Desert Prince's Stolen Bride

‘I know that,’ Olivia said quietly. She took a sip of her wine, her lashes lowered. ‘It must be very difficult to be fighting for so long.’

‘I want the fighting to be over.’ The ache in his chest intensified and came out in his voice. ‘I want innocent people to suffer no more.’

‘And your marriage to Princess Halina will help accomplish that,’ Olivia finished softly.

‘Yes.’ He paused, feeling the need suddenly to explain to her why he was so committed. ‘For ten years Fakhir Malouf has lived in my home and taken my place. But worse than that, far worse, he has implemented policies and laws that go against everything my father taught me as a ruler—justice and mercy, kindness and equality. Kalidar was one of the most forward-thinking nations in this region, and now it is one of the least, all thanks to Malouf.’

‘But why doesn’t someone intervene—another government?’

Zayed’s fingers clenched around the stem of his wine glass and he forced himself to relax. ‘We are a small if wealthy country, and no one has wanted to risk getting involved. Malouf had the support of a certain section of the military, and it gave him more clout, even if no one was willing to recognise him officially.’

‘So for ten years you have been living on the fringes,’ Olivia said with a little shake of her head. ‘It’s so terribly unfair.’

‘It is an injustice I will make right, even if it costs me my life. Nothing else matters.’ He held her gaze, willing her to understand. He couldn’t let himself care about her finer feelings.

‘I understand,’ Olivia said softly, and Zayed let out a low breath, accepting her response.

He leaned back in his chair, wanting to recapture some of the enjoyment of the evening. He was sitting with a beautiful woman in candlelight, drinking smooth, velvety wine. Nothing could happen between them, for both their sakes, but they could still have a pleasant time together.

‘So tell me about yourself, Olivia,’ he invited as a member of his staff slipped into the room quietly to serve them the first course of lamb sambousek with fresh cucumber sauce.

‘Tell you...?’ Olivia looked startled. ‘There is not much to know, I’m afraid.’

‘That can’t be true.’ Zayed realised he was curious about her. ‘You said you had been working for the royal family since you were seventeen?’

‘Eighteen. Right after I finished school.’

‘You went to boarding school?’

‘Yes, in Switzerland. My father moved around a great deal and he wanted me to have a stable education.’

‘Did you enjoy it?’

She shrugged. ‘It was a finishing school for aristocrats and princesses, and I was a minor diplomat’s daughter, a nobody. I was there on a scholarship,’ she explained. ‘And of course everyone knew it, since I didn’t fly in by helicopter, or wear designer clothes on the weekends, or keep my own pony.’ She let out a small laugh that sounded just a bit too sad. ‘Halina was my best friend,’ Olivia continued. ‘She took me under her wing, made sure other people didn’t tease me.’ But not being teased, Zayed acknowledged silently, wasn’t the same as being liked.

‘That was very kind of her.’

‘Yes, it was. She’s a very giving person.’ She took a quick breath, looking up at him uncertainly. ‘I hope things are able to work out between you.’

‘So do I.’ Yet it felt odd in a way he couldn’t elucidate to talk about Halina as his wife. He didn’t want to talk about Halina right now, didn’t even want to think about her. Not with Olivia sitting across from him and looking so very lovely. If that was an act of betrayal, so be it.

‘This letter,’ Olivia said slowly. ‘What exactly do you want me to say in it?’

He didn’t want to talk about the letter now, either. ‘There is time for that tomorrow,’ he said swiftly. ‘Why don’t we eat?’

Olivia nodded and took a small bite of the sambousek, fragrant with cinnamon and mint. ‘Delicious,’ she murmured. ‘Better than any I’ve tasted before.’

‘Tell me about your duties in Abkar,’ Zayed suggested. He wanted to know more about her, although he knew there was no real reason to. ‘You take care of the three younger Princesses?’ He didn’t know their names.

‘Yes, Saddah, Maarit and Aisha. They are twelve, ten and eight.’

‘And what do you do?’

‘Everything,’ Olivia answered with a small smile. ‘I’m meant to teach them English, but I also look after their belongings and arrange their lessons and social events. They are quite busy girls. Dancing, riding, tennis... Saddah will go to boarding school, the same one I went to, next year.’

She lapsed into silence, her face drawn into sorrowful lines that made Zayed lean forward and touch her hand. ‘What is it? Why do you look sad suddenly?’

She refocused on him with a wry smile that was still touched with sadness. ‘I’ll miss them, that’s all.’