“It’s very nice to meet you, young man,” he told him solemnly, as Calum smiled.
Tightening his hand on Rebecca, he pulled her in front of him. “Father, this is Rebecca Reid, my fiancée.”
“Ah, the terrorist,” the Sultan responded, shaking her hand.
Sighing loudly, “No, father. Her parents were activists who made the mistake of bringing their daughters to parts of the world they didn’t belong and sometimes the measures they went to could be deemed dangerous, which is why both sisters,” he paused, gesturing to Amy, who waved at the Sultan, “were sent to live with an aunt. Rebecca is a humanitarian who often speaks her mind without first thinking about the consequences.”
At both Rebecca’s and Amy’s shocked looks, Zaid shrugged. “What? Did you think after all the hints you dropped, I wouldn’t have you investigated?”
The Sultan began to laugh, as he looked from one to the other. He still hadn’t released Rebecca’s hand and she gently tried to pull her hand away but he took it in both hands, instead.
“Do you love my son, Ms. Reid?”
“With all my heart, sir,” she answered him, tears starting to shimmer on her eyes again.
“And you, Zaid? You love this woman?”
“Yes, sir.”
Taking Rebecca’s hand, the Sultan placed it in Zaid’s. Placing his hands on their shoulders, he stepped closer and kissed first Rebecca and then Zaid.
“Then, you have my blessing.”
Calum, who had been watching all this, made an “Eww” sound, which made the Sultan laugh again.
Leaning down, he scooped Calum up in his arms and hugged him. “My grandson doesn’t seem to like kissing,” he announced to the room as laughter was heard throughout.
“Now, if there’s nothing else?” the Sultan asked.
“Father. If I may, I’d like to address our guests.”
“Feel free,” the Sultan told him.
“I apologize for tonight’s spectacle,” Zaid began. “My fiancée, Rebecca Reid, was the envoy appointed to accompany the delegates with the diplomatic touring party visiting Sharjah. She exposed the poverty in Rajak and Timina to me, and she helped me to see the government forces behind the continued cycle of poverty that persisted despite our best efforts to fund revitalization programs and bring new jobs into the region. But, instead of investigating the problems and trying to correct the root issues, we’ve continued blindly throwing more money into these communities only to have it stolen right from under our noses.”
He paused for a moment to gather his thoughts before continuing.
“What I’m saying is that by working with Rebecca to figure out the real problems in our poorer communities, I have realized that the only way to solve them is to stop hiding them and actually address them. With Rebecca’s help, I will continue the work we have started here. There is no legitimate reason why every person in the Emirate can’t be successful.”
He felt a surge of pride as the guests at the ball applauded him. He laughed to himself because he had done exactly what his brothers before him had. He had taken one event and repurposed it for something entirely different, turning Jazia Ball into a campaign to save all the peoples of Sharjah.
He grabbed Rebecca and pulled her to him, embracing her in his arms as he planted his lips on hers in a long, slow, sensual kiss.
As the DJ turned the music back up, Zaid heard his father call out, “Ladies and gentlemen, it looks like we’re going to have a wedding.”
Epilogue
The ballroom was decorated in green and gold, Rebecca’s favorite colors. Even the carpet had been changed for the wedding from the usual deep red to the deep green Rebecca had chosen. The round tables were covered in green tablecloths with gold trim, and every seat was taken. This wedding was special since Zaid was the last of the Sultan’s sons to marry.
In the back of the room, where the procession started down the aisle, Zaid and Rebecca stood like the topper on their own wedding cake. The wedding party walked in front of them, from the wings to the center, and down the aisle toward the front.
Ahmed and Melanie crossed from either side to join in the middle and walk down the aisle together, followed by Khalid and Casey. Lastly, Calum and Amy met in the middle and walked down as best man and maid of honor.
The groomsmen, including Calum, all wore traditional white gowns with the black robes over their shoulders like the Sultan wore. The bridesmaids wore plain green floor-length dresses. Their heads were uncovered, which was unconventional, but there wasn’t much about Zaid and Rebecca’s marriage that was going to be traditional or conventional.