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After leaving Darius in good hands with the security staff, Tahira returned to the second floor and located the sitting room where her bridesmaids were being fitted in their dresses for both ceremonies.

She found the staff of seamstresses making sure each woman would look beautiful on her special day.

Lahana, who didn’t look happy to be there, Nala, Barrie, and two of Tahira’s other cousins, Shani and Abena, were all in one of their two custom-made dresses, as the designer and seamstresses checked their fittings and prepared to make any needed adjustments.

Meanwhile, the Trident Security women, Kristen, Angie, Kat, Harper, Fancy, Lindsey, Jenn, Ian’s goddaughter, and Dakota, who was engaged to Darius’s teammate Logan Reese, sat on the comfortable couches and chairs around the room.

They were relaxing and enjoying the fruit, finger sandwiches, and sparkling water the kitchen staff had prepared for them.

Laughter and chatter filled the room, but Tahira noticed one person was not having a good time.

Lahana was frowning at her, her face taut with anger and envy.

Tahira wished her cousin wouldn’t blame her.

It hadn’t been their fault that Lahana, Tahira, and the other women had been sexually assaulted, but since Tahira had kept her own rape from her family, friends, and the rest of the world, Lahana didn’t know she’d suffered as well.

Maybe it was time to change that. Only a handful of trusted people knew Lahana had been raped.

They’d kept that out of the press, and she didn’t talk about it to anyone except Nala and a therapist her mother had insisted on.

Tahira’s secret would be safe with her cousin.

Making her decision, Tahira would find some time to get Lahana alone later today and talk to her. They could support each other, and hopefully become friends again. Tahira didn’t want the huge elephant in the room to come between them.

“Princess Tahira! It’s about time you joined us. Come sit.” Jenn patted an empty spot on the sofa next to her. While she’d asked the Trident women to call her by her first name in private, with the staff present, they were using her title.

Tahira took the proffered seat and thanked a staff member when the young woman handed her a glass of sparkling water with a lime wedge.

She glanced around the group. In various stages of pregnancy, Angie, Fancy, and Harper, who’d recently announced she and Marco were expecting their second child, had been given rocking recliners for comfort.

“Are you all having a good time? Do you need anything?”

There were a chorus of yeses to the first question, and then a round of nos to the second.

“Everything is perfect,” Fancy gushed. “And the palace and grounds are gorgeous. The landscaping is stunning. We’ll have to join the men out in the gardens later.”

“Is that where they have gathered?” Tahira had been with her own staff going over the last-minute details, so she was wondering where they’d disappeared to. Raj had told her he’d take care of the TS men while the women were busy with whatever they would be doing.

“Yup, in the gaming area,” responded Kristen.

“Devon and Marco are taking advantage of the nannies you arranged for JD and Mara, so they’re all out there playing Cornhole and taking bets on who is the best archer.

Our men and bows and arrows—it wouldn’t surprise me if one of them ended up being shot in the butt. ”

Everyone laughed—except Lahana. Without saying a word, she stormed into the attached powder room and slammed the door.

An uncomfortable silence filled the room for a moment, but then the women tried to act like nothing had happened.

Two minutes later, Lahana came back out, threw her dress at one of the seamstresses, then stalked out of the room.

Tahira’s gaze met Nala’s, and the younger woman shrugged and shook her head.

Sighing, Tahira turned back to her guests.

“I apologize for my cousin’s behavior. She has not been herself since .

.. since ...” While she trusted the TS women, there were staff members around.

Discussing the kidnapping in their presence was not an option.

Angie held up her hand. “Say no more. We understand, and it’s fine.”

“Thank you.” Pasting on a smile she didn’t completely feel, Tahira answered the women’s questions about the wedding ceremonies.

But after fifteen minutes or so, she couldn’t stand it any longer.

The guilt she felt for lying to Lahana was eating a hole in her gut.

Tahira had to find her and tell her she knew what the other woman was going through and that they would find a way to heal—together.

“I am sorry, but if you will excuse me, I need to go speak to my cousin.”

She hurried out to the hallway and glanced in both directions. She hadn’t seen which way Lahana had gone. Thinking she’d returned to the guest suite she always stayed in on the third floor, Tahira headed for the stairs.

One flight up, two maids were finishing their duties, cleaning the guest bedrooms and bathrooms, and bowed as she walked by. “Good day, Your Highness.”

Giving them a quick, distracted smile and wishing them a pleasant day as well, Tahira continued down the hall and stopped in front of Lahana’s door.

She knocked, then waited. Seconds ticked by with no response.

She was about to give up, thinking she’d been wrong in her assumption, when the door swung open.

Lahana frowned at her from behind sunglasses. “What do you want?”

Surprised at the venom in Lahana’s voice, Tahira stuttered. “I—I wanted to talk to you, cousin.”

“We have nothing to talk about.”

When the door began to close, Tahira used a hand and foot to stop it. “I think we do. May I come in? Please?”

A few moments passed before Lahana sighed and stepped back. Tahira followed her inside and shut the door behind them. Taking a deep breath, she let it out slowly, then gestured to a small sitting area. “Can we sit down? There’s something I need to tell you.”