CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER EIGHT
After meeting with his parents, the two of them walked to what Jasiri explained were his apartments, or his wing of the palace.
They were standing in the middle of what looked like a living room but on an elevated scale, with warm shades of brown, burgundy, and beige creating an inviting feel that almost made you forget the vaulted ceilings or the priceless artwork with African heritage sprinkled throughout.
A long quiet stretched between them, and Reigna wasn’t quite sure how to deal with it. Something had happened in that brief exchange between them in his father’s office, and she didn’t know how to handle it.
The smart thing would’ve been to ignore it and pretend it didn’t happen. But Reigna didn’t build the business she had by ignoring things. She envisioned something she wanted, and she went for it. Yet that tactic didn’t seem quite right when it came to Jasiri. Partly because she was nowhere near ready to admit that she wanted anything from him but his half of Ace’s house.
This was an emotionally taxing day. She’d been overwhelmed by so many different feelings that she couldn’t swear in a court of law exactly what she wanted. At least that’s what her brain was saying. She figured it was a safer option to follow it instead of her heart. Especially when being in the presence of Jasiri’s family was doing strange things to it.
“This is our quarters. Our bedroom is through that door to the back right, the kitchen and dining areas are through the front left, and the balcony is through the back left.”
He pointed back toward the front door that they’d entered.
“The more formal rooms for gathering, cooking, state affairs, and the library are all on the first floor. The private gardens are in the back, along with a personal gym and a swimming pool. Just ask me or any of the staff to show you how to get to whatever until you learn your way around the palace.”
She blinked rapidly at him. She’d heard all he’d said, but her brain kept circling back to one thing.
“I’m sorry,” she said and held up a finger. “Did you say our bedroom , as in we’ll be sharing one?”
“Of course I did.”
He loosened the knot of his tie, then removed his jacket before beckoning her to follow him. She’d hoped to find a large room with two beds that would make this our bedroom thing make sense. But nope, that’s not at all what she found.
A four-poster elevated king-size bed with linen drapes from the overhead canopy tied to each post.
“There have got to be other bedrooms in this palace for me to sleep in.”
“Of course there are,” he replied. His matter-of-factness grated on her nerves just a little bit.
“Jasiri, this is a fake marriage. What happened to ‘I’ve never had a woman in my bed who didn’t want to be there’?”
“That’s true. That will always be true,” he countered. He sat down on the foot bench in front of the bed, laying his jacket and tie on one side of him while he patted the empty space on the other.
She complied, figuring blowing up probably wouldn’t resolve this issue in any way that was conducive to them keeping this fragile peace they seemed to be attempting since she’d met his parents.
“Reigna, there is no such thing as privacy when you’re a member of the royal family. If anyone discovers the true nature of our union, all will be lost. If you and I sleep in separate rooms, the staff will talk. We can’t have that getting out.”
She ran her fingers through her long braids, trying to make sense of what Jasiri was saying to her.
“I thought all you royal types slept in separate beds all the time, like it was some sort of rule.”
He shook his head. “Americans really need to stop using The Crown for their only understanding of royal life.”
She chuckled because that was exactly where she’d gotten that information from.
“The Adebesis are not any other royal family. It may be customary in some royal homes for couples to sleep in separate rooms, but that’s not how it works on Nyeusi. The monarch and his consort are a team, they always present a united front, and they work as one in all things. You must sleep here with me.”
Her deep breath seemed to echo off the high ceiling and the walls of the large room.
“Jasiri, you’re a cuddler. This isn’t going to work.”
“No,” he corrected, “I was a cuddler with you. But if you want me to keep my hands to myself, I promise that won’t be a problem.”
She stood up, pacing a bit to get her thoughts together. Did she think it was a great idea tempting fate by them sleeping in the same bed? No. But they were adults, and she was certain they could make this work.
“You said the monarch and his consort always present a united front. Is that true?”
He simply nodded in response.
“If we’re going to do the same, we have to work on you being honest with me, Jasiri.”
“Reigna,” he said and sighed, “I’ve already told you why I kept you in the dark.”
She held up a hand to stop him. “We’re past all that, Jasiri. While I still don’t agree with how you kept me in the dark throughout or relationship and you negotiating with me in bad faith, I understand why you did what you did. What I want to know is that from now on, you’re going to keep me in the loop from start to finish.”
The pinched furrow of his brow told her he was seriously contemplating her words. Good. If this was going to work, he had to consider her.
“Jasiri, I won’t be ambushed like this ever again. If you want me to be your partner, present this united front you keep talking about, then I expect to be treated as your partner. And as such, I have a couple of demands I’m going to add to our agreement.”
He quirked a brow. “But our agreement has already been made.”
“Nope,” she replied with an over exaggerated shake of her head. “You’re not going to sit here and pretend like contracts aren’t addended or outright renegotiated all the time, especially when one party negotiates in bad faith.”
She had him, and the reluctant way he narrowed his gaze was confirmation of that.
“Fine. What are your new terms?”
“I want to be the last one in the room with you when you make your decisions. You can’t expect me to play my role if I’m kept in the dark. You want me to stay here? To help you stabilize your nation? Then, you do me the courtesy of keeping me aware of everything that’s going on. Otherwise,” she said and pointed to the window, “I’ll be on the first thing smoking out of here and leave you to your own devices.”
She meant every word she’d said. Yes, she’d lose Ace’s house, but in the moment, somehow, she knew this was a stance she had to take. Reigna didn’t do fake. She was either all in or she couldn’t be bothered in the first place. Everything she’d witnessed since she’d landed on this island told her this venture with Jasiri would be no different from the ones she conducted in the boardroom. They were either going to work together or not at all.
She watched his dark brown eyes spark with something like interest. Amusement? Pride? Or maybe some combination of all three. Jasiri had always played his cards close to the vest, and she figured the incongruous look on his face was probably his usual when it came to contract negations.
“You really want to be my queen in the truest sense?”
She sighed deeply, pausing a moment before she replied. “I don’t think there’s any way around it if the scrutiny you’ve said we’ll be under is accurate.”
He stood, extending his hand as he said, “I hope you understand what you’re getting yourself into. I trust you to know your own mind, however. If you want to be my business partner in this venture, then that’s exactly what you’ll be.”
When she accepted his hand and gave it a hardy shake, she attempted to take it back and he held on to it tighter before looking deeply into her eyes saying, “Long live Queen Reigna of the House of Adebesi. Long live the queen.”
* * *
Jasiri stood in the gardens replaying the conversation he’d had with Reigna about being partners. This was the best-case scenario he could’ve hoped for. Reigna bringing her considerable leadership skills to help him settle into his role as king. Then, why did he feel trouble looming just beyond the horizon as he considered what working this closely to Reigna could really mean?
He wanted off this mental roller-coaster, where he couldn’t figure out whether to draw near or run for the nearest exit where Reigna was concerned. No matter how much he wanted to accept her generous offer of partnership, in his head, What happens when she leaves? played over on a never-ending loop that he couldn’t see how to break free from.
Two years. She’d be leaving in two years. That was their agreement. Getting attached would only bring trouble to his feet that neither he nor his people needed. A distracted king was a bad king, and after all he’d sacrificed to ascend to the office, he wasn’t going to do his people the disservice of letting himself lose focus on what was important.
Running from the distraction of her was how he’d ended up standing right where he was in the garden. He’d managed to keep things compartmentalized until he’d walked into their bedroom to grab the laptop he’d left on the nightstand when he’d found her asleep, curled up on one side over the duvet in the large bed looking like she belonged there all along.
This was what he’d wanted when he proposed to her. He’d wanted stolen moments like this where he could forget his title and lose himself in the woman he loved.
How did that work out for you?
His cruel memory letting him grasp his hope in one moment while rubbing the truth of his failed past with this woman in his face in the next was nasty work. It was unnecessarily cruel, while warning him away from danger at the same time to make sure he learned his lesson.
“This is not about what you shared, Jasiri.” He whispered those words so low he barely heard them himself. “It’s about your father and Nyeusi. Nothing more. Nothing less.”
He needed to put distance between himself and Reigna and the conflicting thoughts he was having about her. Jasiri left his apartments, walking toward the steps that would lead to the administrative wing of the palace when he heard a loud voice coming from his father’s office.
He quickly headed in the direction of the noise, tensing when he saw his father’s guards standing at the door poised, ready to move in at the hint of their king’s bidding.
“Your Highness,” they greeted Jasiri but kept their entire focus on the door.
“What’s happening in there?”
“Prince Pili demanded to speak with the king. We tried to keep him away, but the king insisted he’d speak with him.”
Understanding dawned. Only one thing could make Pili this angry, and Jasiri was certain it had nothing to do with the king’s health.
“Contact the guards in my wing, and have someone bring the princess here to me. When she arrives, let her walk directly in.”
If Reigna wanted to be his partner, showtime was about to start now.
He moved beyond the guards and stepped into his father’s office seeing his parents sitting on a high-backed sofa together while his uncle paced back and forth.
“I cannot believe you would allow the prince to do something so dishonest. Anyone with eyes can see he only married this American to be able to ascend to the throne. As beloved as your son is, Omari, he is not ready to rule our great nation.”
“I’m not?” Jasiri asked, his words stopping Pili’s motion dead in his tracks. “Baba, I guess all those civics and comportment classes I’ve endured over the years have been a waste.”
“Nephew,” Pili growled, “show some respect for your elders. This is not a joking matter.”
Oh, did this man annoy the hell out of Jasiri. He always had. He stood more than a head shorter than Jasiri’s six feet two inches. Where Jasiri and his father walked with confidence and treated their countrymen with care, Pili walked through life thinking his royal blood made him special and everyone should bow to him. Unlucky for him, Jasiri had never bought into Pili’s self-indulgent script. Even worse, Jasiri’s father had taught him that a man was only as good as he treated the least of those around them. By that measure, Pili was the worst example of a man and a king that there could be.
“The only joke in this room is you coming here pretending to care about anything other than your place in the line of succession.”
Pili snatched his gaze away from Jasiri and took an angry step toward the king. Jasiri watched closely as his mother crossed her leg and rested one of her hands beneath the crossed leg.
He knew for a fact that as the former general of the King’s Guard, she was never without a weapon or a means to defend herself or those she loved.
As if on cue, his mother said, “Make that the last step you take toward your king, Pili. I wouldn’t want to see you hurt.” Pili instantly stepped back, to Jasiri’s relief. He wasn’t worried in the slightest for his mother’s or father’s safety. Hell, he wasn’t even worried for his own. It was mandatory that senior members of the royal family all mastered self-defensive arts. History had taught them all too well what happened when royals thought they were safe.
Jasiri’s only concern about this moment escalating was the blasted paperwork he’d have to fill out as a witness to treason against the crown.
He pinched the bridge of his nose to bring his mind back to focus. He would be king soon. Annoyance or threat, he would have to deal with Pili sooner or later. No need in delaying the future.
“Prince Pili,” Jasiri called his name with the authority of a king. He wanted this man to know he wasn’t speaking to his nephew, he was speaking to the imminent ruler of Nyeusi. “Your concern has been noted.”
“Are you dismissing me?” Pili’s face contorted into a twisted frown, as if the idea that Jasiri was exerting authority over him physically pained the man.
“Yes, I am. You’ve voiced your opinion regarding my ascension. What more is there to say?”
Jasiri was about to walk away until Pili said, “You married an outsider.” His words were like sharp rocks against delicate skin. The idea of anyone putting Reigna in a box of any kind made his blood boil.
“You would be wise to mind your words, Prince Pili.”
“You heard what I said, Jasiri. You married an outsider. You didn’t even have the decency to choose a spouse born of Nyeusian blood. She’s one of the Lost Tribe, for God’s sake. What were you thinking?”
Jasiri’s body tensed, and he had to fight to remember that he was beyond reducing himself to a simple brawl because he wanted to snatch his uncle’s disrespectful lips from his face. Before he could restrain his anger enough to be certain his reply would be verbal and not a clenched fist to the jaw, the familiar sound of Reigna’s voice filled the room.
“The Lost Tribe?” she questioned with raised brows as she entered. “What exactly does that mean, and how did I end up joining it?”
All eyes focused on Reigna’s form. She was dressed in what could only be called as a power suit. The red material pulled over her curves just the right way while the vibrant color and high bun she’d twisted her braids into on the top of her head let everyone know this woman hadn’t come to play. If there was any doubt in that, the self-assured way she carried herself in those impossibly high stiletto heels said it all. She never put a step out of place and if you wanted to tussle with her, you’d better come prepared.