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He cut her off, his voice quiet as he spoke her name. “Harper.” And as she broke off, trembling, staring at him in mute hurt and anger, the sheikh’s arms opened.

“I missed you,” he said so very simply.

And before she knew it, she was already crying, running to his arms –

His arms closed around her, and everything was alright again.

Khalil’s hand actually shook as he stroked her back. “I’m sorry.”

As she hid her face against his chest, she whispered, “Did you change your mind?”

“Yes.” She flinched, and his arms tightened around her. “You misunderstand. It’s not the way you think. I want to marry you. That’s never changed. But seeing you now, knowing what you’ve gone through and how it can only get worse – it made me realize just how much you will suffer if you marry me.”

Cupping her face, he made her look up at him, saying grimly, “Being my wife and queen won’t be a walk in the park,qalifa,especially for someone like you.”

She stiffened. “Because I’m a commoner?”

He shook his head. “Because no matter how you try to pretend it’s not so, you have the softest heart, Harper Griffiths. And people are bound to break it again and again when you marry me.” His chest heaved. “So knowing that - will you still marry me?”

Fear of the unknown squeezed her heart, but more than that she felt...joy, and with it came a certain kind of knowledge, of intuition – this was what she was meant to do, for better or for worse. And so she whispered, “It’s what I came here to do.”



















Chapter Nine

THE SHEIKH ASKED FORher father’s blessing that same night, and after a private talk with Harper, a still slightly stunned Howard had given it. A logistical discussion then followed, with her father eventually agreeing to move into the palace with her and take up an official position in the sheikh’s government. After, the sheikh walked to her door, and when she looked up, he slowly shook his head at the mute question in her eyes.

“I don’t think I can control myself if I’m alone with you.” His voice was flat.

“I see.” She bit her lip.

“You are worried about something.”

“Does my being a virgin really matter so much?”

“It is one of the requirements of the law.”

“I see.” She knew she was being redundant, but it was the only thing she could think of saying, with the rest of her busy struggling against the wave of pain that came with her words.