there was more to the story.
There was no more to the story. Joseph had sold me out. Simply. Just like that.
“I couldn’t believe that Yoseph’s sister would be willing to leave her country, her life, and her people to come and live a life she wasn’t familiar with, but he convinced me that you were even excited to be married to a prince,” he chuckled humorlessly.
I replied to him with more tears.
“Your brother fooled me.”
“That makes two of us,” I told him.
He looked at me for a moment before nodding, his lips forming a thin line as he pressed them together. He then got up and went to a nightstand that was beside the bed, coming back with a box of tissues and handing it to me, not saying anything when I took it from him before he sat back in his armchair.
It was then that it occurred to me that I still hadn’t offered the prince any sort of apology for what I’d said last night. After all, he only said what he’d said when I called him an animal and a filthy Arab. It was only fair that I said I was sorry as well. I did wound his pride – that was what was uncalled for. He didn’t know about me being forced into this, he had no hand in it, and so far, he was being nice – it was all an act, of course, but still …
However, before I was able to say anything a thought came to my mind, a hope to be more clear. I wondered if he would let me get a divorce now? I mean, that’s what was supposed to happen, right? I was forced into it, and he wasn’t into this except to save his sister, and now that she was married and no damage had been done – to her – there was no need for us to stay married.
“Will we get a divorce now?” I asked hopefully.
“Is that what you want?” A look I couldn’t decipher shone in his eyes.
Duh!
“Yes,” I replied. I wanted to say ‘Of course’ or ‘Are you kidding?’ but I didn’t want to offend him anymore than I already had.
He was silent for a moment, then he replied with a nod. “Eventually, yes.”
“Eventually?” I asked in confusion, not knowing what he meant by that.
“Yes, eventually,” he replied. “We can’t get a divorce now; it’d raise too many questions that we are better off without.”
“What kind of questions? Who would ask?”
“It’s hard to explain, you don’t know of our traditions.”
Traditions! Again!
“Try me.” I was losing my patience.
He sighed. “People will wonder why would you come from the other side of the world to marry me, only to be divorced the next day, don’t you think? We can’t let the rumors start. I’m a prince, and all of the royal family has to be held to a high standard. I can’t let anyone wonder if my family forced you into this. We’re already dealing with a lot since I had to cancel my own marriage for this one, and with my sister marrying a foreigner instead of keeping the royal bloodline going. If they knew you were forced, and given that Janna married your brother so quickly, it’d raise ugly questions about why there was such a hurry, and if their marriage had anything to do with your company offering prosperity to our country, like we let them think. It could lead to her death all over again, and that is not an option.”
My head was spinning with everything he was telling me. I couldn’t think of any one thing in all he was saying, there was so much to think about. So much!
The rumors.
Royal family.
Prince.
Canceled a wedding.
Royal bloodline.
Janna’s marriage.
Our company.
Her death.
Wait …
“You were engaged to another woman?” I asked.
“Kind of, yes.”
“What do you mean by ‘Kind of’ – you’re engaged or you aren’t, which were you?”
“It’s complicated,” he said. I folded my arms in front of my chest once more and crossed my legs, huffing.
“I have a very high IQ.” I raised an eyebrow, waiting for him to explain.
The prince adjusted himself in the chair and then sighed, shaking his head. “Here with royalty and the passing of the title of king, it’s different than what you see in other countries.”
“How?”
“Kings don’t always pass it to their sons; sometimes they pass it to their brothers,” he said.
I knew about that – Huda had explained to me that her father was the king before he died,