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7
SLEEP, LITTLE ONE, SAVE your energy.
As if.
Thoughts of his parting remarks swirled through her mind all night. The bed smelled of him. Her body ached in a delicious, addictive way so that every movement reminded Ella of his hands on her flesh, Elon’s hardness and strength. When she wasn’t thinking about the way he’d pleasured her, Ella’s mind was ticking over the whirlwind of the last twenty four hours and the fact she was about to be transformed from ‘the Illegitimate Princess’ to Emira of this powerful country.
She’d barely got to grips with life in Mosar, though her brother had instituted a sort of immersion training, sending Ella to a kind of ‘royalty school’ in the form of tutors who came each morning to educate her in the ways of the country, governance, diplomacy and the history of the region. Courtesy of that, she didn’t feel so completely panicked by the idea of serving as a Queen to these people.
She’d fought against the idea of marriage to Elon but somehow that had changed, and so quickly.
Heat flushed her body as she pinpointed exactly what had changed.
Sex.
The feeling of euphoria that came from being touched and kissed by him, by being made love to by him. She felt a rush of giddy, overpowering pleasure but there was worry there too. Worry about how out of her depth she was with him. Worry about what would happen when his sexual interest in her waned – as surely it must. Why else would a man like him still be single? Worry about what she’d do in a loveless marriage with a husband who was no longer interested in her.
She tossed and turned, but sleep continued to evade Ella and a future with so many unanswered questions haunted her. The sun rose over Salim early, and she gave up on even trying to sleep, pushing the covers back and moving to the window. Her eyes found the mountain range, her heart thundering at the significance of Elon’s cabin there. The sun rose and she tried to focus on this one day in time – not the thousands that would follow and what they might bring.
“You look exhausted.”
She blinked up at his voice, his intrusion completely unexpected, her body’s response predictable as heat flushed her cheeks and her nerve endings reverberated at a desperate frequency.
She’d spent the morning meeting people. Women. Wives of senior government officials, and some who occupied senior positions themselves. And most importantly, his sister. Luna Katabi. As beautiful as she was insightful, Ella had found their interaction particularly draining, because Luna had been operating under the assumption that theirs was a love match. Despite the fact their countries had been embroiled in hostilities for a lifetime, Luna had made an effort to set those aside, and Ella had been glad. In another universe, she imagined the two of them might have become friends.
Ella’s understanding of Arabic was good, but maintaining conversations for several long hours in a row had zapped her of the little energy she had remaining. She’d been enjoying a quiet ten minutes to herself, staring vacantly at a fascinating sculpture across the elegant courtyard, mesmerised by the slow fall of water from its top, soothed by the gentle noise and the opportunity to avoid conversation for a time.
But the appearance of Elon was instantly energising. She stood, pressing her palms to the side of her pale pink dress, fixing him with what she hoped would pass for a cool smile.
“Do I?”
“Yes.”
“How…flattering.”
He put a hand beneath her elbow, guiding her away from the courtyard, a frown on his lips. “You should not sit out in this sun so long. Your skin will burn.”
She blinked up at him. “There are umbrellas. Fans. People constantly offering me sorbet and water. I’m fine.”
His look showed that he was unconvinced.
“I didn’t sleep much last night,” she blurted out, self-consciously. “If I look tired, that’s why.”
The courtyard was to the side of the palace. Large double doors opened out onto the space. He guided her through them now, and the drop in temperature was a blessed relief, despite her assurances regarding the sun protection in the courtyard.
“Didn’t I tell you to rest?”
The question shot barbs of need through her. “I presumed you organised my day’s schedule,” she pointed out. “I sure as heck didn’t.”
He frowned. “I thought you’d enjoy meeting some people. These are women you will see often at events.” He ran his thumb over the dark flesh beneath her eyes, watching her intently.
“That was thoughtful of you.”
Silence stretched between them, her eyes locked to his, her pulse in overdrive.
“You should rest now.”
Her smile was wistful. “My day’s far from over. I’m just taking a short break before the next drove of would-be friends arrives.”
