The afterglow from the activities of last night made Sophia’s face shine brighter than ever. Every time I was intimate with her, my fondness for her grew. Would there ever be a cap on that, or would I love her so much that I would always feel the urge to burst with love at every moment?

It wasn’t a terrible feeling, and I welcomed it as it pushed down the dark swirls of fear for what our future held within the kingdom.

The question from last night lingered in my mind. She seemed ready and willing to get married as soon as possible, but I did notice hesitation in her eyes. Did she want the big fancy wedding? I had enough money to make that happen, but she didn’t have much family around. So, why did she brush it off? Maybe she was hurt that I hadn’t predicted what she wanted. I supposed I’d have to have the conversation again with her, but I had to do one thing first.

Sophia stood next to the intricate coffee machine down in the kitchen while one of the servants pushed buttons across the facade of the machine. Normally, I would have taken my coffee on one of the balconies, but Sophia insisted on getting it herself.

In the short time that Sophia had been living in the palace, there had been a lot of changes, especially when it came to her attitude about the servants. While I knew there was a point where I would have to rein her in, there was no harm in her navigating her own way around this new culture. It wasn’t in me to stifle her curiosity. Besides, I knew she would work harder to do what she wanted if I tried to stop her.

“Okay, I think I have this,” Sophia said to the servant. “I’m going to make Luke one.”

I leaned against the counter. “If it’s anything like the coffee at your apartment, no thanks.”

Sophia tossed a coffee bean at me, and it bounced off my chin. Sophia covered her face with her hands and laughed. The servant looked mortified, which only made the situation funnier.

“Okay, serious now,” Sophia said, clapping her hands together. “I press this button, right?”

The servant glanced at me a few times while helping Sophia. She was older, and surely Father and Mother never did this. Sophia was different for all of us. But I’d learned to embrace change when I could, especially where Sophia was involved. It was good for everyone, even Mother.

When the coffee started to pour from the machine, Sophia pumped her arms into the air. “I did it!”

She hopped over to me and jumped into my arms. I held her close to me and stared into her gorgeous eyes.

“I have no idea why I’m so excited,” she said, giggling. “I seriously need a life.”

“You’re adjusting to your new one,” I said before kissing her.

“And it’s going to be a great one,” Sophia said.

After the first cup finished brewing, Sophia set up the next one on her own. The servants cleared out of the kitchen, probably to give us some privacy. If we needed help, they weren’t too far away to call. Not that Sophia needed help. She was an intelligent woman. I couldn’t imagine doing this with any other woman that Mother would see fit as a queen. Sophia’s playfulness would keep things new and exciting for us and shake up things in the kingdom. While she wasn’t doing it on purpose, it was just her personality; I appreciated her being herself.

“All right,” she said, holding out my cup of coffee. “Taste it.”

I clinked mugs with her, and we sipped from our mugs.

Sophia blinked a few times with surprise. “That is the best cup of coffee I’ve ever had.”

“I’d say the same,” I said, moving closer to her. “I think you’ve found your new calling.”

“Barista?” she asked.

“But only for me, and I’d prefer coffee in bed next time.”

“That won’t be a problem,” she said. “I’m an early riser, and I live to please.”

Slipping my arm around her, I pulled her to me. “Just as long as you only please me.”

Someone cleared their throat, and Sophia and I jumped apart to see Mother standing on the other side of the room.

“Good morning, Mother,” I said.

Mother nodded in our direction. “Good morning, Luke, Sophia.” Her hands were clasped in front of her as if she were holding on to something very tightly. Possibly her dignity. Since she acknowledged both Sophia and me, I knew whatever she was about to say was going to be hard for her.

“Hello,” Sophia said, moving closer to me.

I placed a steadying hand on her hips.

“Luke,” Mother said, lifting her chin. “I’d like it if you made yourself scarce today. I would like to spend some time with Sophia on my own.”

Sophia stiffened, but when she tilted her head to glance up at me, I saw a smile on her face. It didn’t look forced. Even though Mother had treated her like garbage since they met, it appeared as if Sophia would finally get what she wanted—a chance to prove herself to my mother. I wasn’t going to stand in the way of that.

“I can do that,” I said, putting down my mug.

Sophia looked down at her clothes. We’d showered earlier but only dressed casually, thinking we were headed back up there after dinner. She looked great, and appropriate for the day since they were staying on the palace grounds. I squeezed her hand, conveying my approval, and she took a breath before chugging the rest of her coffee.

I kissed her cheek and met Mother across the room, doing the same. “Have fun today.”

Looking back one last time, I wanted to give Sophia the “out” she needed. I would make some excuse to take her away if I needed to.

Instead of a scared looking woman, Sophia appeared just as confident as Mother.

There was no reason to worry about either of them. I had faith that Sophia could handle herself—hell, she had with me. As long as Mother tried, they would be fine. I hoped Sophia surprised Mother just as much as she’d surprised me through every step of our relationship.

Leaving the room, it was strange to be on my own and not worry about Sophia. Sure, I thought of her. I wanted to be a fly on the wall during the conversation between the two of them, but one thing I had to do was allow her to make her own life in Qatar. The more space I gave her, the better off we would be when we finally came together at some point in the day. She couldn’t cling to me the rest of her life here, and I doubted she wanted to. Eventually, Mother could turn into a confidant for her as Sophia would be her successor.

The thought made me shiver. We were that much closer to solidifying our relationship within the kingdom. I could see our future right around the corner, where everyone would be happy. Abir could be with Alda and stay out of the spotlight as king, and I could hold that position while standing next to the woman of my dreams.

I headed back to my chambers. It was a strange thing not to have any specific plans that day. I had cleared much of my schedule for the trip to England—mostly wanting to keep the council at bay when it came to a decision about Sophia and me. They carried on with their duties while I set my plans in stone to convince them that I was the best choice for king and whomever I chose to spend the rest of my life with was no business of theirs.

Inside my chambers, the bed was already made up and the surfaces polished. Sophia’s phone and mine sat side by side on my desk, the servants having moved them there so they wouldn’t get lost. Sophia didn’t need her phone, but I wondered if I should give it to her anyway.

Though interrupting Sophia and Mother might break up whatever connection they were forming at that very moment.

Picking up my phone, I checked my email. There were a few from Maddox with the quarterly projections attached. Even though Maddox and I hadn’t spoken much in the time I was king, he did keep me informed with updates on the business. After the most recent trip, I vowed to myself to make more of an effort to keep our friendship going outside of the business, as we had when I lived there.

Sophia’s phone rang, and I glanced down at the screen. A number that looked familiarly English scrolled across the screen.

Who did Sophia know in England? Was it the hotel? Did we forget something there? I didn’t remember giving them her cell number, but if it was important, I didn’t want to let the call go unanswered.

I slid my finger over the screen. “Hello?”

“Hello!” a perky English voice trilled over the line. “I’m guessing this is Sophia’s fiancé.”

I was happy that it was a woman, but I wasn’t so pleased with her knowing me when I had no clue what her and Sophia’s relationship was. “May I ask who is calling?”

“My name is Marie. Sophia stopped by my dress shop the other day, and I wanted to touch base with her and see if she was interested in the gorgeous gown that she tried on.”

“Gown?”

“Wedding gown,” she said.

“She tried on a wedding dress?”

Marie hesitated. “She did. Sophia informed me that you two hadn’t made any plans, but I cannot let this dress go to anyone else. I’ve been in this business my whole life, and I know she will regret it. Even if you don’t get married for two years, she needs this dress.”

“I see,” I said.

“My apologies for overstepping, but as a happily married woman, if you were to make sure she had this dress, you’d start your marriage off with a bang!”

“Do you have a photograph of the dress?” I asked.

“I do, but I’d hate to break custom and send it to you. You know the adage, never see a bride’s dress before the wedding. We’re very superstitious in the wedding industry.”

“You said it’s perfect for her?” I asked.

“Yes. And that’s not just a sales pitch. I was the one who held the dress for her. She wanted to tell you first, but I’m guessing she hasn’t. I understand the cost might be daunting—”

“We haven’t had much time to discuss wedding plans as of late,” I interrupted. “But the cost is not an issue for me.”

“That’s brilliant,” she said. “With a deposit, I can keep the dress here as long as you want. But if you’re not interested, I understand. I’ll put it back on the rack, and we can forget all about it.”

Just then, an idea struck me like a shot of adrenaline. The pieces fell into place, and I knew what I had to do to force the hand of the council and profess my undying love for Sophia.

“Hold the dress,” I said.

“Brilliant,” she said. “I’ll need the card number that you wish to use.”

“Let me get in touch with you soon.”

She cleared her throat but ultimately said, “I can give you twenty-four hours.”

“I don’t even need that much time. I just want to arrange everything. But I have to go.”

“Sounds good!” she chirped. “Sophia is never going to forget this.”

I hoped not.

After hanging up with her, I grabbed my phone and dialed Maddox.

“Hello, mate!” he said over the line. “Get those numbers from me? I bet you want to pat your best mate on the back for all the work I’ve done.”

“This isn’t about work,” I said. “I wanted to know if you were available this weekend for a wedding.”

There was a short pause on the other line before he asked, “Who’s getting married?”

“Me,” I said.

“Finally clamping on that old ball and chain? I’m proud of you. What did the council say when you told them about the wedding?”

“They don’t know yet,” I said. “I’m going out on a limb here and doing it without anyone’s permission. I’ll have to face them eventually, but I know this will work. And I’m tired of delaying it. I want to be married to Sophia.”

“I’ll do whatever you need, Luke,” Maddox said. “I love a good fight against ‘the man’.”

“I’m not looking for a fight, per se, but if we’re married, then they can’t go up against me.” The decision was a little hasty, but the adrenaline coursing through my veins clouded my head. I had to do this.

Selfishly, I couldn’t wait to have Sophia by my side for the rest of my life, but if the council wasn’t going to budge, I would have to force them to. Deep down, they knew I was the best choice for king, and making decisions like this was in the nature of a ruler.

“What day do you need me there?” Maddox asked, pulling me out of my thoughts.

“Can you make it here for Friday? Justine can get in touch with the pilot for my plane and get all the details nailed down.”

“Flying in style? How did I ever get so lucky?”

“I need you to do one more favor for me,” I said.

“Anything, mate.”