I walked toward the conversation I dreaded, and my heart pounded in time with my footsteps.

As I approached the meeting room, I glanced down at the suit I wore. I hadn’t even bothered to change. Would it have made a difference? I didn’t want to keep the council waiting longer than necessary, since they were adamant about meeting me the moment I arrived from a long-ass flight into Qatar.

If they didn’t like the suit, too bad. This was my house, and if they were going to make ridiculous demands, then I wouldn’t completely bow down to them.

Shoving open the doors a little harder than necessary, the doors smacked against the wall and came back quicker than I’d intended.

At the noise, the other council members turned their heads in my direction.

Jaabir looked particularly smug while the other members had serious frowns on their faces.

Shit.

Normally when coming into this room, I received smiles of greeting, at least from everyone except Jaabir.

“Take a seat, King Luke,” Qadeem said as the others took their seats in front of me.

After barging into the room, it seemed like the only thing to do was comply with their wishes. For now.

I sat down and waited for them to make a ridiculous accusation about my behavior. Since I wasn’t sure if it was because I’d taken off for a week or because I’d proposed to Sophia, I waited to hear what they had to say before defending myself without incrimination.

Qadeem got right to the point. “What you have done has disgraced not only the country but your father as well.”

My hands gripped the arms of the chairs. How dare they speak for my father?

Sophia’s face popped into my vision, and I peered into the depths of her eyes, feeling a sense of calmness rolling through me. If I was going to win this argument, I needed to remain calm and not argue with them at the onset. There was plenty of time for that.

“Might I ask what you are accusing me of?” I made sure to look all of the council members in the eyes. They were all involved in this, and none of them would be safe from my wrath if they continued to accuse me of “disgraceful” behavior.

“Choosing a wife from outside of our country,” Jaabir chimed in. “There are certain protocols that a king must obey. You allowed yourself to be photographed with this American trash—”

“You will not speak about Sophia that way,” I interrupted, venom dripping from my words.

Jaabir clamped his mouth shut and then opened it again. “Every king before you followed the rules that have been passed down for years. Why are you so different?”

“I’m not different,” I said. “I just think they are guidelines to live by. No king has been removed from his position over these rules.”

Jaabir dropped his hands on the table in front of him. “Because all previous kings have obeyed them.”

I shook my head and stood up. Adrenaline coursed through my veins. There was no way I could sit down.

“What about changing the rules? I’ve read through all the laws regarding my position. Most of them are archaic. Arranged marriages? That might work for some people, but not for me. I’d rather rule with someone I respect and love.”

“How do you love her?” Jaabir asked. “The first we’d ever heard of her was two months ago. How do we know she can be trusted? What if she is a spy?”

“Of all the preposterous things—”

“Let him speak,” Qadeem cut me off.

I blew out a breath but held my tongue. Since when did Qadeem give the floor over to Jaabir this much? How long had Jaabir been whispering in Qadeem’s ear about me not being fit for the throne? By leaving, did I give him the opportunity to seal that mindset?

“These rules are there for a reason,” Jaabir said. “They are to protect this kingdom and the people.”

“Since when do you care about the people?” I asked. So much for holding my tongue.

“Excuse me?” Jaabir asked.

“You’ve been against me from the start,” I said. “You’re grasping at straws to get me out of this position, but I will not allow it. I’m king, and you better start getting used to it.”

“It’s not just him,” Qadeem said. “We allowed a non-blood relative of the king to come into this position because of Erol’s request. It appears we were mistaken. We’ve gone against traditions in that sense, but we won’t break every single one of our rules for you, Luke.”

“So, according to you and these laws, I can’t marry Sophia?” I asked, clarifying and wishing they could understand how ridiculous they sounded.

“You can marry Sophia,” Jaabir said, his lip curling at her name. It reminded me how Mother spoke my fiancé’s name.

“I don’t understand,” I said, waiting for the other shoe to drop.

Jaabir glanced at the others. “You can marry Sophia, but you can’t be king if you do.”

“What?” I asked. “Then who will be king?”

The name formed in my head just as Jaabir said it. “If you want to marry that American woman, then you will give up the seat and hand it over to the rightful king, Abir.”

“No,” I said.

Jaabir shrugged. “Then you’ve made your choice. You better send that woman away before she gets too attached to living in the palace.”

“I mean, no, I’m not giving her or the throne away to anyone. Abir—” I almost revealed that Abir didn’t want the throne. As his big brother, I had sworn to protect him. He didn’t want the throne, but these men didn’t need to know that. I would rather they thought I’d stolen it from him than reveal the truth. It wasn’t my truth to give away. Besides, they were bluffing. They couldn’t force me out or Abir in. There had to be laws about that.

“Then we are not in agreement?” Qadeem asked.

I didn’t say a word. I knew that if I agreed to that, then the council could invoke their own set of laws. If all of them didn’t agree with me, then they had the power to enforce whatever rule they wanted. It was a checks and balances system that wasn’t working in my favor anymore. I could handle Jaabir and his old-fashioned customs but not all of the council members. Each of them sat there staring at me, waiting for my response. No one was on my side anymore, and if I gave up the kingdom, then I would be dooming my brother to a life he didn’t want.

I thought I could have it all: protecting my brother from being king, Sophia, and holding up my father’s wishes. From what the council revealed to me, I couldn’t have it all. If I chose Sophia, then I would have freedom from the throne and a title but a brother who would probably despise me for the rest of his life. If I kept the kingdom, then I would have to take back the promise I made to Sophia. The promise that I worked so hard to keep.

I wasn’t willing to do any of those things.

But what the hell could I do? I had no allies in the room. I was out of time and options.

---