by Holly Rayner
Dakota looked over at Majeed. He hadn’t spoken a word so far. Was he going to leave her to deal with these questions all by herself, not saying anything at all in their defense? Didn’t he care at all about what was happening here? Did he even care that they hadn’t gotten married?
And then, to her surprise, Majeed rose to his feet. His deep, booming voice rang out, commanding the attention of everyone in the room. “This press conference is over,” he said. “The wedding has been canceled, so there’s no need for this cross-examination. Our motives for marrying were complex, but they are no longer relevant. Dakota Lee and I will be returning to our families immediately and will not be available for comment.” And he strode from the hall, down the aisle and through the assembled reporters, without looking back.
Stunned by the sudden end to the conference, Dakota needed a moment to gather her wits. She got to her feet and hurried down the aisle after Majeed, but by the time she pushed through the oak doors at the back of the room, he had disappeared.
Chapter 13
“Dakota, wake up.”
The voice that called her from sleep was harsh and demanding. Dakota blinked her way awake slowly. Her father was glaring down at her from above. For a long moment, while she shook off the last remnants of sleep, Dakota felt like a teenager again, struggling to remember what she had done to rankle him.
He yanked her curtains open and the morning sun came in fast and bright. Dakota threw up a hand in defense, but Ben Lee wasn’t paying attention to her discomfort. “Get up and dressed,” he said. “Meet us in the living room in ten minutes.”
“What’s going on, Dad?” Dakota asked.
“The Emir’s sent another summons,” Ben said. “We’re to present ourselves at the palace at nine thirty.”
Dakota sat up, suddenly awake “What time is it now?” she asked.
“Eight forty-eight.”
Satisfied that his daughter was awake, Ben retreated from the room, while Dakota got out of bed and went straight to her closet. She pawed quickly through suit after suit—but did it really matter what she wore? Was there anything she could do at this point to spare her family the judgment of the Emir?
The rest of the family was already in the living room by the time Dakota arrived. They all looked nervous. Even Dylan was biting at his cuticles. Dakota surveyed them all.
“Mom,” she said, “put a jacket on over that dress. It’s too nice.”
“But we’re going to the palace,” Anne protested.
“We’re summoned to the palace because of the scene…” Dakota paused, choking a little on the pronoun. “Because of the scene we caused yesterday at the wedding. You got into a fight about your dress. You need to show that you can be humble. Give the impression that you understand what you did wrong.”
“I hardly think it’s fair to blame me—”
“Mom, just put on the jacket,” Dylan interrupted. “You guys put Dakota in charge of communication for a reason, right? Don’t you think she knows what she’s doing?” He turned to his sister. “What about me?”
“You look fine. Just try to keep it serious while we’re there. No jokes.” Dylan nodded, and Dakota continued. “Dad, try not to argue with anything the Emir says. In fact, let me do the talking. I think our best chance now is to act really contrite.” She looked from one member of her family to the next. “Can you all do that?”
“Not a problem,” Dylan said. Anne nodded. Ben hesitated for half a moment, and Dakota held her gaze on him until he inclined his head slightly.
They were interrupted by the sound of a car pulling up in the street, and Dakota knew it had been sent from the palace to collect them. “Let’s go,” she said and led the way out the front door.
The bin Ayads were already in the courtroom when the Lees arrived and took their seats at the same table they’d occupied the last time they were there. Dakota thought back and remembered getting her first good look at Majeed when he’d stepped up to speak on behalf of his family that day. She could hardly believe how much had happened since then. She should have woken up married to him today. They should have been on their honeymoon. Instead, they were right back here where they’d started.
She looked over at the other table, trying to catch Majeed’s eye, but he was looking straight ahead, ignoring her as thoroughly as he had at the press conference yesterday.
Dakota’s heart wrenched. He seemed not to care about what had happened between them, what they had almost had and now lost. Had he been faking his affection for her the whole time, putting it on in the interest of making the marriage work? Had any of what had happened between them been real? It had felt so genuine at the time. She had believed in it. She had dared to hope that he loved her, the way she couldn’t deny she had fallen in love with him.
The Emir entered the room and crossed briskly to his seat at the high table. His appearance should have been met with silence falling over the room, but since they had been silent already, it was suddenly much louder in the courtroom. It felt unnatural, even spooky. The Emir settled himself in his chair and glared over the table, first at the bin Ayads, then at the Lees. His gaze moved from one person to the next. As his eyes held hers, Dakota felt waves of personal dislike emanating from him, as if he was calling her out for everything she specifically had ever done wrong.
Nobody spoke for a long time. The Emir seemed to be expecting something—an apology maybe or a defense—but Dakota didn’t dare speak before him. She imagined the bin Ayads were having similar hesitations. For several minutes, the room was absolutely still and quiet.
Then, finally, the Emir spoke. “That was a catastrophe,” he said.
Dakota could hear the anger in his voice, and yet she couldn’t help feeling calmer now that they were actually talking. “Yes, Your Highness,” she agreed.
“Yes, Your Highness,” came a voice from across the room. Dakota recognized it as Majeed’s and felt a pang. If only he would talk to her.
“This was a last chance,” the Emir said. “I expected you—all of you—to get through the wedding in a civilized manner. You were supposed to be demonstrating a renewed unity to the people of Baraq. Instead, you fought over trivial issues and made a public mockery of one of our most cherished traditions.” He held up a hand. “I do not want to hear apologies or explanations from either of you. It’s time to begin talking about consequences.”
Dakota’s breath caught in her throat. She had hoped they would find the Emir in a forgiving mood, but it sounded like they were out of luck. His voice was harder than she had ever heard it. The fact that he didn’t even want to hear apologies did not bode well. It sounded like he wanted to resolve the situation as quickly and efficiently as possible and then forget he had ever had to worry about the conflict between the Lees and the bin Ayads.
And, if Dakota was being honest with herself, she couldn’t blame him. Especially after what had happened yesterday. That was supposed to be her wedding, the most beautiful and special day of her life. And, in spite of everything, she had actually been poised to marry a man she loved. What should have been wonderful, instead had been ruined by the constant feuding between the two families. If Dakota had had the power to end the feud, she would have done it too.
The Emir leaned across his table and faced down the bin Ayads. “After considerable thought, I have decided not to strip you of your land,” he said. “The manor is an iconic residence, and it means something to the people of Baraq to have the royal family in residence. This is particularly important, I think, after they’ve just seen you make a mockery of the tradition of arranged marriage.” The Emir scowled, and Dakota imagined he was resenting the fact that his hand had been forced.
Peripherally, she saw Ubaid bin Ayad get to his feet. “Your Highness,” he said. “I would like to speak on behalf of my family. We all agreed that the arranged marriage would be an acceptable gesture. You agreed to it yourself. I don’t see why we’re suddenly being held accountable for making a mockery, as you say—”
“Silence,” the Emir snapped. “It was understood between us when we agreed on this course of action that the marriage would be undertaken as a genuine gesture of goodwill between your families. But you made it very clear at the wedding that your intentions were never genuine. You never took the trouble to get to know the Lee family, did you?”
“They didn’t come to the rehearsal dinner we—” Anne began.
The Emir held up his hand. “I’ll deal with you momentarily.” He kept his gaze on the bin Ayads. “Retaining your residence means you will retain your titles. However, you will have to account for the damage you’ve caused in another way. I will be pulling my endorsement from Ayad Aviation and all its subsidiaries.”
Dakota expected to hear argument, even outrage, from the bin Ayad table. Instead there was only stunned silence. Perhaps they had never expected that their actions could have ramifications like this, she thought. She knew that the Emir’s endorsement of Ayad Aviation was a huge part of what made their company successful. Baraqis trusted their Emir’s favorite airline, and had made it their number one choice for air travel. Without the Emir’s endorsement, it would be difficult for the bin Ayads to maintain their success. And with the Emir publicly denouncing the company, as he had suggested he would, it would be a small miracle if they didn’t go out of business.
The Emir was still speaking. “I expect you to remove my insignia from all of your planes before they fly again. If I see an Ayad plane in the air with my seal on it, you will be fined. It will also be your responsibility to pay for the removal of the insignia.”
“This is ridiculous,” Ubaid bin Ayad sputtered.
“Dad,” Majeed’s low voice rumbled across the room. “Stop it.”
“Listen to your son,” the Emir advised. “And consider yourself lucky.” Then he turned to the Lees. “Given the circumstances, your visas will of course not be renewed,” he said. “You will have to return to the United States or seek your fortunes elsewhere.”
Dakota had expected this. “How long do we have?” she asked.
Her mind was already sorting through the affairs they had to get in order. LeeWay Corp’s Baraqi offices would have to be shut down, which would mean the laying off of workers. They would have to try to sell the house. And then there was the matter of finding somewhere to live back home. Dakota didn’t imagine she’d still be living with her parents once they returned to the States. That was a typical Baraqi family arrangement, but nobody her age lived with their parents in Seattle. She had never lived on her own before—she’d had a roommate all through college, and then her family had moved here, to a country where families lived together until children were married. Dakota felt a twinge of nerves. What would it be like to be on her own for the first time?
“You have three days,” the Emir said, and for the first time, something in his face softened. “I’m sorry. I know that isn’t much time. I’ve arranged for a cousin of mine to buy out your business so your workers can keep their jobs.”
“What about our house?” Ben asked. Dakota nudged his arm—the Emir had been more than generous—but Ben was getting to his feet. “How are we supposed to sell our house in three days’ time?”
“You may not be able to,” the Emir said. “I daresay you have enough money to furnish yourself with acceptable accommodations back home either way?”
Ben glowered but sat down.
Dakota flinched. Hearing the Emir refer to the States as home had made this situation suddenly real for her. Seattle was not her home. The States were not her home. Dakota had settled here years ago, and she had intended to live her life here. She had always planned to apply for citizenship after ten years, the minimum time a person had to live in Baraq before submitting the application. Now her whole future was being yanked away.
Yesterday she had been poised to marry Majeed and become royalty in this country she loved, and today she was getting kicked out in disgrace. How could things be any worse?
Chapter 14
The Lees didn’t speak to each other at all in the car on the way home. Dylan split off from the group before even reaching the front door, and Dakota felt sure he was going somewhere private to call Rachel, who was still staying in a hotel nearby. Dakota knew that Dylan and Rachel had planned to make a life for themselves here, too. They would also have to change their plans. But at least, Dakota thought bitterly, Dylan wouldn’t be leaving the person he loved behind when they were forced out of Baraq.
Once inside the house, Anne Lee went straight to the kitchen. She liked to clean during times of stress, and Dakota anticipated that the floors would be fit to eat off of within an hour. It would have been a perfect personality trait, she thought, if only the Lees were going to have time to sell the house. Anne would have done a great job making it ready to show to potential buyers.
Instead, the house would probably be reclaimed by the crown, and the Emir would sell it. It wasn’t the worst thing Dakota could think of, not by far—she was sure that money would go into building schools and roads—but there was something special about seeing the people who would make a home in your house after you’d left it, about passing it along to them. It would have made this easier, she thought.
Ben went down into the basement. He kept cigars down there, in a humidor adjoined by a ventilated smoking room. Dakota knew she probably wouldn’t see him again for several hours either. Ben saved his cigars for landmark moments in life. Today he was losing the bulk of his business and being forced to leave the country he called home. That might call for a couple of cigars.
Dakota went up to her room, wondering as she did if she was the only one who was going to start packing tonight. If they only had three days, there wasn’t a minute to waste, but none of her family seemed to prioritize it. She understood how they felt if she was honest with herself. Dakota didn’t want to pack either.
She stood in her room, looking around at all the things that made it uniquely hers—the photos from the trip she had taken to the Grand Canyon in college, the blanket her grandmother had knit for her lying across the foot of the bed, the row of rubber ducks, her collection, across the vanity. The idea of putting those things in boxes was agonizing, especially not knowing where they would next be unpacked. If only they’d had time to find homes in the States first. If only she knew exactly where she would be going.
Dakota sighed and pulled a duffel bag from under her bed. She would need to ship most of her possessions—the furniture, of course, and her rug, and her books and most of her clothes. But some things would travel with her. She packed a few outfits, her journal, the book she was currently reading, and her grandmother’s blanket. From the bathroom she grabbed her hair dryer and makeup. Then, feeling whimsical, she scooped up her rubber ducks and dropped them into the bag too.
Exhausted, she fell back on the bed. In three days’ time she would leave Baraq. She would never see this place she loved so much again. And, what was more, she would never see Majeed again.
Dakota had never intended, had never expected, to fall in love with him. But now that it had happened, she couldn’t deny it. She pictured his warm smile, the sound of his deep laugh. She thought of the intense kiss they had shared, here in this very house, over dinner. Dakota had never felt so carried away by passion in all her life. She knew he’d felt the same way. How could he not have? They had been in that moment together. It had been all but impossible to stop.
He loved her, too. She was sure of it.
But there was nothing he could do about their current situation. Majeed didn’t have the power to override the Emir’s decisions. He couldn’t renew Dakota’s visa for her. The only power he had was the ability to leave Baraq, to come back to the States with her, and she knew he couldn’t do that without causing a scandal. He was a member of the royal family. Tradition was important to him. He was supposed to inherit his family’s manor and live out his days there. It would be a slap in the face to the Emir, and probably to the people of Baraq, for him to leave s
o immediately after being granted continued ownership of the place.
Dakota sighed. As far as she could see, there was no way out. She had to go home, and Majeed had to stay here. She believed the love between them was real and powerful, and she knew they’d had amazing potential as a couple. But the story was over.
Chapter 15
“Dakota?” Ben Lee’s voice drifted up the stairs.
“I’m just finishing up.”
Two days had passed since their audience with the Emir, and Dakota’s room, along with the rest of the Lee home, had been stripped bare. Even her furniture was gone. Movers had arrived this morning to collect it and had loaded it systematically out the door. It would be shipped overseas to her aunt’s address in the States since Dakota hadn’t found a place of her own to have things sent to yet.
Now the place barely resembled the room she had called home for the past five years of her life. The pictures had all been taken down from the walls, and the rug had been rolled up and sent away with the rest of the furniture. Dakota stood in the middle of the room, purse slung over her shoulder, turning in a slow circle and taking it all in. So much had happened here. Now she was leaving, saying goodbye to her home for the last time.
“The car’s here,” Ben called up to her. “They’re waiting.”
The car. The car that would take them to the airport. This would be Dakota’s final ride through the streets of Kezab, her last opportunity to see her city. She knew how impossible it would be to get back into Baraq after having been thrown out in such a high-profile fashion. She couldn’t hope to come back on another work visa anytime soon; the immigration office would never clear her application.
