What an unexpected development that had been.
He had already anticipated reaching his desired level of popular support within Hayat following his successful world exhibition, but with the added bonus of announcing his marriage, there would be no doubt.
And he had thought the trip to the United States was going to be a waste of precious time when he was so close to achieving his ends.
He was serious about his takeover being nonhostile. His people deserved peace, and he would do nothing to shatter that for them.
And he would secure that peace by first securing their love.
After all, there was no stronger force to compel human behavior, he knew, than love. In fact, he knew it better than most.
It was another reason why his little jaunt had proved so fruitful. In Rita, he had found a woman with whom he would never worry about manipulating with emotions.
Rita was a virtual stranger, and by not allowing them the space to become close there would be no emotional coercion and no accidental heirs—as his three friends had stumbled into in the fulfillment of their vows.
If love itself was powerfully coercive, then children were its most effective tool.
People were willing to do anything for their children—even die.
Jag was fond of free will.
Which did not mean he looked down on his friends.
On the contrary, he was happy for them. In their cases, love had crept past their defenses and enriched their lives, the lovers they’d found trustworthy in their commitment to not manipulate.
The children they had produced were blessings.
In fact, reflecting on it now, Jag oddly preferred to see his friends happy and settled with strong women and joyful families than where he sat, unexpectedly tied to a brilliant and beautiful but unwitting accomplice, that many steps closer to achieving his ruthless goal.
But if his goal was ruthless and methods resolute, it was at least to the benefit of the people he ruled and the woman he had joined himself to.
Following his proposal, his legal team had coordinated expedited US licenses, documents and a local judge, who had arrived at the NECTAR compound with the required paperwork and witnesses within the hour.
The ceremony had taken place in Rita’s garage, surrounded by the cars she had engineered, and perhaps because of it, it was an experience that Jag found more personal and unique than any wedding he’d ever attended. Of course, the feeling could have come from the fact that it was his own.
Like everything else about their meeting, it was completely unlike any context within which he had ever imagined getting married—and as a prince there had been many of those—and yet it had been sentimental at the same time.
And funny.
In all of the rush of preparing for their hasty marriage and immediate departure, Rita had not changed from her jumpsuit.
She had been married in NECTAR lime green, his new wife, the world-famous genius mechanic.
And when she first laid eyes on the private plane that now belonged to her as well, and which was just one of many, he heard her gasp even on the gusty tarmac.
It was rather adorable.
“Nice plane,” she said breathlessly, gazing around the interior with adoration in her eyes as they boarded.
An unexpected surge of pride and pleasure at having decided to take the Cessna coursed through him as if it had always been his intention to impress her when, in truth, he had simply wanted something that was both comfortable and fast.
He could have flown in his G6 but had chosen speed over power for his unplanned excursion, and it made all the difference.
Seeing her enthusiasm, now he was glad he had for other reasons.
There was something cozy about the sweet little jet with its designer interior.
Of all his jets, this was the most intimate and comfortable and close, and sliding into the supple comfort of the branded leather reclining seat across from her, he appreciated that the small jet created an atmosphere of intimacy around their fake arrangement that he could not.