‘Congratulations,’ Mikael offered, and Jamila raised her hand to him and he did as he had promised he would when in Ishla and followed tradition.
It was the Princess to his right, though, who was struggling with the news.
Layla felt Mikael’s hand nudge the small of her back and she looked at Jamila, who gave her a nervous smile which she did not return.
As more congratulations were offered there were tears filling Jamila’s eyes as still Layla stood rigid.
‘This is not Planet Layla,’ Mikael said in a very low voice, and his hand nudged the small of her back again.
‘Congratulations,’ Layla forced out through very tense lips, and then kissed Jamila’s hand.
Fahid gave a small nod of gratitude to Mikael.
‘I don’t want to talk about it,’ Layla said as she and Mikael headed to a helicopter, and she shook her head, as if to clear it from the unwelcome images dancing before her eyes. ‘I don’t even want to think about it.’
She let rip, though, when they were in the desert, in their tent and alone.
Mikael opened champagne as Layla stood swaying in stunned fury. ‘He’s marrying Jamila!’
‘Layla…’ Mikael warned.
‘Has he lost his mind?’ Layla said.
‘Layla, he loves her.’
‘My handmaiden—a queen!’
Mikael had heard enough.
‘Layla, you will walk back into that palace happy for them,’ he told her. ‘Your father has done everything to ensure his children are happy—everything…’
He pointed his finger at her, and when she didn’t smile, when she didn’t make the biting noise she had on the day they had met, Mikael knew she was hurting inside.
‘Now you ruin our wedding night,’ she accused him.
She huffed off to the sleeping area and Mikael called to her.
‘It won’t work with me, Layla…’
He followed her in and was momentarily sidetracked, for he had never seen anything like it. There was nothing more luxurious than a desert sky at night, and with the tent’s roof pulled back they would sleep under the stars in the vast marital bed.
‘We are not married till we sleep together,’ Layla said. ‘You can still change your mind.’
‘Nobody’ s talking about changing their mind, but your father deserves to be happy too.’
‘What about my mother?’ Layla asked. ‘How long has this been going on?’
‘That’s none of our business.’
‘Oh, but it is!’ Layla roared. ‘Has he forgotten his Queen?’
‘Of course not,’ Mikael said, and he took his bride in his arms and felt her heart racing as she struggled to process the news. He had guessed that it was this, not Jamila’s lowly status, that was at the heart of her distress. ‘Your father loves your mother and always will. I am quite sure of that.’