by Valerie Parv
He pulled her into his arms and found her mouth with a certainty that took her breath away. Just as well the medical staff had unhooked her from the monitoring equipment over her bed while she slept, because the heart monitor would have gone crazy, she knew. She could feel her pulse racing and knew the cause was far from medical.
"I love you, too," she whispered, linking her arms around his neck. How strong he felt. The prince of her heart, now and for all time. "For a moment there, before my parents arrived, I was afraid you were preparing to leave me."
"I was," he confirmed, his kiss silencing her indrawn breath of alarm. "I knew how I felt about you and I had your father's blessing. But I wanted to be sure you felt the same way. As you must know by now, I'm not your average royal, and I have my own ideas about equality between men and women."
He was giving her a gift greater than anything she had ever dreamed of receiving—the right to choose her own destiny, she thought on a swell of joy so great it was almost more than she could bear. Her eyes filmed with tears as she smiled up at him. "I have made my choice," she said huskily. "Wherever you go, whatever you do, I shall be at your side."
His breath of relief washed over her and his arms tightened around her. Through the thin fabric of the hospital gown, she felt the powerful beat of his heart keeping time with hers. "In return I promise to love you and honor you as my wife and the custodian of my heart, for as long as we live."
No woman could ask for more, she thought as his mouth claimed hers again. The kiss went on for a long time, flooding her with desires both sacred and primitive, making her hope that their wedding would take place soon. She chided herself for her impatience. She and Gage had the rest of their lives to be together. "I never thought I could be so happy," she said.
"Nor I, my darling princess," he said, sounding as impatient as she felt. "There's another person who will be even happier, if you feel as I do."
"Who?" she asked, puzzled.
"Little Sammy. I'd like us to adopt him," Gage suggested.
She knew her cup of happiness was brimful. "I can think of nothing more wonderful." "Other than to provide Sammy with a houseful of brothers and sisters," Gage said.
She laughed. "My parents would consider that my royal duty." At the same time, she knew that doing her duty had never appealed to her more.
Epilogue
Nadia felt a buzz of excitement as she took her place beside Samira in the small room concealed from her father's council chamber by a beautifully patterned screen. The palace had many such hideaways. They had been used for centuries by the women of the household to observe palace life without being exposed to the eyes of strangers.
"I was delayed by yet another journalist seeking an interview," she told Samira in an undertone. Since her release from the hospital the previous week, Nadia had been besieged by the world media, fascinated by the story of her adventure and enchanted by her romance with the handsome duke from Penwyck. They hadn't been told the half of it of course, and Nadia had been amazed that her father had allowed her to speak to the media at all. Had he sensed her determination to emancipate herself once and for all, and decided to give her more leeway in order to head off a family crisis?
Her father was a realist, she knew. Before he died, Butrus had accused Nadia of influencing her father to institute reforms. She was starting to hope it was true.
She smiled warmly at Alima, seated on her sister's other side with her dutiful attendant, Salma, behind her. Their mother was also intent on watching the proceedings.
Alima gestured to the chamber below, which was filling rapidly with delegates to the conference being held to improve relations and trade between Tamir and their neighbors from Montebello. "Look, King Marcus has arrived."
Nadia had no trouble spotting the distinguished monarch. In his sixties, he was still lean and broad-shouldered, his white hair making him look every inch the elder statesman. With her parents' approval, the king had impressed her by calling on her the day before to apologize personally for his role in having her family investigated. Since his actions had led to her and Gage meeting and falling in love, she had seen little need for his apology. Instead, she thanked him, much to the king's pleasure.
Samira nudged her gently. "Your Gage makes a handsome conference chairman, doesn't he?"
Pride and love brightened Nadia's features as she watched Gage take his place at the table. As a member of the royal house of Penwyck, and thus considered impartial, he had been seen as the ideal person to mediate the conference. "Of course."
"Not that you're biased," Samira teased, her sparkling eyes reflecting Nadia's happiness.
Nadia gave her a "who, me?" look and settled to listen to the proceedings.
Her attention was distracted by Nargis bustling in. "Your Highnesses, Sheik Ahmed commands your presence in the council chambers."
"Now?" Such a thing was unheard of in Nadia's experience.
Nargis nodded. "He wishes you to act as his advisers." The attendant also sounded disbelieving.
Nadia looked at Samira, then back to Nargis. "Are you sure he said adviser and not observer?"
"Yes, my princess. He has reserved seats for you directly behind him."
Catching Nadia's questioning look, Alima shook her head. "You two go. I am happy here with Salma for company." Her message was clear. She would do as she had always done, share her thoughts with their father behind the scenes.
Nadia needed no second invitation. Her heart swelled with pride and not a little nervousness as she and Samira slipped into seats behind her father in the main conference room. A ripple of surprise had traveled around the room at their arrival, but Nadia lifted her chin. This would not be the last time a woman of Tamir served in such a capacity, if she had anything to say about it.
Across the table King Marcus smiled a welcome, as did the king's principal adviser, Desmond Caruso. He was standing in for the king's son, Prince Lucas. Evidently the prince was still recovering from his long ordeal. If she had crashed her plane, lost her memory and been held hostage by the Brothers of Darkness, she would probably need some recovery time, too, Nadia supposed.
Lucas's cousin, Desmond, had grown up in America, not knowing he was a member of Montebello's ruling family until he was nineteen, she recalled.
Beside her, she felt Samira stir and looked at her curiously. Her sister's eyes were fixed on Desmond. In them Nadia saw the same sparkle she felt in her own whenever she looked at Gage.
Surely Desmond couldn't be the man that made Samira look so enigmatic whenever love was mentioned, could he? Glancing at her sister's vivid expression, Nadia began to wonder. But she had no more time to consider the question, because Gage was calling the conference to order.
His warm look washed over her, suggesting that he approved of her presence. Had he noticed that she was wearing the tiger necklace he had given her? The slight upward curve of his mouth told her he had and was pleased.
She listened intently, offering her father a suggestion when invited, finally feeling as if she was contributing something to her country's future. The time flew past, and soon Gage announced they would break for coffee.
"It feels strange, being here among the men, doesn't it?" Samira whispered as they sipped their coffee. "I could get to like it, though."
Nadia already liked it, and she said so. She felt her spirits lift further as Gage drifted to her side, her father with him. "Thank you for your contributions this morning, my daughter," the sheik said.
Gage's look of love spoke more eloquently than words.
"Thank you for allowing me to voice them, Father," she returned, her tone adding, at long last.
The sheik nodded as if he had heard what she didn't say. He took a sip of cardamom-scented coffee. "I have reached a decision concerning your future."
She bristled automatically, but he smiled to disarm her fears. "The choice is yours and Gage's of course, but I have been talking with Ambassador Theodore, and the time is ripe for Tamir to send our
first ambassador to England."
Gage, of course, she assumed, as he gave her a knowing smile. The prospect of living in England as the ambassador's wife was attractive, although she couldn't subdue a feeling of disappointment. Was her involvement today nothing more than a token because her father knew she wouldn't be living in Tamir for much longer?
The sheik must have seen the disappointment on her face, because he continued, "How does Madam Ambassador sound to you, Daughter?"
She almost choked on her coffee. "Madam Ambassador?" Instinctively her gaze flew to Gage.
He nodded approval. "Sounds pretty good to me."
She could hardly believe it. "You.. .you won't mind?"
"Why should I? I can operate as well from England as from Penwyck."
"What about Dani, your protégé? Won't she mind you living in England? I was looking forward to meeting her."
He looked pleased. "Dani spends more time traveling around the world with her band than she does in Penwyck, so you'll meet her soon, no matter where we're based."
"Then I accept the appointment with pleasure, Father."
"I thought you might," the sheik said dryly, but his eyes shone with satisfaction as he swept Gage off to consult with King Marcus. Nadia couldn't wait to share her wonderful news with Samira, but her sister had slipped away. Casting her gaze around for her, Nadia almost bumped into Desmond Caruso.
"A thousand apologies, Your Highness," he said formally.
She studied him with interest, certain that he was the man who had caught her sister's eye. He had inherited the dynamic looks of the Sebastiani family, with raven hair, chiseled features and a cleft chin that made him look like a film star. Personality fairly radiated from him. So Nadia was at a loss to explain the unease she felt around him. "The fault was mine for not looking where I was going," she said, struggling to mask her reaction.
He didn't seem to notice. "Are you enjoying the conference?"
She nodded, hoping he didn't know that this was the first time she had served her father publicly in such a capacity. "If it leads to better relations between our two countries, I will be delighted."
He nodded. "That's what we're here for."
A servant refilled their coffee cups from an ornate brass pot. Nadia saw Desmond trying to survey the crowd without her noticing. "Are you looking for someone?"
He dragged his attention back to her. "Forgive me, Your Highness, but I thought I saw your sister, Princess Samira, at your side a few moments ago."
So the attraction was not one-sided, Nadia thought, reading a certain desperation in the young man's expression. She tried to feel happy for her sister, wondering why she found it such a challenge. "She will return shortly," she assured him. "When she does, she will look for me."
"Then I hope you won't mind if I remain at your side until she returns," he said, his interest unmistakable. He seemed irritated when an aide discreetly attracted his attention. "Excuse me one moment," he said, and turned to the man.
She sipped her coffee, not wishing to eavesdrop, but the aide's voice carried to her ears. He was saying something about a Miss Ursula Chambers from America insisting on speaking with Desmond. Evidently she was refusing to hang up until he came to the phone.
Concern for her sister made Nadia anxious. Did this Chambers woman have a claim on Desmond's affections? Nadia hoped not, because she knew only too well the look she had seen on Samira's lovely face. Since falling in love with Gage, Nadia saw the same expression on her own face whenever she looked in a mirror.
She let her gaze wander over the crowd, pretending disinterest, but listening carefully as Desmond said, "Give Miss Chambers my regrets, but tell her we have nothing to say to each other and I would prefer her not to telephone me again."
Whatever might have been between Desmond and this woman was over now, Nadia gathered. Seeing Samira crossing the room toward them, Nadia allowed herself a sigh of relief. Her sister's happiness meant as much to her as her own. She would hate Samira to give her heart to Desmond, only to have it broken.
Desmond's face lit up at Samira's approach, although Nadia noticed that the smile didn't quite reach his eyes. She decided now was a good time to slip away and find Gage, leaving her sister and Desmond alone.
She hated to think that Desmond might be an opportunist who had decided that a royal princess was more useful to him than this American woman he had refused to speak to, but the suspicion refused to go away.
It was none of her concern, she told herself firmly. In Gage she had found the other half of her soul, and happiness beyond her wildest dreams. Samira deserved the chance to work out her destiny in her own way.
Seeing Gage beckoning, Nadia murmured a prayer that her sister would find a love as all-consuming as hers. A tall order, given that Nadia's cup of joy was full to overflowing. But as she well knew, with love, nothing was impossible.
* * * THE END * * *
