The Royal Wager

by Kristi Gold

  Once more she tossed the paper aside. “I’m tempted to give him a good piece of my mind.”

  “I understand, but considering his condition, perhaps it would be best if we simply ignore it.”

  “And you think it will all go away, just like that?”

  Dharr knew better yet he was unsure how to handle the situation to suit everyone involved. “We will neither substantiate nor deny the information. When you return to California, that will serve as confirmation we’ve chosen not to adhere to the arrangement.” And that would be a day he would not necessarily welcome, for many reasons.

  Raina rubbed her temples and lowered her eyes. “Maybe that would be the best way to handle it. Just ignore the whole thing and hope it goes away.”

  She walked to the window and pushed open the curtained doors to reveal the verandah and the view of the street below. “What is going on down there?”

  Dharr moved behind her to find hordes of people gathered at the perimeter of the palace. Many were holding up signs of congratulations, a few were laying flowers on the ground at the iron fencing, others chanting Raina’s name.

  He knew the first signs of notoriety, and soon Raina would, too. “I believe those are your admirers.”

  She looked back at him. “Mine?”

  He rested his hand at her waist, savoring the feel of bare flesh where the top did not quite meet her black slacks. “News travels quickly here. They want to pay homage to the woman they believe could be their future queen.”

  She turned her attention back to the crowd. “But they’re wrong. I’m not queen material.”

  Dharr could definitely argue that point. “You’re beautiful, Raina. The daughter of a sultan. A perfect prospect.”

  She released a mirthless laugh that died when several villagers began to point toward the window. The sound of applause and gleeful shouts filtered in through the closed doors.

  “Oh, wonderful,” she said. “They’ve spotted us.”

  “Perhaps you should go out and answer their summons.”

  Once more she regarded him, alarm reflecting in her gaze. “Alone? I can’t do that. I’m not like you. I’ve never faced anything like this.”

  “I will go with you.”

  “Won’t that put you in danger, out in the open without your guards?”

  The only danger at present was his overwhelming craving for her that could not be denied. “I have addressed my people from this very spot. As soon as the guards are made aware, they will position themselves accordingly.”

  She frowned. “You’re really serious about this?”

  “Yes. But it is solely your decision.”

  She shrugged. “Oh, why not. Might be kind of fun at that. I don’t want anyone to think I’m a snob.”

  Dharr reached around her and released the bronze latch to open the door. The moment they stepped out beneath the iron lattice overhang, a roar emanated from the masses, the likes of which he had never known. Resting his palm against her back, he guided Raina to the end of the balcony, leaving a few feet between them and the edge of the railing. The guards immediately formed a protective shield along the sidewalk and streets.

  As he watched her reaction, Dharr witnessed Raina’s transformation. The sun cast her features in a radiant glow, shadowing the hollows of her cheekbones and highlighting her heart-shaped face. Her soft, pink lips shimmered as she smiled and waved to the crowd, a portrait of eloquence and grace.

  Several photographers snapped pictures, but Dharr knew they could not do justice to her splendor—a beauty that started within before rising to the surface.

  If she were queen, she would be beloved. Venerated, as his mother had always been. The marked adoration in the faces of his people filled him with pride, as if he actually had a claim on her. As if he planned to have her as his wife, not only as his lover. That could never be. Raina deserved a man who was whole and able to commit his heart as well as his life to her. And he realized all too well she, too, would leave him in pursuit of her own life, even if he thought he could give what she needed.

  The crowd began to chant, requesting them to kiss. Raina turned and held him captive with her sensual smile, dared him with her golden eyes. So caught up on the moment, he pressed his lips to hers but only briefly. Yet it proved to be enough to draw more approval from his subjects as well as impact his own composure.

  Raina masked her surprise well, at least superficially. “We’ve really done it now,” she said through another bright smile.

  “I am only giving them what they want.”

  “You’re leading them to believe that we’re really engaged.”

  “We were definitely engaged last night, even if not in terms of our marriage arrangement. But I do remember being joined in a mutual endeavor that I greatly enjoyed.”

  She sent him a quelling look before turning back to the crowd. “Stop it or I’m going to jump you right here in front of the masses. Wouldn’t that make for a nice front page photo?”

  “I would not want to share you with anyone in that regard.”

  She rested a palm at her throat. “Why, Dharr, you sound almost possessive.”

  He did, and he not only sounded that way, he felt that way, as well. “As long as you are in my company, I plan to keep you all to myself.”

  She continued to wave. “Sounds interesting. Can we go back inside now?”

  “Certainly.”

  After a final acknowledgment of his people, Dharr gestured toward the door and followed Raina inside. Once there, the underlying tension hung thick over them while they stood face to face in the middle of the room. As Raina walked into his arms, he claimed her supple mouth in another kiss. This time their joining could not be deemed innocent or brief. As always, they feasted on each other, hands roving over each other’s backs and hips, until they were both winded and forced to draw a breath. They only parted for a short while until they resumed the kiss, deeper this time, more ardent.

  Dharr spun Raina around and backed her against the wall, forming his body to hers so she would know how much he wanted her. She answered with a tremor as he worked the buttons on her blouse, parting it enough to slide his mouth down her neck to the rise of her breasts.

  He lifted his head and sought her eyes. “I need to be here,” he murmured as he pressed his palm between her thighs. “But not now. Tonight.”

  She gave him a pleading look. “I can’t wait until tonight. I’ll go nuts.”

  Dharr had already sufficiently arrived in that state of madness that he’d experienced in her presence more than once. It only worsened when Raina lowered her eyes and lowered the zipper on his slacks.

  This could not be, he told himself over and over as she freed him, playing her fingertips over him until he relinquished all his control. He pulled the drawstring at her waist and shoved her pants down to her thighs then did the same to his own. Balanced on the brink of taking her right there, without regard to the consequences, a knock sounded at the door, forcing them apart.

  “What do you want!” Dharr shouted as he fumbled to redo his fly while Raina swiftly readjusted her own clothing.

  “I have a message for the princess, your grace.”

  Abid. His timing had been both bad and good. Bad because Dharr wanted Raina with a need so great he would again throw all caution aside. Good because the interruption had prevented that very thing.

  “Come in” Dharr answered in a tone that indicated his frustration.

  “Excuse me, your grace,” Abid said as he stepped into the room, keeping his eyes lowered as if he knew exactly what he had interrupted. “Princess Kahlil, your mother wishes to speak with you.”

  “Where’s the phone?” Raina asked, unease in her tone.

  “She is not on the phone.”

  Dharr saw the panic begin to form in Raina’s face as awareness dawned. “What do you mean she’s not on the phone?”

  “She is downstairs, waiting for you.”

  * * *

  Raina walked into th
e elegant private parlor to find her mother standing in the middle of the room, her arms stiff at her sides and her face showing definite signs of disapproval. Regardless of her obvious distress, Carolyn Kahlil still had chic down to a fine art. Her appearance was immaculate, from her blonde bobbed hair to her neat beige pantsuit, even though she’d probably been traveling all night. Raina definitely couldn’t say the same for herself. Apparently her mother had noticed since she raked her gaze over Raina’s blouse and the gap created by buttons that had been missed in her haste to redress after the earlier interlude.

  Raina gave her a quick hug that wasn’t exactly returned. “What on earth are you doing here?” she asked, all she could manage around her shock over the surprise visit.

  “I booked a flight the minute I received the message you were here.” Her mother looked her up and down again, as if she could actually see the effects of Dharr’s kiss and touch. “And I should be asking you exactly why you’re here, although I could probably accurately guess.”

  Raina crossed her arms over her middle to cover the gap. “I’m here because Papa needs me. He’s been sick. Didn’t they tell you that?”

  “Yes, they did. But are you sure he’s ill?”

  Raina did not have the energy to deal with her mother’s familiar bitterness. “Yes, I’m sure. And if you don’t believe me, go see him.”

  Carolyn reached behind her and ran one manicured hand over the back of the sofa behind her. “I plan to do that very thing. I definitely want to get to the bottom of this.”

  “The bottom of what?”

  “I’m determined to find out exactly why he summoned you.”

  Anger began to simmer below the surface of Raina’s attempts at a tranquil demeanor. “I’ve already told you, he’s sick. That’s the only reason, whether you want to believe it or not. And frankly, I don’t care if you don’t love him anymore, because I still do.”

  A flash of pain crossed her mother’s face but she quickly recovered. “If you want me to believe your father asked you here only because of his health, then tell me what I’ve heard about your engagement to Dharr Halim isn’t true.”

  Raina shifted her weight with a nervousness that had yet to subside. “You saw the article in the paper.”

  Carolyn twisted her watch round and round her slender wrist. “I happened to be heading through the terminal in London to catch another plane and I saw it on a television. I stopped and almost missed my flight.”

  Oh, great. “It’s already made news worldwide?”

  “Yes, Raina. Dharr Halim is known beyond Azzril. He’s handsome and eligible and royalty. Announcement of his—or should I say your engagement—interests a large part of the world. I’m hoping you’re going to say this is a misunderstanding, otherwise you’ll be making the same mistakes I did.”

  It was a mistake, but Raina resented her mother’s insistence on comparing everyone’s life to her own. “Why do you think it would be such a mistake, Mother? You’ve always been highly critical of my choice in men. If you think about, I could do a whole lot worse than a prince.”

  “True, if I thought you were doing this because you want to and not because you’re bending to your father’s will and going ahead with the marriage arrangement. I know how persuasive Idris can be.”

  “How well I know. He persuaded you into his bed when you were only seventeen.”

  “Exactly. And we both know what happened after that.”

  “You made a huge mistake and got pregnant with me.”

  Carolyn looked wounded. “I’ve never said you were a mistake.”

  “Not in so many words, Mother. But at times I believed you resented getting pregnant and now you want to blame Papa, which I think is ridiculous considering it does take two to horizontally tango.”

  “That’s not fair, Raina. I loved your father.”

  Loved. Past tense. “Fine. But do you really think I’m not smart enough to avoid making the same mistake with Dharr?”

  At least Carolyn looked somewhat contrite. “Of course I think you’re smarter than that. But I also think that Dharr Halim is as charismatic as your father, and that is very hard to resist.”

  As if Raina wasn’t well aware of that. “I’m not you, Mom. And Dharr’s not Papa.”

  “I’m only concerned about your welfare, Raina. Azzril is no longer your home, or mine. You’ll never be accepted here.”

  You didn’t see what I saw a few minutes ago, Raina almost said but decided to hold her tongue. “Look, Mother, you don’t have to worry about me screwing up. I’m a grown woman and quite capable of making my own decisions.”

  “I hope you decide wisely, before it’s too late.”

  Before she fell in love with Dharr, Raina decided. Sometimes she thought it might already be too late. “I need to see Papa now.”

  Carolyn pushed up her sleeves as if preparing for a fight. “So do I.”

  “Fine. I’ll show you to his room. We can go together.”

  “No. I want to see him privately first.”

  “Why?”

  “I need to talk to him about a few things.”

  Raina’s concern drove her to grip her mother’s shoulders as she gave her a hard look. “Only if you promise me you’ll be kind to him. He’s not well. He doesn’t need any more stress.”

  “I promise, Raina.” Carolyn brushed a kiss across her cheek then stepped back to gather her purse from one chair. “I’ll be gracious.”

  Raina pointed a finger at her. “I’m going to hold you to it. He’s on the second floor, third door to the left.”

  “Thank you, sweetheart. And don’t look so worried. Nothing’s going to happen. I’m not armed.”

  As she watched her mother scale the stairs leading to the upper floors, Raina wanted to run after her. At the very least, she wanted to listen outside the door. Instead, she headed toward the place where she’d often gone to find solace in her youth during their frequent visits at the palace. The place where she’d sat with Dharr all those years ago, nursing a huge crush that existed even now. In reality, it had developed into much more than a simple crush.

  Regardless, she wasn’t going to marry him. They’d both decided that was out of the question. Then why was the prospect so appealing?

  Yes, she definitely needed a few moments alone to think, to consider exactly what she was feeling for Dharr and what she intended to do about it. Then she would go see if her mother and father had forgone the fireworks in exchange for a little civility. And that was about as likely as Dharr Halim falling head over heels in love with Raina Kahlil.

  Even though she’d insisted on confronting her mother alone, Dharr worried when he sought Raina out an hour later, only to discover that no one seemed to know where she had gone. He had learned that Carolyn had sequestered herself away in Idris’s room, without her daughter. Hopefully that would not end badly.

  Right now Dharr’s only concern was finding Raina. He could think of one place that she might be since he’d been assured she had not left the grounds. He began his search in the gardens behind the palace proper, walking the paths leading to the stone shelter that had provided him with privacy on more than one occasion. Raina’s favorite hiding place when she’d been a girl. Several times he’d found her there in the distant past, staring off into space as if she’d had much on her young mind.

  He came upon her there today, looking much the same as she had back then, only more mature, and much more troubled. She sat on the stone bench behind the copper wall forming a barrier to prying eyes, heels resting on the edge and her knees clutched tightly to her breasts.

  She did not acknowledge him, even when he took a seat beside her. “Did it not go well with your mother?”

  Without giving him even a passing glance, she released a sardonic laugh. “Oh, you could say that. Seems news of our engagement has reached across the universe. She saw the announcement on television in London.”

  Dharr had realized that after learning his father had already been made awar
e, a fact he would conceal from Raina for now. “You did inform her there is no truth to the rumors.”

  “Actually, no, I didn’t.”

  “Why?”

  She lowered her feet to the ground and shifted to face him. “Because I’m tired of people telling me what to do. On one hand, my father would absolutely love it if I married you. On the other, my mother would rather see me shackled than to have anything to do with royalty. As always, I’m caught in the middle between the two people I love most in the world. And I’m sick of it.”

  The turmoil in her expression sent Dharr closer to her to take her hands into his. “Where is your mother now?”

  “She’s still talking to my father privately, and that worries me. I hope she has enough sense to be nice to him. If she does anything to set him back on his recovery, I’ll never forgive her.”

  “Do you honestly believe she will compromise his health?”

  “I don’t want to believe that but her presence alone might upset him. It’s been a whole lot of years since they’ve been in the same room together.”

  Dharr acknowledged she needed a sounding board, and he would gladly accommodate her. “You have not recovered from their estrangement.”

  “No. I wonder if I ever will.”

  “Have you ever confronted your mother over her decision to leave Azzril?”

  “Oh, yeah. Both alone and in front of a few counselors during my rebellious years. But I’m not only angry with her. I’m mad at my father, too.”

  “It is my understanding your mother left without telling him of her intent.”

  “Yes, she did. And he just let her go. He never even tried to talk with her after we left. Never tried to get her back. He didn’t fight for her.”

  Dharr understood why Idris might not have done that. He knew all too well what it was like to have a woman leave with nothing more than a written missive, taking an integral part of you with her, leaving only an abyss that no one could fill. “Perhaps he believed it would have done no good.”

  “Maybe not, but he should have tried. If you care about someone, you try until you’ve exhausted all your options. You don’t just let someone you love walk away without at least giving it your best effort. They’re both responsible for ruining each other’s lives.”