“I’d like to make a counterproposal, if I may,” Jenson said, leaning in ever so slightly.

Jasmina sat back in her seat, waiting for him to go on.

“I’d like for this to be more of a partnership, Your Highness, and you know I’ve made you a fantastic deal. I am perfectly willing to give you the millions for the rights to mine the lithium. I’m happy to move manufacturing to El Jayiah and build the factories we’ll need to process the mineral, which will take far more than ten years, I can assure you. Your people will have job security for life. I am happy to do all of this starting tomorrow…if you’ll agree to marry me within the next six months.”

Jasmina stared at him, stunned, but Jenson only laughed.

“I know, I know. It sounds like a wild proposal, doesn’t it? Still, you have to see things from my point of view. Marriage to a Sheikha is the ultimate career move for an up-and-coming international businessman. Not only will my reputation be upgraded, but it would guarantee business opportunities elsewhere in the Middle East, which is an incredibly lucrative market right now.”

Realizing her mouth was hanging open, Jasmina closed it, her teeth grinding together as she worked to control her temper. When she was finally able to speak, her voice was laced with daggers.

“I believe a negotiation involves two sides, and I have yet to hear how a union with you would benefit me in any way, Mr. Black.”

Jenson leaned back in his chair, the paragon of confidence.

“But didn’t I just lay all that out for you? In exchange for marriage to me, you get to be the savior of your people. Don’t think I haven’t done my research on the financial situation of your country, Your Highness. Your father left it in a pretty dire situation, and you’re in a position to save everyone. All it takes is a little commitment to me. What could be so bad about that? It’s a no-brainer.”

Unable to sit any longer, Jasmina bolted upright, her anger so intense she could swear she was seeing red.

“I reject your terms, Mr. Black, and I highly recommend you take a good hard look at yourself if you think for one minute that I would give you my hand in marriage—something we here in El Jayiah take very seriously—in order to close a business deal. If you think that you can buy me along with my country, then you are sorely mistaken. Do kindly vacate the premises before I have my security guards drag you out.”

Unable to stand another second in his presence, Jasmina stormed from the gardens, not stopping until she was back in her bedroom and far away from the venerable Jenson Black. Her heart was pounding. She pressed her palm against it, doing her best to calm herself down.

The nerve of that man! And that was to be her first diplomatic meeting? Would they all be that way? Would her status as a woman make her simply a conquest to be won by every man trying to make a deal? Her heart sank at the thought, and a wave of sadness washed over her as she longed even harder for her father to simply come back to life and better prepare her for the responsibilities that came with being Sheikha.

The weight of her title was suffocating, and Jasmina found herself tearing at her dress until she finally managed to shed the offensive garment, heading to her closet and tossing it open.

She needed to get out. She needed to escape the gilded cage she had found herself in. Finding a light pink skirt—the first article of clothing she would wear that wasn’t black since her father’s death—and a white blouse, Jasmina donned a white headscarf and a comfortable pair of shoes before heading out to her veranda.

Years before, as a little girl, she had mastered the climb down from her second-floor bedroom, managing to dig her little shoes into the crannies time had left behind. Muscle memory served her well as she made her way down the palace wall, reaching the ground with a gentle leap. Glancing around her, she found herself alone as she made her way to a back exit—a secret door only the royal family knew about.

She pressed her finger against an imperceptible circle in the wall, and a small door sprang open. Quickly she slid through it and closed it again, entering a small alley before walking out into the open streets of Tyra.

All around her people were going about their days as though the country were not on the edge of destruction. One thing her father’s government had managed to do was keep their situation out of view from the general public so as not to incite panic, and Jasmina was grateful for that as she strolled down the busy streets. She bought a cold tea from a local vendor, who looked at her as though he knew he’d seen her face somewhere, but couldn’t quite put a finger on it.

Jasmina thanked him for the tea before heading toward one of Tyra’s largest parks. A series of cricket fields, large fountains and playgrounds surrounded her, and she found a bench she could sit on to enjoy her tea while she watched the people of her country go about their lives.

A mother and father were walking with a small child between them. The child held each of their hands, swinging back and forth every couple of steps. Her parents beamed down at her, then at each other as they continued their walk around the park. Behind them a cricket game was in progress, the sound of a bat slapping against a ball before cheers erupted over and over again.

Jasmina absorbed the sounds of her old life, the people whose lives she was responsible for. She watched as men cheered on their teammates and women cuddled their children beneath little tents. She breathed in the scent of cinnamon bread from the local food stands, and felt a wave of sadness wash over her.

If she didn’t get a deal for the lithium, all of this would be lost. People would lose their homes, children would go hungry. The joy she felt around her would melt away into despair, which would lead to violence and uprisings. She couldn’t afford to let that happen. She had to do whatever it took to protect them. Without Jenson’s offer, her country would slide headfirst into a depression.

She thought about Jenson, then. She’d been trying not to—the man was everything in the world that she hated most. He was arrogant and entitled, a sexist pig who thought he could manipulate her to get what he wanted. He was already at the pinnacle of his field, wealthy in every possible way, and still he wanted more.

He wanted her soul.

A little boy waddled up to her, his smile missing a few teeth as he rested a tiny hand on her knee. Jasmina smiled down at him, placing a hand on his tiny fingers.

“Hello there,” she said, and the toddler babbled something incomprehensible.

“Hani! What did mommy say?”

A woman dashed up to them, scooping up her son with an apologetic look in her eye.

“I’m terribly sorry. He’s just started wandering off and we’re having trouble keeping him in one place.”

Jasmina waved away the apology.

“Think nothing of it. We had a lovely conversation just now.”

The woman nodded gratefully at Jasmina’s understanding before carting her little boy off. The boy waved to Jasmina as they departed, and she waved back at him, the warmth in her heart fading as her thoughts turned back to her terrible predicament.

She could find another buyer. There were plenty of technology companies out there who would love to get their hands on her lithium supply. Even as she thought of the solution, however, she knew it wouldn’t work. It had already taken her council months to find Jenson and his deal. No one else was willing to employ only her people as a workforce, and no one else had offered the sum of money that Jenson had put on the table. Beyond that, they were already out of time. They needed that money fast, and Jasmina couldn’t waste any more time trying to negotiate another deal.

Staring out at the park, Jasmina thought again about the last conversation she had had with her father. He had told her that he never remarried out of a sense duty to El Jayiah. He had wanted her to be the undisputed monarch once he was gone. In that moment, Jasmina realized that she would be forced to make a similar sacrifice. She would have no choice but to wed that odious man for the good of her country and her people. She would have to make her first sacrifice, not even a week into her reign.

What would the rest of her rule look like?

Resigned to living a lonely life, Jasmina stood, making her way back to the palace. She couldn’t run from who she was anymore. She’d had four glorious years of just being Jasmina, a college student majoring in political science. Those years were now gone, the real world had arrived, and Jasmina would do what she had to for the good of her nation. She wondered idly if this would have been her fate whether her father died or not. Would she have made the same sacrifice, if her father had asked it of her?

She supposed she would never know.

Reaching the secret doorway, Jasmina glanced around her before pressing the secret button and opening the portal, sliding back through. She reached the wall beneath her window and climbed until she reached the balcony, easily lifting her leg over and climbing back inside. Asha was standing at the door with her arms crossed, waiting.

“I know, I know. I just needed to get some air,” Jasmina said, not making eye contact.

“You know if something happens to you, the royal line is finished. Our country is in enough peril as it is, Jasmina. Do try to keep yourself out of danger.”

With that, she turned and headed toward the exit.

“Asha, wait.”

Asha turned.

“Could you please get me Jenson Black’s phone number? I have a call I need to make.”

Asha lifted a curious eyebrow.

“Of course. Based on what’s going on here I can’t assume that meeting went terribly well.”

“It did not,” Jasmina said. She hesitated for a moment, debating whether or not to tell Asha Jenson’s terms. “He won’t give us the deal unless I agree to marry him.”

Asha’s expression remained neutral at that piece of information, and Jasmina waited for her to react. Finally, she sighed heavily.

“The price of being a royal is higher than people understand. I imagine you’ll be giving him your answer then?”

Jasmina nodded, and Asha left before quickly returning with a piece of paper, holding it out to her. When Jasmina looked at it, she found Jenson’s information typed out, nice and neat.

She felt like throwing up.

Asha’s hand landed on her shoulder, a small comfort for the conversation that lay ahead.

“Everything has a way of working out, my love. You’ll see.”

With that, she turned and left the room, closing the door behind her. Jasmina stared at it, feeling suffocated. She was trapped, and she knew it. There would be no escaping the decision she was about to make. She had the welfare of her people to think about, above her own happiness, and certainly over her pride.

Lifting a phone, she began to dial.