“Rashid isn’t someone to enjoy,” Zarah challenged. “He’s more of an endurance.”
“Is that any way to talk about your favorite brother?” the man in question strolled in to the dining room.
Zarah instantly spun around and threw her arms around him, giving him a huge hug. “Oh, you know I love you but you’re a royal pain in the neck sometimes too.”
Rashid returned his baby sister’s hug, but his eyes skimmed over to Isla who had returned to the table. She was sipping a cup of coffee and he could see the nervousness in her eyes. Briefly, he wondered if she already knew what he was about to say, but couldn’t figure out how that might be possible.
After releasing Zarah, he moved over to the side table and poured himself another cup of coffee, grateful for the brew since he’d been without for the past week and a half. Sidra’s pregnancy has caused her to have a severe reaction to the scent of coffee so he’d banned it from their honeymoon. He might even ban it from the palace if she fainted again. There was no way he would put his new wife in danger. Or his unborn child.
With a sigh of satisfaction, he took a long sip of the caffeinated brew, then closed his eyes as he instantly felt the beverage seep into every cell of his body. There was no doubt that he was addicted to the stuff but he’d give it all up if it would help Sidra.
He glanced to his right, noticed Isla sitting at the table, staring at him as if she were bracing for something horrible to happen. He set the coffee down and turned to watch her, knowing he couldn’t avoid facing the conversation he had to now have.
“Would you excuse us, Zarah?” he asked his sister, still looking towards Isla. “I need to talk to Isla alone.”
Zarah looked from her sister to her brother, then back again. “Sure,” she said, already worried just from the anxious look on her siblings’ faces. “But I might as well stay. It isn’t as if I won’t know what’s going on a few moments after you tell Isla.”
Rashid turned to her and glared. “Go!” he commanded and was relieved when she obeyed. It continued to astound him that he could command everyone but these two daring women.
When they were alone, he turned to Isla, looking down at her carefully. “How have you been this past week?” he asked and sat down next to her, sipping his coffee and trying to appear casual.
Isla didn’t like the look on her brother’s face at all. “I’ve been fine. But if you don’t tell me what you are trying to avoid telling me, then things are not going to be fine.”
He sighed and nodded his head, acknowledging that there was an important issue to discuss. “I have had a request while away and I’ve taken a great deal of time to consider it.”
“You’ve chosen my husband,” she said and her heart plummeted. She carefully placed the coffee cup in the saucer, trying to not allow it to clatter with her shaking hands. This was the news she’d been dreading, but she also knew that it was inevitable. She’d had no illusions that she could continue on as she had been. Marriage was an absolute. “Who is he?”
“He’s actually a man I approached about two years ago, suggesting that you might be an asset to him but he wasn’t ready for a wife at that point. He wasn’t sure if things were safe enough or how people would accept him. But since then, things in his country have changed. They’re more settled and he can take care of a family now.”
Isla had a very bad feeling about this. She was looking into her coffee cup, her mind working hard to figure out who had been selected. What country had been in turmoil and was now doing better?
The answer came to her quickly and she pushed back her chair as she stood up abruptly, uncaring that it fell back onto the floor as she glared at her brother, shaking her head in denial. “No! You can’t do that Rashid! Not him!”
Rashid stood up as well, holding out his hands in an attempt to calm his sister down. “Isla, I don’t know who you’re talking about, but the man I’ve selected is honorable. He’ll treat you well and he’s proven that he can rule a country wisely and protect you.”
The word ‘honorable’ made her relax just slightly and she tilted her head, curious, but still warily suspicious. “So you’re not talking about Hussan El Hamin?”
Rashid blinked and nodded his head. “Well, yes actually…” but he couldn’t continue.
Isla jumped back and shook her head violently. “No! Rashid, you promised I could have a say in this matter! Anyone but that man! He’s a monster! He’s tortured his people and they’re all suffering under his rule. You don’t know what it’s like in that country. People are hungry and struggling!”
Rashid’s eyes narrowed and he put his hands on his hips. He’d never heard her talk about anyone so harshly before and was astounded that her diplomacy was gone when she’d been raised to know better. “And how would you know all this? You’ve never even been to his country.”
Isla knew she was trapped. But in this case, she didn’t care. Her whole future was at stake here. “I have seen it. First hand and his people are starving! The medical care over there is minimal at best and non-existent in some places. There’s an entire generation of children who can’t read, the streets are filled with potholes and everyone is terrified of their ruler. You can’t give me to him! I’m begging you to reconsider!”
Rashid shook his head, firm in his decision. He knew that what she was saying was true in some places, but they were the exceptions instead of the rule. He was friends with Hussan and knew that Silaria was much better off now under his rule. Hussan was benevolent and powerful, but with a tight grip on what happened within the borders until he could eliminate the remaining factions that were causing his people distress. To hear his sister malign a man Rashid respected so deeply was just not right. “It’s done, Isla.”
Isla couldn’t believe that her brother was being so firm about something like this. Didn’t he understand that marriage was more than just political? It was personal! “No! This can’t be happening! He’s ugly and gross and….hairy!”
“You will stop immediately!” Rashid commanded with a raised voice.
Isla stopped but she glared at him, horrified that he would sell her like this. “I’ll never forgive you for doing this!” she said and spun on her heel, wanting to vacate the room and his presence before she broke down in tears.