Only Zarah noticed the exchange since Sidra and Rashid were busy with the photographer, and very preoccupied with each other.
Isla smiled at the way they looked together. Wouldn’t it be nice to be that in love? She wondered if she would ever have that feeling. She’d been to boarding school, but she’d been guarded the whole time and had never been allowed to really date any of the boys at the opposite school. She might have grown to resent her sheltered life, but her parents had instilled in her a strong sense of responsibility. She shared her love of her country with her family, wished that her parents were still alive to see their only son married, but knew that life went on and things happened.
The rest of the day was predictable as the reception, dinner and endless toasts to the bride and groom were offered, but Isla couldn’t believe how disappointed she was that she didn’t see the man from the ceremony during any of the events. She was looking for him, but knew she couldn’t ask anyone who he was or what his position might be, not even from which country he hailed. She couldn’t let anyone know about her interest in any man, much less someone she’d met in the palace. She knew her place. She knew that her husband would be chosen by Rashid. It went along with the rest of her life and she had long ago accepted this role. She might not like it, but she would do her duty and follow Rashid’s orders as to her spouse. She knew that her brother wouldn’t marry her to anyone she distinctly disliked. He would take her opinion into consideration. But ultimately, it would be his decision.
With a sigh, she looked down at her meal, not really hungry but knowing she had to eat something. It was late, she’d been on her feet for more than twelve hours and all she wanted to do was crawl back into her bed and sleep for hours. She knew she couldn’t do that yet, still had the departure of the more important guests to get through, but it was almost finished. Rashid and Sidra had already left for their honeymoon, Zarah had been sent to bed because she was younger, and so it was up to her and her cousin Jamal to stand in their stead and thank them all for coming on such short notice.
Despite her fatigue, the thought of the departure line protocol actually perked her right up. If the man had been in the front row during the wedding, surely he would be one of those directed towards her and Jamal. The two of them were required to say goodbye to all of the important guests and she could find out more about him. Or at a minimum, shake his hand and find out his name.
Or maybe she shouldn’t be hoping for that. She bit her lip as she made her way through the palace towards the exit where people were already starting to depart. She really shouldn’t get any additional information on the man since there could be no future at all with him. Just thinking about it could be dangerous and might lead to a major letdown when Rashid decided on a husband for her.
No, it was best to leave silly romantic ideas alone and concentrate on reality. She had her work which made a difference. She’d have a successful marriage and maybe she could grow to love the man she married. This was her life and she accepted it. She smiled until her face hurt and thanked the guests as they departed, repeatedly telling each one that she’d convey their thanks and admiration to both Sidra and Rashid. Her hands were chapped from the many times she shook someone else’s and the shoes she’d thought so comfortable earlier in the day were actually biting into her feet now. But she’d been on her feet, literally on her feet walking or standing, for sixteen hours now.
When the last few guests finally departed, she was so relieved that she took her shoes off and padded barefoot through the hallways to her bedroom. She heard Jamal next to her talking about one thing or another, but she wasn’t really listening, too tired by this point. She’d have no problems sleeping tonight, she thought with relish.
“Good night, Isla,” Jamal said softly as she walked into his bedroom. “You looked exceptionally lovely today in the blue. I’m glad you chose that color.”
Isla looked down at her blue dress, then back up at her cousin who was in a dark suit for the occasion. “You looked pretty good yourself,” she replied and waved goodnight. She smiled her thanks at the security guard who went into her room first and did a sweep before she entered, then stood outside while she washed her face, changed her clothes and crawled into bed. The soft sheets felt wonderful on her aching body and she closed her eyes. The last thing she thought of before sleep carried her away was that her dress and the stranger’s tie matched perfectly.
Chapter 2
Isla pressed her persistent alarm, desperately wanting just a few more precious minutes of sleep. She’d slept so poorly the night before and all the wedding festivities yesterday had taken a toll on her. She just wanted a few more minutes to sleep. Was that really so much to ask?
Her feet still ached from standing so long and her new shoes had been merciless. As her mind continued to resist sleep, she wondered what her mysterious stranger would think if he caught her walking through the palace in fluffy slippers. She smiled and pulled her pillow close, her mind drifting to the thought that maybe this is what it would be like to pull his body close so she could curl up in her sleep next to him.
She reached over and pressed the snooze button, not wanting to lose the delicious feeling of curling up next to her stranger’s muscular body. But the alarm didn’t stop when she pressed the snooze button. Darn thing! She sat up and looked at the numbers. It was only four thirty in the morning! She didn’t need to be up until seven o’clock and she hadn’t gotten into bed until just after midnight.
She looked around at her darkened bedroom, pushing the soft sheets out of the way. What was that infuriating sound?
And then she woke up enough to figure it out, springing out of bed to grab her beeping cell phone. She rubbed her eyes, trying to eliminate the haze of sleep so she could focus on the small screen that was trying to give her some information. The text message was clear. “Zone five is up. Center of the universe.”
Isla didn’t wait any longer. She ran into her closet and changed, pulling on her black leggings and black jacket with a hood. Her backpack was already set to go, she just needed to get out of the palace. That would be an extremely tricky endeavor if she hadn’t found a secret way out several years ago. She’d originally left the palace in disguise during the day, just to have a few hours of freedom from the restrictions of palace life and being the daughter of the sheik. Initially, she’d just visited the marketplace, or walked through the museums, doing anything that normal people might do. But one day, she’d come up with the idea of actually helping people. She’d read so many medical books, pouring through the information and was always fascinated by how the body worked and healed.