“No. Better to let me mull on that myself. You can entertain me with stories.”
“Any particular one? Cinderella? Arabian Nights?”
“About you,” she said with a small laugh. “I would love to know more about your life.”
“Then let me be like Scheherazade and suggest I tell you more tomorrow morning.”
Heat flushed through her—both at the imagery her mind immediately supplied of what would come between this morning and the following morning, and a more pervasive warmth because it was abundantly clear that he really wanted to spend this time with her. It was hard not to be flattered by the attention.
“Scheherazade drip fed the King stories, did she not?”
“Touché.”
“So?” She had some more lunch, moaning softly. “This is delicious.”
“I’m glad you think so.” He ate some food, then leaned back in his chair. “What would you like to know?”
She considered that. “Have you ever wished you weren’t royal?”
Surprise flashed in the depths of his eyes. “As a child, sometimes.”
“Why?” She continued eating, watching him with all her attention.
“My parents travelled often. I barely saw them. I resented that, and knew that if we were not royal, it would be different.”
“You didn’t travel with them?”
“Sometimes, but never as a family. Protocol forbids it. From time to time, they would take my brother, or they would take me, or my father would take my brother and me, but never all of us, never at the same time.”
“I didn’t realise.” She leaned back in her chair, satisfied now, and more fascinated by him than the leftover food on her plate.
“It was a small sacrifice.”
“You must have traveled a lot though.”
“Yes.”
“Favourite place?”
“Al Medina.”
She rolled her eyes. “Of course, you have to say that.”
His laugh was gruff. “Perhaps, but that does not make it any less sincere.”
“Okay, I’ll bite. What’s so great about it?”
“You’ve never been?”
She shook her head.
“I could not even begin to explain.”
“Try,” she prompted. “Remember, you’re auditioning to stay longer.”
“Of course.” He leaned forward, bracing his elbows on the table, fixing her with a gaze that made her heart tremble. “The country is alive with opposites. It is a deeply ancient culture, and many of the historic practices continue to be observed today, but our cities are every bit as modern and sophisticated as New York or Los Angeles—they are filled with enormous high rises, wide streets, world class restaurants, the beaches are immaculate, but it is in the desert that I think one feels—,”
“Feels what?” She asked breathlessly.