She, as a convenient wife, came a poor second.
Nothing had changed.
Except she’d discovered, faced with this crisis, that shedidcare for him. Had never given up caring. It was a burden she must learn to bear. A secret she’d have to live with.
She moved closer, leaning up to whisper in his ear. ‘You haven’t changed your mind, have you? You’re not going to abdicate?’
‘No.’ He paused, then added, ‘I want this too much to throw in the towel. But, no matter what happens, believe that I’ll keep you and Tarek safe.’
She believed him. He would keep his word.
Karim looked past her, then to the technician. ‘You and Tarek had better take a seat over there.’ He gestured to some chairs clustered on the far side of the room.
And so it came to be that Safiyah was there for Karim’s momentous broadcast. She ignored the questioning glances of politicians unused to having a woman present when government matters were being discussed. She hung on every word, and as she did so her respect for Karim grew.
His readiness to misjudge her in the past still rankled, but with time to cool down she’d acknowledged that the stress he had been under must have contributed to his actions.
Now, hearing him talk with simple honesty about his birth and his vision for Assara, Safiyah felt again a once familiar respect and pride.
He acknowledged the truth of the story about his heritage, and said that he’d told the Royal Council he would abdicate if the circumstances of his birth were considered an insurmountable problem. He also took time to sketch his plans for the nation if he were to stay as Sheikh, and ended by promising a final announcement in the near future.
When the broadcast ended Karim looked around the silent room at the powerful men, regarding him solemnly. It was clear they hadn’t yet made a decision on whether to support their new Sheikh. Thinking of the alternative, of Shakroun taking the throne, Safiyah shivered. How could they even consider letting that man into the palace?
Holding Tarek’s hand, she made for the door, leaving Karim to deal with the politicians. She had her own priorities. Women might not have an overt role in Assaran politics, but that didn’t mean they didn’t have their own networks, or that they didn’t have any influence at all. Safiyah had already been busy accessing those networks on Karim’s behalf.
He was the best man for the position. More, he was the man she loved.
She would stand by him no matter what.
In the days after the public broadcast Karim followed his schedule of regional visits just as if there wasn’t an axe poised to fall on his neck if the Council decided his illegitimacy overrode his merits.
Another man—Shakroun, for instance—would have clung to his position, since constitutionally the Sheikh, once crowned, had absolute power. Karim wasn’t that sort of man. Call it humility, or perhaps excessive pride, but he needed his new country towanthim.
Meanwhile he got on with the job he was there to do. Listening to the people, solving problems and planning new directions. And at his side, day and evening, was Safiyah.
She was a revelation. He’d seen her performing her part at the wedding celebrations, and the way she’d stood up for him on the day of his broadcast had filled him with pride and gratitude. But his wife was far more than a beautiful face to adorn a royal event.
Safiyah charmed both the public and VIPs alike, her manner almost unobtrusive but incredibly effective at helping people relax in the royal presence. Time and again Karim found her leading people forward so their concerns could be heard or their achievements noted. Nor did he miss the way she drew apart from the official entourage on site visits to listen to knots of women who gathered on the fringes of the VIP parties.
Had she supported Abbas in this way?
Karim’s mind slewed away from the thought. She washisnow, through thick and thin. He had no intention of letting her go.
Since returning to the palace he’d slept alone—partly because of the crazy hours he worked, but mainly because of the hurt in her eyes when she’d discovered how he’d mistrusted her. The bitterness in her voice as she’d recommended they keep their distance.
Tonight, surely, they could put all that behind them.
He grinned and knocked on her door, anticipation humming in his veins.
‘Karim!’ Her velvet eyes widened in surprise and he vowed that tonight he’d smash through the barriers that separated them.
‘Aren’t you going to let me in?’
She clutched her pale blue robe closed with one hand as she pulled the door wider. He stepped in and watched as she took her time closing the door. Her robe was plain, but on her it looked incredible. Karim devoured the sight of those bounteous curves, the spill of lustrous dark hair. Arousal stirred, thickening his veins and drawing his body tight.
She turned towards him, automatically raising her chin.
Safiyah might be soft and feminine but she was no pushover. He liked that, he realised.