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Didn't everyone notice how cold things were between her and Kadeem? Wasn't it obvious?
Kadeem looked at Eliana. "Where's your father?" he asked. "I thought he'd be here."
"He and your father went out riding," Eliana explained.
Kadeem had been to the palace to greet Eliana's parents when they'd arrived the day before. The first meeting between Eliana's father, King Azem, and Kadeem hadn't gone that well. That was putting it mildly.
She didn't want to tell Kadeem that her father had waited for Kadeem this afternoon, but had left earlier, impatient that Kadeem's arrival had been delayed. Eliana's mother had tried to persuade her father to stay, but he had refused to remain any longer.
Eliana saw her mother and Nalini exchange a knowing glance. "He'll be back soon, Kadeem," Gretchen explained. "He gets restless from time to time," she added with a reassuring smile.
Kadeem nodded, but Eliana could tell he hadn't found the explanation all that convincing. There had been a coldness in the initial meeting between Kadeem and Eliana's father. Eliana knew that her father only had her best interests at heart. He and Kadeem had shaken hands on the palace steps. Azem had fixed Kadeem with a penetrating look. The kind Eliana had seen many times before. Apparently, her fatherhadn't been entirely convinced by what he'd seen in Kadeem's face.
And Kadeem had known it. Immediately. He'd tried and failed to ingratiate himself with Azem, but the damage had been done. In an instant.
There was little which could fool her father. Eliana knew that her father was a man who had the ability to assess people within seconds. His experience as ruler of Zahram had given him many opportunities to learn when someone was sincere in their intentions. And, it seemed he had come, very quickly, to an unfavorable conclusion about Kadeem.
That was another reason why Eliana felt that the time had come to put an end to her and Kadeem's arrangement. The last thing she wanted to do was cause any distress to her parents. Her father's apparent disapproval of Kadeem had given Eliana courage to take the situation into her own hands.
"What are you two planning to do today?" Nalini asked.
Eliana glanced at Kadeem. "I don't know. We've seen just about everything Qazhar has to offer over the last few weeks," she stated, looking at Kadeem. "Haven't we?"
Kadeem shook his head and laughed. "It would take you a lifetime to get to know my country," he replied. "There is much that you still haven't seen, Eliana."
His tone of voice was indifferent. As if she was a tourist in his country.
Determined not to be outdone, Eliana replied: "As it would take you more than a lifetime, Kadeem, to get to know the delights of my own country," she said, matching his tone of voice.
Gretchen laughed. "Perhaps you will get a chance to see Zahram for yourself, Kadeem."
"I have visited it before," he replied.
"You have?" Eliana asked sharply. He hadn't told her that. "When?"
He shrugged. "A few years ago. I was there visiting a friend."
"And what did you think of our fair country?" Gretchen asked.
He hesitated. Finally he said: "It was fascinating. Very different to Qazhar in so many ways. But then, I was very young. Perhaps I didn't truly appreciate all the beauty it had to offer."
Making that last remark, Kadeem turned and peered into Eliana's eyes. She froze, unsure what to make of his words.
"Of course Zahram is beautiful," Nalini snapped. Her dark eyes were suddenly animated. "The two countries couldn't be more different," she said. She peered at Eliana and Kadeem. "That's what makes you two such an important couple," she said with a smile.
A couple. The sound of that made Eliana's blood chill. Had she and Kadeem made such a good job of pretending to be a couple, that everyone believed it to be true. Because that was what Kadeem's mother had just said. She'd been convinced by everything she'd seen of Eliana and Kadeem. Eliana's heart sank a little at that thought.
Really, it was time to put an end to this. Once and for all, she told herself. She couldn't carry on like this for much longer.
Although, when she glanced at Kadeem, he didn't seem to feel the same way about this as she did. In fact, over the last few weeks, he'd seemed to become genuinely interested in his Princess companion from the neighboring country. Too interested as far as Eliana was concerned. Had he forgotten why they were doing this?
Eliana took hold of her resolve and tugged her hand loose from Kadeem's grasp. His eyes narrowed, and he gave her a puzzled look.
"About that," Eliana said. "I've got something I have to say to you both." She saw her mother's eyes narrow slightly.
"Really, dear? What's that?" Gretchen asked politely.
"Now that you're here, it seems like the right moment to tell you something about Kadeem and I," Eliana added.
