo$ed at her onl% s'eeded u' the melting 'roess! She 'ut
her hand in the bend of his elbow, but losed her fingers into a fist, refusing to
rela, into the intima%!
)ali$ didn&t seem to notie as he smiled and nodded to the Prime )inister of
"ritain and the Chanellor of 7erman%! The /nited States Seretar% of State
was also in attendane! To her relief, her father had sent his regrets beause of
wor$! "ut the guest list was li$e a 3ho&s 3ho of world 'ower, and "eth was
both grateful for )ali$&s 'resene beside her and so nervous she felt li$e
throwing u'! The woman he married would have to get used to this!
3hen the% entered the other room, "eth sto''ed him! 4I need to freshen m%
ma$e9u'!5
4I will wait for %ou!5
She shoo$ her head! 4That&s not neessar%! I&m sure %ou have to mingle!5
4As do %ou!5 he 'ointed out! 4I wish to introdue %ou to the world as m% bride9
to9be!5
4No rest for the wi$ed 4 she mumbled!
4:o not worr%! 8ou have been trained, and will beome austomed to this
'art of ro%al dut%!5
4The real thing is a lot different from the lassroom!5 she 'ointed out!
4I will be b% %our side ever% moment!5
4Then it&s im'ortant to loo$ m% best!5 She waved him off! 47o! I&ll find %ou!5
He too$ her hand and urved her fingers around his own, then touhed his li's
to her $nu$les! 4I will ount the seonds until %ou are beside me again!5
She wanted to as$ how that line was wor$ing for him! "ut her throat was too
dr% beause the words were firing on all %linders for her
The ladies& lounge had individual mirrored vanities, with tufted broade9
overed stools in front of them! The floor was marble, where it wasn&t thi$
ar'et! 7old fi,tures adorned the ream9olored sin$s, and the reessed lighting
would flatter om'le,ions of all ages! "eth found ?essia sitting at one of the
vanities, struggling with her head'iee and veil!
4"o%, am I glad to see %ou!5
43here&s %our entourage65 "eth as$ed, meeting the brideCs distressed ga0e in
the mirror!
4I sent them into the ree'tion! I thought I ould handle this b% m%self, but it&s
more om'liated than I e,'eted!5 She 'ointed to where the %ards of tulle
were fastened! 4It&s su''osed to detah from the tiara and leave m% hair intat!
Can %ou hel' me65
4I&ll see what I an do!5
Standing over the other woman, "eth ould see the 'roblem and easil% loo$
are of it! The intriate feminine $not of hair was left undisturbed e,e't for
light brown tendrils around ?essia&s fae! 4There,5 "eth said, dra'ing the veil
on the satin9overed haise behind them!
48ou&re a life saver!5
"eth 'ulled a stool over and sat beside the bride while she touhed u' her blush
and li'sti$! 4That&s a waste of time, beause %ou loo$ 'erfet!5
4Oh! 'lease!5 "ut ?ess&s ha0el e%es s'ar$led when she smiled! 4Not true, but
than$s for sa%ing it! I don&t thin$ I&ve ever loo$ed better, but B'erfet& is setting
the bar a little too high!5
48ou&re wrong,CC she answered sim'l%! 4The eremon% was 'erfet, too!5
4I&ll go along with that! I wish I ould rewind and go through it over and over,
and ta$e it all in without the nerves! It felt surreal, li$e a dream! In fat it was
m% dream, and it ame true!5
4So %ouCre ha''%65 "eth as$ed!
?ess sighed! 4I had no idea it was 'ossible to be this ha''%!5
"eth reali0ed this woman understood what it was li$e to love a 'owerful man!
She seemed ha''%! Or was she sim'l% toeing the offiial ro%al famil% line6
Had she missed her alling as an atress6 Or was she sinerel% as estati as
she a''eared6
4So tell me what it was li$e when %ou first met *ardahl!5
?ess sighed! 4It wasn&t 'rett%!5
4Oh65 )a%be she was getting somewhere! "eth had e,'eted a fair%tale, but
the stor% hadn&t started out with 4one u'on a time5!
4I hadn&t even de'laned when *ardahl informed me that we were alread%
married b% 'ro,%!5
4)ali$ told me what ha''ened! How did %ou feel65
4I&d onl% .ust found out about m% mother&s 'ast, and was here to see if there
was a hane I had a famil%! So it was 'rett% sho$ing to disover I had a
husband!5 She shoo$ her head as she remembered! 48ou an imagine how I
felt!5
4Not reall%65
4?ust 'iture the worst moment in %our life and multi'l% it b% a hundred! I
wanted someone 'unished for the snag in 'a'erwor$ that had made me his
wife! I wanted nothing to do with love! 8ou ould sa% I was a relutant bride!5
43hat hanged %our mind65 "eth as$ed!
4In a word! *ardahl!5
4:id he 'ressure %ou and ma$e a ase for how wonderful life would be as a
ro%al65
?ess shoo$ her head! 4?ust the o''osite! He said if l wasn&t ha''% we would get
an annulment as long as the union wasn&t onsummated!5
4Obviousl% the annulment didn&t ha''en, and I don&t thin$ it&s too big a lea' to
assume %ou&ve onsummated the marriage at least one65
4Oh! %eah!5 She blushed 'rettif%! 4In fat, we .ust told the *ing and =ueen that
we&re e,'eting a bab%! I .ust found out I&m 'regnant5
Emotions swe't through "eth 1 ha''iness for the other woman, and env% at
her good fortune! She leaned over for a +ui$ hug! 4Congratulations! :oes
)ali$ $now65
4Probabl% b% now!5 ?ess folded her hands and rested them on the satin s$irt! 4I
grew u' in a state home after m% mother died! 7irls li$e me don&t grow u' to
beome a 'riness, but *ardahl loves me an%wa%! And I love him! If he were
'oor I would still love him, beause even if there was no onnetion to a ro%al
famil% he would still treat me li$e a 'riness! That&s the $ind of man he is!5
4So I guess I don&t even have to as$ if %ou were o$a% with being betrothed to a
man %ou&d never met65
4*ardahl believes its not about the tradition of betrothal! It was fate that
brought us eah other! 3e were meant to be together!5
4It&s a ver% romanti notion ,5 "eth agreed!
The other woman must have heard the wistful note in her voie! 48ou&re
worried about %ou and )ali$!5
4Something li$e that!5
?ess reahed over and too$ her hand! 4I understand! And the onl% advie I an
give is to rela, and go with it!5
4I&ll tr%!5 "eth stood! 48ou need to go ba$ in there and elebrate!5
?ess&s e%es filled with ha''% tears! 4And I have so muh to be ha''% about I
almost feel guilt%!5
?essia&s stor%, even with its 'ositive outome, did nothing to diminish "eth&s
misgivings about 'owerful men living b% their own rules! )ali$ was harming!
attentive, handsome and se,%! He was out in that ballroom right now rubbing
shoulders with some of the most 'owerful men in the world! It was his .ob!
She was in the ladies& lounge alone, thin$ing about him and missing him, she
reali0ed! "ut the woman who married him would get used to being alone,
beause 'ower was onl% one of his mistresses!
The thought distressed her, but there was something that bothered her even
more! She alread% ared enough to be distressed!
"eth had never been to a more 'erfet wedding ree'tion 1 e,+uisite food, red
and white roses signif%ing love&s 'assion and 'urit%, tables with their lovel%
and deliate gold 'lae9settings -oo$ing magnifient! Now, the handeliers
that moments ago had dri''ed shimmering golden light were dimmed for
daning in the enter of the room!
There was no reason to thin$ that whoever )ali$ married wouldn&t have an
even more beautiful wedding! "ut it was still .ust one da%! No matter how
glorious the festivities, the ne,t da% his bride would be legall% bound to the
man who would be the *ing of "ha&*har! 3ould he be a good husband6
3ould he herish and be faithful to his wife6 Or would he use his 'rominent
'osition to have an% woman he wanted6 As she was the woman urrentl% in his
arms, daning, it wasn&t a good time to be as$ing herself that! It was an even
worse time to reali0e that while loo$ing into his handsome fae all she ould
thin$ about was how he had suh wonderful hair she wanted to see how it
would feel to run her fingers through it!
48ou are a graeful daner,5 he said, 'ulling her .ust a bit loser to him!
4Than$ %ou! So are %ou!5 4:id %ou learn in finishing shool65 His warm
fingers flattened against the bare flesh of her ba$ and 'rodued a shiver of
ma.or 'ro'ortions! Her breasts snuggled against his musular hest turned her
fantasies to 'h%sial ativities other than daning! In fat the% were the $ind of
ativities that usuall% didn&t involve standing u'right at all!
48es!5 she said, her voie too low, too breathless! 43e all had to learn!5
4"ut it was an all9girls shool,5 he said!
43e managed to memori0e the ste's, and there was an all9bo%s shool nearb%!
3e 'ratied with them at otillions5
4Ah!5 he said, nodding! 4Pratie ma$es 'erfet!5
The gleam in his e%es and his slow, se,% smile onl% sueeded in throwing her
more off balane!
4So, what did %ou thin$ of the wedding65 she as$ed, searhing for a safe to'i
of onversation!
4I thin$ it is not the eremon% that matters so muh as the fat that m% brother
is ha''% and most ontent!5
4"ut will he still love her tomorrow65 she as$ed!
His dar$ e%ebrows drew together! 48ou are the most s$e'tial %oung woman I
have ever met!5
4Have %ou $nown man% %oung women65
4Of ourse!5
4An%one s'eial!5
4No one of onse+uene!5
4And not s$e'tial65
4Not so muh as %ou,5 he said, the teasing loo$ ba$ in his e%es! 4)% brother
and his wife are dee'l% in love, and there is no doubt in m% mind it is a union
that will endure a lifetime!5
4Is that wishful thin$ing6 Or are %ou a romanti65
Not li$el%! To men li$e him 'ower was the a'hrodisia, not romane!
4I $now m% brother well, and I have never seen him as ha''% as he is now! He
s'o$e vows in front of the world and his love for his betrothed will be
hroniled for all time in "ha&*harian histor%,5 His ga0e aught hers as he held
her seurel% in his arms! 4"ut right now, this moment, is the highlight of
toda%&s festivities!5
4:aning65 Her heart s'eeded u', li$e a small but 'ainful hammer inside her
hest! 4So %ou li$e to dane65
4Not es'eiall%!5
4Then wh% is this %our favorite 'art65
He smiled! 48our naivetA is so une,'eted, and therefore so om'letel%
delightful!5
She ouldn&t deide whether she&d been om'limented or insulted! 4I thought I
was the most s$e'tial woman on the 'lanet65
48ou are that, too! I am en.o%ing the man% faets that ma$e u' the woman I
will marr%!5
She blin$ed and lowered her ga0e! 4"ut if %ou&re not into daning, an one
assume that this is a distration from the affairs of state that are so muh a 'art
of this 'ubli oasion65
4One an assume that! 8ou are definitel% a distration 1 a most welome and
harming one!5
He was a distration, too! Ever% time she got near him she was unsettled,
disonerted, onfused and flustered b% his $een intelligene, his magnetism
and sense of humor! She was sidetra$ed, and $e't forgetting that she was .ust
a 'laeholder, .ust filling in for the onl% other 'erson on the 'lanet who loo$ed
li$e her! She was saving her sister from this man! She had no business being
suse'tible to him herself!
The 'roblem was, he thought she was his betrothed, and to im'ress her he&d
turned u' the harisma full9blast! It was so wor$ing! There was a time to stand
and fight, and there was a time to ut and run! As she saw the intensit% gather
and dar$en in his e%es, running held more 1 and less 1 a''eal!
4E,use me! I thin$ I need some air,5 she said, freeing her hand from his! 4And
%ou should mingle!5
"efore he ould res'ond, she turned and sli''ed through the rush of ou'les
daning, $ee'ing her e%es on her goal, the #renh doors that led onto the 'atio!
She sli''ed outside and let out a long leansing breath! Inside the 'alae was
fantas% land2 outside was magi, she reali0ed! The $ind of magi that onl%
)other Nature ould 'rodue!
The air was warm, and sented with .asmine and the m%sterious fragrane of
the sea! The moon s'read a 'ath of silver light on the 'laid water!
"eth wandered over to the low wall that loo$ed out on the water and let the
bree0e ool her hot hee$s! "ehind her! she heard the door o'en and strains of
musi esa'e before it was losed again! She sighed, beause she $new who
was there! Her lu$ wasn&t good enough that he ould .ust let her go without
omment! Out of the fr%ing 'an, into the fire!
4Have I offended %ou65 he as$ed!
She shoo$ her head! 4No!5
4I am aware that the res'onsibilities of m% betrothed an be daunting! "ut do
not forget that e,'eriene and onfidene ome with time! 8ou will have a
staff, and advisers to assist %ou with ever% state dut%!5
He thought she was having seond thoughts about being the wife of the *ing!
And he&d followed to reassure her! How inredibl% sweet was that6 If onl% her
distress was so sim'le!
4I&m fine! )ali$! I .ust needed some alone time!5 It seemed the more she tried
to $ee' her distane, the more he was there!
4Time to +uestion the role %ou will assume when we are married65
She met his ga0e, then wished she hadn&t! He was 'rett% s'etaular in ordinar%
settings, but b% moonlight he was irresistible! 43ho in their right mind
wouldn&t +uestion it65
He nodded! 4I see %our 'oint! However, I believe I have been remiss!5
43hat6 How65
48ou have made %our 'osition on love lear, and I understand and agree!
However, that does not mean that we annot find mutual res'et and 'leasure
in eah other&s om'an%!5
4That doesn&t e,'lain how %ou&ve been negligent!5
4There are res'onsibilities that go along with being =ueen! "ut there are also
rewards! Have I been inattentive to %our needs65
4No!5 She shoo$ her head! He&d been unfailingl% attentive!
4I disagree! Often a man has no o''ortunit% to retif% a mista$e, but than$full%
this is not one of those times!5 He moved loser, a whis'er awa%! 4I did not
$iss %ou when I had the o''ortunit%!5
Oh! 7od! She&d thought she&d aught a brea$ the other night! 4It&s o$a%!5 she
answered, ta$ing a ste' ba$!
4It is not o$a%!5
4"ut %ou said the first $iss should mean something! I don&t see what 15
4It means that we are beginning a new ha'ter in our ourtshi'! It means that
we will ta$e a first ste' in the 'roess of getting to $now eah other 'h%siall%,
ome to an understanding, reate a s'ar$ on whih to start a fire! That from this
moment on we will build a foundation for a life together that is made u' not of
something as fragile and unreliable as love, but of mutual warm regard, res'et
and trust!5
4About all of that(5
She lost the thread of her thoughts when he loo$ed at her with one long,
intense, measuring glane, then reahed a hand out and tu$ed a strand of her
hair behind her ear! He urved his fingers behind her ne$ and aressed the
olumn of her throat with his thumb, mesmeri0ing her with the sedutive
motion! Then he bent and touhed his li's to a s'ot .ust beneath her ear a 'lae
that seemed to hold the $e% to her will'ower and rational thought beause
suddenl% both vanished!
48ou are so beautiful, m% sweet,5 he whis'ered against her s$in!
Then he u''ed her fae in both hands, tilted her mouth and stared for a long
moment before lowering his li's to hers! The soft touh was a ban+uet for her
senses, a feast of the flesh! Hers felt warm, as if she stood too lose to a fire! In
fat, she was right in the middle, and it was getting hotter b% the seond as he
wra''ed her in his arms and rushed her breasts against his hest!
He $issed her again and again, his breathing growing harsh when a small moan
slid from her throat! She o'ened her mouth to him and he di''ed his tongue
inside, ta$ing without hesitation what she ouldn&t hel' offering! "ut the at of
mimi$ing lovema$ing did nothing to relieve the 'ressure building inside her
and ever%thing to fuel it!
3hen he 'ulled ba$ the% were both breathing hard! He rested his forehead
against hers as he su$ed in air! 4Tell me the truth! Tell me, if %ou dare, that
this did not mean something!5
Oh, how she wanted to! but it would be a lie! And she&d 'romised herself she
would tell the truth when at all 'ossible!
4I an&t!5 she whis'ered!
In fat, it meant so muh more than he ould 'ossibl% $now, it meant more
than the fat that he was harming her! It meant more than tr%ing to tal$ him
out of the arranged marriage!
It meant that "eth was res'onding to him in a ver% basi, ver% 'rimal, ver%
female wa%! This $iss 'ut the truth right out there, and she ouldn&t run from it
an% longer! She wasn&t 'retending to be attrated to the man her sister was
su''osed to marr%!
She was wa% be%ond attration and in danger of beoming an emotional
disaster area, b% again falling for the wrong man!
CHAPTER SE<EN
)A-I* loo$ed around the ballroom! He had not seen "eth sine he had
hallenged her with a $iss! 3hen she had left abru'tl%, he had deided it was
'rudent to let her go! However, an hour later, he ould still feel the sweet eho
of her li's against his own and visuali0e the smo$% awareness of 'assion in her
e%es! The loo$ had been grudging, and had told him she was not 'leased that he
had fanned the flames of her desires! The hour grew late, and few guests
remained at the ree'tion! *ardahl and ?essia had de'arted some time ago for
their hone%moon, and to 'rivatel% elebrate the news that the% would have a
hild! He envied his brother and the ha''iness he had found! And while )ali$
did not e,'et lightning to stri$e twie as the sa%ing went, it was his wish to
$now ontentment with "eth! Alread% he li$ed her! and if the $iss the% had
shared was an% indiation there would be satisfation in the 'h%sial as'et of
their union!
?ust then he saw her aross the room, touhing a flute of ham'agne to the
glass of the man who stood beside her! -oo$ing loser! )ali$ reogni0ed a
friend of *ardahl&s from his infamous bahelor da%s! Carlo 7enovese, a 'au'er
with a title he 'arla%ed into female on+uests all over the world! The rogue left
a siring of bro$en hearts wherever he went!
Although there was nothing ina''ro'riate trans'iring between them, )ali$ did
not li$e "eth so near another man 1 a womani0er who would use her without
a seond thought! :es'ite her admission that she had one been in love, he did
not believe that she was worldl% enough to withstand a determined assault from
suh a notorious soundrel! )ali$ a$nowledged a vague awareness that his
reation was more than an overl% develo'ed sense of 'rotetion! He reogni0ed
the une,'eted and unwelome sting of .ealous%!
He rossed the room, eating u' the distane to his betrothed with a longer than
usual stride! He insinuated himself between "eth and the tall, musular man
with burnished brown hair and blue e%es! Sliding his arm around her waist!
)ali$ drew her 'rotetivel% to his side and felt a shiver go through her when he
$issed her hee$!
He smiled tenderl% at her, then met the other man&s amused ga0e! 4Carlo, I see
%ou have met m% bride9to9be!5
4Indeed, I have! 8ou are a lu$% man!5
The loo$ Carlo settled on "eth was rife with an admiration that filled )ali$
with the almost overwhelming urge to remove the satisfied smile from the other
man&s 'rett% fae! This 'rimitive feeling was both foreign and foolish 1 a
thought that told him at least a 'art of his brain still funtioned! The 'roblem
was, it was onl% a small 'art! 3ith the ma.orit% of his mental faulties engaged
in visions of violene, there was not enough left over for rational thought! This
was unae'table for a man who would lead his ountr%!
He was held to a higher standard! The average man had the lu,ur% of ating on
his .ealous%, but )ali$ did not! This strong reation was a sure sign that his
feelings for "eth were muh more than he wished them to be!
4A lu$% man,5 he re'eated, meeting her ga0e and noting the fli$er of sur'rise
at his edg% tone!
4Carlo was .ust telling me that he is engaged as well! To a Hungarian
ountess,5 "eth said!
3ith a large fortune, no doubt! )ali$ thought disa''rovingl%! "ut that
e,'lained the lin$ing of ham'agne glasses! 4Congratulations! I wish %ou
ever% ha''iness!5
4And I %ou!5
)ali$ made a show of loo$ing around the room! 4Please introdue us to her!5
4To m% regret, she was unable to aom'an% me!5 Carlo feigned
disa''ointment for "eth&s benefit!
4That&s too bad,5 she said! 4Have %ou set a date for the wedding65
4Not %et! And %ou65 he as$ed! 43ill I be returning to "ha&*har soon, for
another .o%ous elebration65
Not if he ould hel' it, )ali$ thought! 43e have not %et seleted a da%! "ut if I
have m% wa% it will be soon!5
"eth&s smile faltered, and she finished the ham'agne in her glass without
res'onding!
4I an understand wh% %ou would be an,ious to ma$e her %ours! She is a lovel%
and desirable woman!5 Carlo bowed slightl%! 4Now! if %ou will e,use me 15
4Of ourse!5 :o not let the door hit %ou in the ba$side on %our wa% out, )ali$
thought!
4"eth5 Carlo $issed her hand! 4It was a great 'leasure to meet %ou!5
4#or me, as well!5
)ali$ struggled with the dar$ emotions simmering through him before sei0ing
a bottle of ham'agne and two glasses from a 'assing waiter! He motioned
"eth to a small table in a shadowed, seluded orner of the room! After settling
her in a hair, he sat aross from her! the $nees of his bla$ tu,edo trousers
barel% brushing the satin s$irt of her ro%al blue gown! The hour grew late, and
the da% had been long, but she still arried herself li$e a 'riness!
4Have I told %ou how beautiful %ou loo$ tonight65 he as$ed, letting his ga0e
aress her hee$s, nose, hin and long, graeful ne$!
4Than$ %ou!5 Her smile was both 'leased and sh%! 4"ut it&s all about the dress
and .ewelr%!5
If onl% that were true! She&d loo$ .ust as lovel% in .eans or 'ants! Or nothing, he
thought, his ga0e lowering to the graeful urve of her breasts! The sudden
vivid flash of desire stole the air from his lungs and heated his blood until it
was li$e a fireball roaring through him!
He handed her a full glass of ham'agne and too$ one for himself, ho'ing it
would +uell this unwelome fasination! 4-et us drin$ to new beginnings!5
His hoie of words reminded him of their first $iss, of a new 'hase of getting
to $now eah other, a 'leasing 'hase, to his wa% of thin$ing!
4To beginnings!5 She ta''ed her glass to his, then too$ a si'!
)ali$ ould not fore his ga0e from the lingering moisture on her li's! The
intense desire welling inside him to $iss it awa% was one faet of the e,treme
emotion that was fast beoming a 'roblem! it was im'erative that he find
something to sa% to her that would distrat him from his dee'ening awareness!
4So,5 he said! 4Is this a better time to tal$ about %our meeting with %our
mother6 I understand wh% %ou were unwilling to s'ea$ of it before, but it is m%
ho'e that %ou will feel omfortable onfiding in me!5
She loo$ed around the almost em't% room, as if searhing for an esa'e route,
then sighed! 4It was enlightening!5
4In what wa%65
Her e%es lost their s'ar$le and turned dar$er, brooding, angr%! 4All these %ears
I blamed m% mother for leaving us 15
4/s65
She loo$ed momentaril% startled, then said, 4)% sister and I!5
4I $ee' forgetting that %ou have a sister!5
48es,5 she said, her ga0e s$ittering awa%! 4It turns out that m% mother was also
a vitim of a man who lives b% his own rules!5
4The ambassador65 3hen she nodded, he as$ed! 4How so65
4He had an affair! Tehniall% it wasn&t an affair until after he married m%
mother! "ut he ontinued to see the woman after he&d s'o$en his vows! 3hen
m% mother found out! she stood u' to him and said she was leaving! "ut m%
father left first 1 with m% sister and I! He $e't m% mother from seeing us!
"eause he&s a 'owerful man he ould do that! And all this time he let me
believe that she had left and didn&t love me!5
)ali$ $new the ambassador was divored, but he had not been aware of these
details! He noted the bitterness in "eth&s tone and sensed that there was more
she was not sa%ing! This dee'l% 'ersonal revelation was an im'ortant 'iee in
the 'u00le of her relutane to marr%!
4Shall I reall the ambassador and stri' him of his 'osition and 'ower65
"eth loo$ed sho$ed! 48ou ould do that65
4I will be *ing! As %ou have 'ointed out on more than one oasion, I an do
what I li$e without rules to restrit m% deisions!5
43ow!5 The s'ar$le returned to her e%es! 4So it&s true what the% sa%65
4And what is that65
4Ran$ has its 'rivileges!5
4Indeed!5 He too$ her hand in his and brushed his thumb over her $nu$les
before touhing his li's there! 4Sa% the word and I will ma$e him sorr% that he
hurt %ou!5
She sighed! 4I a''reiate the thought! If onl% %ou were 'owerful enough to
give me ba$ a hildhood with m% mother in it! "ut it&s too late now! I&m all
grown u'!5
Indeed she was 1 a fat that ontinuall% failed to esa'e his notie! 4I annot
give %ou ba$ %our hildhood, but %our life will go on with %our mother a 'art
of it!5
48es! Than$ %ou for ma$ing that so eas% for me!5 She leaned forward and
$issed his hee$!
The touh 'rodued an odd tightness in his hest 1 different, more 'er'le,ing
and more dee'l% soul9stirring than the $iss the% had shared earlier! It was an at
of trust from a woman he $new did not trust easil%!
3hen she 'leaded fatigue and e,used herself he let her go without 'rotest,
sine he re+uired distane in order to obtain some 'ers'etive! His ob.etive to
find a distration from his emotions had been a dismal failure! If an%thing, her
gratitude had 'rodued even more bewildering sensations! "ut he was
determined to e,ert ontrol over his feelings and not let them ontrol him!
His destin% was to ta$e on the arduous tas$ of ruling "ha&*har, ma$ing his
'ositive mar$ on histor%! He ould not afford to be distrated b% an%thing (
inluding love!
"ut his destin% also inluded her! Together the% would guide "ha&*har in an
ever9hanging and inreasingl% inseure world, that meant forging a lose
'ersonal onnetion! Trust would be re+uired, and urrentl% she did not trust
him ( a state reinfored b% tal$ing with her mother! 3hen he vowed to honor
"eth alwa%s, and be faithful onl% to her, he would $ee' his word! There must
be a wa% he ould show her that, unli$e her father and the other man she had
$nown, he, )ali$, too$ his 'romises most seriousl%!
And he thought he $new .ust the thing to demonstrate his integrit%!
4And %ou thought I would li$e to see the 'alae harem!!!wh%65 "eth as$ed!
4"eause it is 'art of m% famil% histor%!5 The night after the wedding, "eth
stood with )ali$ in the hall outside his 'arents& suite! :inner had been .ust the
four of them, and ver% informal! She li$ed the *ing and =ueen, who had
embraed her warml%, li$e one of the famil%! Ae'tane was a one't
la$ing in her life sine her father had destro%ed her own famil%, and he
wouldn&t $now 'ersonal warmth if someone set him on fire! The thought made
her sad, and the strain of 'retending was wearing her out! "ut )ali$&s sur'rise
tour had managed to s'ar$ her uriosit%!
4:oes the harem have a dress ode65
She glaned down at her otton summer dress en.o%ing the light oolness of the
material! And the 'o$ets! She slid her hand inside and urled her fingers
around the ell 'hone, 'ra%ing that Addie&s overdue all would ome and
wishing she was an%where but here!
48ou loo$ lovel%, as alwa%s!5
And )ali$ loo$ed ever% inh the rogue shei$h, in his bla$ 'ants and white
sil$ shirt, with the sleeves rolled to .ust below his elbows! She had feelings for
him that were growing hotter, stronger and dee'er ever% da%! He was even
more 'owerful than her father, who had ruined her mother&s life! The woman
who fell in love with the Crown Prine was to be 'itied, and "eth didn&t want
to be that woman! Her feelings had to be sto''ed, but she was afraid that would
beome im'ossible if this 'retense went on muh longer!
Suddenl% she was hot and old and si$ to her stomah at what she was doing!
She was a liar and a snea$! The onl% thing that soothed her was the reminder
that this was all for her sister! "eth remembered that first night without their
mother, how the%&d lung together through the onfusion and fear! Addie and
"eth against the world!
?ust a little longer, she thought, and 'ut herself ba$ in the moment! The harem!
Right! A tour might .ust ta$e the edge off her guilt% onsiene! She met
)ali$&s ga0e and deided she ould 'iture him in a harem, hoosing his
woman for the night! "ut instead of being a detahed observation, this
'artiular vision san$ its fangs into her heart!
3hen the elevator arrived to ta$e them to the ground floor, he settled his hand
at her waist to guide her into the mahogan% and glass ar! The heat of his
fingers unleashed a 'ri$ling of awareness that made her bod% flush with heat!
4A guided tour of the histor% of infidelit%,5 she mused! 4I agreed that we
should get to $now eah other to give this betrothal a hane! "ut ma%be the
ro%al harem is too muh information65
He grinned! 4)a%be %ou should withhold .udgment until %ou have seen it65
4I&m not sure! "% definition, a harem is a grou' of women assoiated with one
man!5
4Indeed!5 he agreed, too easil%! He slid his hands into the 'o$ets of his 'ants,
whih both relieved and disa''ointed her! 4"ut in the old da%s those women
inluded servants and female relatives!5
4And mistresses!5
4In the old da%s the more ommon terminolog% was onubine!5
4Oh!5 she said! 4That sounds ever so muh more elegant! I&m feeling better
about this b% the seond!5
One of his dar$ e%ebrows rose in +uestion! 4Has it esa'ed %our notie that %ou
are ver% swift to .udge65
She folded her arms over her hest and studied his serious e,'ression! 4That&s a
tri$ +uestion! If I sa% %es, I&m agreeing that %ou&re right about me being
.udgmental! If I sa% no same thing! 8ou&re ver% lever ( %ou $now that65
4If I sa% %es! I am 'om'ous and arrogant! And sa%ing no would .ust be(5 He
shrugged! 43rong! Of ourse I am lever5
She shoo$ her head, wanting des'eratel% to grin! How was she su''osed to
resist a man who was both self9aware and able to laugh about it6 He was
endearingl% arrogant, and that wasn&t eas% to 'ull off!
3hen the elevator sto''ed, the doors o'ened and "eth ste''ed out! At the end
of a short hall )ali$ 'ulled wide a door that o'ened into a garden! 3arm,
sultr% air surrounded her, along with the smell of .asmine! The 'alae grounds
were e,tensive and a high stuo wall surrounded them, 'roviding 'riva% in
this +uiet, lush 'lae! S$illfull% arranged s'otlights aentuated tall 'alm trees,
sweet9smelling flowers and flourishing greener%! Small white lights twin$led in
the bushes and trees!
She gas'ed! 4Oh! m%! I had no idea something so beautiful was hidden within
the 'alae!5
4I have been saving this to im'ress %ou!5
4"ig mista$e5
He arhed an e%ebrow! 48ou are unim'ressed65
4No! =uite the ontrar%! 8our mista$e is in showing me ars and 'lanes and
boats on m% first tour instead of this! It&s magial!5
4The 'erfet 'lae for a harem!5
4Than$s for reminding me,5 she said wr%l%! 4I almost forgot!5
4Come!5 He held out a hand! 4I will show %ou!5
It was more intimate than ta$ing his arm, but she ouldn&t den% herself the
hane to touh him! Hand in hand, the% wal$ed down a stone 'ath through the
lush vegetation! She $new little about flowers e,e't that these vivid 'in$, dee'
red and vibrant orange blossoms were e,+uisite!
At the end of the 'ath the% sto''ed in front of a struture with salmon9olored
stuo walls and a red tiled roof! "eautiful stained glass filled the windows! It
would be e,+uisite inside, with the light shining through, but at the moment
ever%thing was dar$!
48ou didn&t 'a% the eletri bill65 she as$ed!
After shooting her a 'atientl% amused loo$, he removed a large $e% from his
'o$et and slid it into the a''ro'riate o'ening in the door, then turned it!
4It&s lo$ed6 8ou don&t want an%one to steal %our women65 She 'ut her hand
on his arm! 4The women are 'risoners65
3ithout res'onding, he settled his hand on the ornate brass handle and 'ushed
the door wide! Reahing inside, he fli''ed a swith, and an overhead
handelier bla0ed with light, illuminating a irular fo%er with a floor made of
stones that formed a 'iture of 'alms, 'eao$s and a 'riness with a rown!
The walls were 'ainted a deliate shade of 'eah that was hardl% more than a
blush!
"eth was s'eehless as she followed )ali$ from room to room, ta$ing in the
beautiful stone floor, the marble baths with gold fi,tures, and the furniture
overed with sheets! The last room was a bedroom as big as her whole
a'artment in -os Angeles! It held a four9'oster bed with a mathing armoire,
and a gold broade9overed haise! This had to be harem heaven!
4So, is this where the *ing omes to ( rela,65 Even if she&d wanted it to, her
sarasm wouldn&t behave!
)ali$&s e,'ression was gravel% sinere as he shoo$ his head! 4The harem has
been lo$ed u' and abandoned sine the time of m% great9grandfather!5
4Reall%65
He glaned around and nodded! 4It seems that after marr%ing his betrothed the
two atuall% fell in love! As the stor% was told to me b% m% father, m% great9
grandmother stood u' to the *ing and told him in no unertain terms that she
was in love with him and there would be no other woman but her in his bed! If
he was not in agreement about this, she would ae't it in time, but she would
disa''ear from his life! She would not stand mee$l% b%, $nowing she did not
'ossess his whole heart!5
43ow!5
4Indeed!5
4She sounds li$e a strong and determined lad%!5
4I would not disagree!5
4So what did %our great9grandfather sa% to that65 she as$ed, her uriosit%
autel% aroused b% the guts and bravado of this woman!
)ali$&s mouth urved u' slightl%! 4He assured her that he wanted no one else!5
4Tal$ is hea'!5 she 'ointed out!
4And ations s'ea$ louder than words,5 he ountered, seeing her lihA and
raising her with one of his own! 47reat9grandfather disbanded the harem and
lo$ed it u'! It has been abandoned for these man% %ears!5
4Hmm5
4"ut there is a rumor that the% often snea$ed awa% to this room when the%
wished to!!!5
4Pla% the *ing and the onubine65 she said with a grin!
4Indeed!5 A gleam stole into his e%es that made her heart beat faster! Then he
rubbed his thumb over the arving in one of the bed'osts and his smile
disa''eared! The two were ha''il% married for more than fift% %ears, 'assing
on within wee$s of eah other! As if living without the love of their life was
intolerable!5
She sighed! 4It&s a beautiful stor%!5
4Not .ust a stor%, m% histor%,5 he orreted! 4And ever sine that time, along
with the revered tradition of ontrating a marriage, the men in m% famil% have
'ratied fidelit% and held it sared!5
Her ga0e s$i''ed over his fae, noting the solemn gravit% in his e,'ression! #or
someone he deemed +ui$ to .udgment, she was at a loss to .udge whether or
not he was telling her the truth! A little while ago she&d thought, for the
ga0illion time, how muh she hated this 'retense, but not as muh as she
resented the man who had stolen her trusting nature, or the one who&d stolen
her hildhood! Her instints were telling her that )ali$ was sinere, but she&d
hosen so 'oorl% in the 'ast that she ouldn&t 'ut an% faith in her instints!
"ut it wasn&t instint telling her that she wished she&d met )ali$ under
different irumstanes! It was her heart!
)ali$ studied her e,'etantl% before sa%ing! 48ou are unharateristiall%
silent!5
4I&m .ust tr%ing to reonile the intriguing idea of a woman ontrolling a man!
A 'owerful man! It&s astonishing to me!5
4A man, even a $ing, is still .ust a man!5
4And %ou e,'et me to believe that the *ing of "ha&*har voluntaril% turned
his ba$ on all this (5 She swung her aim out in a swee'ing gesture that
enom'assed the large, elegant and ultimatel% se,% room! )ore than a room! A
love9nest! 4"eause the woman who was hosen for him demanded it65
4He was not sim'l% the *ing of "ha&*har! He was a man in love!5
4Still (5
4:o not underestimate the 'ower a woman holds over a man!5 His sudden
frown and harsh tone said the observation was an%thing but romanti!
"% his own admission he had been a man in love, and he didn&t want to re'eat
the e,'eriene! "eth $new her own reasons, but he hadn&t revealed his!
43hat did %ou do for the woman %ou loved65 she as$ed!
4I do not wish to s'ea$ of it!5
He wal$ed out of the room and her uriosit% started humming! She wasn&t
letting him off the hoo$ this time! #ollowing +ui$l%, she aught u' with him
as he wal$ed out through the harem&s front door! On the stone 'ath in the
magial garden she said, 4)ali$, don&t shut me out!5
He hesitated, then sto''ed! Tension stiffened his shoulders before he turned to
her! 4I sim'l% wish to forget!5
43e&re getting to $now eah other! I told %ou about me! Now I need to $now
what ha''ened to %ou!5
He shoo$ his head! 4I do not (5
48ou as$ for m% trust! It&s im'ossible to give that to %ou unless %ou share! Not
.ust %our famil%&s stor%! 8our own 'ersonal e,'eriene!5
He loo$ed down for several moments, his e,'ression dar$l% intense, before he
met her ga0e and sighed! 4All right! I will tell %ou about the 'retender who
betra%ed me!5
CHAPTER EI7HT
4I #E-- in love with a woman who was 'retending to be something she was
not!5 That hot! old, nauseous feeling from earlier swe't over "eth again and
made her lightheaded! 3as he tal$ing about her6 3as he on to her 'retense6
:id he love her6
3hen the roaring in her ears faded, she was able to thin$ more learl%! A guilt%
onsiene ertainl% made one self9entered! "ut this ouldn&t be about her
beause there was onl% bitterness in his tone! If he $new what she was doing
he&d be furious! This was about the woman who had turned him off to love!
43here did %ou meet her65
4Right here in the 'alae!5
4Here65 she whis'ered, glaning around at the 'erfet garden, with its
twin$ling lights, trees and brightl% olored flowers! It was a 'lae of
tran+uilit%2 dee'tion would defile the magi! She defiled it!
4Not here,5 he amended, following her ga0e! 4She wor$ed in the business wing
of the 'alae! An assistant to an assistant!5
4Isn&t the staff sub.et to ba$ground he$s65
48es! "ut she was .ust out of ollege! There was no 'rofessional em'lo%ment
reord %et! No one $new of her real .ob!5
43hih was65
4Tabloid re'orter!5 His e,'ression was grim!
43hat ha''ened65 The +uestion was automati! "ut "eth $new what was
oming!
4She first a'tured m% notie white 'i$ing u' a sta$ of files in the hallwa%
outside m% offie!5 The e,'ression in his e%es would free0e water in ?ul%! 4It
never ourred to me that she had no business there! I sim'l% sto''ed to assist
her!5
"eause he&s a nie man! she thought! Polite! Thoughtful! *ind! She was
inredibl% sorr% she&d o'ened this an of worms, but there was no turning ba$
now! 4Then what65
4There were more Baidental meetings! I began to notie how lovel% she was!
and before long I began to see$ her out!5
Even though %ou were engaged6 she wanted to as$! "ut it was best not to go
there, sine she&d onfessed to a love affair of her own! 4And she didn&t
disourage it65
4No!5 His loo$ was wr%! 43e tal$ed, and I found her to be a good listener! An
admirable trait! I believed, not reali0ing it is a re'orter&s wa% and she was
e,'loiting the situation! She as$ed +uestions that I 'ereived as easing the
burden I arried! In truth she was ta$ing notes for a stor% entitled The *ing9to9
"e and I; Se, and the Shei$h5
4There was a 'ubli sandal,5 "eth guessed!
4Atuall%, no! "eause she had signed a onfidentialit% agreement, I used m%
e,tensive 'ower and influene to su''ress the stor%! The 'rivate realit% was
worse! The *ing was furious!5
If an%one understood how muh it hurt when %ou disa''ointed %our father it
was her 4"ut how ould %ou have $nown65
4I should have! I am held to a higher standard 1 a fat that I was reminded of!
The im'oster insinuated herself into m% life to further her .ournalisti areer!5
4It&s a''alling that someone would use %ou that wa%!5
4That wa%6 Is there a good wa% to use someone65 His voie was soft and
dee'tivel% alm, dee' and dangerous!
The si$ feeling was ba$! 4I .ust meant that in rare instanes there&s
.ustifiation for ertain ations!5
4Never,5 he said! 4:oing the wrong thing for the right reason is still wrong!
An% argument to the ontrar% is sim'l% s'litting hairs! -%ing is never
defensible! Of all 'eo'le %ou should $now, ourtes% of the ad who turned %ou
against love!5
He had her there!
"ut the loo$ on his fae sared her!
43hat )ali$65 The musle .er$ing in his .aw told her there was something
even worse than falling in love with a shemer! 43hat else ha''ened65
She 'ut her fingers on his arm, the warmth of his s$in reminding her of his
vulnerabilit%, ma$ing her want to 'ut her arms around the flesh9and9blood man
who&d been used and hurt! She understood how that felt, and she wanted to
omfort him!
4There is nothing!5
She tilted her head to the side as she studied him! 4#or a man who has .ust
'reahed the virtues of telling the truth, %ou&re dangerousl% lose to a do9as9I9
sa%9not9as9I9do attitude! 3hat aren&t %ou telling me65
He blew out a long breath before ta$ing her hand and nestling it between his
own! 4I ared dee'l% for this woman and found the notion of marr%ing an%one
else intolerable! 3hen I a''roahed the *ing in defiane, he had her
investigated and the true nature of her interest was unovered!5
48ou were 're'ared to abandon %ears of tradition for her65
48es!5 His mouth 'ulled tight while his e%es smoldered!
48ou must have loved her a great deal!5
4And the memor% ma$es me feel foolish and furious in e+ual measure!5
4"ut it&s not %our fault!5 she 'rotested!
4As I was the fool who fell for her ruse, who else is there to blame6 It was a
hard lesson in the treaher% of women, and it highlighted the value of a
tradition that allows those wiser than m%self to hoose an a''ro'riate wife for
the future *ing!5
No wonder he was in favor of this betrothal! It was his dut% to marr%, and this
was an e,'edient wa% to find a safe wife! The si$ feeling inside her grew into
a dar$ and ugl% $not! If an%one understood his hesitation, it was her! She&d
been deeived and used! Now she was doing it to him, and she .ust ouldn&t
stand it an%more!
It was time to ome lean!
This harade had gone far enough, and words of onfession were on the ti' of
her tongue! The best wa% to slo' her growing feelings would be to tell him the
truth, then he would hate and shun her! "ut something dee' inside her ried out
against that and made her hesitate! "efore she ould get the words out, a ell
'hone rang!
"eth reahed into her 'o$et and 'ulled hers out! No all 3hen she loo$ed u',
)ali$ had his o'en! He answered, listened then hung u'!
He met her ga0e and there was regret in his e%es! 4There is something that
re+uires m% attention!5
4Now65
He nodded! 4I a'ologi0e!5
4The Crown Prine&s wor$ is never done65 she said!
4Indeed!5 He settled his hand at her waist! 4I will see %ou u'stairs!5
4If it&s all the same to %ou, I&d li$e to sta% here in the garden! It&s 'eaeful and
+uiet, and I ould use a lot of both!5
48ou are ertain65
She nodded! 4I an find m% wa% ba$!5
4<er% well, 5 he loo$ed around, 4I, too, find this 'lae soothing!5
4It&s 'erfet5
He nodded, then was gone! She was relieved! As muh as she needed to be
straight with him! this was the wrong 'lae to sa% the words! To mar the
lovliness of this haven would onl% add to her list of sins! It was long enough
alread%!
She wandered along the stone 'ath, 'ast the harem! She wal$ed for what
seemed li$e hours, searhing for alm, tran+uilit%, om'osure, soothing of the
soul! It never ha''ened, and she finall% reali0ed she wouldn&t find absolution
until she owned u' to her lie! She headed for the elevator that would ta$e her to
her suite, then she heard the ring of her ell!
She 'ulled it out of her 'o$et and answered! 4Hello65
4"eth6 It&s Addie! I&m in "ha&*har!5
"eth rode in the ba$ of the ar )ali$ had 'ut at her dis'osal! The% had met for
lunh, and when she&d mentioned seeing her mother he&d offered trans'ortation
and a driver! This time it was onl% half a lie sine she was meeting Addie at
their mother&s house! "ut she was s'litting hairs and des'eratel% tired of it!
Now that Addie was here "eth ould finall% sto' deeiving )ali$!
Suddenl% it hit her that she wouldn&t see him an%more! Her heart seemed to
sto' beating for a s'lit seond, then started again, generating a rushing sound in
her ears! All she would have were memories! Of his $isses, of the intimate tour
of the harem, the 'erfet garden where he&d told her his dar$est seret!
Her mother&s words ame to mind!
Are %ou beoming too fond of this man6 3ill %on be able to let him go without
regret6 3ithout hurting %our heart6
Now "eth $new the answers to those +uestions! 8es! No! And em'hatiall% no!
The ar 'ulled to a sto' in front of the s+uare white stuo house with the flat
roof! This time! instead of resentment and dread at the 'ros'et of seeing her
mother, she felt eagerness and warmth! And love, she reali0ed!
The driver o'ened the door and she slid out! 4There&s no need to wait! I&ll be
here for awhile!5
He bowed slightl%! 4As %ou wish!5
3hen he had driven awa%, she went to the door and $no$ed! Addie answered
and greeted her with a grin! 4Hi! "eth5
"eth loo$ed at her mirror image! Same shin% shoulder9length dar$ hair! Same
brown e%es with gold fle$s! Same brows, hee$s, mouth and hin! SheCd
missed her sister terribl% and o'ened her arms for a hug! 4It&s so good to see
%ou!5
Sameera stood behind them and smiled, even as she disreetl% brushed her
hee$s and tried not to reveal her tears! Her voie was stead% when she said!
47ood does not even begin to desribe how it feels to see both of m% girls
together after so man% %ears!5
4)ama $new me right awa%!5
"eth sniffed! 4)e too! I&ve got that birthmar$ and %ou don&t!5
4She told me!5 Addie 'ulled her mother into their hug! 4I $now what ha''ened
with her and #ather, too!5
4-et us not s'ea$ of that time,5 Sameera said! 43e will sit and tal$ about
now!5
47ood idea,5 "eth agreed!
3hen the% were settled in the living room, with a tra% of sandwihes and
lemonade and their mother between them on the ouh! "eth figured now was
as good a time as an% to tal$ about the situation with )ali$!
4Addie, what ha''ened with the gu%6 Sine %ou&re here! I guess %ou&ve had
enough time65
4Oh, %eah!5 The tone, the sigh, the flash of 'ain in e%es idential to her own
were not a good sign! 4Turns out he&s married! I was so stu'id!5
4?er$,5 "eth said!
Sameera said something in "ha&*harian that burned her ears and made "eth
blin$! .ust before she grinned at her sister! 4I ouldn&t have said it better
m%self! 7o, )om!5
4It is not something I would sa% in mi,ed om'an%! "ut we are three women
here,5 she said, 'ulling a hand on eah of them!
"eth s+uee0ed her fingers! 43e are! #inall%!5 She loo$ed aross her mother
and wathed Addie finish a sandwih! A''arentl% the .er$ had stolen her trust
but left her a''etite intat! 4So, I&ll ba$ %ou u' when %ou tell #ather %ou&re
not going through with the betrothal65
4That&s not neessar%!5
4Are %ou sure %ou want to fae him b% %ourself65
"eth as$ed! She would fae a dragon for this beloved sister! In fat, she was
used to it!
4I don&t have to!5
4)om65 she said, glaning at Sameera!
4:o not loo$ at me!5
4Addie6 3hat are %ou sa%ing65
4I&m going to marr% the Crown Prine, as arranged,5 Addie said! 4There&s no
reason to sa% an%thing to #ather!5
#or the seond time that da% "eth&s heart sto''ed, then started 'ounding!
4Even now %ou&ve found out that I was right6 That 'owerful men don&t thin$
basi moralit% a''lies to them65
43hat differene does it ma$e65 Addie shrugged!
4It&s wrong on so man% levels!5 She loo$ed at their mother 4Tell her it&s
wrong!5
Sameera shoo$ her head even as she loo$ed worried! 4I annot interfere! Addie
is a grown woman and must ma$e u' her own mind!5
4Addie %ou shouldn&t have to do this! It&s wrong,5 "eth said again, hating the
hel'lessness she was feeling!
4Not if I go into it with m% e%es o'en! Not if m% e,'etations are 'ro'ortionate
to the irumstanes!5
4And what are %our e,'etations65
4)arriage! Children!5
It was what )ali$ wanted, too, "eth $new! She also $new, after s'ending time
with him and his famil%, that an arranged marriage ould be a ha''% one! 4Is
that all65
Addie wi'ed her mouth with a na'$in! 4At boarding shool I was eduated in
eti+uette and the soial graes! There were lasses in 'rotool for all oasions!
I was trained to be the =ueen of "ha&*har and serve m% 'eo'le at the side of
the *ing! I e,'et to do a good .ob of it!5
43hat about 'ersonal ha''iness65 "eth demanded!
Even as she ould see her own going down the tubes, she was onerned that
her sister would be tra''ed in a situation that would eventuall% ma$e her
miserable!
4)an% women find 'ersonal ha''iness and satisfation in a .ob well done! I
e,'et that I will do the same! If I&m ver% lu$%! His Ro%al Highness and I will
grow fond of eah other!5
That sound onl% "eth ould hear was 'robabl% her heart ra$ing! And it
begged the +uestion; wh% was she tr%ing to tal$ her sister out of this marriage6
3as it for Addie&s sa$e6 Or her own6 So now she was a selfish, self9entered
liar!
4Addie, thin$ about this(5
48ou believe I haven&t65 She blew out a long breath! 4It&s a long 'lane ride,
"ethie! I thought about little else! And the thing is, I .ust found m% mother,
after man% 'ainful %ears without her! I $now what it&s li$e not to have a 'arent,
and now I have them both! I&m not going to destro% m% relationshi' with
#ather! I have no illusions! I $now he&s not 'erfet! "ut I love him and I need
him in m% life!5
"eth $new her twin&s stubbornness better than an%one, and she reogni0ed
when to sto' fighting!
"eth&s a''etite had disa''eared! She set the 'late with her uneaten sandwih
on the offee table, then studied her sister! 4O$a%! then! 3e need to oordinate
the swith for %ou to ta$e %our rightful 'lae! Our hair is the same! All we need
to do is e,hange lothes and no one will $now the differene! 4I&ll brief %ou
on the 'alae la%out and what&s ha''ened sine I&ve been here!5
-eaving out the $iss, of ourse! There were some things her twin was sim'l%
better off not $nowing! "eth ouldn&t thin$ about )ali$ $issing Addie! It was
too om'liated, and it hurt more than she&d believed 'ossible!
43hat&s he li$e65 Addie as$ed, her voie laed with uriosit% along with a hint
of a''rehension!
43ho65
4The Crown Prine!5
4)ali$!5 she orreted! 4It&s his given name, and what he 'refers to be alled in
'rivate!5
4)ali$,5 Addie said, testing it out! 43hat else an %ou tell me65
That he doesn&t want to love an% woman! That he believes in the tradition of
arranged marriage and relies on those wiser than himself to hoose someone he
ould trust! That ro%al men are faithful and onstant! He&s su''ortive and has a
.ealous strea$ that had thrilled her! He ma$es a woman&s heart beat faster and
$isses li$e a dream! He ma$es her want the wa% she&s never wanted before!
#ollowing tradition ould brea$ a girl&s heart!
4"ethie65
She loo$ed u' and met the $nowing ga0e of her mother! 4Sorr%! I was 0oning
out!5
48our sister as$ed %ou what her intended is li$e,5 Sameera said!
43here to start65 "eth shrugged! 4He&s handsome!5
4I&ve seen 'itures,5 Addie assured her!
4The% don&t do him .ustie! He&s muh better loo$ing in 'erson!5
4O$a%! 3hat else do I need to $now65
4He&s nie, atuall%! )uh nier than I thought he would be!5 )uh, muh
nier!
4That&s good to $now! :o %ou li$e him65 Addie as$ed!
-i$e him6 it was so muh more than li$e! "eth reali0ed! So muh more that she
wasn&t willing to define what she felt with a word! "ut li$e didn&t do .ustie to
what she felt an% more than 'hotos a'tured the integrit% of the man!
4)ore im'ortant! 8ou&ll li$e him,5 "eth finall% said!
He was 'erfet for Addie and she for him! The% would be the 'erfet ou'le in
their 'erfet 'alae with their 'erfet hildren! Addie would be 'erfetl% ha''%
and "eth would be 'erfetl% miserable!
4Now, then!5 she said, bur%ing her resentment as dee'l% as 'ossible! 4I&ll ma$e
some notes for %ou 1 and a diagram of the 'alae as best I an! And other
things %ou need to $now!5
47ood! "ut I&ll 'robabl% need some time to stud% %our notes!5 Addie loo$ed at
their mother!
"eth glaned between the two women! 4How muh time6 8ou ould be in the
'alae b% dinnertime right65
4The thing is, "eth, I .ust met )ama again after a long se'aration!5
4So ome and visit ever% da%,5 "eth suggested!
4O$a%! that&s a good idea!5 Addie aught her to' li' between her teeth! 4"ut
one I swith 'laes with %ou there will be so man% distrations! A role to 'la%!
A wedding to 'lan! Peo'le to meet!5
4This is what %ou&ve been trained for,5 "eth reminded her! 48our 'lae is on
the world stage!5
48es! And I&m loo$ing forward to it!5 Her voie onl% aught a little! No one
else would have notied! 4"ut first I&d li$e to s'end a little time getting to
$now )ama again!5
"eth stared at her! She wanted more time6 :id she have an% idea what she was
as$ing6 Of ourse not! How ould she6 "eause "eth hadn&t told her about
$issing )ali$, or how it had filled her with an ahe for more! She hadn&t shared
her growing need to be with him, to tell him small unim'ortant stories over
brea$fast and ma$e dates for lunh and dinner! She ould never reveal that one
loo$ into the e%es of the man Addie was going to marr% had tra''ed "eth in a
urrent of desire so strong she ouldn&t find her wa% out and didn&t reall% are
to! It had ta$en ever%thing she had .ust to show u' here! How ould she tell
Addie an% of that, or how hard this was6
The truth was, in addition to )ali$, "eth was now l%ing to her sister!
Swithing 'laes had seemed so eas%, so harmless, but now it ame under the
heading of 4didn&t thin$ it through!5 She ouldn&t have $nown that )ali$
would a'ture her emotions so fast, so intensel%! She had to end it now 1
toda% 1 if she was to have an% ho'e of salvaging her heart!
4I thin$ it would be best to ma$e the swith now,5 "eth said, 4I&d li$e to s'end
some time with )om again, too!5
4"ut %ou&ll have 'lent% of time,5 Addie 'ointed out! 4I&m onl% as$ing for a few
da%s! A wee$ at most! Please! "eth! I ma% never get an o''ortunit% li$e this,
and I&ve lost so muh time with her alread%!5
Oh! how "eth hated the fat that she ouldn&t resist Addie&s 'leading loo$, or
sa% no when her twin as$ed in .ust that need% tone of voie! The 'atterns of
hildhood and standing u' for her vulnerable sister were horribl% diffiult to
brea$, even though this felt so om'letel% wrong! "ut the truth was worse! She
was des'eratel% glad to have more time with )ali$! She was grateful for the
re'rieve and dreaded it at the same time!
"eth sighed! 4All right, Addie! A wee$! To's!5
CHATTER NINE
THE 7ulf stream ta,ied down "ha&*har&s runwa% and 'i$ed u' s'eed before
ta$ing off and gaining altitude! )ali$&s ga0e never left "eth&s 'ale fae! She sat
in the tufted leather seat beside him, staring out the window! 48ou are not a
nervous fl%er65 he as$ed!
Her ga0e shifted to his and her e,'ression was wr%! 4If I were, as$ing me now
would be li$e losing the barn door after the ow got out!5
He thought about the ollo+uialism and deided it was ver% visual and most
desri'tive! 4I will ta$e that to mean that fl%ing does not ma$e %ou nervous!5
48ou ta$e it right!5 She loo$ed out the window again!
Her s'irited omment had given him ho'e that her 'ensiveness of the last
several da%s had disa''eared! but ho'e died when he noted the tension
gathered in her slender ne$ and shoulders! It bothered him to see her this wa%,
and it disturbed him even more that he&d notied and was bothered at all!
Es'eiall% that he&d been bothered enough to rearrange his shedule for this
tri', to lift her s'irits! It anno%ed him that he missed her energeti, 'rovoative
'ersonalit%!
48ou have not as$ed where we are going,5 he 'ointed out!
48ou li$e sur'rises! I figured I&d let %ou 'la% this one out!5
4Are %ou not the least bit urious65
4Of ourse I am! 3ho wouldn&t be6 I&d have to be on life su''ort and in a
oma not to wonder!5
43ould %ou li$e a hint65
43ould %ou li$e to give me one65 she as$ed!
4:o %ou alwa%s answer a +uestion with a +uestion65
4:o %ou65 she retorted!
He grinned! )a%be he was getting somewhere! 43e are going to a it% in
Euro'e!5
4That narrows it down!5 She angled her bod% toward him! whih was a start!
4The ountr% in whih this it% is loated is famous for its food and wine,
museums and sener%!5
4Not narrowing it down! 8our Highness,5 she hided!
4It is alled the it% of lights!5
4Paris65 Her dar$ e%ebrows rose in sur'rise!
4Indeed!5
4Oh, )ali$ 15 #or a moment her e%es shone as brightl% as stars in an in$9
bla$ s$%! and a 'leased smile urved the orners of her mouth! Then her
delight reeded! 4I wish %ou hadn&t done this!5
43h%65
4I ould as$ %ou the same thing! 3h%6 3h% did %ou do this for me65
4Is it so diffiult to believe that I wish to ma$e a grand gesture to sur'rise
%ou65
?ust then the a'tain turned off the 4#asten Seatbelts5 sign and )ali$ released
his! as did "eth! He stood and e,tended his hand! 4Come, I will show %ou
around!5
She 'ut her fingers in his and let him 'ull her to her feet! The 'lane bouned
one and sent her bum'ing into him! 3hen his arms ame around her to stead%
her a fli$er of awareness ame into her e%es, before she ste''ed deliberatel%
awa%!
4This isn&t the 'lane I flew on when I ame to "ha&*har! How man% do %ou
have65
4Several! #or their hone%moon! *ardahl and ?essia are using the one %ou have
seen! It is bigger, but I believe this one is more intimate!5
She loo$ed awa%, letting her ga0e roam over the two grou'ings of brown
leather seats! In the 'lane&s main bod% there was a onferene table, with
swivel armhairs surrounding it!
4This is nie!5
4-et me show %ou the rest!5
He esorted her to the rear, where a small area was set off with a twin bed that
'ulled out into a $ing9si0e bed! In the bathroom there was a marble9enlosed
shower stall, and a sin$ with gold fi,tures! "erber ar'et ushioned the floor
beneath their feet!
She loo$ed around, learl% im'ressed! 4Its 'rett% ama0ing what an be done
with a small s'ae!5
4No e,'ense was s'ared,5 he agreed!
The% stood faing eah other in the narrow doorwa% to the bedroom! Soft
terr%loth robes hung on hoo$s beside them!
43h% did %ou do this65 she as$ed!
4"eause I ould! And I admit I li$e lu,ur%!5
4No,5 she said! 4I didn&t mean 'lan the amenities on the 'lane! I meant it&s ver%
sweet of %ou to sur'rise me with a tri' to Paris! I an&t hel' wondering wh%!5
4It is to 'rove to %ou that I am indeed Ba ath&!5
She losed her e%es for a moment, loo$ing miserable! And )ali$ was at a loss
to understand her reation! He had deliberatel% baited her, his alulated
remar$ intended to instigate a s'irited disussion 1 something he had sorel%
missed the last several da%s!
43hat is it, "eth6 3hat troubles %ou65
4Nothing! I&m fine! I don&t mean to behave li$e an ungrateful with! This was a
reall% nie sur'rise! Than$ %ou!5 She smiled, but it was nothing more than a
urving of li's and did not reah her e%es!
4Something is wrong! I an feel it! :id all go well when %ou saw %our
mother65
Her ga0e sna''ed to his, and a loo$ that ould onl% be desribed as guilt%
.um'ed into her e%es! 4Of ourse! Ever%thing is fine!5
4Then wh% do %ou loo$ as if %ou have lost %our dearest friend65
Her e,'ression told him he had sur'rised her with his insight! 48ou&re
imagining things! I don&t loo$ li$e that!5
48ou are wrong!5
48ou don&t $now me as well as %ou thin$ %ou do5 she said!
4I $now %ou better than %ou reali0e!5 He loo$ a ste' loser tra''ing her
between the wall and his bod%! 4I $now %our moods, and %our e,'ressions! I
sense when %ou are ha''% or hiding something!5
4Oh65 Her voie was hardl% more than a whis'er!
He nodded! 4And right now %ou are tr%ing to onvine me that there is nothing
troubling %ou when I $now something is on %our mind! And I thin$ I $now
what it is!D
489%ou do65 Her dar$ e%es grew wide!
4It is the wedding! Am I not orret65
4In a manner of s'ea$ing!5
Her onfirmation did not remove the dubious e,'ression in her e%es, and he
wanted ver% muh to do that! 4:o not worr%! All will be fine!5
4That&s eas% for %ou to sa%!5
She loo$ed so distressed and dis'irited! He felt it dee' inside, in a 'lae he had
losed off, a 'lae where he did not want to feel an%thing at all! Not again! The
distration was unwelome, %et he ould not seem to ma$e it go awa%! This
ab.et unha''iness in "eth was more than he ould stand! He did the onl% thing
he ould thin$ of to erase it from her lovel% fae!
)ali$ 'ressed his bod% gentl% to hers and too$ her fae in his hands, tunneling
his fingers in her sil$% dar$ hair! 4:o not worr%, m% sweet! I will do m% best to
ma$e %ou ha''%!5
)ali$ lowered his head and settled his mouth against hers! At the first touh he
felt the lust lighten within him, li$e fingers urling into a sha$ing fist des'erate
to 'unh that though! S$imming his tongue over her ool li's, he enouraged
them to warmth and willingness! 3hen she o'ened to him, a soft 'urr of
surrender esa'ed her throat, and his need hurned outward until it srathed to
the surfae, si00led and sta%ed!
He ould not sto' the need to touh her, to fill his 'alms with the beautiful soft
mounds of her breasts through her sil$ blouse! Her moan of 'leasure fueled his
desire! Her head tilted to the side, giving his eager mouth unfettered aess to
the smooth, sensuous olumn of her throat! He brushed his li's over her soft
flesh and heard her breath% groan! 3hen he lifted his head and filled his ga0e
with the eroti 'iture of her lowered lashes, her mouth 'arted and breath
straining, he ouldn&t sto' himself! He lifted her into his arms!
As if against her will, her own arms ame slowl%, hesitantl% around his ne$,
and her fingers slid into his hair! He had never been more grateful to have the
4small5 .et as when he turned and in one fluid movement set her on the bed!
3hen he ame down beside her, she gas'ed! 3ith thumb and forefinger, he
started to undo the to' button on her blouse! He smiled with satisfation when
he brushed his mouth over her throat and felt her shiver of res'onse!
48ou are so beautiful,5 he breathed against her s$in! There was a birthmar$
behind her right ear 1 something he had not notied before, 'robabl% hidden
from him in the moonlight! He $issed the s'ot and felt her shiver, sending a
shaft of heat straight to his groin! The memor% of her under the stars, the feel of
her in his arms, the sweet sent of her filling his head all rolled into a $not of
need that ould not be ignored! 4I an wait no longer to ma$e %ou mine!5
She fro0e in his arms and went still! 4)ali$ 15
He lifted his head and saw the shadows return to re'lae the 'assion in her
e%es! 43hat is it65
4I an&t 1 3e an&t 15
4I an! I want %ou!5
She 'ulled out of his arms and sat u'! 4This is wrong!5
4If feels om'letel% right!5 he said, ra$ing his fingers through his hair!
4"ut I&m not ( 8ou should $now(5
43hat65 3hen he sat u', she slid off the bed and stood as far from him as the
small abin allowed!
4I thin$ this(5 She held out a hand and indiated the bed! 4Se, ( should wait
until after the wedding!5
He let out a long breath as a string of urses in several languages raed through
his mind! 43hat if I do not wish to wait65
43hat if I do65 Her breathing was unstead%!
So was his will'ower, and he let out a long breath! 4I would be a ad to ignore
%our wishes! "ut there is something I wish from %ou in e,hange!5
4An%thing,5 she agreed +ui$l%!
43e must set a date for the wedding! And it must be soon!5
4I had to do some fast tal$ing to get him to hold off 'ushing for a wedding date
4 "eth told her mother
4This is wh% after returning from Paris %ou are insisting that %our sister swith
'laes right awa%65
48es!5
That, and so muh more! A da% and night in Paris after that $iss on the 'lane
had been torture! That was wh% "eth had insisted her twin ma$e the swith!
The% needed to do it before "eth ouldn&t do it at all! )ali$ ared enough to
heer her u'! and that was as sedutive as his $iss! #or a girl who had never
been loved! it was a feeling she never wanted to give u'! So! before she
hanged her mind, she&d told Addie it was time!
Now she was standing with her mother in the small bedroom that Addie had
.ust vaated and "eth was going to ta$e over for a few da%s, until she went
ba$ to the States! After a briefing, along with notes and a rudel% drawn ma'
of the 'alae, her twin was going to $ee' a dinner date with her betrothed!
"eth did her level best to $ee' her env% in he$ but she was a dismal failure!
)ali$ was the most romanti man she&d ever met! and Addie was in for a treat
as he swe't her awa%! The two of them would be ver% ha''%, and "eth was
tr%ing to be ha''% for them! Clearl% it would ta$e time and a lot of wor$!
Thera'% would no doubt be involved!
Her mother wal$ed further into the room and sat on the bed beside the 'ile of
"eth&s lothes! 43hat else are %ou running awa% from "ethie65
43hat else ould there be65 She folded a T9shirt, then held it 'rotetivel%
against her as she met her mother&s insightful ga0e!
Sameera sighed! 4I annot hel' feeling that this situation is all m% fault!5
4That&s .ust sill%!5 "eth said! 48ou didn&t arrange for Addie to marr% the
Prine!5
4No! "ut I was against it from the beginning! If I had been stronger!!! If I had
not let %our father wal$ all over me from the moment we met!!! Had I but
asserted m%self, so muh unha''iness ould have been avoided!5 She loo$ed at
"eth, and the sadness in her dar$ e%es was 'al'able! 4Es'eiall% for %ou and
%our sister!5
4How65 "eth sat on the bed beside her!
4I should have 'ut m% foot down and forbade this marriage! I would have been
in %our life for advie and to su''ort %ou! I ould, 'erha's, have hel'ed %ou
avoid the 'ainful e,'eriene that ma$es %ou war% of love!5
4I&m not sure it would have made a differene! )om!5
4)a%be!5 Sameera sighed! 4)utual res'et is one of love&s building blo$s,
and %our father never res'eted me!5
4I don&t thin$ he res'ets an%one but the *ing! And 'ossibl% )ali$ beause he
will be *ing!5
4Powerful men,5 her mother agreed! 4And %our father des'eratel% wishes to be
in their ran$s 4
4I thin$ that&s wh% it&s so im'ortant to him that Addie marries the Prine! He
doesn&t are about her ha''iness at all!5
4And I fear that Addie does not 'ossess the 'ersonalit% and dis'osition that will
ma$e a suess of the arrangement! If I learned an%thing from m% unha''iness
with %our father, it is that a 'owerful man needs a woman who is his e+ual!5
"eth thought about that, among other things! She&d gone toe to toe with )ali$
and he didn&t seem to mind! In fat, he gave ever% indiation that he thoroughl%
en.o%ed their verbal s'arring! And that was not all!
The hot $isses the%&d shared on the 'lane and under the "ha&*harian moon had
been more than en.o%able! The%&d been full of lust and 'romise! And that was
what made her sad! "eth felt suh a onnetion with )ali$! She&d ome to
$now him 'rett% well! Power was 'art of his heritage, but he was also good and
$ind! Ever%thing she&d told her sister! And more!
Sameera 'ut a hand on her arm! 43hat are %ou thin$ing, "eth65
4Addie is +uiet and sh%, and a good 'erson! 8ou&re right about mutual res'et
being the ornerstone of a suessful relationshi', and )ali$ is a man worth%
of res'et! He&ll ta$e good are of her!5 She realled what he&d said about
being faithful to his wife and something 'ainful tightened inside her! 4Addie is
a lu$% woman! I thin$ the%&ll be ver% ha''% together!5
Her mother studied her! 4Another +uestion that 'lagues me is whether or not
%ou an be ha''% for them!5
"eth remembered wathing the ar drive awa% with her sister inside, ta$ing her
to )ali$, it was all 'art of the 'lan! A dee', ho'eless ahe o'ened u' a dar$,
em't% 'lae inside her that she somehow $new ould never be filled!
/nfortunatel% the 'lan had never inluded "eth develo'ing serious feelings for
the man her sister was going to marr%!
4Of ourse I an be ha''% for them,5 she said, with as muh sinerit% as she
ould rall%! 43h% would %ou as$65
4"eause I thin$ %ou have fallen in love with him %ourself!5
4Reall%, )om! His Highness the hun$6 He&s engaged to m% sister! That would
be wrong(5
"eth flashed ba$ to the ro%al garden and )ali$&s words when he onfided his
dar$ seret! He&d told her there was never a good reason for l%ing! The wrong
thing for the right reason was still wrong! 3hat her father had done to Sameera
was wrong, and it had ost "eth her mothers wisdom and ounsel! Now the%
had another hane at a relationshi' and it would be worse than wrong not to
tell her the truth!
"eth loo$ed u' and met her mother&s s%m'atheti ga0e! 4There&s a 'ossibilit%
( ma%be remote, ma%be not ( that I have develo'ed some! !!emotions for
)ali$!5
"eth refused to all it love! If she didn&t thin$ it, ma%be it wasn&t so!
4I thin$ %ou should tell him the truth!5
4Out of the +uestion!5
43h%65
43h%6 "eause Addie&s going to marr% him! On the rebound, but it&s her
hoie! She&s 'erfet for him! She&s obedient! I&m willful! She&s demure! I an
be a little mouth%! She an 'lan a ree'tion fit for ro%all% and I an barel% 'ut
together a 'i00a 'art% for friends! )ali$ will be a good husband to her! and I
won&t do an%thing to interfere with her ha''iness!5
No matter how muh she might want to! Not beause she believed )ali$ was
one of those men who lived b% his own rules and would be unfaithful! ?ust the
o''osite! Against the odds! )ali$ had turned out to be a good man! :efinitel% a
ath!
43hat about %our ha''iness65 her mother as$ed!
43hen we meet! I&ll be the sister9in9law he will beome fond of!5
If he found out she&d been deeiving him she would lose even that! Her heart
ahed and she felt si$ to her stomah! This was her 'unishment for her sins! It
was fitting, although that didn&t ma$e her feel an% better! :estin% was 'la%ing
out .ust as it was meant to; Addie and )ali$ together! "eth&s interferene
hanged nothing, e,e't that she now had a battered soul to math her banged9
u' heart! If she&d $e't her nose out of this whole thing ever%one would have
been better off! Not ever%one, she reali0ed! Onl% her! At least now Addie was
hoosing her destin%!
43hat if he has feelings for %ou65 her mother as$ed!
"eth shoo$ her head! 4He thin$s I&m Addie!5
43hat if he an tell the differene65
43e&ve swithed 'laes before and no one ever aught on!5
4There is alwa%s a first time!5
4I don&t thin$ so! No one, inluding our father, has ever been able to tell us
a'art!5
Sameera s+uee0ed her hand! 4No one65
4No one 1 e,e't %ou!5
4?ust so!5 She loo$ed worried!
4"ut %ou&re m% mother! It&s different!5
4Is it6 I had not seen %ou and %our sister sine %ou were small girls! And %et I
$new %ou in a heartbeat! Even before I saw the birthmar$!5
4It&s a mom thing5
4It&s a love thing,5 her mother orreted! 4-ove sees be%ond su'erfiial
features! -ove loo$s dee' and diserns the wa% of things! It has nothing to do
with idential features and ever%thing to do with one heart $nowing another,
$nowing the other half of itself!5
4I ho'e %ou&re wrong!5
Her mother didn&t have suh a great tra$ reord where love was onerned!
And neither did "eth! 3hih was wh% she&d underta$en this harade in the first
'lae 1 to $ee' her sister from being hurt! "o%, had that ba$fired! "eth had
never antii'ated that she would be the one in trouble!
"ut it was too late to undo what the%&d done! At least one of them should get
what she wanted! And! sine )ali$ was determined not to fall in love their ruse
was safe! There would be no 4love thing5 to e,'ose their 'retense!
Addie was going to ma$e an awesome +ueen, "eth thought! ?ust before the
tears swimming in her e%es s'illed down her hee$s!
CHAPTER TEN
3HERE was "eth6
-i$e a aged tiger, )ali$ im'atientl% 'rowled the stone 'ath in front of the
harem, a single red rose in his hand! It was not li$e her to be late! He had alled
to hange the 'lae where she would .oin him and she had agreed! "ut unease
had settled over him after tal$ing to her! There had been something different in
her voie, a tone that he did not reogni0e! No tart omment about meeting at
the harem ( something he had antii'ated with eagerness! Her doile
om'liane was out of harater! 3hatever had been troubling her was still
unresolved!
Indeed, he remembered the 'ani that had .um'ed into her e%es when on the
wa% to Paris he had suggested setting a date for their wedding! S'ending time
with her in the it% of lights had not dulled his desire! =uite the ontrar%! He
was an,ious to ma$e her his in ever% wa%! "ut her agitation had been
unmista$able, and he was afraid she was 'lanning to withdraw from the
betrothal!
)ali$ tightened his gri' on the rose, and one of the thorns 'ri$ed him as
surel% as the notion of "eth leaving! He did not li$e either sensation, but was
most troubled b% the latter! He ver% muh wished to marr% her! One the
eremon% had ta$en 'lae and the hone%moon had been aom'lished, his
unwanted emotions for her would ease to be a distration! The serenit% of his
life would 'revail one again!
He heard the sound of heels li$ing on the stone 'ath and was irritated at the
great relief 'ouring through him! 8et he ould not su''ress it either! His
feelings for "eth had grown strong, des'ite his efforts to $ee' them in he$!
He resolved to wor$ harder! The *ing had 'ounded home the lesson that no
'roblem was insurmountable with hard wor$!
He stood in from of the unlo$ed harem door and waited for her to .oin him!
4"eth(5
48our Highness 4 She nodded 'olitel% and lin$ed her fingers in front of her!
His brows drew together! She rarel% addressed him in suh a formal wa% (
unless she was teasing, as she had been on the 'lane several da%s ago! Then,
instead of im'eable formalit%, there had been a great deal of sarasm
surrounding the words! It was li$e a man and a woman, an ordinar% ou'le,
bantering! Advane and retreat!
#ore'la%!
This woman in front of him now was i% with reserve!
4Have I done something to offend65 he as$ed!
She loo$ed u' with the disma%ed e,'ression of someone who had erred! 4No!
Of ourse not ( )ali$!5
His name on her li's was unomfortable, and that was so ver% different from
the 'assion in her voie when she had whis'ered it as he $issed her! A thorn
'ri$ed him again, and he remembered the to$en of his affetion!
He held it out! 4I brought this for %ou!5
4Than$ %ou!5 She smiled!
4Ta$e are with the thorns! A''arentl% not all were removed, as 'romised!5
She sniffed the red blossom, .ust beginning to o'en! 4It&s lovel%! And ver%
thoughtful of %ou!5
4I am a thoughtful man!5 He waited for a retort! Something about his la$ of
humilit% uttered in a wr% and sarasti lone!
48ou are, indeed!5 She smiled, but an aura of formalit% 'revented the warmth
from reahing her e%es!
4I have ta$en the libert% of having dinner brought here,5 he said!
4As %ou wish!5
He&d e,'eted a verbal salvo, and was 'rofoundl% disa''ointed when he did
not hear it! Pu00led, he o'ened the door and let her 'reede him inside,
onfused b% the hange in her! She never missed an o''ortunit% to hallenge
him! and he had .ust given her an o'ening that she did not ta$e!
Now she loo$ed around, as if she had never seen this 'lae before! 4It&s
beautiful, )ali$! How lovel% the wa% the olors of the stained9glass window
are refleted on the marble floor!5
4It is the same as when %ou saw it last!5
4I(I am still in awe of the beaut%!5
He studied her unable to dis'el the feeling that there was something different
about her! #inall% he led the wa% into the dining room, where a table for two
was 're'ared with flowers and ham'agne! The diamond brilliane of the
handelier above was muted for romane, as instruted! He too$ the alread%
o'ened bottle from the silver bu$et and 'oured golden li+uid into two flutes!
4To us,5 he said!
4A long and ha''% life!5
4So, I ta$e it %ou have no ob.etion to having dinner here in the harem65
4Of ourse not!5 She too$ a deliate si' of her drin$!
No 'ith% omment about his women lo$ed awa%! No wr% +uestion about them
4rela,ing!5 No tongue9in9hee$ remar$ about 'la%ing the Crown Prine and the
onubine!
)ali$ ontinued to srutini0e her in the subdued light! He had seen her in the
sunlight, b% moon&s light and in ever% t%'e of illumination m between! He
$new her fae with his e%es and fingers and mouth! Somehow this was "eth&s
fae, but subtl% altered! Her hee$s were more angular, less soft! Her hin was
not +uite so stubborn! Her e%es were the same dar$ brown, but there was no
warmth, no mishief to add fire to the golden s'e$s, no animation in them!
3as it osmetis6 He had seen the hanges a woman ould effet with the
.udiious a''liation of e%e shadow and blush!
48ou are unharateristiall% +uiet,5 he said!
4I do a'ologi0e! Is there something %ou wish to disuss65
The last time he had made that observation within these walls a livel%
disussion had ensued, 'roduing his onfession of 'ast foolishness! As he
ontinued to stud% her the hair at his na'e 'ri$led and a bad feeling s'read
through him!
There was something he must $now!
He too$ her glass and set it on the table beside his own! Then he framed her
fae in his hands and lowered his mouth to hers! There was no softening of li's,
no sigh of surrender, no heat and burning desire! He brushed her hair behind
her ear, intending to $iss the birthmar$ he had so reentl% disovered! It was
not there!
He lifted his head and glared at her! 43ho are %ou65
4I don&t $now what %ou mean! )ali$! I 15
48ou are not "eth! 8ou loo$ li$e her, but 15 The angr% ha0e leared .ust
enough! 48ou are her sister!5
She reoiled as if he had raised his hand to stri$e her, then had the loo$ of a
felon aught in a rime! 48es, her twin!5
Not so idential, he thought, as an i% old re't through him! 43hat treaher%
is this6 She was so against our betrothal that she has 'ressed %ou into servie to
ta$e her 'lae65
4No, 8our Highness! It wasn&t li$e that at all!5
4Then tell me how it was!5
She twisted her fingers together and her li's trembled! 4I am Adina #arrah!5
Sho$ numbed him! 48ou are m% betrothed65
48es!5
4And "eth65
4)% sister Alina! #rom earl% hildhood she was alled "eth beause our names
sounded too muh ali$e!5
4At least she told the truth about something!5 he muttered!
4:o not blame "eth,5 she urged! 4This is all m% fault5
4Oh65 How ould he sound so alm when sho$ and betra%al filled him with
suh anger6
43hen %ou deided it was time to set the marriage ontrat in motion, I begged
"eth to ta$e m% 'lae! So I ould wor$ through some 'ersonal issues!5
43hat B'ersonal issues& would those be65 he said, his tone ool!
4I&d met someone!5
4I see!5
4:on&t sound li$e that! 8ou don&t understand! I&d never been in love, and I
wanted a hane to see what it felt li$e!5
4Then %ou were unsuessful! "eause there is no suh thing,5 he said, using
the heat of his anger to burn ba$ the 'ain li$ing at the edges of his
onsiousness!
48ou&re right! The gu% turned out to be a .er$!5
4So now %ou wish to 'roeed with marriage to me6 How noble!5
She stood ramrod9straight and met his ga0e! 4I am read% to do m% dut%! )%
father is +uite an,ious for our wedding to ta$e 'lae! As, I understand, %ou are
also!5
"eth had 'assed on that information! Now he understood her 'ani! She was an
im'oster!
The first time he had been du'ed he had ae'ted res'onsibilit% and vowed he
would not are again! He had been so sure that a bride hosen b% his father
would hold no threat that he had overloo$ed his ontrated bride as a 'otential
soure of dee'tion! He had been aware that she was a twin, but after meeting
"eth, her harm, wit and beaut% had made the information unim'ortant! 3hat a
fool he wasF
Pain li$ed through him! and the flames of his anger burned higher and hotter
beause he ould not $ee' it at ba%!
8et again he had been deeived b% a woman he ared about dee'l%! This was
so muh worse, and he ould onl% thin$ that it was beause he had not seen it
oming! He felt more foolish, more stu'id and more betra%ed! This time the
treaher% touhed more than his heart! It went all the wa% to his soul!
"eth wal$ed into )ali$&s offie after tal$ing her wa% 'ast the Communiations
:iretor, an assistant, and his 'ersonal seretar%, who had all eventuall% waved
her through beause the% believed she was his betrothed! After losing the door
behind her, she a''roahed the des$, $nowing his e%es were wathing her
ever% ste'! Addie had told her ever%thing, and now she had to e,'lain!
43hat do %ou want! "eth65
He $new her instantl%! "esides her mother, he was the onl% one who&d been
able to reogni0e her! Her alread% 'ounding heart hammered even harder! She
needed to 'ull herself together! She had little left to lose, but it was im'ortant
that he understand her dee'l% 'ersonal reasons for the lie! On to' of that! Addie
had reeived word that their father would be arriving in "ha&*har within the
wee$! #or Addie&s sa$e it would be best to smooth things over with )ali$
before then!
48ou left this off the 'alae tour,5 she said, ignoring the nerves bum'ing
together inside her as she loo$ed around! 4Nie offie!5
It gave her an e,use to sever her ga0e from his! Her onentration was
sattered, but she had a vague im'ression of dar$ wood, boo$ases, 'lush green
ar'et and a des$ littered with 'a'ers! This was where he rolled u' his sleeves
and wor$ed! There was another offie where he had 'hoto o's with foreign
dignitaries, and held meetings with his ministers!
She ouldn&t 'ut this off an% longer She wanted to loo$ at him! but she was
afraid 1 beause she&d des'eratel% missed him and now she would see onl%
disgust in his e,'ression! 3hen her ga0e lo$ed with his, she wined at the
hostilit% smoldering in his dar$ e%es! Her legs shoo$, and for the first time she
notied two hairs in front of his des$!
4)a% I sit65
He hesitated, learl% onflited about his answer! but then he finall% nodded!
She settled herself and almost regretted the 'ro,imit%, lose enough to smell
the familiar s'i% fragrane of his aftershave mi,ed with the wonderful
masuline sent of his s$in! The ombination never failed to stir her senses and
now was no e,e'tion, however inonvenient it might be to her 'ur'ose here!
4I must have a tal$ with m% staff regarding unwanted visitors!5
She drew in a shar' breath, but fored herself not to loo$ awa%! 4:on&t blame
them! I won&t ma$e a habit of this!5
4Pretending to be someone %ou are not65 His words were oated with ie!
48es!5 She folded her hands so he wouldn&t see them sha$ing! 4It&s im'ortant
that %ou understand wh% I did it!5
4It will not ma$e a differene to me!5
4I&ve $nown %ou to be reasonable and $ind! I onl% as$ that %ou listen to what I
have to sa%!5
4S'ea$ +ui$l%!5
"eth nodded, wondering how she ould sum u' so man% %ears of unha''iness
and ma$e him understand +ui$l%!
4Addie and I grew u' without our mother, and to all intents and 'ur'oses
without our father as well! )% twin sister is the onl% 'erson who has ever loved
me! Our father is a old unfeeling man! He all but ignored me unless he
mistoo$ me for Addie and believed I was the twin destined to marr% a $ing!5
4:id %ou deeive him often65
4I didn&t have to!5 "eth laughed, but there was no humor in the sound!
Absentl% she brushed her fingers over the birthmar$ on her ne$! 4He ould
never tell us a'art! 3hen he saw either of us he sim'l% assumed he was loo$ing
at Addie! She was the onl% twin who e,isted for him!5
48our 'oint65 he as$ed, leaning ba$ in his leather hair!
"eth saw no hange in his old e,'ression! 4Her ha''iness was not u''ermost
in his mind!5
4Adina told me that she re+uested %ou ta$e her 'lae for a short time, and wh%!
"ut I do not understand %our motivation for this dee'tion!5
4I love her!5 "eth said sim'l%! 43e onl% ever had eah other to ount on!5
4The fat that %ou are enough to lie for her has not esa'ed m% notie,5 he bit
out!
48ou have no reason to believe this, but I hate lies!5
He stee'led his fingers together! 48ou are orret! I do not believe %ou!5
"eth hated that she ould understand where he was oming from! He had no
reason to thin$ she was an% different from the woman who had used him! "ut
he was wrong!
4I told %ou about the man who lied to me! And before %ou sa% an%thing, it was
all true! 3hat I left out! beause it was too humiliating, is that a short time after
his wedding he alled me!5
4#or what 'ur'ose65 The musle in his .aw .er$ed!
4He said we shouldn&t let a little thing li$e vows stand in the wa% of our being
together! 3hen I 'ointed out that it was wrong, he said that his famil% had
'olitial onnetions and that his own destin% was to ta$e his 'lae in the
d%nast%! )en li$e him live b% different rules! He as$ed me to be his mistress,
the other woman, 'art of a lie! It made me si$ to m% stomah!5
)ali$&s frown dee'ened! 4And %et %ou eagerl% hose to 'artii'ate in another
lie, one that onl% %ou ould ma$e ha''en6 Onl% %ou ould have 'retended to
be m% bride!5
She loo$ed down at her hands for a moment! 4I did it for no other reason than
to 'rotet m% sister!5
4I would not hurt her!5
4Not intentionall%! I $now that now! "ut I didn&t when I agreed to the
im'ersonation! In m% e,'eriene, 'owerful men don&t are who the% hurt to get
what the% want! How was I to $now that %ou were different6 How ould I be
sure that m% sister wouldn&t be miserabl% unha''% and throw her life awa%6 I
told the truth about wanting to tal$ %ou out of the marriage, beause Addie
ouldn&t bear to def% our father and ris$ re.etion from the onl% 'arent she
had!5
4That is no e,use!5
She ignored his words! 4Now I&ve ome to $now that %ou&re an honorable man!
And sinere!5
And so muh more, she thought, memori0ing the lean line of his .aw, the dar$
e%es that ould mesmeri0e her with a single glane, the hands that turned her to
a +uivering mass of desire with the slightest touh! A 'art of her regretted the
dishonest%! "ut a dee'er 'art of her would never be sorr% that she&d gotten to
$now him! He had integrit% and a $een sense of dut%! He was the $ind of man
she had alwa%s longed for!
4)ali$! I $now %ou an&t understand the dee' and abiding bond shared b%
twins! "ut %ou have a brother, and I $now %ou love him! 3hat if *ardahl&s
ha''iness was at sta$e6 3hat if he as$ed %ou to do something6 To 'er'etrate a
dishonest% that ould 'ossibl% ma$e the differene between ha''iness and a
lifetime of miser% for someone %ou love65
4I reall disussing this fundamental 'rini'le with %ou! I said then, and sa%
again now, the wrong thing for the right reason is still wrong!5
His e%es didn&t soften and his wonderful smile sta%ed well hidden! Stubborn
ould be a good +ualit%, but not so muh in this ase! He hadn&t budged2 he was
unmoved b% her words! Honest% and baring her soul had hanged nothing! She
hadn&t let herself onsider the 'ossibilit% that she would fail! The death of ho'e
was a 'ainful 'ressure in her hest!
Then fear too$ its 'lae! 43hat are %ou going to do65
4)% dut%!5
48ou&re going through with the wedding to m% sister65 she as$ed!
48es!5
She losed her e%es for a moment, drawing air into her lungs! She had to sa% it!
4I $now I have no right to as$ an% thing of %ou, but I&m a''ealing to the $ind
and deent man I $now %ou are! Please don&t hold this against Addie!5
48ou are orret! 8ou have no right to as$ for an%thing!5 He stood, a lear
signal that he was finished listening!
"eth reahed dee' inside herself for the dignit% to stand and wal$ to the door
without letting on that she was sha$ing inside! She 'ut her hand on the $nob,
then met his ga0e!
48ou $now! 8our Highness, it&s eas% to sit in .udgment when %ou&ve never had
to +uestion %our 'lae in the world! It&s eas% to turn u' %our nose when %ou
don&t have to as$ whether an%one loves %ou or would miss %ou if %ou were
gone! Ta$ing are of Addie has beome a habit for me sine our mother
disa''eared from our lives!5 She shrugged, and when her hand trembled she
gri''ed the door$nob until her $nu$les turned white! 4One da% she was there,
the ne,t da% she wasn&t! Addie was r%ing in her bed and I heard her from m%
room down the hall! I went to her and held her! "ut #ather found me and
ordered me out! 3hen I wouldn&t leave, he %an$ed me awa% from m% sister and
too$ me ba$ to m% own room! He ommanded Addie to sto' r%ing for her
mother beause she would never see her again!5 She too$ a dee', shuddering
breath as the memor% tightened her hest, then met his ga0e! 43hen m% father
left to meet whatever woman he was seeing! I snea$ed ba$ into m% sister&s
room! I held her and she held me and we ried together!5
4I do not see what this has to do with $nowingl% deeiving me now!5
4I&m not going to a'ologi0e for 'roteting m% sister! She&s all I have! /nder the
same irumstanes I would do it again!5 "eth lifted her hin a fration! 4If that
ma$es me a bad 'erson, so be it! And %ou should ount %our lu$% stars!5
43h% is that65
4If I&d been born two minutes earlier %ou would be marr%ing me!5
-et him hew on that, she thought, and wal$ed out of his offie! The show of
guts sustained her until she losed the door! She left the 'alae in a blur!
He&d $nown her instantl%! "efore he ould have seen the birthmar$!
It&s a love thing!
"eth realled her mother&s words! -ove sees be%ond su'erfiial features! It has
nothing to do with idential features and ever%thing to do with one heart
$nowing another, $nowing the other half of itself
The rush of 'ain was so strong it stole the air from her lungs and made her
feelings r%stal9lear! She&d found the other half of her heart! "ut their two
hearts would never be one and it was tragiall% unfair!
She was 'a%ing the 'rie for destin%, tradition and her own stu'idit%! And, as if
all that wasn&t bad enough, histor% was re'eating itself! This was the seond
time she&d been devastated b% the news that a man was going to marr%
someone else! "ut this time it was so muh worse! This time she was totall%,
om'letel%, head9over9heels, he&s9the9onl%9one9for me in love with a man who
would never forgive her!
CHAPTER E-E<EN
43E-CO)E home, )r! Ambassador!5 The *ing lifted a glass of ham'agne,
and ever%one around the elegantl% set irular table in the 'rivate 'alae dining
room did the same!
Inluding )ali$!
It was an intimate grou', the *ing and =ueen, himself, the ambassador, and his
idential twin daughters, one on either side of him! )ali$ had said nothing of
the ruse to his 'arents! He was ertain that the desire to $ee' her own father
from learning of his twins& treaher% had 'rom'ted "eth&s visit to his offie!
)ali$ was not ertain what had $e't him from revealing the 'retense! Part of it
was the need to 'rotet his father, who had hosen his bride! The other 'art was
to bear his humiliation in 'rivate! 3orse than the shame and embarrassment of
being du'ed was the fat that he had not heeded his own warning to sto' tender
feelings from invading his heart!
He would get over those tender feelings if it too$ him until his last breath!
)ali$ refused to loo$ at "eth, and studied her father instead! The older man
was dignified, with dar$ hair gra%ing at the tem'les! His bla$ e%es were
intelligent and shrewd! Of ourse )ali$ had met the ambassador on numerous
oasions, but $nowing him too$ on more signifiane sine meeting his
daughters! The thought sent his ga0e to "eth li$e a magnet to true north!
It had not been his hoie to have her at this dinner, and he had attem'ted to
dissuade the =ueen! "ut when she had learned that both of the ambassador&s
daughters were here there had been no deterring her from this famil%
reunionGwelome homeGfuture in9laws9 getting9a+uainted dinner!
Ambassador Rafi #arrah lifted his glass and said! 4To m% daughter Adina 1
the future bride of the Crown Prine!5
Ever%one toasted his wife9to9be! E,e't )ali$! "efore learning of the tri$er%
he had 'ushed to set a wedding date! #ool that he was!
4)ali$65
He met his mother&s +uestioning ga0e, then glaned around and notied
ever%one but "eth loo$ing at him e,'etantl%!
4To Adina,5 he said! 4)a% our ha''iness onl% be e,eeded b% our o'en and
honest ommuniation!5 )ali$ was loo$ing diretl% at "eth, and satisfation
shot through him when she wined at his words!
43orr% not! 8our Highness,5 the ambassador said! 4She is as obedient as she is
beautiful!5
The =ueen loo$ed at both of them and shoo$ her head! 4"oth of %our daughters
are e,e'tionall% lovel%!5
4Still! Adina is a .ewel among .ewels,5 her father boasted, then 'atted "eth&s
hand!
)ali$ wondered if the twins had dressed identiall% to 'la% games with their
father! Or with him! In his ase it was not suessful!
4"ut the% loo$ e,atl% ali$e,5 the *ing said!
Not to me, )ali$ thought! He had $nown almost at one that Adina was not
"eth! *issing her had been the final 'roof that she was not the woman he had
ome to $now and!!! -ove6 Self9loathing and rerimination onsumed him!
How ould he feel this intensit% of emotion and suh 'rofound loss for a
woman who had onsiousl% and deliberatel% made a fool of him6
4I agree, )r! Ambassador,5 the =ueen himed in! 4How do %ou tell %our
daughters a'art65
4It is in the bearing 4 He loo$ed at "eth and said, 4She will not disa''oint!
8our Highness! She has been eduated at one of the finest finishing shools in
the world! Her s$ills in 'rotool are well 'olished! "esides "ha&*harian and
English, she s'ea$s three other languages fluentl%! And she an hostess a
ree'tion at a moment&s notie!5
"eth sat u' straighter and flashed a loo$ of defiane at her father! "eause
)ali$ had ome to $now her so well, he reali0ed that she wanted to sa%
something sarasti about her father&s arrogant boasting! She remained silent,
how ever, and he sus'eted it had more to do with 'reserving this moment for
her sister than s'aring her father&s over9inflated ego!
)ali$ found himself ho'ing she would lose the battle and sa% something! He
had never reali0ed this flaw of harater in the ambassador! Perha's the man&s
'ersonalit% and dis'osition were benefiial in dealing with other arrogant
re'resentatives from ountries all over the world, but as a father he was
la$ing!
Adina 'ut her hand on his arm! 4#ather! I am grateful for the eduation %ou
'rovided! It will be an enormous hel' in the role I will underta$e! And I am
loo$ing forward to ontinuing m% eduation under the guidane of the =ueen!5
Her Highness smiled! 4Another di'lomat in the famil%, Rafi6 And what of %our
other daughter65
"eth smiled at the *ing and =ueen! 4I am a teaher 15
4She is not in the servie of "ha&*har,5 the ambassador interru'ted! 4There is
nothing of onse+uene to disuss!5
Astonished! )ali$, wathed him brush "eth off as if she were an anno%ing
stain on his shoe, instead of a woman in a noble 'rofession who was worth% of
res'et! He had listened when she had related the stor% of her dee', emotional
bond with her sister beause of her father&s abuse of 'ower, but he had not
+uite believed it until now! He held his tongue out of res'et for the *ing and
=ueen, but he intended to tal$ with them 'rivatel% about this man!
)ali$ saw something die in "eth&s e%es, +ui$l% re'laed b% resignation, but
even that did not om'letel% over the dee' ut of emotional batter%! He
wanted to sha$e the stu'id, self9im'ortant imbeile until he a$nowledged that
Alina "ethia #arrah was a beautiful, intelligent, s'irited woman, and an% man
would be fortunate to have her in his life!
4"ut Adina,5 the ambassador ontinued, 'atting her hand now, 4an onverse
with foreign dignitaries from #rane, 7erman% and S'ain in their own
languages!5
The lad% in +uestion loo$ed most unomfortable! She glaned at "eth and said!
4)% sister has a s'eial wa% of tal$ing to the teenagers she teahes! Some
'ereive that as a foreign language!5
The ambassador shrugged dismissivel%! 4)% other daughter would not listen to
me! She insisted on a areer and refused to wait +uietl% and 'atientl% for a
marriage 'ro'osal and the o''ortunit% to ma$e a home for a man! She is not at
all li$e her sister!5
4Her gifts are too s'eial to waste,5 Adina said! 4She has the abilit% to
onvine her teenage students to embrae and herish the hallenge of learning!
It is a revered underta$ing!5
"eth smiled at her sister, even as a slight sha$e of her head warned her that
'ursuing this defense of her harater was unwise! Obviousl% she made a habit
of 'roteting this beloved sister!
)ali$ found himself in onflit with his feelings! He wanted to sta% angr% at
"eth for what she had done! 8et he found himself admiring her for being a doer
in life instead of a s'etator
The ambassador smiled fondl% at Adina! 4She is the most 'erfet daughter a
man ould as$ for!5
4She is the most 'erfet sister a sister ould as$ for,5 "eth added, standing u'
for her twin!
Sinerit% and love shone in her e%es, in s'ite of the fat that her selfish,
insensitive father had all but ignored her in favor of the twin who would be
+ueen! -eo'ards did not hange their s'ots, and )ali$ felt ertain it had been
that wa% all her life 1 as she had told him! The bastard had de'rived her of a
mother then 'ushed her aside as a no one beause he as'ired to 'ower through
the favored daughter betrothed to a future $ing!
In s'ite of this "eth had turned out to be a 'ure9s'irited woman who 'ut her
sister&s welfare above her own! #ears for her sister&s ha''iness had 'ushed her
to 'retend, and then to tr% and onvine )ali$ to be the one to all off the
wedding! In that wa% the fatherGdaughter relationshi' Adina herished, for
reasons he ould not understand, would be 'reserved! No longer did he
onsider "eth&s ations a flaw in her harater, but a ourageous +ualit% to be
admired!
)ali$&s ga0e was drawn to "eth&s fae! 3as it 'ossible for her to loo$ more
miserable6 He did not believe so, until she met his ga0e and her e%es filled with
a soul9dee' sorrow! Suddenl% his anger eva'orated, and when the ha0e fell
awa% he was left with something bright and beautiful!
He also had a dilemma of national 'ro'ortions! No Crown Prine in the long
and dignified histor% of "ha&*har had defied tradition and married a woman of
his own hoosing sim'l% beause he had fallen in love!
4It&s interesting, don&t %ou thin$, that )ama $e't twin beds in her home even
though she hasn&t seen us sine we were little65 Addie rested against several
'illows 'ro''ed against the tufted headboard!
3ith their swithing 'laes disovered, her sister had deided to s'end the
night on neutral territor%!
4It&s good to be here with her,5 "eth agreed, relining against her idential
headboard! A small table with a lam' and a shade trimmed with dangling
r%stals sat between them!
4I wish I&d $nown that she was tr%ing to get in touh with us all this time!5
"eth smiled! 4It&s a mom9love thing!5
4S'ea$ing or love, ould that dinner have been more aw$ward65
4It&s over,5 "eth said!
Aw$ward didn&t even begin to desribe that dinner from hell, "eth thought!
Painful was the first word that ame to her mind! /nomfortable! /n'leasant
ever% time )ali$ had turned that smoldering ga0e in her diretion, whih had
been most of the night! :iffiult! Ever% time she&d loo$ed into his dar$ e%es!
ho'ing for the familiar friendl% gleam, a fresh wave of 'ain had washed over
her when she&d seen that it wasn&t there! She would never see it again, nor the
s'ar$ of desire she&d ome to $now and loo$ forward to!
4It would have ta$en a lot to ma$e it more horrible,5 "eth agreed!
4I&m so sorr% I dragged %ou into this, "eth!5
4That&s the last time I want to hear that from %ou!5
She 'ointed at Addie! 4I will su''ort %ou alwa%s! I love %ou!5
4I love %ou for alwa%s being there for me! On the u'side, wathing #ather in
ation reall% o'ened m% e%es!5
4He was ertainl% in his element tonight!5 "eth said bitterl%! True to form, he&d
all but ignored her e,e't when he&d mi,ed them u'! The rest of the time he&d
been a 'ubli relations 'ain in the ba$side for Addie, the onduit to 'ower
4He was 'ratiall% rubbing his hands together in glee at the 'ros'et of being
related b% marriage to the ro%al famil%!5
4I notied that, too!5 Addie&s loo$ was solemn! 4:o %ou thin$ the *ing and
=ueen $now about us swithing 'laes65
"eth thought for a moment, then shoo$ her head! 4The% were friendl%! I&ve met
them a few times sine being %ou, and I would $now if an%thing had hanged!
#or some reason )ali$ didn&t sa% an%thing!5
Probabl% beause he didn&t want them to $now he&d been du'ed again! "eth
ouldn&t blame him! If an%one $new how awful humiliation was, she did!
4"eth! I&m not going to marr% )ali$!5
43hat65 "eth slid out of bed and sat on her sister&s! 43h%, Addie6 Is it
beause %ou&re afraid )ali$ will be un$ind after what we did6 He won&t, I got
to $now him 'rett% well! He&ll get over it!5
4No, he won&t!5
He would never treat Addie badl%, but "eth $new that beause of his 'ast he
would never trust her, either!
And a ha''% marriage needed trust at its foundation! 48ou&re right,5 she
sighed! 4He won&t get over it!5
Addie nodded! 4"ut that&s not wh% I won&t marr% him!5
48ou&re read% to def% #ather65
4Ever%thing %ou said ame learl% into fous for me tonight! All this time I&ve
been afraid of losing his love! "ut the wa% he treated %ou!!! Putting %ou down!
:ismissing %our aom'lishments!5 Addie frowned! 4And ma$ing it so lear
that he an&t wait to be father9in9law to the *ing of "ha&*har! Power is what
he loves! Not his hildren!5 She shoo$ her head! 4It made me see that %ou an&t
lose what %ou&ve never had!5
4At least something good ame out of this fiaso,5 "eth said! 4:o %ou want me
to go with %ou to tell #ather65
Addie shoo$ her head! 4It&s time I grew a s'ine! I need to fight m% own battles
and not let %ou do it for me! In s'ite of ever%thing! I want him in m% life! "ut if
he doesn&t understand, then there&s nothing I an do about it!5
"eth too$ her sister&s hand! 48ou deserve a hane to find a man who ma$es
%ou ha''%! I&m glad %ou reali0ed before it was too late!5
4)e too!5 Addie&s e%es turned sad! 4And what about %ou65
4I don&t $now what %ou mean!5
4Have %ou found a man who ould ma$e %ou ha''%65
8es! "ut she&d burned that bridge!
Instead of answering, she said, 4:on&t %ou worr% about me, Addie!5
4Oh! 'lease! -i$e that would wor$ if I said it to %ou! Of ourse I worr% about
%ou! It&s 'art of the reason I&m willing to ta$e on #ather!5
43hat are %ou tal$ing about65
4I an&t marr% the man %ou&re in love with!5
"eth shoo$ her head! 48ou&re wrong(5
4:on&t go there, sis! I $now %ou better than an%one! I saw the wa% %ou loo$ed
at )ali$! 8ou are so gone over him!5
4Even if %ou&re right 1 whih I&m not sa%ing %ou are 1 %our whole life has
been s'ent in training to beome the =ueen of "ha&*har! 8ou&ve 'lanned and
studied! 8ou&re demure and doile! I&m straightforward and sarasti! "esides
the fat that there&s not a snowball&s hane in hell that )ali$ an get over
what I&ve done to him, I ouldn&t be more wrong to be the *ing&s wife!5
48ou an learn!5
4I ould! "ut wh%6 He hates me!5
4That&s not what I saw,5 Addie said, rossing her arms over her hest as she
leaned ba$ against her headboard! 4He ouldn&t $ee' his e%es off %ou
tonight!5
4Probabl% 'ituring three hundred wa%s to $ill me with his bare hands,5 she
mumbled!
Addie laughed! 4:on&t be dramati!5
4I&m not!5
4The thing is, "ethie, I&m not doing it .ust for %ou! I ouldn&t marr% a man
who&s in love with another woman!5
4Of ourse not! That would be as$ing for trouble! "ut )ali$ is 15
4He&s in love with %ou!5
"eth met her ga0e and $new there was something worse than the heartrending
'ain of loss! It was ho'e! It was l%ing to herself with the 'ossibilit% that she had
a hane with )ali$ when dee' inside she $new that ould never be! Her sin
was too big!
4NoF5
Addie too$ her hand! 4He $new 'ratiall% right awa% that I wasn&t %ou!5
4So he an tell us a'art6 He&s a highl% intelligent man!5
4So is #ather, and he never gets it right!5
"eth shrugged! 4He might have had a soft s'ot for me for a little while, but it&s
too late now! There&s no wa% )ali$ will ever trust me!5
4The% sa% love on+uers all,5 Addie 'ointed out!
4I&ve been foolish in the 'ast, and it shames me,5 "eth said, loo$ing down at
her hands! 4I wont be foolish enough to believe that!5
She&d found out the hard wa% that honest% was the best 'oli%! As badl% as she
wanted to believe that )ali$ ould love her as muh as she loved him! she
$new it was im'ossible! He would never understand wh% she&d lied! 3ithout
that, there was no wa% to atone for what she&d done to him! She had to be
honest with herself and fae the truth!
There would be no ha''% ending for her!
CHAPTER T3E-<E
A#TER a slee'less night that even the finest brand% in the world had not
'revented! )ali$ deided he must s'ea$ to his father! He had made u' his
mind, and it was best not to 'ut off what would be a diffiult onversation!
)ali$ barged into the *ing&s offie, disregarding his seretar% and all attem'ts
to bar the wa%!
4#ather, I must s'ea$ with %ou! The matter is of urgent im'ortane!5
The %oung man who had insinuated himself between father and son in the
'ursuit of his dut% loo$ed distressed! 48our Highness! I tried to sto' him, but
15
Reading glasses sitting on the end of his nose, the *ing loo$ed u'! 4This
annot wait, )ali$65
4No! #ather!5
He set the glasses on his des$ and smiled at his seretar%! 4It is all right, Sharif!
-eave us!5
4<er% well! 8our Highness!5
3hen the% were alone )ali$ loo$ed around the offie, it was muh li$e his
own, but larger! :ar$ furniture, 'lush ar'el, 'rieless 'aintings adorning the
walls, and an ornate urio abinet with an e,+uisite dis'la% of the fine glass
artwor$!
4Are %ou tr%ing to deide where to 'ut %our des$ when %ou ta$e over this
offie u'on m% retirement65
)ali$ met his father&s amused ga0e! 4That is 'art of what I have ome to s'ea$
with %ou about!5
4:o sit down, then, m% bo%! Hastening the transfer of 'ower is +uite an urgent
matter!5
4I am in no hurr% to aelerate %our de'arture from %our duties!5 )ali$
amended! 4"ut I have ome to see$ %our ounsel regarding a related issue!5
The *ing leaned forward and rested his arms on his des$! The sleeves of his
white dress shirt were rolled u' and his tie loosened, though it was onl% mid9
morning! )ali$ had alwa%s admired his father&s wor$ ethi and tried to
emulate him! He was an e,e'tional ruler and his shoes would not be eas% to
fill! )ali$ had sought to 'rove that when he too$ over the throne the 'eo'le of
"ha&*har would be in good hands! He wanted to ma$e his father 'roud! He had
onl% stumbled a few times, but what he had to sa% now would no doubt ma$e
'revious misste's 'ale in om'arison!
43hat is it, m% son6 And, before %ou begin, ma% I sa% that %ou loo$ dreadful65
4I do not doubt it! Slee' has been elusive sine m% betrothed arrived!5
4She is a lovel% %oung woman! The =ueen and I have disussed the situation,
and she is onvined that there is a romanti s'ar$ between %ou!5
The =ueen was, of ourse, referring to "eth, and 4s'ar$5 did not begin to
desribe how he felt! Inferno was more to the 'oint! #eelings for her burned
through him with an intensit% he had never before e,'eriened!
4There is a s'ar$!5 )ali$ admitted!
His father&s smile was 'leased! 4E,ellent!5
4Not so muh!5
43h% do %ou sa% that65
4She is not m% betrothed!5
4I do not understand! Of ourse she is!5
)ali$ shoo$ his head! 48ou %ourself said that she and her twin loo$ e,atl%
ali$e and %ou ould not tell them a'art!5
4Their li$eness to eah other is +uite ama0ing! "ut that does not e,'lain wh%
%our attration is not an e,ellent thing!5
4The woman I have ome to $now ( the woman I believed all this time to be
named in the marriage ontrat, the woman who generates romanti s'ar$s (
is not the woman I am su''osed to marr%! The twins swithed 'laes!5
It was fasinating to wath the *ing 'roess the words! Sho$ed reali0ation
was refleted on his fae! 4"eth is not %our betrothed65
4No! She assumed the role beause her sister as$ed her to do so!5 After loo$ing
at the ambassador through "eth&s e%es, )ali$ admitted that in her 'lae he
would have had reservations, too! 4It was the wrong thing for the right reason!5
The *ing frowned! 4I disagree!5
)ali$ realled feeling the same, and hiding her about that ver% thing! In his
own arrogane he had stated with utter onvition that there was never a good
enough reason to do the wrong thing! He regretted those words and wished he
ould ta$e them ba$!
4I have ome to $now her heart! I do not believe she is in the habit of
dee'tion!5
4And %et the 'retense was seamless6 She 'assed herself off as the woman %ou
are to marr%6 How are we to believe she is not a s$illed mani'ulator65
4#ather, I am aware that the ambassador is one of %our oldest friends! "ut last
night I loo$ed at him through e%es o'ened b% his daughter!5
4How so65
4Her father is using his firstborn daughter to solidif% his influene with %ou!
"eth was onerned that the sister she loves was being used to further her
father&s selfish motives! She did what she thought was right!5
4She did not tell the truth! How an that be right65
4I $now without an% doubt that she is not in the habit of being deeitful!5 He
stood and loo$ed down at his father! 4I annot e,'lain to %ou how I have ome
to believe in her but there is no doubt in m% mind that her intentions were 'ure!
I do not ondone her ations, but I annot fault her for them, either!5
4How an %ou sa% this65
He set his hands on the des$ and met his father&s ga0e! 48our Highness, I have
great res'et for %our wisdom, I have learned from the best! "ut hear me well! I
will not listen to ritiism of "eth! 8ou must trust m% .udgment!5
48ou are in love with her!5 It was not a +uestion!
48es!5 )ali$ straightened and ran a hand through his hair! 4One I believed
that I ould not fulfill m% res'onsibilities as a ruler if love distrated me!5
4And now65 The *ing&s e%es narrowed!
4Now I believe .ust the o''osite is true! #rom the time I was a mere bo% %ou
have ounseled that the *ing annot tolerate distrations, I have tried to heed
%our words! "ut without "eth b% m% side, for su''ort, ounsel, humor and
love! I do not believe that I an be a wise and effetive ruler! I do not have faith
that I an follow %ou and lead "ha&*har into a 'osition of strength and
signifiane in the global ommunit%! I annot be the $ind of *ing m% 'eo'le
e,'et and deserve!5
His father onsidered )ali$ s words for man% moments without an% indiation
of his feelings! #inall% he said! 4-ove is never a distration, but a gift! If I have
somehow misled %ou to believe that leadershi' and love are mutuall%
e,lusive, I must beg %our forgiveness!5
48ou are not to blame! )% own foolish ations are res'onsible!5
48ou are referring to the du'liitous .ournalist65 The *ing sighed! 4One annot
go through life mistrusting ever%one, m% son! 8our .udgment is sound! Trust
%ourself, as I have learned to trust in %ou! 8ou must ma$e deisions based on
what %our heart tells %ou to do!5
4That is wh% I have ome,5 )ali$ said! 4I annot marr% the woman %ou have
hosen for me!5
4I see!5 The *ing rested his elbows on the arms of his hair and stee'led his
fingers! 4And65
4*ardahl followed tradition and was fortunate enough to find love with his
betrothed! It is onl% fitting that I ste' aside and allow m% brother to assume the
leadershi' of "ha&*har in m% stead!5
48ou would give u' the throne for "eth6 She means that muh to %ou65 his
father as$ed!
4She means ever%thing to me,5 he said sim'l%!
)ali$ had not allowed himself to artiulate his feelings in those terms until that
moment! "ut the words were true, and he meant them to his soul! The wh% of it
wasn&t im'ortant! How he had ome to this 'lae did not matter! It was a fat
he embraed with ever% 'art of his being! He would give u' all that he had to
have "eth in his life!
4I see!5
4I a'ologi0e for disa''ointing %ou! #ather! There are no e,uses, and I would
not s'ea$ about them regardless! 8ou have ever% right to be angr%!5
4Is "eth in love with %ou65
4I do not $now!5
It was better than admitting the truth! He had refused to listen! If she had loved
him, it was over now! His hest tightened! He did not li$e the sensation, but
there seemed to be little hoie e,e't learning to live with it!
4And %et %ou would give u' %our right to be *ing for this woman65
4Not for her! I would ste' aside beause I would rather be alone than wed
another sim'l% for the sa$e of tradition!5
4As %our *ing, I would sa% that tradition should not be ignored! "ut the father
in me onl% wishes %our ha''iness!5
4The two are in onflit,5 )ali$ 'ointed out! 4The onl% resolution is for me to
ste' aside!5
4:o not be so hast%, m% son! There ma% be another solution!5
#ighting tears, "eth he$ed the hest of drawers one last time for an%thing she
might have missed, before 0i''ing her suitase losed and setting it on the
floor! It seemed wrong that she was going home tomorrow with the same
amount of luggage she&d brought to "ha&*har, sine she was returning to the
States with far more baggage! Emotional baggage! And she ouldn&t sha$e the
feeling that she was forgetting something!
Oh, %es! She was leaving her heart behind!
The iron% didn&t esa'e her! She&d 'er'etuated this 'retense to 'rotet her
sister&s tender heart from the Crown Prine and had fallen for him herself!
Stu'id! Stu'id! Stu'id! She ouldn&t even sa% she&d lost him! beause there had
never been a hane of having him!
There was a soft $no$ on the door .ust before Sameera o'ened it! She sighed
when she saw the suitases lined u'! 4"eth65
4Hi, )om!5 Her own sadness was om'ounded when she saw the same
emotion in her mother&s e%es!
4I wish %ou would reonsider %our deision to leave! "ha&*har ould use %our
teahing s$ills! I ould use %our 15 Her voie aught! 4I .ust do not want %ou
to go! It 'ains me that %ou will be halfwa% around the world again!5
"eth hugged her! 4)e, too! "ut loo$ on the bright side! 3e found eah other,
and now we an $ee' in touh! E9mail! And when I need to hear %our voie I
an 'i$ u' the 'hone!5
Sameera touhed her hee$ tenderl%, and a 'leading e,'ression dar$ened her
bla$ e%es! 4And %ou will visit65
That was a hard one to answer! "ha&*har held mostl% bad memories! )ali$
believed "eth to be a liar, but in truth she was e,e'tionall% uns$illed at hiding
the truth!
48ou an visit me in the States,5 "eth suggested!
48es, I an do that!5 Her loo$ was fiere and determined! 4No one will $ee'
me from m% hildren ever again!5
4And no one an $ee' me from m% mother!5 "eth vowed, 'ressing her hand
over the one Sameera held to her hee$! 3hen she&d sueeded in surrounding
her tender heart with alluses, she would visit "ha&*har again!
47ood! Now, let us not s'end %our last night here being melanhol%! I have
're'ared a nie dinner! It will be read% in about an hour! And I have a nie
bottle of wine!5
4I&d li$e that!5
48our sister will be here in a little while! To share %our last night before %ou go
awa%!5
4I&m urious to $now what )ali$ said when she told him the wedding was
off!5
Sameera frowned! 43e will not have to wait long!5
Her mother refused hel' as she 'ut the finishing touhes on the meal, and "eth
was shooed out of the $ithen with a glass of white wine in her hand! The
doorbell rang and she o'ened it to her sister!
4Hi!5
Addie hugged her then 'ointed to the glass in her hand! 4Is there more of that65
"eth heard an odd tone in her voie and notied her sister loo$ed nervous! 4Are
%ou all right65
4#ine5
43hat ha''ened with )ali$65
4It was all good!5 Addie&s ga0e shifted awa%!
4Then wh% are %ou ating weird6 3hat&s wrong65
4Nothing! I&d .ust li$e a glass of wine!5 She started toward the $ithen! 48ou
need to turn on the news!5
Pu00led, "eth did as she&d as$ed! 4I live to serve!!!5
She sat in the tin% room off the $ithen that was used for the television and
'i$ed u' the remote! A newsast was .ust starting, and there was a flash on the
sreen about a brea$ing stor%! Addie and Sameera .oined her a few minutes
later and sat on the sofa, one on eah side of her!
The beautiful dar$9haired, e,oti9e%ed news anhor announed that the studio
had .ust reeived videota'e from the 'alae! Seonds later )ali$&s fae
a''eared on the sreen! "eth&s heart aught and a fist s+uee0ed inside her! #or
long moments she ould forget, then one glane at the love she&d lost brought
all the 'ain roaring ba$!
4I&ll go he$ dinner!5 she said, starting to rise!
Addie grabbed her arm! 4Sta%! 3ath!5
)ali$ was reading from a 're'ared statement! 4It will be m% humble honor to
serve the 'eo'le of "ha&*har when m% father retires! Part of m% dul% is to
marr% the woman hosen b% the *ing! This tradition has been suessful for a
ver% longtime, but seleting a bride is not li$e 'i$ing out a 'iee of fruit! The
*ing shares m% o'inion that the time has ome to hange tradition and allow
the Crown Prine to hoose a bride who suits him in ever% wa%!5
The doorbell rang again, and the% all started! Her mother said! 4I am not
e,'eting an%one else! 3ho ould that be65
"eth wathed her sister ta$e a large swallow of wine! 4Addie65
4:o I loo$ 's%hi65 she as$ed!
48ou still loo$ li$e something&s wrong!5
The doorbell rang more insistentl%, and Sameera stood! 4Someone has 'i$ed a
ver% bad time to visit!5
4Addie, what&s going on65 she as$ed when the% were alone!
48ou heard )ali$! He&s going to do awa% with the ro%al tradition of betrothal!5
43as he furious about %ou alling it off65 She loo$ed at her sister! 4Are %ou
o$a%65
Addie smiled with genuine 'leasure! 4I&m fine! "etter than fine! It&s li$e a
weight has been lifted from m% shoulders! And )ali$ was graious and
understanding!5
4:id %ou $now about this65 "eth as$ed!
Addie shoo$ her head! 4I $new something was u' beause of the media at the
'alae, but not the details of the announement!5
Sho$ didn&t begin to desribe her feelings! "eth stared at her sister!
4"eth65 The familiar dee' voie drew her ga0e to the doorwa%, where )ali$
stood! He wal$ed over and sat beside her!
How did he do that6 she wondered! How did he $now her from her idential
twin6 She loo$ed around and reali0ed that her mother and sister had left them
alone!
He loo$ed at the T< sreen, then 'i$ed u' the remote and shut it off! 4There is
something I wish to disuss with %ou!5
4I saw what %ou did!5
48es! And65 He was loo$ing at her e,'etantl%!
4And 1 what the he$ are %ou thin$ing65
4I am thin$ing that I wish to hoose for m%self the woman I will s'end the rest
of m% life with!5
43as the *ing ver% angr%65 she as$ed, afraid for him! Afraid to reall% loo$ at
the ramifiations of his ations!
4Changing tradition was his idea!5
4"ut wh%65
4"eause he $new that I would not be ha''% with his hoie!5
She 'ressed a hand to his forehead! 4No fever!5
4Perha's not, but I burn for %ou!5
She wanted to believe! "ut what if he wasn&t sa%ing what she thought he was
sa%ing6 3hat if he was .ust telling her that 'retending to be his bride had
annihilated hundreds of %ears of tradition and her name would go down in the
histor% of "ha&*har as the woman who had single9handedl% dealt tradition the
death blow6 It was easier to believe the bad stuff than ho'e for her heart&s
desire, onl% to have it snathed awa%!
4How an %ou feel that wa% when %ou $now I&m a liar65
4There were e,tenuating irumstanes!5
4I&m not a doile woman!5
4I am aware of that! I do not want a doile woman! I want %ou!5
43h%65 she ouldn&t hel' as$ing!
48ou taught me the meaning of love 4 He too$ her old hands in his warm
ones! 4It is lear to me that deeit is not natural to %ou, and %ou des'ise
dishonest% as muh as I! -ove was the reason for %our ations!5 He shrugged,
as if that e,'lained ever%thing! 4Challenge does not onl% build harater, it
reveals it! I have learned %our harater! 3hen someone %ou love is faing a
risis, %ou will do whatever is neessar% inluding going against %our ore
belief to 'rotet a loved one! I ho'e that I fall into that esteemed grou'!5
4#all into it6 8ou re the leader!5
Intensit% dar$ened his e%es and his hands gri''ed hers more firml%! 4:oes that
mean %ou love me65
43ith all m% heart, I&m afraid,5 she answered, before her throat grew light and
tears burned her e%es!
He was right! She ouldn&t lie! even though telling him the truth had .ust laid
bare her most tender seret!
He touhed a finger to her hin, nudging it u' so she met his ga0e! 4:o not be
afraid, m% sweet! 8ou are the woman who does not fear doing the wrong thing
for the right reason! 8ou are the one I want at m% side for the rest of m% life!5
48ou hanged tradition for me!5 The magnitude of his gesture overwhelmed
her! She&d shunned 'owerful men! but 'ower was as 'ower did! He&d used his
for good! Ations s'o$e louder than words, and his showed what was in his
heart!
4)% motives are selfish, but m% reasoning is sound! The 'ressures of a leader
are great!5
4S'ea$ing of leaders,5 she said, tilting her head as she loo$ed u' at him! 4It
ours to me that m% father is not going to be ha''% about this!5
A musle in )ali$&s .aw went tight! 4He will ae't m% hoie with grae and
he will treat %ou with res'et! If he does not his a''ointment as ambassador
an easil% be revo$ed!5
4Or he ould be transferred to Antartia! :oes "ha&*har ondut di'lomati
relations there65
He grinned! 4I li$e the wa% %ou thin$! 3hih is wh% I have no doubt %ou are
the right one! and wh% I need %ou so! It ta$es someone s'eial to hel' bear the
ro%al burden! And %ou are the most s'eial woman I have ever met!5
4I have no training to be =ueen! I an&t 'romise 'erfetion!5
4An%one an learn ro%al duties! "ut %ou are the onl% 'erfet wife for me! I will
assume the throne of "ha&*har soon, and I wish to do that with %ou as m%
+ueen! #or %ou are alread% the ruler of m% heart!5
She 'ressed her fingers to her li's as ha''iness gathered inside her! 4Oh,
)ali$( I don&t $now what to sa%!5
He went down on one $nee and 'ulled a ring from the 'o$et of his 'ants! 4Sa%
that %ou will marr% me!5
4I will!5
4This was m% great9grandmother&s!5 He slid onto her finger an emerald and
diamond ring, the most beautiful thing she had ever seen! After 'ulling her to
her feet, and into his arms, he $issed her until her toes urled! 3hen he lifted
his head she met his ga0e, ama0ed that she ould be so ha''% when she had
believed she would never be ha''% again!
48our Highness!!!5
4I do love it when %ou all me that!5
She smiled! 4Honest% om'els me to tell %ou that being =ueen doesn&t thrill
me! However, I love %ou ver%, ver% muh, and sine %ou&re going to be *ing it
$ind of goes with the territor%! All I reall% want is to be %our wife! And a ro%al
bab% would be the iing on the ro%al a$e!5
4A hild with his mother&s s'irit and integrit%65 He thought for a moment!
4Atuall%, I wish to have twins! After dealing me double the trouble, the least
destin% an do is multi'l% the .o%!5
4I ouldn&t agree more!5
He $issed her again, a .oining of li's that sealed their 'romises and left no
room for an%thing but the truth "eth $new )ali$ loved her full% and
om'letel%, and being his wife was all she wanted! This agreement was more
binding than an% flims% 'iee of 'a'er, it was between her shei$h and his bride,
a ontrat of two hearts that through a +uir$ of fate had beome one!

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