My stomach sank the longer that Luke and Gia argued with each other. I didn’t miss the disgusted glares thrown in my direction. As much as I wanted to catch up with Abir, I couldn’t allow Luke to be utterly alone in this. I wasn’t going to stand back if he needed me.

The conversation between Luke and his Mother was one of the most brutal ones I’ve witnessed. She held firm in her decision to hate me. I didn’t care so much about my feelings, but if I could protect Luke’s, I would at all costs.

I would have stepped in if I thought it would help, but one look from Luke told me he would handle this. I held my ground while Abir attempted to keep the conversation far away from his mother.

Even though I wasn’t taking part in the conversation, I still kept one ear leaned in Luke’s direction. If Gia went too far, I would be forced to step in.

Luke and I were a team, and we would have to be if we were going to make it through the family drama surrounding our relationship. If only Gia got to know me, I would be the doting daughter-in-law that she probably wanted. Was it the color of my skin or because I wasn’t from Qatar? Would either of those things make a difference? Or was it because Luke chose someone that she hadn’t preapproved?

When Gia walked away from Luke, I wanted to run over to him and tell him it was all going to be okay. But the expression on his face told me otherwise. He had never seemed so bothered by her before. What had she said to him that turned his skin a shade grayer?

As he came over to us, I tried to read his expression. He had turned into the stone-faced man I’d first met. Something was definitely on his mind.

“Let's get settled in my chamber,” he said.

Abir was happy to comply and grabbed the handle of my suitcases while Luke took his own.

I reached for Luke’s hand, but he only gave it a quick squeeze before letting go. Any other insecure woman would think he was second-guessing himself about us, but we were far over that. He was stuck thinking about something she’d said, and I planned on finding out what.

“Tell me more about Alda,” I told Abir, needing to end the silence between the three of us. Maybe Abir could break through to Luke when I couldn’t.

“She’s beautiful,” Abir said excitedly as if he was bursting at the seams to talk more about his girlfriend. “And smart. She reminds me of you.”

“She does?” I asked at the same time Luke said, “Easy, brother.”

Abir smirked. “It’s a compliment to you both.”

“How did you meet?” I prompted.

“At the last banquet,” Abir said.

“You’ve been seeing her for that long?” Luke asked.

“We talked online for a while,” Abir said. “Without Mother’s knowledge.”

“Don’t tell her that,” Luke said.

“I already did. She likes Alda. You two need to meet her. I’ve told her all about you.”

“All good things I hope,” I said, eyeing Luke. Abir was a sweet boy, but he didn’t know how to read a room.

“Of course,” Abir said with a little skip in his step.

He went on about the excursions that he and Alda had gone on over the past month. It seemed that in my absence, Abir had made headway in his relationship with this girl while Luke and I suffered apart. That was all in the past, though.

It was nice hearing that Abir was happy again after the passing of his father. I was sure Alda had a hand in making sure the prince was distracted from his feelings. Young love did that to people. So I’d heard. If it was anything like how I felt for Luke, then there was a good reason for the grin on his face.

If only Luke would show me that smitten smile I’d seen for most of his visit to Dallas.

I missed our alone time together already, but we were far past the honeymoon stage, at least, as far as Gia was concerned. We were in the thick of it, and she had all the power.

Once we arrived at Luke’s room, Luke opened the door and allowed Abir and me to enter first.

“Here, okay?” Abir asked, indicating my suitcases.

“Sure,” I said. I had never been to the palace as more than a guest before. Protocol eluded me, so keeping my bags fully packed before I interfered with the servant’s job was the best idea in my mind.

“Abir, thank you,” Luke said. “If you wouldn’t mind, Sophia and I would like to get settled.”

Even though Abir didn’t appear fazed by the request, Luke’s tone held a heavy weight. For once, I didn’t want to know what was on his mind, but I had a feeling I was about to find out.

This was what I was here for, to be Luke’s rock like he was mine. This was what a real relationship looked like, for better or for worse.

When Abir left and closed the door behind him, Luke collapsed onto his bed. He rolled over onto his back and raked his hands through his hair.

“Penny for your thoughts?” I asked, intending for it to sound like a joke.

Luke wasn’t smiling. “The council wants to meet with me,” he said.

“Okay? Don’t you meet often?”

“They want to see me now.”

“Now?” I asked. “You just got back. They can’t give you a second to get settled?”

Luke sat up. “That’s what Mother said. A king’s duty never rests.”

I sat down next to him. I didn’t touch him for fear he would shrink away from me. I wanted to be there for him but not to make him more uncomfortable than he already was.

“Are you worried about what they’re going to say about us?” I asked.

“I’m not worried. I just don’t want to deal with it right now.”

“How come?”

“It’s none of their business,” Luke said, shoving off from the bed. “Just like it isn’t any of my mother’s business who I choose to be with. It won’t affect how I will rule this kingdom. I have to deal with so much superfluous bullshit when I should only be concerned with making sure the people in the kingdom are fed and content. I shouldn’t have to worry about everyone’s agenda.”

I stood up and went over to him, not wanting him to be alone in this. “Whatever they say, I’ll be here for you. I’m not going anywhere.”

“I’m not either,” he said, taking my hands in his. He drew me close, and I wrapped my arms around his waist. We had already been through the hardest month of our lives; nothing could stand up to that, not even crotchety old men and their customs. I was going up against years of tradition, but if Luke didn’t seem worried, then I wouldn’t be either.

“Whatever they say,” Luke said, tilting my head up toward him. “Nothing will stop you from becoming my wife.”

“Promise?” I asked with a smirk.

“I more than promise,” he said.

“What are you waiting for then?” I asked.

He chuckled. “Courage? There’s never been a point in my time as king that I feared going into one of these meetings. I’m going to have a lot to explain.”

“Didn’t they know we were dating before your father passed?”

“They did,” he said. “But you weren’t here much after that. I know that’s my fault, but I thought it was the best thing for us at the time. I supposed this conversation should have come sooner rather than later, but either way, it’s here, and I’m unprepared for defending how I feel about another person when it has nothing to do with the job.”

“Sure it does,” I said.

“What?”

“Being a king, your family has everything to do with the job. Your people look to you as an example. Which is why your mother probably feels that you should already be married.”

“Probably?”

I laughed.

“I never imagined that you’d take her side on anything,” he said.

“Her issue is with me, not the other way around. I don’t appreciate when someone dislikes me for no reason, but I don’t dislike her. I just wish things were different. Maybe I could get some tips from Alda.”

Luke chuckled at that, and his face returned to its normal color. In a small way, I was helping him. If he could go into that room in the best mood possible, I knew my job was done.

Luke kissed me on the lips, and I stood up onto my tiptoes to deepen it. I wasn’t sure what would come out of the meeting, but I wanted Luke to have a piece of me there, even when I couldn’t be there in person.

His hands started to roam over my body. My head lightened, and I felt the urge to straddle him and make love right there on the carpet.

I had to force myself to break apart from him. “You should go.”

He nodded and was a little out of breath. “I should.”

We kissed again, a peck on the lips before I sent him off to the meeting with the council.

I wished him luck again and then watched him walk out of the room. I sneaked closer to the door and saw his form rounding the corner.

I breathed a sigh of relief and crossed my fingers, hoping that it would all turn out okay. After going through everything that we had, I couldn’t imagine that it would just end like that. They couldn’t tell him not to be with me, right? He was the king for Christ’s sake. He had the power to pick anyone to be by his side. Wasn’t that the point of being in power? If it wasn’t, then I had no idea what to expect moving forward.

I grabbed the door with the intention of closing it. I would wait for Luke and be here for him when he returned from his meeting.

Footsteps shuffled down the hallway in quick succession, and I wondered if Luke had returned, possibly forgetting something?

I whipped open the door again as Gia Shamon passed Luke’s bedroom without a single look in my direction. Since she knew everything going on in the palace, she knew I was standing there. She just chose to keep up her attitude when it came to me.

Gritting my teeth, I closed the door, not wanting her to know how much she bothered me.

I charged across the room and sat on the edge of Luke’s bed. If I were at home, I could have distracted myself with television, but there wasn’t one in his bedroom. Anytime we were in his chambers, it had been for sex or sleep. I didn’t have an international data plan yet, so I couldn’t even browse YouTube on my phone or anything.

Instead, I pulled my legs up to my chest and wrapped my arms around them. Resting my cheek on my knees, I stared at the door, wondering what was going on in the meeting room and counting down the seconds until Luke returned to me.

Everything is going to be all right, I thought to myself over and over until the words ran together. Love would prevail. Even in the strangest circumstances, we would come out on top. I had to believe that or wonder what the hell we’d done all of this for.