a seat on one of the small sofas and indicated a chair for her father to take.
Once they were all seated, Gene said, “I realize I have a lot of making up to do to build a relationship, but I want to try.”
Aaliyah looked up at Sayed. “Is he sincere or is this because I’m going to marry a prince, a pretty ruthless one at that?”
“He is sincere. Believe it.”
She nodded. “Okay.” Then turned her head to face Gene. “We can work on it.”
“You are very forgiving. I am not sure I deserve it.”
“I’m pretty sure you don’t,” Aaliyah said with her usual honesty.
Gene winced. “Touché.”
“But Mom wanted me to try, and if you’re willing, I am, too. For her sake.”
“Thank you.”
“I’m not calling you Dad, though.”
“No, I imagine we will suffice with Gene and Aaliyah.”
“Liyah. My friends call me Liyah.”
“I thought Sheikh Sayed called you Aaliyah.”
“Only my family calls me that.”
Like his parents and him. Sayed smiled.
“And I’m not that.” Gene sounded sad.
“Not yet.”
“It is something you will work on,” Sayed added.
The older man nodded. “Yes, I will. Liyah, I appreciate your willingness to try to forgive me―however, this news will come as a great shock to the children. I want to introduce you to them with the respect you deserve. But at the moment they are scattered throughout the world. They have lessons to learn,” he said ruefully, “hard lessons to learn before I would like you to meet them. Myself and Giatrakos are working on it, and they’ll all be back together soon. But for now, I would hope that you understand my request to wait.”
He was only able to stay one night, but in the time he was at the palace, Gene Chatsfield had shown nothing but genuine desire to build a relationship with the daughter he hadn’t known about.
Sayed was glad when both his parents confirmed his instincts that said bringing Gene Chatsfield into Aaliyah’s life was the right thing to do.
He returned Aaliyah’s locket to her before he left for the airport.
* * *
“That was kind of incredible,” she said after waving her father off.
“I am glad you enjoyed your time with him.”
“He’s not nearly the jerk I thought he was.”
Sayed agreed. “Just a man with fears and worries like anyone else.”
“You know he offered me an equal trust fund to what my half siblings have been given,” Aaliyah informed him.
Sayed had expected something like that and would have been disappointed if Gene had not done so. “What did you say?”
“No.”
“Good.” He’d expected that, as well.
Aaliyah smiled. “I don’t need his money. I never did.”
“You just wanted family and now you have mine.”
“It’s a pretty wonderful family.”
“My mother and father will be pleased to hear you say so.”
She frowned up at him as they walked back into the palace. “You’re not going to try some kind of intervention with the Amaris, are you?”
Sayed shook his head. “Absolutely not. If you were not good enough to recognize before becoming emira, they will not be allowed to claim you now.”
She nodded decisively. “Good.”
“Besides, if we had any of the Amaris in hitting distance, I’m not sure my mother could control herself.”
Aaliyah laughed. “Now, that would make an interesting picture for the front page.”
“No doubt. Let’s avoid it, shall we?”
“Your mom calls me her daughter. I like it.”
“So does she.”
His father was extremely fond of Aaliyah, as well, but then so was Sayed. More than he’d ever thought he could feel for someone not born into his family.
He wasn’t sure he was in love with her, though he thought he might be. Until he knew for certain, he wasn’t saying anything. She deserved truth, not confusion.
* * *
Aaliyah’s wedding was a royal event, attended by dignitaries, heads of state, sheikhs, other royals and European nobility.
But she was most pleased by her father and his fiancée’s presence. Aaliyah’s only other personal guest was Stephanie Carter, the head housekeeper from the Chatsfield San Francisco, a woman Hena Amari had called friend.
Aaliyah wore white, her dress a traditional Middle Eastern ensemble designed by a prominent Italian designer who had designed several gowns for Queen Durrah. Sayed wore a more ornate version of the outfit he’d proposed to her in.
His coronation took place directly after their wedding, though it wasn’t the one everyone had been expecting. Sayed was given the distinction of crown prince, but his father had decided he wasn’t ready to retire.
In fact, Sayed had shared with Liyah that King Falah had liked the idea of training his nephew to take Sayed’s place as emir before he was crowned melech. She hadn’t been surprised, though she didn’t tell Sayed so.
She’d had her own little talk with her soon-to-be father-in-law about the timetable for Liyah becoming melecha. She’d let him know in no uncertain terms she wasn’t ready yet.
He’d taken it in good humor, and though he’d blustered a bit, he’d given in pretty easily with her idea of training Bilal to follow in Sayed’s place.
The entire country celebrated the wedding and crown prince coronation into the early hours of the morning.
* * *
Following the pattern he’d established with her, Sayed lifted Liyah into his arms at the reception in the main ballroom and proceeded to carry her up the stairs and down unfamiliar corridors, ending up in his room.
“Our room now,” he said as he lowered her to stand beside the bed.
“Yes, our room.”
“Tonight,
