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It wouldn't last long. People would see though the charade. The whole thing was completely unacceptable.
No. It was better that he keep his promise to her. That he should let her go back to Zahram.
As she stretched out in the water, she began to wonder just how she was going to make him do that.
CHAPTER FIVE
Later that afternoon, Kadeem was called to speak with his father, Zaeed. Even before he received the instruction from one of the servants, Kadeem knew something was wrong. He'd passed his father on the hallway as he and Eliana's father, Azem, had been returning from their time out in the desert with the horses. His father had given Kadeem a stern look. Kadeem had wondered if his father and Eliana's father had been discussing the situation with himself and Eliana. Judging by the expression on both mens' faces, obviously they had, Kadeem had concluded.
His father had a private chamber on the north side of the palace. Kadeem knocked on the door and received an imperious instruction to enter.
Upon entering the luxuriously appointed office, Kadeem saw Zaeed seated, as usual, behind his large desk. He was attending to papers and didn't even look up as Kadeem entered. Kadeem took a seat opposite his father and waited a few moments. Kadeem glanced around the room, taking in the sight of the ceiling to floor bookshelves. His father was a well-read man.
Finally, Zaeed placed his pen down and looked at Kadeem. The darkness in his father's gaze confirmed Kadeem's suspicions. Zaeed stroked his silvery beard for a moment and examined Kadeem. His father and he had already disagreed about some of the aspects of Kadeem's supposed courtship of the princess from Zahram. Apparently, Kadeem's conduct had been noted by observers and reported back to his father. Kadeem wondered just what his father had heard. Probably not good things, he assumed.
His father didn't waste any time coming to the point. "Why did the princess leave so early today?" he asked. His father's deep voice echoed around the room, filling the space with its rich, resonant tones.
"She wanted to go back to the embassy," Kadeem explained with a shrug.
Zaeed's brows furrowed. "Wasn't she supposed to spend the day here." He lifted a brow. "With you?" he added with a clearly acid tone of his voice.
Kadeem felt a sinking feeling in his middle. So that was how this was going to be, he told himself.
Kadeem leaned back against the seat. "What's this about, father?"
Zaeed leaned his elbows against the surface of the table and peered at Kadeem. "I was talking with the princess' father today. And it seems he isn't impressed with your conduct toward his daughter. He has heard things he doesn't like."
Kadeem didn't react immediately, mainly because he wasn't in the least surprised by Zaeed's revelation. He already suspected that Eliana's father didn't approve of him. "In what way have I fallen short of expectations?" Kadeem asked casually.
Zaeed sighed. "It appears you and the princess haven't been seeing eye to eye on things. In fact, on anything at all," Zaeed said. "He's heard reports about you two having disagreements. And, he says you've haven't exactly been treating the princess with the respect he feels she deserves. Is this true?"
Kadeem suppressed a smile. "Is he accusing me a being a bad boy?" Kadeem asked sarcastically.
His father's brows furrowed into deep ridges. "This is no laughing matter, Kadeem. If what the King says is true, you have brought dishonor to our family. You know that, don't you?"
Kadeem ignored that last remark. He knew it wasn't true. If anything, the fact that he'd even agreed to even consider this attempt to marry him off to a princess proved that he took his family's reputation seriously. The fact that Eliana filled his thoughts for every waking moment was something Kadeem certainly wasn't willing to share with his father. Not now at least. There were other things to consider before he'd do that.
"It seems the king has spies everywhere," Kadeem observed.
Zaeed scowled. "He merely wishes to ensure his daughter's safety. Is that so hard for you to understand?"
Kadeem waved a dismissive hand. "I wasn't aware that she was ever in any danger while she was with me."
"Of course she wasn't," Zaeed said. "We have made sure that you and the princess were never in any jeopardy. The last thing we want is a diplomatic incident on our own doorstep."
"That's good to hear," Kadeem said jokingly.
Zaeed narrowed his eyes at Kadeem. This kind of sparring was perfectly normal for father and son. Kadeem's father had always been hard on him. Kadeem had always supposed it was because Zaeed wanted Kadeem to grow up to take his responsibilities seriously. To respect the traditions of the royal line.
And, of course, Kadeem had rebelled. With every ounce of strength in his body. Just like every one of his friends. Like every young sheikh he knew in the kingdom. His generation wasn't like that of his father.
"May I remind you of what is at stake here, Kadeem," Zaeed said.
Kadeem peered at his father. "I know you're anxious that this attempt at arranging matrimony for me should turn out well. But, did it ever occur to you that I might not wish to marry?"
Zaeed's eyes widened in apparent disbelief. "You realize how old you are, Kadeem," he stated. "When I was your age I was already married to your mother."
"Times are different now, father," Kadeem said. This was a familiar conversation. One that he and his father had had on many occasions. And, like always, it didn't look like it was going to turn out well for either of them. These days, Zaeed and Kadeem barely agreed on anything.
