Seven days later, Jasmina stood in front of her mirror, contemplating her reflection.

They had heard no word of her father’s traitorous council members. She wasn’t sure what she felt about that fact, except that it meant that her wedding would proceed as planned. At least, it might.

In the week since they’d last been together, she’d seen neither hide nor hair of Jenson Black, nor had he bothered to reach out and call. Every night that week Jasmina lay awake, wondering what direction her life would take. She ran every conversation they had shared over and over in her mind, and come to the conclusion that her sacrifice really would be just that.

Jenson Black would never care about anything more than money. He had left her a week before they were due to be married to ensure that he didn’t lose out on a business deal. While there may be more to him beneath the surface, his actions belied any of it. Jenson would always put his own success first, and Jasmina reminded herself that in the end, that was the only reason he was marrying her to begin with.

“You look beautiful,” Asha said, toying with the lilac veil in Jasmina’s hair.

Wedding gowns in El Jayiah had always been lilac colored—a light, shimmering purple that glistened beneath the rays of the sun. The gown itself was corset styled with a wide, shimmering bustle that started at her waist and fell in waves, brushing lightly against the ground. Her hair had been swept up into a diamond tiara, and beneath that crown, her eyes were glistening with the beginnings of tears.

“Thank you,” she said, unable to hide her discontent from Asha.

“Everything will be all right. You’ll see,” the old woman said, patting Jasmina on the shoulder.

“I hope so,” Jasmina replied.

“I know so,” Asha said, her voice charged with confidence. “You look just like your mother on her wedding day.”

Jasmina choked up at that comment, her eyes brimming with tears which she refused to shed. She was very aware that neither of her parents were there to give her away that day. She would be walking down the aisle alone, destined to make her own family, now that hers was gone.

“Now, now,” Asha said, holding a tissue for Jasmina to take, which she did, wiping her eyes delicately and checking her dark makeup.

Asha was about to say something else when Jasmina’s bedroom door flew open. She turned, her eyes colliding with Jenson’s, which were filled with wild emotion as he took her in.

“Told you,” Asha said, grinning at Jenson as she passed by him and made a quick exit, closing the door behind her.

“Jenson? What are you doing in here? It’s not tradition for the bride and groom to meet before the ceremony.”

Jenson strode toward her, and before she knew it Jasmina was wrapped tightly in his arms. A wave of joy washed over her, and she held him back just as tightly.

“I wasn’t sure you would come,” she whispered, voicing her fears for the first time.

He pulled away, keeping her in his arms as he gazed into her eyes.

“I couldn’t stay away. I had to see you, and there’s something I’ve been wanting to say to you every day since I left your side. I just didn’t have the words until I got back home.”

“Back home?” she asked, confused.

Jenson nodded.

“The business deal was a quick fix, and I was going to come right back to you when I got a call from my mother. She asked me to stop in and visit, and so I chartered a plane up to the Vermont mansion.”

His eyes grew heavy and distant as he relived the memory.

“When I got there, everything was exactly as I remembered it. The gardens were pristine, the house clean as a whistle. To this day, it looks like a museum more than a home. When I got there I had to search high and low to find my mother, and when I finally did it was in the east wing of the house.”

Jasmina had no idea why that mattered, and seeing the confusion in her eyes, Jenson continued.

“She and my father used to stay together on the other side of the house; they shared a room together. But as the years have passed, their love of money hasn’t been enough to keep them tolerating one another. The only reason they’re still together is because they are worth more as a couple than individually, and when I finally tracked down my father you would think they were strangers.”

He shook his head, his thoughts coming out in a jumbled rush.

“I realized then that I couldn’t do that to you, Jasmina. I was wrong to try and force you into a marriage you didn’t want. You’re too wonderful to live in a loveless, money-driven marriage like my parents. Marrying for wealth and status is a recipe for disaster, and I was an idiot for thinking that it was something we should do.”

Jasmina stared up at him. His arms were still around her, but he was saying he didn’t want to marry her anymore. What did he want?

“I don’t understand,” she said. “You no longer wish to marry me?”

Jenson chuckled, holding her a little closer.

“I didn’t say that. I said I didn’t want to marry you for wealth and status. I realized while I was away that I missed you terribly. I thought of you every morning when I woke up, and every night as I fell to sleep. Pretty much every moment in between, too. I’m afraid, Jasmina Bel Hasnawi, that I have fallen in love with you, body and soul.”

She gazed up at him in wonder, thinking of her own week without him. It had been its own kind of torture, with all the silence, the not knowing. She realized then that those emotions stemmed from a feeling she hadn’t wanted to name, and had been trying to ignore since the moment he pressed his lips against her own.

“Why didn’t you call me?” she asked.

He ran his thumb along her chin, his eyes caressing her face as though he was memorizing her features to keep with him always.

“I almost did, several times. I pulled your number up over and over again, but I didn’t want to tell you how I felt over the phone, across an ocean. I wanted to tell you here, where I could pull you into my arms and beg you to forgive me. Can you forgive me for the terrible way I’ve behaved, Jasmina?”

She gazed up into his eyes, tears finally winning out as she beamed up at him.

“I suppose I might be able to,” she said, grinning from ear to ear.

“You are kindness personified,” he said, squeezing her and twirling her around with joy.

Jasmina laughed, wiping away errant tears.

“And you are a scoundrel,” she said when he stopped spinning her around.

“But I’m your scoundrel,” he replied with a grin.

“Yes you are,” she said.

A pang of guilt shot through her as she realized that there was still so much she hadn’t told him…so much she had lied about.

“What is it?” he asked, sensing the change in her.

“I have something to confess to you, too,” she said, holding her breath before she released her lie.

“There was never any threat to me—to us. I worked it all out with my security team as a ruse to get you to see that El Jayiah was worth so much more than money. All of it was a lie.”

He gazed at her for a moment, and she looked down. Gently, he tilted her chin so she could look back up at him.

“I hope not all of it was a lie.”

His meaning was clear, and Jasmina’s lip twitched at the thought of their beautiful night together.

“Certainly not that part,” she agreed, giggling a little.

His smile was warm and filled with love as he looked at her with pure adoration.

“Thank you for telling me. The truth is, your little scheme might just have saved my life.”

“Oh I highly doubt that,” she laughed, and he pulled her closer.

“It’s the truth. Without our time together, seeing the city, exploring your world, I would never have realized just how amazing you are. Well, maybe not never, but it certainly would have taken longer. I can be pretty dense sometimes.”

“You are pretty dense,” she said.

“Oh, come now,” he breathed, and the humor disappeared from the room as he leaned down and captured her mouth in a passionate kiss.

Jasmina clung to him with every inch of her body as she released the fear and worry and loneliness of the past. Jenson kissed her until she was dizzy, and when he finally pulled away, they were both breathing a little harder than usual.

“I love you too, by the way,” Jasmina breathed.

Jenson grinned.

“I was hoping you would say that. Now, what do you say we call off this wedding?” he asked.

Jasmina’s eyebrows lifted in surprise.

“I thought you just said you loved me. Now you don’t want to marry me?”

Jenson chuckled.

“Of course I want to marry you, but this…” he said, waving around at the room in general, “this isn’t how I want it to be. I want us to take the time to get to know one another, and be a couple for a bit before we make the biggest commitment of our lives. I want us to have an equal start, and have a real relationship for a little while. Why don’t we try being normal?”

Jasmina laughed.

“You think a Sheikha knows anything about being normal?”

Jenson shrugged.

“You know a little bit, from your time incognito. From what I can tell that experience meant a lot to you. You will still have your role here as Sheikha, but maybe instead of being a thorn in your side, I can open up your world to a little more normalcy, and a little less loneliness.”

“How do you know I’m lonely? I’m surrounded by people every day!”

He held her closer, and she allowed her palms to rest gently on his broad chest, gazing up at him.

“Are you going to argue with me at every turn?” he asked, giving her a teasing stare.

Jasmina smiled broadly.

“Did you ever think I wouldn’t?”

He nuzzled his nose against hers, and Jasmina’s belly erupted with butterflies. She hoped she would always feel so loved and content for the rest of her days. With Jenson by her side, she could take on the world bare-handed.

They stood together, simply holding each other for some time, until Jenson finally pulled back with a question in his eyes.

“Shall we go break the bad news? The country is going to be quite bummed not to have a reason to party…and I’ve seen how your people can party.”

Jasmina chuckled, grabbing his hand and heading for the door.

“They’ll understand if I give them a good enough reason…perhaps I’ll say we wanted to take a pre-wedding honeymoon first.”

“And leave affairs of state behind? You think you could do it?”

Jasmina shrugged.

“Probably not, but it’s a nice idea, isn’t it?”

“I’ll go wherever you want me to. I am at your command, Your Highness.”

She turned and smiled at him.

“Oh come now. You may call me Jasmina.”

He grinned.

“Well it’s about time.”