that Kiara fell so short of living up to all the things her mother had done for her. Was still doing for her.
It had guided her every step until she’d met Azrin.
“What can any of that possibly matter now?” she asked, her voice low, something dark opening wide inside her that she was afraid to look at too closely. That she knew she needed to close down, hide away, lest it rise up and eat her alive. “I am his wife. His queen. This is happening whether you like it or not, Mother.”
Whether you like it or not, too, a small voice whispered inside her—and she immediately hated herself for it. Diana let out a sigh that was loud in the sudden quiet of the office.
“Oh, Kiara,” she said, that familiar mix of bafflement and exasperation in her voice, her gaze. And something else—something that made that hard knot inside Kiara seem to swell in response. “None of this is about what I want.”
Azrin found her out on the private terrace that linked their suites in the family wing of the sprawling palace that sat high on the cliffs above the ancient city of Arjat an-Nahr, where brash skyscrapers now thrust into the skyline along with delicate minarets from centuries past.
She was curled up on one of the deep chaises, her gaze trained out over the dark sea that danced and shimmered far below her. The sun had set but recently, only a line of crimson edged with gold stretched out across the horizon to mark its passing.
Azrin liked that she was here, within reach, mere days since he’d seen her last. The pleasure of it moved through him, so deep and full that the tension of the long day seemed to ease away with every step that brought him closer to her. He liked her here, close by. He’d liked knowing that she had arrived safely and was already in the palace when he finally quit his endless round of meetings and strategy sessions.
She was the single bright spot in a long and complicated day.
She looked over her shoulder toward him as he drew near. There was an expression on her face that he couldn’t quite categorize—that he didn’t think he’d seen before—but then she smiled. He was already smiling back before he realized that her eyes were darker than they ought to have been.
“I’m glad you’re here,” he said.
He moved over to the chaise and dropped to sit at the opposite end. The terrace was alive with blooms, bright blossoms by day and the sweet scent of jasmine now that night had fallen. Up above, the stars began to come out. And for a moment, he thought, they could be anyone. Just a woman and a man and the whole night stretched out before them.
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