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Then the moment passed, and the elder was smiling at Qazim and Grace. With a gentle lifting of his head, the elder made it clear that the final thing could be done.
With that, Qazim turned, placing a hand around Grace's back. He guided her around to face the gathered family members, all of whom were wide-eyed and expectant.
Then Qazim and Grace faced them, with Zarif still clutched carefully in his mother's arms. From behind him, Qazim heard the elder speak loud and clear. The words were final and the ceremony was complete.
All at once, the gathered group broke into spontaneous applause. Qazim led Grace and Zarif forward. His parents came to them, broad smiles on their faces.
Qazim's father looked down at Zarif and spoke words in Qazhar. Words of welcome and words of devotion.
Qazim's mother went to Grace and hugged her. "Congratulations," she said to Grace.
Grace smiled. "Thank you," she replied. She glanced down at Zarif. "It's really all about him, though," she said.
His two brothers came to them, giving Qazim and Grace their heartiest congratulations.
It seemed as if everyone had something to say to the happy couple and everyone wanted to give their blessing to Zarif. Qazim had never felt such joy and happiness. Truly, having a family like this was a blessing, he told himself.
Grace's eyes were bright throughout the time it took for every family member to give her their congratulations.
And then it was time to head back into the palace building, and into the cool of the rooms there.
Qazim led Grace back to the palace. They were followed by most of the guests. Some of them remained in the garden where drinks were to be served beneath the canopy.
Everything had gone exactly to plan, Qazim told himself. This was the first of many steps which Zarif would take in his long journey as a son of the Al Shirah family.
The indoor reception had been arranged inside one of the largest rooms in the palace. The room had high ceilings, white-panelled walls, elegant furnishings and strategically placed ceiling fans which cooled the air in the room. A long table had been laid out, on which had been laid a modest selection of traditional Qazhar dishes and drinks.
Qazim stayed close to Grace and Zarif throughout the next hour or so. Grace shared the holding of the baby with Anya. That gave Qazim precious time with Grace. They mingled and chatted with family members, some of whom Qazim saw only once or twice a year. They were all generous in their praise of Zarif.
Qazim took a simple pleasure in watching how well Grace fitted in with the extended family. He knew that she and Becca had become very close this past year. He was sure that Becca had given Grace tips on how to fit in to the life in Qazhar.
Once or twice, Grace caught Qazim looking at her appreciatively. Each time she gave him a look that was both challenging and obviously indicated that she was pleased with his attention. It wasn't too much hard work to portray their relationship as one which was close. They both knew the truth, though.
Qazim wondered how much of that truth had become known to others. Staff in the palace would know that he and Grace led separate lives. They knew about the separate bedrooms.
The sleeping arrangement.
That couldn't be hidden from anyone. But the staff were loyal. Some had been with the Al Shirah family for years. Maybe the staff thought the way Qazim and Grace lived was perfectly normal for a sheikh as rich and powerful as Qazim. Perhaps it was exactly what they expected.
What would the other family members think, though? Would they approve of the reality of this marriage?
Their marriage of convenience.
He didn't want to think about what the next few months might bring. But he forced himself, anyway.
It would come down to this.
Grace would either remain with Qazim, or she would demand some other kind of arrangement. One that might mean she wouldn't stay with him in the palace. One that might even mean she would want to leave Qazhar.
They'd talked before about this anniversary. For some couples, their first anniversary would be about a celebration of their first complete year together.
But not for Qazim and Grace.
No. They always had to do things differently, he told himself.
It pained Qazim to even think about it as he stood next to Grace, trying to force himself to smile at his guests as if everything on the world was simply perfect.
Qazim and Grace had agreed that their first anniversary would be the point at which she would tell him what she wanted to do. Where she wanted to go. Whether she would even want to be with Qazim.
