‘May I ask...?’
‘Why it was so important to me for you to be here?’ the older woman asked before smiling. ‘My son inherited his interest in horses not only from his father but also from me. I used to love to ride, but after Danyl was born it became...’ She shrugged. ‘I became a little more nervous. Motherhood gave me a beautiful son, but also a great sense of my own mortality. That and, though I was a good rider, I did not have your considerable skill. I am also aware that the press has not always been kind to women riders—you in particular. I wanted to counter that somewhat in my own small way.’
There was so much in that simple declaration that Mason struggled to unpick all the threads, but above all she was touched at the determined support from Danyl’s mother. Touched, envious and slightly grieved that she had missed that kind of maternal support so easily offered by the Queen of Ter’harn.
‘It’s quite something to get your head around, isn’t it? All this royal stuff,’ Elizabeth said with a delicate gesture of her hand, encompassing not only the room, the guests, but also so much more.
‘This royal stuff?’ Mason repeated, surprised by the inelegant way of referring to the spectacular gala the Queen, by all accounts, had singlehandedly organised.
‘It took me quite some time to get used to it.’ As if realising that Mason wasn’t quite keeping up with the thread of the conversation. ‘Becoming a royal,’ she clarified. ‘Hashid had to do a lot of convincing to make me think that this could work. I wasn’t always a princess,’ she confided, sotto voce.
Mason smiled. She was beginning to warm to the dramatic patters of the older royal woman.
‘I did a little bit of acting,’ Elizabeth said in such a way that Mason was to realise she was no mere bit-part actress. Mason didn’t need Wikipedia to know that she had been the star.
‘Hashid saw me in a film, said he fell in love at first sight and tracked me down to America. Oh, I knew the moment I set eyes on him, that was it. But I made him work for it. It’s not good to let men think they can have their way easily.’
A tinkle of laughter, light but really quite loud, drew their attention across the ballroom, producing a rather tired and indulgent groan from the woman beside her.
‘I wish Danyl didn’t feel the need to go to such extreme lengths to avoid...well. Whatever it is he’s avoiding. But I have to say I really don’t know what that matchmaker of his was thinking with this one.’
‘Matchmaker?’
‘Ter’harn tradition dictates that before the sheikh can pass the country’s rule on to his son, that son should be married. Horribly patriarchal, I know, but marriage was seen to herald the birth of an heir that would continue the rightful rule for future generations and admittedly it has worked for Ter’harn. We have done much to counter some of the more...outdated traditions, but Danyl still feels the need to adhere to this one. And as
we’re not getting any younger, he’s stepped up his efforts to find the perfect bride.’
Mason couldn’t help it. Snippets of conversation from the past were pulled into the present. In New York he’d struggled with it, she knew. He’d felt the heavy weight of the far-off crown and had uncomfortably accepted it. But no matter how she tried, she couldn’t fit the passionate, exuberant sincerity she had known of Danyl with the cold, calculation of a matchmaking service to find his Queen.
‘He hasn’t always been like this. I know that he comes across as harsh and demanding...but once, a long time ago, he used to laugh. Ah, he had a perfect laugh.’ Mason looked up at the Queen, and was surprised to find her eyes glistening with a sheen of what looked suspiciously like tears. In that moment, Mason too saw the filter of who Danyl had been, and who he appeared to be now. And in that moment Mason found herself wondering if the Queen might actually know more than she was letting on, might even know what had caused that change.
* * *
‘Got to say, Danyl, she’s looking stunning tonight.’
‘Who? My mother?’ he asked, slightly outraged.
‘Mason,’ Antonio replied, barging his shoulder against Danyl’s. ‘Though your mother is looking beautiful as always,’ Antonio hastily added.
‘Dimitri, it really is great news. Congratulations,’ Danyl said, forcing out the words he should have spoken hours ago.
‘Yeah, well, as I only found out this morning, it’s still sinking in. It seems Anna just couldn’t keep it to herself. I’m really looking forward to it,’ he said somewhat bashfully. ‘I missed out on so much the first time round.’
Danyl was surprised to find no trace of anger in Dimitri’s words. Once it would have been something to behold. Antonio frowned at something over his shoulder, and Danyl turned to see Sheikh Odir Farouk making his way towards them.
‘Welcome to Ter’harn, Your Highness.’
‘Thank you for having me, Your Highness,’ Odir replied with an easy smile.
‘Allow me to introduce you to Dimitri Kyriakou and Antonio Arcuri. Antonio, Danyl, this is Sheikh Odir Farouk.’
‘The famed Winners’ Circle, feared by every racing syndicate throughout the world,’ Odir replied, just a gentle trace of humour hanging on his words. ‘Thank you for inviting me. Your mother has outdone herself, yet again.’
‘Yes, she has,’ Danyl agreed, quickly scanning the room to find her, and more than a little unsettled to see her talking with Mason. He turned back to Odir. ‘Is your lovely wife here?’
‘Somewhere,’ he replied, unconcerned. ‘She’s probably on the phone to the nanny, worrying about our children.’ Odir gestured to Danyl, stepping away from Antonio and Dimitri a little. Danyl followed and watched as Odir reached into his tux and produced an envelope. ‘Malik asked me to give this to you. He said he’d got what you wanted, and to say if you need anything further you only have to ask. He didn’t seem to like the subject of the investigation very much and was almost gleeful at the opportunity to do something about it. But I managed to talk him down. The rest is up to you.’
The envelope felt heavy in Danyl’s hand as he thanked Odir and turned to a secluded corner to scan the contents. Although it wasn’t necessarily a surprise, he felt outrage and fury and something like regret. But perhaps with this, Mason might be able to finally put the past behind her. Perhaps he could finally put the past behind him and move on. Because in truth, that was what he needed to do. Move on.