The doctor gestured for Kamal to follow him out of the room, and once they stood alone in the hall, he gave him his diagnosis. “Your Majesty, her symptoms certainly fit the early signs of pregnancy, and I have no reason to doubt her own doctor’s conclusion, since they would have tested her. She is most likely only five or six weeks along at this point. A simple blood test will confirm it, I’m sure. She is also dehydrated, so it is important to make sure she gets enough fluids. Hopefully, the nausea she is suffering from will ease over the next several weeks. I will have the prescriptions her physician ordered filled and delivered immediately.”
“Is her condition normal?” Kamal asked. He had never spent much time around pregnant women.
“Well, she does seem to be suffering more than usual. It could be stress, but I would like to monitor her closely for the next several weeks to see if her condition improves.”
“Of course. Schedule weekly checkups with my secretary. Miss Malone will be staying in Jawhara.”
The physician looked startled, but hid the expression quickly. “Forgive me, Your Majesty, but this is your child?”
“Yes. Miss Malone will be marrying me as soon as the ceremony can be arranged.”
The physician nodded, smiling in response. “That is good. She is a strong young woman from what I can tell and will make an excellent bride for you.”
Kamal nodded. “If there’s nothing else?”
“No, Your Majesty. I will let you know the results of her blood work as soon as it becomes available.”
Kamal nodded again, dismissing the doctor and heading back into the bedroom.
Erin was still lying in the bed, but had rolled onto her side, facing away from the doorway. He approached her slowly, noticing that her shoulders were shaking with silent sobs. Sitting on the edge of the bed, he placed a hand upon her shoulder, only to have her shrug his touch off.
Kam could well imagine how she might be feeling, given everything that had happened in the last twenty-four hours, but he would not tolerate her insolence. When he gripped her shoulder again, turning her back to face him, she reluctantly let him. She seemed surprised to see the look of concern on his face.
“Habibti, I am so sorry the child is making you ill. The physician assures me that this too shall pass. I am so glad you are here. I have missed you.”
“Kam…” she began, but her voice trailed off.
“Erin, everything will be fine. You’ll see. We will be married within the month, and then….”
“What?” Erin almost screamed, pushing herself up to sit in the bed. “Kam, you can’t just order people to marry! Especially me. We hardly know each other.”
“That will soon be remedied. It is how we will use the month before the wedding. We will get to know each other, and then you will marry me, have my child, and become the perfect sheikha for my people.” Kam saw no problem with his declaration and was confused as to why she was upset.
Erin shook her head. “I don’t know that I want to marry you. Just because I’m having your baby….”
“Definitely means that you will be marrying me. The future ruler of Jawhara will not be born a bastard. That is nonnegotiable. My child will also not be raised in another country. He will be raised by both of his parents, here in Jawhara.”
Erin looked as though she would protest, and he was prepared to shoot down any argument she might attempt, but then her shoulders sagged, and as fast as the fight had hit her, it had left. Dropping back to the bed, she rolled away from him and pulled the sheet up to her chin. “Go away. I’m tired, and the doctor did say I should get plenty of rest.”
Kam looked at her back for a moment before rising to his feet. “Fine. I will leave now, but be warned. We will be getting married within the month. You will learn to be obedient and stop arguing with my every decree. That might have worked somewhat while you were still in America, but here, you will obey me.”
13
ERIN
Erin shut her eyes, closing out his voice and his words and listened as he left the room.He wanted a biddable wife who would do what she was told. That was so not her! She was an intelligent, confident woman who wanted to help people. She might end up having to stay in Jawhara until the baby was born, but she was not going to become a lapdog. She had her own opinions, and he would just have to deal with it!
Erin slept through the night and well into the next day. Several times, she was awakened by the palace staff, urging her to eat, drink, and take her vitamins. The physician had ordered a special diet for her, which seemed to be helping with the nausea. It wasn’t completely gone but was definitely improving.
After showering and donning the plush robe she found hanging on the back of the bathroom door, she started looking around for her clothing. She had left it in a pile on the bathroom floor, but now it was missing. Had the palace staff taken it? She was sure it needed laundering.
Picking up the phone, she asked that Kam be found. Since he hadn’t given her time to pack her own clothing, he would have to provide her with something to wear until she could go shopping.
When the phone rang a few minutes later, she picked it up. “Hello?”
“Erin, you are feeling better?”
Choosing not to answer him, she asked a question of her own. “Kam, where are my clothes?”