I had agreed to go on a date with Saanvi, but if I was going to attempt to find someone to replace Sophia, I was going to do it in my own way. Which meant I dismissed the outfit that Mother approved for my date and went with a slick suit and tie.

Holding onto my independence was vital for my future at the palace. I didn’t need it to get around that at thirty-three years old, my mother dressed me up for dates. It was bad enough that she had set me up in the first place. I wasn’t going a step further to add to my humiliation.

Even though most of it was in my head, I felt a little more like myself before heading off on my first blind date in some time. Years before meeting Sophia and taking over the family business, Mother had set me up with some women. Those were forgettable, and I hoped Saanvi was interesting to talk to at the very least.

I also chose the venue. My mother intended for me and Saanvi to eat dinner together at the palace, but if I was going on a date against my will, then I wanted to be as far away from Mother as possible. I had nightmares of catching her with her ear to the dining room door or her telling Saanvi embarrassing stories about my childhood.

I suspected those would come eventually—if they hadn’t already—if I decided to take things further with her.

I shook that thought out of my head.

One step at a time, Luke.

As the clock ticked closer to the date, I started to get nervous but not in the same way that I had whenever Sophia and I were getting ready for a date.

This was different. With Sophia, it was excitement and anticipation that put my nerves on high alert. With Saanvi, I felt nervous because I was going in blind. What did she look like? Would I feel any attraction to her? Did we have anything in common, other than our families and the fact that we were single? I didn’t even know her age. I had a feeling she was much younger. Most women in Qatar were married off early.

If she was a world traveler, we might have something to talk about, but if Mother was setting me up with her, I assumed Saanvi was more traditional. Fit for a queen in Mother’s eyes.

I straightened my tie and took one last glance at myself in the mirror before heading off to the unknown future.

Before I could open my door, someone knocked.

“Luke,” Mother said from the other side.

I sighed and opened the door. “I’m leaving.”

She pushed through into my bedroom, and I turned to face her. “You can’t barge in here.” I sounded and felt like a teenager, but Mother always brought out that side of me.

“You need to be on your best behavior tonight,” she said.

“Yes, Mother,” I said, wishing she would go away. This wasn’t my first date.

“Saanvi would make the perfect wife and queen to stand beside you,” Mother said.

The fact that she set me up without my permission was bad enough; now she was giving me dating advice. Would it ever end?

“I don’t need a lecture, Mother.” Over the last few weeks, Mother’s attitude had improved enough that I could deal with her. Now, she was pushing herself back into where she was when Sophia was around.

“This is not a lecture, Luke,” Mother said. “I’m trying to make you understand—”

“I understand perfectly well,” I snapped. “Now if you will excuse me?”

I whipped open the door and slammed it closed behind me. As I stalked down the hallway, my skin prickled with annoyance. Even with Sophia out of my life, Mother wasn’t going to stop until I’d secured a wife. But I wasn’t going to pick just anyone. I needed the one woman who could measure up to Sophia, or at least prove to be a distraction while I got over the true love of my life.

---

Since we were both single, it was inappropriate for me to pick Saanvi up. So, we met at the restaurant. It was nice to be alone in the back of the car, mentally preparing for an evening with a stranger. Even though Mother and Father had a successful arranged marriage, the idea was archaic to me. If I was going to spend the rest of my life with someone, they needed to be someone I could tolerate on my own without anyone else interfering.

I arrived early enough to secure our table and gather myself before meeting her.

The restaurant was exclusive enough that no one approached me, but I noticed heads did turn when I sat down. I ignored their stares, already feeling the weight of Mother’s persistence in the back of my head. I had a sense that she would wait up for me and want every minute detailed to her when I arrived home.

Deep inside, I hoped that I had something to tell her. Distracting myself with another woman would surely help me get over Sophia. It was all I wanted, even though it made my chest tighten to think of a day that Sophia wouldn’t fill my head.

The waiter came over to the table and announced Saanvi’s arrival.

I stood up and buttoned my jacket before lifting my gaze to the woman approaching my table.

I sucked in a breath as I took her in. She dressed in a flowing, deep purple gown. Even though she was covered from neck to toes, I could almost see her thin figure underneath. Her black hair was tied back in a plait, and it slowly swayed against her back as she walked. She was exquisite.

“Luke,” she said in a breathy voice. Her smile was warm and friendly.

I bowed to her. “Saanvi, I presume.”

The waiter helped with her chair, and I sat down again. According to law, it was prohibited for men and women to show affection toward each other in public. I had the law on my side since I didn’t plan on moving this relationship faster than a snail’s pace. If I was searching for a wife, I wanted to be sure that I could spend the rest of my life with whoever I chose.

Her looks helped ease my mind.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” she said.

I could barely hear her over the conversations around us, so I leaned closer to hear what she had to say.

The truth was, nothing she said throughout the dinner was particularly exciting. It appeared as if her father had kept her under wraps until he could find her a suitable husband. I supposed the king was suitable enough for him, but talking to her was like talking to my fork.

“Your life in England sounds so exciting,” she said after I explained about running the company in England. I hated to resort to business talk, but we didn’t have much in common, and I was running out of ideas.

“It wasn’t much,” I said. “I worked a lot. Enough that I barely had time to do anything else.”

“I know how that is,” she said.

“You do?”

“Of course,” she said. “My days are filled, too.”

“With what?” I asked, hoping I didn’t sound too rude. From what she’d already told me, she had no hobbies and barely made it out of the city.

“Oh, plenty,” she said with a laugh, but I failed to understand what was so funny.

I chided myself for thinking poorly of her. She was pretty and nice and probably nervous to have dinner with me—a king.

“I keep my parents’ house tidy, and I am in charge of the servants,” she said.

What a vacation it would be for me to be in charge of the servants. I noticed a little flicker of something in her expression. A small smirk that reminded me of Mother when she attempted to pull a fast one on me. It was then I realized that Saanvi had been prepped for this dinner.

I sat back in my chair and used my food as a distraction, taking a breath and recalling the rest of the conversation. She was a blank slate, no personality, no hobbies or job. She was completely open to being molded into a queen. Her being “in charge” of her servants was the kicker. It was Mother’s sole purpose at the palace to keep it running smoothly. With Saanvi’s only qualification of running a household, of course, Mother would think she was perfect. She had the title and the ability to give me what I needed. Sure, she was beautiful, but that would only take her so far. I was sure plenty of other single men would be happy to be with her. Not me.

I felt sick. Never had I worked so hard at a conversation before. I imagined Sophia sitting across from me. She had enough life experience—at least ones that were foreign to me—to carry an entire meal just on her stories alone. This woman was nothing like her, and she wasn’t what I wanted.

While I stewed inside, I gave Saanvi no indication that I knew that I’d been set up in the worst way. Mother would never stop if I didn’t take charge of my life. The longer I sat with Saanvi, the more I wanted Sophia. If it were possible, I wanted Sophia even more than I had right after she left. Mother’s plan had backfired, and there was only one thing I needed to do.

My head was clearer than it had been in a month.

When dinner was over, I parted ways with Saanvi politely and went back home. As I walked up the palace steps, my nerve endings fired rapidly. The solution was clear, but I had avoided it, suffering much more than I needed to.

Mother shuffled into the front entryway of the palace, just as I expected her to.

I didn’t end the date early since I wanted to give Saanvi a good time. It wasn’t as if I would ever see her again in the same setting. Maybe she would be able to regale her family about the time that she went on a date with a king. I was sure she would make some man happy, but that man wasn’t me.

“How did it go?” Mother asked. Her lips pressed into a smile, and her hands clasped in front of her.

“The meal was fine,” I said.

“Fine?” Mother asked.

As much as Mother enjoyed playing games, I preferred to be straightforward. “I’m not going on another date with Saanvi.”

“What?” Her clasped hands fell to her sides into fists. “No, you will try again. She’s perfect for you. I’ll talk to her. She was probably nervous. I told you we should have had dinner here.”

“We? No, Mother. She’s perfect for someone, but not for me.”

Mother stepped forward, but I wasn’t going to back down. “You will see Saanvi again. How can you know someone after one date? She’s beautiful and smart—”

“And boring and not for me,” I finished for her.

She balked. “You need a wife, Luke.”

“I know,” I said.

“Then why are you pushing back so much?” she asked. “You and Saanvi will have exquisite royal children—”

“Stop it, Mother,” I said. “You’re pushing too hard for this. I need you to listen to me. I don’t want to be with Saanvi. I don’t want to be with any woman that you choose for me. I want to pick my own wife.”

“You’re a king. There’s no dating app for that. You need these women to be brought to you. It’s the way that kings have done it for years.”

“I understand,” I said. “But I choose to do things differently.”

She crossed her arms. “How are you going to do that?”

I took a deep breath, knowing that I was going to disappoint her more than I ever had before. “I’m going to America to do something I should have done a long time ago.”

Mother’s mouth fell open, and I strode past her, hoping that she wouldn’t follow me. This was something I needed to do, and as king, no one could tell me otherwise. I would deal with the fallout when I returned home.