Chapter 7
Joran watched the pretty woman, intrigued by her reactions. He’d just returned from a secret mission with his team that had lasted several weeks. He and his team had infiltrated an enemy camp located across the border from Lativa in Uftar. He’d gleaned a great deal of useful intelligence, but no one but his team could ever know how much he participated in these missions. Joran knew well that his big brother would “ground” him in the palace if Khal ever found out how often Joran put his life in danger.
But…he didn’t care. Joran couldn’t stand the thought of being stuck in the palace, listening to boring meetings and ridiculous committee suggestions, discussing surveys, and evaluating data. He just couldn’t fathom being stifled, he thought.
Plus, his efforts had given him time to woo a pretty little village lady. She’d been so cute and furious the first time they’d met. Of course, she’d thought he’d been stealing her chicken eggs. He hadn’t bothered to disabuse her of that notion, because the truth might have pissed her off even more.
“I think she’s arrived,” Raj said, interrupting a nice memory of the way that little lady’s fists clenched when she was truly angry. She’d been adorable!
“Who?” Joran asked, blinking as he pushed the woman’s fierce expression from his mind.
“Our newly discovered half-sister?” Raj reminded him, a look of amusement on his face. “Isn’t that the reason you and I came back to the palace?”
“Right!” Joran sighed and looked around. His big brother’s pretty assistant was scowling at them now. Surely, Tasha couldn’t read his mind.
Could she?
The thought had him rushing out of her office before he could think it through, Raj at his heels. There was something about Tasha, a touch of mystery, a silence, or…maybe he just hadn’t taken the time to get to know her. Whatever it was, Joran didn’t have time to figure her out just now. He had to meet and soothe a very sad, very lonely little sister.
A sister. Joran liked the idea of having a sister. Yeah, she was only a half-sister, but that didn’t really matter. And why had Tamia, that bitchy ex-wife of their father, kept the little girl a secret? What had been her plan?
A mystery for another day, Joran told himself. It occurred to him that palace life might be more intriguing than he’d thought growing up. Perhaps he would stick around for a while. Just long enough to figure out what Tasha was hiding and discover why his former step-mother had hidden away a daughter.
Perhaps he should also stick around to help this new half-sister get over her grief. Joran remembered his own mother and how devastated he’d been after her death. When their father passed away as well, it had been Khal who had helped Joran and Raj through the devastation. Khal, always the strong, solid member of their family, had hugged his brothers tightly and told them that they would be fine.
If Joran ever got married, and that was a very big “if” he thought, then Joran wanted to teach his sons to be good brothers, like Khal.
Then something occurred to him. Had he been a good brother in return? Khal shouldered all of the responsibility for running the country on his admittedly broad and capable shoulders. But Khal had looked tired before he’d left the office. Was he working too hard? Did Khal need assistance in…? What area of running a country could Joran offer help with?
Joran dismissed the thought. Khal would ask for help if he’d needed something, wouldn’t he?