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He turned her to face him and waited until she tipped her head back so their gazes met. “It’s not meant to. If nothing else, I want you to enjoy your stay here, to truly come to know the country of your mother’s birth.”
“Will I see you at all?”
“You are seeing me now.”
“That’s not an answer.”
“It’s the best one I can give you.” The glimpse she got in that second of Sayed the man, the very conflicted man, told Liyah she wasn’t the only one struggling with their situation.
“You promised to be my tour guide.”
“And so he shall be.” The queen stood in the open French doors leading to the balcony.
“Mother, could you please give us some privacy?” Sayed asked in a pained tone that would have been funny if Liyah wasn’t feeling so fragile.
More emotions she was doing her best to hide.
“I’ll just call for some tea and wait for it in the sitting room.” Whether it was the queen’s not-so-subtle way of telling her son she wasn’t leaving them entirely alone, or a simple peace offering, Liyah wasn’t up to guessing.
“Aaliyah, please.”
“What?” she asked, searching the depths of Sayed’s brown gaze for something.
Even she couldn’t say exactly what.
“Don’t look like that.”
“Like what?” She was doing her best not to look like anything.
He dropped his forehead against hers, breaking eye contact, but cocooning them in another type of intimacy. “Like you might break.”
“I won’t break.”
“Promise me.”
“I promise.” Though she wasn’t sure she was telling the truth. And she was an honest woman. “I’ll try.”
He made a sound that hurt to hear. “Taking it one day at a time, right?”
“Does that really work?”
“Yes.” His hands cupped both sides of her neck, his thumbs rubbing softly against her skin.
Knowing if she didn’t break contact she was going to say or do something she’d regret, she stepped away. “I suppose it’s a good philosophy but not one I think you exercise very often.”
He took a step toward her and then seemed to think better of it and moved even farther away.
“You would be surprised. No matter how much a planner you are, in the world of politics and running a country there is only so much you can control.” He managed a contained tone, but his hands fisted the wrought-iron railing in front of him with white-knuckled intensity.
“Then you cannot blame yourself for what is beyond that control.” She hoped he took the words as the absolution she meant.
He swallowed, and when he spoke again his tone was a little ragged around the edges. “Cultivating the patience to deal with challenges as they arrive instead of fighting against them is another thing my father taught me was essential.”
They remained there, together but silent, until the queen informed them that the tea had arrived and the king had requested his son join him to finish their discussion.
Seeming unable to help himself, Sayed kissed Liyah on the temple before leaving her suite.
Despite the fact even this small display of affection was not exactly acceptable by Zeena Sahran standards, the queen did not remark on it as she poured Liyah a cup of steaming jasmine tea.
