Duty had dictated he take a wife and produce heirs. That would be his end goal. And with Amira out of the picture...
He stared at his new Queen. His temporary Queen.
His people’s reaction to her had been...extraordinary. Surprisingly so. They’d readily accepted her. So why upset the cart?
Why indeed...?
Zufar cautioned himself against revealing to Niesha that, far from thinking that this was only a temporary marriage, she was now bound to him for life. That conversation would need careful strategising.
In the same instance that he accepted his decision, it occurred to him that the idea of binding himself to a near stranger neither disturbed nor displeased him. He’d never intended to marry for anything other than ensuring lasting stability for his people after the turbulence of his father’s reign.
He wasn’t so weak as to give into ephemeral notions of marrying for love. That emotion was a fairy tale he’d never wasted his time seeking, and especially not once the reality of his position in life had been made clear.
His father had fallen victim to lust and obsession to the detriment of his family and his kingdom. Zufar was well aware of the whispers that had followed his father, the veiled scorn shown towards the weakness that dogged the previous King. He had no intention of falling prey to that absurd sickness.
‘I’m in no hurry to locate my former fiancée.’
Her breath caught. ‘And why not?’
‘Because if she went of her own free will, then she’s no longer of any consequence.’
She gasped. ‘How can you say that? She was promised to you. You still need a bride! Your people need a queen.’
Zufar continued to look down at her as they glided across the dance floor. Absent-mindedly, he noted the grace with which she swayed in his arms, the way she held herself with careful poise. She wasn’t as unpolished as he’d imagined, he mused again. In fact, with a little bit of help, she could become the diamond he sought. The diamond his people deserved.
The more he thought about it, the more the idea settled deeper inside him.
‘Your Highness?’ Her prompt was tremulous, as if she knew of the monumental decision he’d taken.
Her eyes were growing wide again, her lower lip set to tremble in that alluring quiver that made him want to devour her again.
‘I don’t need to find her, little one, because I’ve already found my bride. I’ve found my Queen. This wedding, and this marriage, will be my first and my last. There hasn’t been a divorce in my family in recorded history. In fact, I’m not sure the constitution has allowances for it. So, you see, you and I are bound together for life, Niesha. Accept it.’
CHAPTER FOUR
IF NIESHA HAD been informed only half an hour ago that there was a way for her whole world to be shoved even more off kilter, she wouldn’t have believed it. But she was fully installed on that wild, turbulent roller coaster now.
She stared up at Zufar, knowing that this time there was no mistaking what he’d said. Nor was there any doubt that this was an accidental revelation. They were in the middle of the dance floor, surrounded by over three hundred guests. She had nowhere to go, was unable to protest without causing the most horrendous scene.
Zufar al Khalia’s diplomatic prowess and mental agility was renowned. He’d won almost every polo match since he was seventeen. The moment he’d entered public office, he’d gained a reputation as a master strategist.
That he’d brought those abilities to bear on this situation was irrefutable. Panic and anger surged in her belly, lending her vocal cords the strength to dig herself out of this hole she was disappearing into.
He shook his head. ‘Not here,’ he instructed tersely.
‘You lied to me,’ she whispered, the depth of his trap making her tone husky with shock.
His eyes grew chilly but the smile didn’t fade from his face. ‘I said, not here,’ he emphasised with clear displeasure.
But Niesha was a little too out of her head to heed the warning. ‘You planned this all along.’
‘If you mean did I plan to speak to you afterwards so we can discuss this like rational human beings, then yes, that was my intention.’
Chilled through by his almost careless dismissal, she took a step back from him, but the arm banding her waist pulled her closer, the fingers curled around hers holding her prisoner. ‘You will not cause a scene.’
Her King demanded obedience. But in that moment, Niesha couldn’t find the capacity to fall in line like everyone else at his command.
‘You keep telling me how to behave, to smile, to breathe. I’m not an object, Your Highness. I’m a human being. I chose to obey you because I thought I was doing the right thing. But you misled me. I will not stand for that.’