Desert Prince's Stolen Bride

And then the palace was in front of them, like something out of a fairy tale, its walls emerging from the rock as if they had been hewn from it, each one topped with a bright

, domed minaret.

‘Wow.’ She breathed, and Zayed turned to her with a small smile.

‘It is impressive, is it not? Built six hundred years ago by my ancestor.’

‘I’ve never seen its equal.’

‘It is called the Palace of Clouds. Rubyhan is its formal name only.’

‘It is a palace of clouds,’ Olivia said with a little laugh. ‘I can’t believe how high we are. I saw snow.’

‘Yes, it will be far colder here,’ Zayed warned her.

‘How long will we be here?’

Zayed’s mouth thinned. ‘A few days only,’ he answered, and Olivia’s stomach did a little nervous flip. A few days...and then what?

After they landed Zayed escorted her into the palace; the interior was just as incredible as the outside: rooms with soaring windows and balconies that overlooked the stunning vista, the ground dropping away to nothing immediately beyond the walls.

‘You will stay in the former harem,’ he told her. ‘I think you will be very comfortable.’

The harem was a suite of rooms with every luxury to hand: a huge bedroom with a king-sized bed on its own dais; an en-suite bathroom with a sunken marble tub, an infinity shower and underfloor heating. A balcony extended from the bedroom, making Olivia feel as if she was walking on thin air. She could hardly believe all the luxuries found in such a remote place—it was even more sumptuous a palace than the one she knew in Abkar.

Zayed left her there, telling her to rest and relax, and after a few moments of uncertainty Olivia decided to take him at his word. It had been a harrowing few days, and she could certainly use the opportunity to relax, especially considering how rarely she did it.

Her days at the palace in Abkar were taken up with caring for the three young Princesses—teaching them English, keeping them in line, managing their lessons, their social calendars, their wardrobes. Olivia hardly took any holiday—she never needed to. Where would she go? Besides a godmother in Paris she saw every few years, she had no one in the world.

And if she lost her position in Abkar, which she was almost certain she would, she’d have nowhere to go. But she couldn’t think about that yet. She was going to take one day at a time, one hour if necessary, and right now she was going to revel in a lovely, long soak in the sunken tub, which was a far cry from the cool water of the oasis where she’d last washed, the bottom slimy with seaweed and mud.

She’d just got out of the bath, wrapping herself in the velvet-soft terry-cloth robe that had been hanging on the bathroom door, when there was a discreet knock on the door of the suite.

‘Miss Taylor?’ The voice was female and had a crisp English accent, which filled Olivia with relief. She’d been managing all right with Arabic, and Zayed’s English was flawless, but it would be nice to have someone else to converse with in the language of her birth.

‘Yes, just a moment.’ She opened the door to a young woman dressed in a business suit, her dark hair pulled back in a sleek ponytail. Olivia liked the look of her instinctively. ‘Hello.’

‘Hello, Miss Taylor.’

‘Please, call me Olivia.’

The woman smiled and nodded. ‘I’m Anna, Prince Zayed’s PA at Rubyhan. He’s asked me to make sure you have everything you need.’

‘Yes, it’s been rather amazing.’ Olivia let out a self-conscious laugh, aware she was in nothing but a dressing gown. ‘I just got out of the bath.’

‘And I hope you enjoyed it,’ Anna said smoothly. ‘Prince Zayed wishes your stay here to be as pleasant as possible.’

It sounded a little...formal. ‘Oh. Okay.’ Olivia tried for a smile. Zayed was being thoughtful for once; she should be pleased. So why did she feel uneasy, as if she was being managed? Dealt with?

‘So there is nothing you need?’ Anna pressed, and Olivia shook her head.

‘Then Prince Zayed asks that you join him for dinner in the Blue Room in an hour. Is that acceptable to you?’

Olivia tried to suppress the flutter of nerves and, yes, excitement she felt at the prospect. ‘Um, yes. Sure. Thank you.’

‘Good.’ Anna smiled. ‘I believe that the wardrobe in your suite should hold any clothes you might need, but please do alert me if you require anything further.’ She handed Olivia a pager. ‘If you push that button, I’ll be here in less than five minutes.’

‘Oh. Wow.’ Olivia had never experienced such service before. She’d never experienced anything like this before. It really was out of this world. Out of her world.