Chapter 1
The sound of hooves approaching on the stone roadway drew the sisters to the balcony. They rarely received visitors, and they were all keen for a glimpse of the Crown Prince of Gruisea.
‘Which one is he?’ Lilah asked, looking between the faces of the men, now visible.
Aisha was also having difficulty distinguishing the young royal from his guards. They were all dressed in the same cream thobes with matching headscarves. It seemed they weren’t taking any chances with the holy warriors along the borders, who were now roaming the city as though it belonged to them.
‘I think that’s him on the left,’ Yasmin said over the top of her cat’s head. Her other cat sat beside her foot like a guard dog.
Aisha narrowed her gaze. ‘How do you know?’
‘Because he looks the most miserable.’
Aisha pinched her.
‘Ow.’
‘It’s true,’ Safiya said behind them, arms crossed and feigning disinterest. ‘Everyone knows Gruisea’s royal family is the dullest in the empire.
’ She was against the plan to place Lilah in his path.
If she had her way, none of them would ever leave Khorasan Palace.
But that wasn’t the world they lived in.
An unwed princess in the Slevaborg empire was a wasted opportunity.
Smart alliances were the only path to survival.
Even King Hamza of Gruisea knew that. It was why he wed his only daughter to the Crown Prince of Kuzebet the day she had come of age.
Prince Tariq had not risked crossing the sea and entering Avanid for a few pleasantries and a cup of tea. Trade was the word being passed around court. The Emperor had Gruisea’s limestone mines in a chokehold. But there was a second reason he had come in person.
The prince was on the hunt for a future queen.
Aisha snuck a glance at Lilah, who was peering over the guardrail. She was everything one could want in a queen: smart, graceful, loyal, charismatic, intuitive. And her beauty would bring any man to his knees. She was the ultimate bait for any prince.
‘Is he here?’ Omar shouted as he leapt out onto the balcony.
Safiya caught him mid-leap. ‘If Zara sees you running on the balcony’—she wrestled him into a secure hold—‘she’ll blame us.’
Being the eldest, Zara was burdened with the responsibility of worrying about everyone in the family. She had only been eleven when she took on the role of mother to five children. Plus, she had to look out for the current king while protecting the future king.
Zara was the closest thing Avanid had to a queen.
‘I can climb down from here,’ Omar said, looking up at Safiya. ‘I’ve done it before.’
Safiya clamped a hand over his mouth in response.
He was twelve years old with five older sisters. Some boys might call that hell, but Omar enjoyed being the youngest and the only boy. He wasn’t fussed about the king part—yet.
The prince had been the queen’s parting gift to Avanid before her execution.
Five daughters, three miscarriages, and a stillborn son whom she had held for two days.
Then Omar arrived—early, true to his character.
Healthy despite his small size. He only got a year with her and no memories to show for it.
‘Back from the guardrail, all of you,’ Zara said as she stepped out onto the balcony. Her gaze went from Omar to Safiya. ‘Will you let him breathe, please?’
Safiya’s hand remained in place. ‘He can breathe just fine through his nose.’
Shaking her head, Zara continued forwards to get a look at the prince—since no one was moving back as instructed. Yasmin made room for her, and Omar pulled free of Safiya’s grip, pushing between them.
‘Which one is he?’ Zara asked.
Lilah wrapped her arms around Omar. ‘They’re all dressed the same, so we don’t know.’
One of the men chose that moment to look up in their direction, spotting them all on the balcony. Everyone took a fast step back—except Aisha, who held his gaze despite the nervous pounding of her heart. That was him, the prince. Somehow, she just knew it.
‘In the middle,’ she said.
They all took a step forwards, Lilah at the front.
‘How do you know?’ she asked.
Aisha didn’t have an answer. Her mother’s strong intuition, perhaps.
Safiya made a face. ‘Hope your children get your nose.’
‘Ignore her,’ Aisha said. ‘You can’t even see his nose because it’s covered.’
Zara leaned forwards and whispered, ‘Keep your voices down. If he hears you, it will be a long wait for the next prince to arrive.’
Aisha took Lilah’s hand.
‘Down to the courtyard,’ Zara instructed, adjusting the silk folds of her skirt. ‘All of you. Make sure you’re there to greet our guests.’ She ran a hand over her hair to smooth it despite not one strand being out of place. ‘I’ll get Baba.’ With that, she left the balcony.
Safiya ushered Omar, and Yasmin set the cat down and followed.
When Lilah went to move, Aisha held her in place.
‘I’m fine,’ Lilah said, sounding defensive.
Aisha searched her sister’s eyes. She was afraid. Of course she was. ‘Trust yourself when you meet him.’
Lilah offered a reassuring smile. ‘It doesn’t matter what I think. It matters what he thinks.’
The words struck Aisha like a knife. ‘Don’t say that.’
‘It’s true.’ She squeezed Aisha’s hand. ‘We need this.’
Her beautiful sister, with all her beautiful human parts, reduced to an asset for trade.
‘I’ll remain at your side the whole time. Fill every awkward silence. Ensure the light is hitting you at just the right angle. Whatever you want.’
Lilah laughed. ‘I appreciate that.’
Looping her arm through her sister’s, they went inside.
He was taller than Aisha had expected. A full head above Safiya. His watchful guards stood back, but within hearing range. As the women approached, his gaze met Aisha’s for the second time before shifting to Lilah.
‘May I present my sisters, Lilah and Aisha,’ Safiya said, gesturing to each in turn.
He bowed, which was unnecessary, but it gave Aisha a moment to get a proper look at him.
Even fully covered, she could see the outlines of a strong body.
This wasn’t a man who sat idle. The only visible parts were his hands.
Veins traced the backs of them like desert rivers.
When he straightened, she noticed his eyes were moss green up close, ringed with bright gold.
The shadow of stubble gave him a rugged edge.
‘This is Prince Tariq,’ Safiya said, in case it wasn’t clear to anyone.
‘Welcome to Khorasan Palace, Your Highness.’ Lilah wasted no time. ‘How was the journey here?’
His eyebrows knitted together. ‘Challenging.’ He looked at Aisha, whose turn it was to say something. Instead, Omar beat her to it.
‘Is it true that if I were born in Gruisea, I would already be considered a man?’
Tariq assessed him. ‘That depends on how old you are.’
‘Twelve.’
The corners of Tariq’s eyes creased. ‘Not quite.’
‘At what age can a man marry?’
‘Certainly not at twelve.’
Aisha placed a hand on Omar’s shoulder, silencing him. ‘I understand this is your first time in Avanid. What are your thoughts so far?’
When he looked at her, it was like staring into a rich forest.
‘It appears to be a very well-organised kingdom,’ he replied.
Clearly, he was trying to be polite.
‘I hear the scenery in Gruisea is breathtaking,’ Lilah said.
‘It’s a little more rugged than Avanid.’
‘I can’t even remember the scenery outside,’ Yasmin said, looking off in the direction of the wall.
An awkward silence followed.
Aisha cleared her throat. ‘Shall we head to the garden and see if the king has arrived yet?’
Tariq gestured for them to lead the way, but Lilah walked at his side while the others walked behind them, watching. His party of guards followed at a distance.
‘How long have holy warriors been posted inside your borders?’ Tariq asked Lilah.
She kept her eyes on the ground in front of her. ‘Almost a year now. What remained of our army moved inside the walls.’
He looked around. ‘I see.’
Lilah went for a subject change. ‘Do you sail often?’
Aisha pretended she wasn’t listening to every word exchanged.
‘It’s enjoyable when the seas are calm,’ he said.
‘And when they’re not?’
A frown settled on his face. ‘Less enjoyable.’
Zara and their father appeared ahead, Zara’s emerald dress trailing behind her as she walked. The king walked with a slight limp, a symptom of his sedentary life. He left his quarters only when forced.
Tariq stopped before King Bilal, bowing. ‘Your Majesty.’
‘Your Highness,’ Bilal said, finding a shaky smile for their visitor. ‘Welcome.’
‘Thank you.’
Bilal looked around at his family. ‘I see you have already met everyone.’ He gestured to Zara. ‘This is my eldest, Zara.’
‘Welcome to Khorasan Palace, Your Highness,’ Zara said, bowing her head. ‘How wonderful that we were finally able to make this meeting happen.’
He responded with a polite nod.
‘Come,’ Bilal said. ‘Sit. Rest.’
They all made their way over to the table where a servant was laying the last of the refreshments. The autumn breeze was a refreshing change from the scorching summer heat that had lingered for far too long.
‘Yasmin, why don’t you take Omar for a walk?’ Zara suggested.
The youngest siblings excused themselves and wandered away.
Everyone else took a seat, Lilah next to the prince. Zara poured some tea.
‘Thank you,’ Tariq said.
The king discreetly wiped his already sweaty hands on his robe. ‘And how is your father?’
Tariq drank before answering. ‘He’s well, thank you, and sends his respects.’
‘Good, good.’
Tariq cleared his throat. ‘I hope you don’t think me rude for getting to the point of my business,’ he said, shifting in his chair, ‘but our ship isn’t safe in your port, as you know.’
Bilal’s face reddened at that. ‘I understand. Please, go ahead.’
‘As you’re likely aware,’ Tariq began, ‘we have the largest supply of limestone in the empire. I’m currently trying to gauge demand.’
Zara frowned. ‘Gruisea has been exporting all over the empire for decades. How’s it possible that you don’t have that information?’