by Alice Raine
It didn’t look as though any of them had spotted the door opening, so, swallowing down an immense ball of nerves, I began to make my way towards them. When I was about halfway across the room, Khalil’s father suddenly glanced my way, and then it was like a rack of dominoes falling as all three sets of eyes shifted onto me one by one.
The sudden focus of attention on me added to my already hyped nerves, overwhelming me, and I drew to a jerky stop. No matter how hard I tried to continue walking, I couldn’t. My feet felt as if they were encased in lead.
The panic in my body obviously showed on my face, too, because as I flashed Khalil a desperate glance, he frowned and then left his father’s side to stride swiftly towards me. He was like a soothing balm to my soul, and my tension receded with every step closer to me that he took. When he finally reached my side and grinned down at me, I couldn’t help but return his smile.
‘You looked lost, little one,’ he murmured. It wasn’t really surprising, given the huge room I was standing in, or the company I was about to meet.
‘Yeah, my feet suddenly stopped working. Thanks for rescuing me.’
Khalil nodded slowly, his eyes still soaking up my appearance with apparent appreciation. ‘First on the beach, and now here. It is becoming a bit of a habit, isn’t it?’ he remarked with a wink before sobering his expression. He dropped his gaze down my body before lazily returning it to my face. ‘You are so beautiful, Sara. You make it hard to breathe.’
A blush warmed my cheeks at the heat I detected in his voice. ‘You’re not so bad yourself,’ I quipped, noting that he had opted for a western three-piece suit today, and not the traditional robes his father and mother were wearing.
I had pondered what to wear for almost three hours. I’d even considered buying some Somoran robes, but that had seemed like it might be trying a little too hard, so in the end I’d gone for a floor-length dress made from lightweight cotton which was navy in colour and had a small etching of birds on it. I’d picked it because although it was lightweight, it had delicate sleeves to cover my shoulders which was so important here on Somora. It was flattering, and quite smart, but more importantly it was comfortable, and seeing as I was about to try to win over Khalil’s parents, I needed to be comfy.
Khalil crooked his elbow and held it out for me to link my hand through, and then we began walking towards his parents.
This was the first time in my life I’d be meeting royalty, and so last night I’d done some internet research on how to greet his parents so that I didn’t cause any offence. Etiquette on Somora required me to greet the most senior person in the room first, and I wasn’t to extend my hand for a handshake unless the Sheik initiated it. I hadn’t been able to get a clear answer on whether I was expected to curtsey or bow, but as I made eye contact with the Sheik and found that his gaze was just as disconcertingly intense as his son’s, my head dipped of its own accord.
‘Your Highness Sheik Al Safar, it is such a pleasure to meet you.’
The was a tense moment of silence where the Sheik merely assessed me with a narrow-eyed stare, and as every second dragged by, I genuinely feared that he was going to deem me unacceptable for his son and summon his guards to have me dragged away. But he didn’t; after giving me a thorough once-over the Sheik gave a small bow of his head and held his hand out for a handshake.
The Sheik’s grip was firm, and as he held onto my hand he finally spoke. ‘Miss Masters. A pleasure to meet you again. At least you both have more clothes on this time, hmm?’
Oh my God... My eyes widened in horror at his reminder of my last encounter with him, and I shot Khalil a desperate look.
‘Father. Don’t tease, it’s not polite,’ Khalil chided, moving closer so he could wrap his arm around my waist. I didn’t think he was teasing at all; it seemed to me more like a blunt reminder that he knew what I’d gotten up to with his son. To my surprise, though, the Sheik suddenly broke into a smile. He released my hand and chuckled, his face transforming into something far less intimidating.
‘My apologies.’ The Sheik quelled his smile a little and then indicated the woman on the sofa. ‘This is my wife, Karima.’
Karima stood up and gave him a fond chiding look. ‘I apologise for my husband. Despite his rank in society he still has quite a wicked sense of humour.’
Trying to keep my nerves together, I smiled and recalled the title I should use when addressing her. ‘Shaykhah, it is lovely to meet you.’
Karima gave me a warm, fond smile and indicated to the sofa behind her. ‘Come and sit. Khalil has told us so much about you. And please, call me Karima.’
As soon as we were seated on the sofa, Khalil took hold of my hand and gave a reassuring squeeze. It helped ground me through the polite small talk which followed for a few minutes.
‘So, Khalil tells us you are a teacher, Sara?’
I nodded and tried to moisten my parched throat before speaking. ‘That’s right. I’m currently teaching year three at the academy here, with some additional lessons teaching English as a second language.’
‘It is a very worthwhile profession.’ The Sheik nodded. ‘However, you should know that if you and my son are serious about being together then you would need to consider quitting so you can accompany him on his royal duties.’
Oh. I hadn’t even thought about that, but I supposed it made sense. Seeing my frown, Khalil gave my hand a squeeze. ‘There will be many other things you can do within the education sector, though, Sara. It is something my father has championed tirelessly in our country.’
OK, that didn’t sound bad then. So far so good. This was likely to be one of the most surreal conversations of my entire life, but with Khalil by my side I was hopeful I’d get through it.
Chapter Nine
Khalil and I had now been seeing each other for two whole months. Most of our time together was spent either here at Khalil’s mountain house, or at the palace, because Khalil’s parents had requested that we keep the relationship discreet to start with. They’d claimed it was to ensure my safety while I completed my year of teaching – a companion of the Prince could be seen as a legitimate target to some – but I suspected their real motivation for keeping it quiet for now was to give us a little time together to see if things were going to work out before introducing me to the people of the island as the British girl who was dating their beloved prince.
During this time, Aliya had fast become my best friend on the island. Partly because I saw her regularly during my visits to the palace, but mostly because we had just clicked when we’d met and genuinely got on as friends. She now regularly worked at Khalil’s house, and her English was almost as fluent as Khalil’s, too, thanks to our regular conversations and some extra lessons he had arranged for her.
I was still working as a teacher for the time being – but the next school holiday had arrived, so I had a full two weeks off ahead of me, and my family – Mum, Dad, and sister Joanne – had arrived for a visit. I’d told them over the phone about Khalil and me, but I honestly don’t think they had believed I was dating the Prince until they had arrived here yesterday and been driven to his gigantic house in the hills by an armed convoy.
Their expressions when they’d seen his house, and then Khalil himself, had been priceless. My poor mother had been so overwhelmed by it all that she’d barely been able to string a sentence together. As predicted, though, Khalil had charmed them all, and by the time they’d headed off for bed last night all three were firm fans of my prince.
This morning we’d taken them on a driving tour of the island. Having seen the sights, we’d returned to the mountains and had all enjoyed a relaxed lunch by the pool. My parents were inside having a break from the sun, leaving me, Khalil, Aliya, and Joanne lounging outside. Lunch had been delicious; local fish caught this morning, baked in a delicate crust of spices and served with a light, crisp salad.
Khalil excused himself to go to the toilet, and almost as soon as he was out of earshot Joanne leaned forwards
and grabbed one of my hands. ‘This is all so exciting! You two just look so good together!’
I smiled at her enthusiasm and nodded, my cheeks reddening as I thought about Khalil and what he meant to me. ‘He is perfect!’ she exclaimed.
Chewing on my lower lip, I decided to let out one of my hidden fears. ‘Do you think he’s too perfect for me, though?’
Both my sister and Aliya had matching frowns as they turned to me. ‘What do you mean?’
‘I mean he’s handsome, kind, sweet... and...’ I glanced around at the opulent surroundings and gave a self-conscious shrug. ‘And he’s a Prince. He’s way too good for me.’
My sister gave my arm an affectionate slap and clicked her tongue, chiding me. ‘Don’t you dare even say that, Sara!’
Suddenly, all the insecurities I’d been keeping bottled up seemed to flood into my mind and I turned to them both with a worried glance. ‘Do you think he’s going to break my heart?’ I swapped chewing on my lower lip for frantically spinning the ring on my right hand. ‘His father made a comment about how Khalil has had lots of meaningless flings with girls before... Do you think it was Khalil’s choice to keep it all hush-hush? Maybe he asked his father to enforce that rule so he can see if he really does want to bother with me?’
Aliya listened to my concerns spew from my lips and then shook her head. ‘His father was exaggerating a lot. He has had a few girlfriends here and there, but what man over thirty hasn’t? No doubt the Sheik said those things when he first met you hoping to make you question Khalil’s intentions and leave.’ Smiling at me affectionately, she gave my hand a squeeze. ‘And as for your concerns about him not wanting to bother with you, that is definitely not the case.’
My sister nodded and grinned. ‘I have to agree with Aliya there. He’s not going anywhere, Sara.’
‘How can you be so sure?’
‘The way he looks at you...’ Aliya murmured. Her voice drifted off dreamily and her cheeks coloured with a blush. ‘He looks at you with adoration in his eyes.’
Joanne nodded. ‘He really does. It’s so obvious to see that he’s totally smitten.’
‘I’ve never seen him like this before, ever. He’s so happy,’ Aliya added, pretending to fan her face.
A contended sigh slipped from my lips and I wrapped my arms around myself in a hug as my cheeks started to ache with a smile. ‘I love him so much.’ A ball of excitement grew in my stomach as their words soothed my fears. ‘I’m pretty besotted,’ I admitted.
At that exact moment our girly chat was interrupted by a soft cough and I jumped before turning and finding Khalil leaning against a palm tree a few feet away down the path. ‘You three look as thick as thieves. Should my ears be burning?’
I stepped back from the girls and a guilty blush rushed up my neck. How much of our conversation had he heard? I had no idea. Judging from his knowing look and the smile tweaking the corners of his lips he’d heard me say I was besotted and was quite pleased with my description.
‘Burning ears?’ Aliya asked in confusion. ‘I haven’t heard this before. What does it mean?’
Khalil, Joanne, and I burst out laughing and my shoulders relaxed as I turned to my friend with a grin. ‘If you say your ears are burning it means you suspect someone is talking about you behind your back.’
Aliya nodded slowly as she digested the new turn of phrase.
‘In this case it meant that the three of you looked like you might have been gossiping about me while I was away,’ Khalil added with a mischievous grin as he pushed off from the palm tree and began to stalk towards me.
‘Perhaps we were,’ I whispered in a teasing tone. He smiled at my game and I swear the heat in his eyes seemed to be growing with every step closer he took. My insides began to clench with longing as I waited with bated breath for him to reach my side.
Joanne and Aliya seemed to sense the change in the atmosphere because they suddenly made themselves busy by clearing the table and disappearing inside with the dishes.
Khalil moved behind me and rotated us so that we were staring out over the beautiful view. He gave my shoulders a brief massage, then pulled me back against his chest. ‘I want to thank you, Sara.’
‘What for?’
I felt him shrug lightly. ‘For being you.’ His arms slid around my waist and he pulled me closer. ‘You’re incredible. I feel honoured that you have let me into your life and allowed me to meet your family.’
They were compliments I didn’t feel deserving of. If anything, I was the one who felt honoured. This man could probably pick pretty much any woman in the world and they would fall at his feet, and yet here he was with me firmly tucked into his embrace.
‘And for the record, I am also besotted with you,’ he added in a whisper as his lips lowered into my hair and placed a kiss on my temple. ‘Although I’m sure you already knew that.’
So, he had overheard the tail end of my conversation with the girls. If it caused him to make declarations like this then I suddenly didn’t care that he’d overheard us.
‘In fact, I am a little more than besotted, Sara. I am well and truly head over heels in love.’
‘Bleugh! Get a room you two!’ my sister joked fondly as she came out to collect some more of our plates, and Khalil and I separated on a chuckle.
We were becoming sickeningly romantic in the frequency of our declarations, but I really didn’t care what anyone else thought. I’d loved this man ever since spending that first week with him.
Flashing a wink at my sister, I gave Khalil’s bum a slap as he bent to pick up the salad bowl. I laughed at the shocked look he gave me. ‘Just because you’re a prince doesn’t mean I can’t slap your bum.’ Winking at him, I grinned. ‘And you already know it, but I love you, too, Khalil.’
Epilogue
Six months later
The noise of the crowd before me lulled as they realised the ceremony was about to get under way, and several heads turned to look at me in anticipation. Suddenly my mouth felt absolutely parched and I tried to swallow what felt like a tennis ball caught in my throat.
There had to be over two hundred people gathered here for our wedding, and from the excited hush in the air most of them were now waiting for me to make my way to the altar.
Seeing the Sheik and Shaykhah standing at the front in their royal finery was the last straw and I drew to a complete stop. I wasn’t sure I could do it. My body had all but frozen to the spot, and the simple task of putting one foot in front of the other now seemed impossible.
I felt a reassuring squeeze on my arm. ‘You look so beautiful, love.’
Blinking my gaze away from the crowd, I focused on my dad who was standing beside me, about to walk me down the aisle. ‘Nervous?’ he asked with a supportive smile.
Nodding, I tried to smile, but my face muscles tightened with terror. ‘It’s so packed in here!’
His eyes softened and he tucked my hand into the crook of his elbow. ‘It is, but just don’t look at them. Look at that handsome chap waiting for you at the other end of the aisle.’
Thank God for my dad, bless him, I was so glad to have him here to support me. Drawing in a deep breath, I did as he suggested and focused my gaze to the front of the room where Khalil waited for me.
Our eyes met and his gaze dragged up the length of my body before heating. My own eyes returned the favour and my insides clenched with desire as I took in his wedding outfit. We’d decided to do a combination of styles for our wedding, half western and half Somoran, so I was in a white bridal gown and Khalil was in the traditional wedding outfit of the island; it was a white and gold tunic, form-fitting on the top so that the muscles of his shoulders and chest were clearly defined, and then the material was tied at the waist and flowing to the floor. He could make any outfit look good, but he looked incredible today.
Making eye contact with him helped me to feel stronger and I straightened out my back as I prepared to go to him.
‘Come on, then, let’s not keep t
his prince of yours waiting, eh?’ my dad said cheerily, giving me a little nudge.
Nodding, I drew in a breath and ordered my feet to work. Doing my best to shut out the crowds, I put one in front of the other until I stood beside my future husband.
Dad unlinked our arms and held my hand out to Khalil which he immediately accepted. ‘Take care of my daughter, young man.’ His voice was gruff, but Khalil nodded in response.
‘I shall love and protect her until the day I die.’ His vow was almost enough to make me well up, but I held myself together and gave his hand a squeeze as my dad stepped away to take his seat and I moved closer to Khalil.
I’d always loved reading fairy tales when I was a little girl and dreaming about dragons and knights in suits of armour who would save a princess in distress, and here I was, about to marry my very own prince.
It seemed fairy tales really could come true, and I couldn’t wait to start living mine.
Thank you so much for reading! I really hope you enjoyed the conclusion to Sara and Khalil’s story. If you did, please leave a review on Amazon or Goodreads, they really do mean so much to us authors.
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Alice xx