Chapter 20
Chapter Twenty
KAMARAN
Kamaran paced the dais floor in front of his throne, nervously checking the door every few seconds for the first sign of his chief Vizier.
The movement caused his side to ache, but sitting on his father’s throne—his throne now, really, though he wasn’t sure he would ever get used to thinking of it that way—was just as uncomfortable.
“Your Majesty, would you like to pet Spot?”
He looked up, surprised and yet not at all to find Jasper standing at attention against one of the pillars of white marble that lined both sides of the room. His tiger lounged on the floor just behind his feet. “What?”
“You look more worried than a wet sand cat. I’ve heard that petting animals can help reduce stress, and Spot’s fur is very soft and luxurious. You can also feel it all the way up your arm when he purrs, which I find pretty relaxing.”
Spot yawned, revealing his long, sharp fangs and looking the opposite of relaxing.
Kamaran chuckled, feeling a bit of his tension ease at the unexpected gesture. “I think I’ll pass for now, but thank you for the kind offer.”
“Your Majesty, I apologize for keeping you waiting.” Zamar’s voice from the other side of the room drew his attention. He turned around as the vizier approached quickly, his footsteps echoing on the hard mosaic floor. “How can I be of assistance?”
“The announcement this afternoon for the Queen’s Contest,” Kamaran cut right to the point. “Is Rana going to be eliminated?”
Zamar’s eyebrows rose, causing a dozen new wrinkles to appear on his forehead. “Do you want her to be?”
“No!” he answered quickly, shoving a hand through his hair. “I don’t. That’s just it. I want to know whether she’s going to make it to the last round.”
“You do realize that I can’t change the results, right?”
“I don’t need you to change them if she’s moving on.” Kamaran blew out a long breath as he hooked both hands behind his neck. “I just…I need her to win.”
The vizier silently watched him for a minute, then said, “That’s not up to me, Your Majesty.”
“You’re part of the judging committee. Surely, if you tell them that I’ve made a choice—”
“The rules of the Contest allow for a committee overrule if it’s in the country’s best interest.”
Kamaran threw his hands up in exasperation.
“Rana is in the country’s best interest. For one, she’s the most intelligent, compassionate, genuine woman I have ever met.
She’s level-headed, she works hard, and she’s not afraid to tell me when she thinks I’m wrong—a trait I assume the judges would appreciate. ”
Zamar smiled softly. “You love her.”
It was a statement, not a question, and as soon as it was spoken Kamaran knew it was useless to deny it.
“I do,” he breathed, his body going still for the first time since their conversation began.
“I love her. She sees me in ways that no one but my father has even tried. I…” he faltered for a moment, fighting with the fear of what his next admission would bring, but knowing that his argument was stronger by laying all his cards on the table.
“I can’t read, Zamar. At least, not well.
And do you know what she said?” He let out a watery laugh as tears gathered in the corners of his eyes at the memory.
“She said it was a good thing that I had staff around that I could ask to read for me. That was it. She didn’t laugh at me or shame me.
She didn’t treat me as if I were somehow less intelligent. She just…accepted it.”
He drew a shuddering breath and held it, waiting to see how the vizier would take the news. Zamar looked at him thoughtfully, his face a careful mask. “You’ve had oversight of the trade routes for years.”
Kamaran exhaled. It was not the answer he had expected, but he could see where the confusion might stem from. “Maps and drawings make sense. Trade routes are just lines, and it’s easy to see how one thing affects another and—”
Zamar held up a hand, cutting him off. “What I meant, Your Majesty, was that you’ve had oversight of the trade routes for years, and our economy has only grown.
No one can deny that you have an intelligent mind, however differently it works.
I’m thankful you’ve found someone who can recognize that, and I’m encouraged that she seems to have given you the confidence you need to give your duties the attention they deserve.
” He sighed heavily, sparing a glance at Jasper.
“With that being said, I’m not the only one you’re going to have to convince of Rana’s suitability. ”
“Of course.” He nodded swiftly. “I can make my case to the judges. Between her performance in the challenges and my preference, surely they’ll see that she’s the right choice.”
The vizier cleared his throat. “It may not be quite as easy as you think. Rana never took part.”
“What?” Shock and confusion made Kamaran’s knees feel suddenly weak. “What do you mean?”
“Do you remember when I suggested that you find a seamstress to have on hand for the contestants?”
The truth hit him with excruciating clarity, and yet he still fought against it, as if he could change reality by sheer force of will. “I hired Dan. It was petty, but it was the only bit of power I could wield in the situation.”
“And, being a tailor, he sent the excellent seamstress he has on staff instead.”
Kamaran slowly sank until he was perched on the edge of the throne. “You knew this whole time? Why didn’t you say anything?”
“At first, I assumed you knew. Then, when it became clear that she was catching your interest, I wanted to see how it would play out.”
“So all this time that I’ve been falling for her—all this time I’ve had the illusion of choice—she was never an option?”
“I wouldn’t say that.” Zamar, to his credit, wore a look of keen regret on his face.
“She comes from an eligible family. Her grandfather served as vizier with me many years ago. In fact, had she submitted her name in the first round, it’s more than likely she would have secured a spot in the contest.”
“But she didn’t,” Kamaran said flatly.
“She didn’t,” Zamar confirmed. “As I said, Your Majesty, you’ll have to convince the council of judges. However, given her family credentials and the fact that she has—albeit rather tangentially—taken part in the Contest, I think there is hope.”
He shook his head slowly. His mind felt strange, as if he were watching everything from the outside, and his stomach rolled like he was going to be sick. “She didn’t submit her name. She never intended to marry me.”
“Maybe not at first,” Jasper volunteered from his corner. “But she’s never shared her Adhavian Delight with anyone before.”
Zamar’s hand landed on his shoulder. “Wait until the announcement is over, then speak to Rana. I’ll support whatever decision you make.”
Kamaran watched with numb detachment as the judges announced Nour’s exit from the competition, moving Yasmin and Aliyah into the final round.
Somehow, he managed to stand and wave, smiling through a mask of calm indifference.
When he had performed his role to completion, he quietly made his way to the doors, escaping the excited crowd as quickly as he could.
For them, the next week would be full of anticipation as they wondered and debated over who would be their queen.
For him, he could very well be marching to a slow, painful death.
He barged into Rana’s sitting room, not bothering to stop and knock against the doorframe. “You’re a seamstress,” he blurted as his greeting.
She looked up from her spot on the divan with an amused grin. “You’re a Sultan. Good afternoon to you, too.” Rana’s eyes took him in appreciatively. “You look nice.”
He wanted to bask in that look, to let it mean possibly more than it did, but he pushed it aside. “You didn’t tell me you were a seamstress.”
Her grin slowly morphed into a frown of confusion. “I assumed you knew. You hired me, after all.”
“I hired Dan.”
“Who passed the assignment on to me.”
He tugged at the ends of his hair. “You said you were here for the contest!”
“Because I am. Again: you hired me.”
“I didn’t actually look at the contracts. Why would I, when I can’t read them? I just heard that Zamar had the situation taken care of and left it at that.”
“What did you think I was doing here?” Rana’s eyes widened with sudden understanding. “You thought I was a contestant, didn’t you?” She laughed humorlessly. “Because of course there can be no explanation for a woman to be in your palace if not to throw herself at you.”
Kamaran winced at her barbed attack and let his hands fall dejectedly to his sides. He closed his eyes. “I’m so stupid.”
“You’re not, Kamaran.” Rana’s soft voice came from much closer than she had been before, and he opened his eyes to find her standing right in front of him.
She squeezed his arm. “That was unkind of me to say, and I’m sorry.
Sometimes I overreact and say the first thing that comes to mind, no matter whether it’s true or not. ”
She led him by the arm over to the divan and gently pulled him down next to her. “I think it’s safe to say we both made a lot of assumptions.”
He let out a long, shaky exhale as he stared at his feet. “Yeah.”
Neither said anything for a moment. He could feel her nervous energy through the hand that was still attached to his arm, and he took some comfort in the fact that she hadn’t pulled away completely.
“If it makes you feel better, I do regret not submitting my name.”
His eyes flew to her face. “What?”
“But as it is, I think it’s best if I leave as soon as the dresses for the ball are finished.”
Rana started to pull her hand away, and he grabbed it, holding it in place. “Why?” It was impossible to keep the panic from his voice.
I can’t lose her, too. I can’t.
“Because whatever was between us was all based on your part on the fact that you thought I was here for the contest. But I’m not, and you’re going to be choosing a wife.
” Her voice cracked as she barked the words out with a slightly hysterical laugh.
“And I tried to tell myself I could be fine with it, but there’s no way now I can just stand by and watch that and pretend—”
Whatever she said next was muffled as Kamaran threw his arms around her shoulders and pulled her to him in a crushing hug.
He pressed his forehead into her hair, breathing in the honey and lavender scent.
“Please don’t leave me, Rana,” he whispered.
“I’ll talk to the council of judges. I’ll plead, I’ll beg, I’ll get on my knees if I have to. ”
She pulled away just far enough that he could see her face, and the warm affection shining in her eyes nearly did him in. “I don’t know that it will come to that. You are the Sultan, aren’t you?”
He gently brushed the hair out of her eyes.
“Yes, and it’s a lot less convenient than you might think, especially when tradition is involved.
But I will use every ounce of power I have to ensure that it’s you standing next to me at the end.
” He hesitated, second-guessing himself. “That is…if that’s what you want?”
Rana nodded, sliding her arms around his chest and resting her chin against his sternum. “It is. It may not have been at first, but there’s no way I’m going to let you go now.”
Kamaran tightened his hold around her as he closed his eyes and pressed a kiss to her temple. He gave himself a few moments to hold her, then pulled away. He stood.
“Where are you going?”
He swiftly kissed her cheek. “I have work to do. Will you do me a favor?”
She nodded. “Anything.”
“Tell Jasper I need him.”