A Marriage of Convenience (Married to a Prince) (10 page)

Honor listened while the administrators l
aid out their visions of educational needs of the kingdom. She took notes but remained neutral. Five American Schools operated within the capital. Their approaches varied widely. Some were based on the conventional school system, and others were based charter and magnet school systems. As in the States, each thought their model offered the best approach to early childhood development. Honor’s assignments for the Queen involved studying each school and assess which ones were most efficient for meeting modern needs.

Once the meeting concluded, each of the school
principals walked out of the meeting, convinced that their school system afforded the best choice.

One woman, t
he secretary for the Alliance of American Schools, remained behind. She circled the table, stopped in front of Honor and bowed slightly. “Your Highness. I’m sorry that the men did not think to introduce us. I am Riya.”

“Please, call me Honor.’ She offered her hand.

“But you are the newest Princess, right?”

“Only for state affairs.”

Riya smiled. “So what do you think? About the future of our school systems compared to the States?”

Honor pointed to an upholstered bench nex
t the exit and both women sat. “Too soon to say. I am more interested in what you think since you obviously know more about this than I do at this point.”

“Truthfully, they are all
right and a little bit wrong as well.

“I
n what way?”

Riya handed
her a chart from her folder. “The approaches vary as widely as the students. Some schools are geared towards the children of ex-pats who plan to return after a few years and the children will transition to the American School System.”

“That makes sense.”

“Others are the children of diplomats and CEO’s. Those parents are looking for a well-rounded international education.”

Honor read the figures. Twenty percent of the students
fit that category. But the majority of the students seemed to be the local children. “And the last.”

“
They are the offspring off the wealthy Nadiarians who want the designer education to match their designer lifestyle. Our public school system is highly rated but they want the ‘western experience.”

Honor tipped her head. “You’ve been at this a while.”

“Seems like a lifetime but actually only three years. It will be good to have fresh eyes on this. As an educator you have a different prospective of the educational needs of the 21
st
Century.”

“I hope so.”

“Our biggest problem is that part of the population still live in the 15
th
century trying to co-exist in the modern world, as I am sure your husband will tell you.”

“You know Yousef.”

“I am friendlier with Mona, his sister, but he works closely with other members of my family.”

She couldn’t admit that she knew nothing about his work. And instead of trying to understand she kept him at a distance, and isolated herself in the process.

Riya collected her folders and rose. “I have to be going. But if you need anything.” She handed Honor a business card. “Call me and I will arrange for you to see the schools.”

“Thank you and you will be hearing from me.”

For the first time since her arrival, Honor felt useful. She stepped out of the conference room to find an aid waiting to escort her. She really needed to get out the suite and start learning her way around. As she walked down a series of hallways she felt she was not heading in the right direction.

“Are you sure this is the way?” She felt foolish even asking the question.

“We are going to your husband’s office. He summoned you.”

“Really?” She prayed that lost something in translation. The
y paused outside the door and knocked before entering,

“Honor.”
He came to his feet when she entered.

“You summoned me?”

He glared at his aid. “You know that’s not what I said. Your English is better than that.” His gaze returned to his wife. “I requested.”

She took the seat he pointed toward.

“You’re dismissed,” he said to the aid. And he wasn’t pleased with the man, to her surprise.

As the door cl
osed Yousef returned to his desk.

“Why didn’t you talk to me back at the suite?”

“We don’t talk much lately.”

She conceded the point
. Time to grow up. She made a deal. He kept up is end. “You’re right, and that is going to change from now on.”

“I’m happy to hear it. But the reason I asked you here has to do with business which I do not conduct at home.”

Her hands clenched over the arms of the chair. Had he reduced their marriage to a business deal? She took a deep breath. “Okay. What did you need?”

“The Minister of Education wa
nted to offer you a job as the Education Liaison to the foreign schools in Nadiar.”

She wasn’t sure she heard him correctly.
“Excuse me.”

“I know you hate protocols but as you are a member of the r
oyal family now, they needed my permission.”

She shook her head.
“I don’t hate protocols, Yousef. I hate not knowing them. “

He raised a half smile.
“Then you will be thrilled to know that if you except the position you will need to learn them all before you can begin.”

The offer was so unexpected that she didn’t know what to say. A job would make her time here go much faster.
But was the offer real of just of means of keeping her out of his way? “Did you ask them to give me a job?”

“No, the recommendation
came from my mother.”

“And you?”

He casually drummed his fingers on the desk but there was nothing relaxed in his tight expression. “I know you believe my only purpose is to make you miserable, but I would be … relieved if you were doing something that made you happy.”

The ring of truth in his words touched her guarded heart.
Cut the man some slack, Honor
. He was reaching out. Her time in Nadiar could be as pleasant or as awful as she chose to make it. “Then I will accept.”

“Good. Someone
from the Minister’s office will be contacting you in the next few days. I will be traveling for…”

“What?”
He was leaving her?

“I have some business to take care of.”

She understood he had responsibilities but she assumed his work involved domestic issues. “I thought you were on your honeymoon.”

He shrugged.
“I did too, but it lacks something when my wife has to force herself to be with me.”

Perhaps she deserved that.
There was a time when she counted the hours until she could see him. Those feeling hadn’t disappeared they just got buried under a pile of anger and hurt. “Okay, so we need to talk about that too. But back at the suite when it is personal instead of business.”

“When I
return, Honor. There is something I need to take care of first.”
 

Chapter
Eight

Honor sat in the well-padded swivel chair at her desk. Her desk! In her office which she had permission to decorate anyway she chose. The wooden desk top held files piled 12 inches high and four stacks deep. Well, she asked for this. And she loved the chance to work on a project she believed in. Best of all, she could bring Joey to work with her most days.

She opened the first file facing her.
Although she never put stock in standardized testing, particularly in students who spoke English as a second language, the scores would give a baseline view of how well the schools succeeded in teaching courses needed to be classified as American Curriculum.

Riya
provided a wealth of information to Honor as well. The Education Minister had told her that she could hire an assistant as soon as she settled in. The unappreciated secretary for the Alliance of American Schools was her ideal candidate.

Four hours into her day she took a break. Joey wanted his lunch and vocalized his needs with cranky outbursts. She thought to take the files back to the suite but remembered Yousef’s words about business in the office, personal at home.

He was due back today and she found that she missed him. That king-size bed felt lonely without her husband. She had no idea where he went or why. Although he called her, he asked only about his son. She should have forced a conversation before he left instead of opting for a night of incredible love-making. When she woke in the morning he had already left.

While gathering up the baby and his overstuffed bag of paraphernalia, Mona came bursting through the door. Her normal effervescent personality bubbled over with excitement.

“You have to come. Right now.”

“Where are we going?”

“To meet the newest member of the royal family.”

Honor bit her lip to stop a smile.
It only took her a few short weeks to realize that the title of Princess was not as unique or special as she once feared. The Amir had six siblings with more than thirty wives and daughters who shared the title. Like many other large families the royals had their share of black-sheep, allowing Honor to remain under the radar.

“Who had a baby?” Honor had only met the family at her wedding and remembered very little of that day.

Mona tapped her Jimmy Choo against the marble floor. “Just come.”

“I have to change Joey first.”

“His clothes are fine.”

“His diaper is not.”

“Change him at home.”

Her exuberant sister-in-law led the way to the west win
g. Joey enjoyed the brisk jaunt in his stroller. Honor, not so much as she struggled to balance the bottles and bags. By the time she arrived at the suite she felt like a long distance runner at the 26 mile mark of a marathon. The door was open wide. As she slipped inside, a stack of boxes block her path.

“What is this?” she said to herself because Mona had vanished.
As she got further into the suite she saw a suitcase. “Yousef?”

“Were you expecting someone else?” He stepped around the cardboard pile and joined her at the door. “How’s my boy.”

“Wet but otherwise happy to see his daddy.”

He cocked head to the side. “And is his mommy happy to see me?”

“Should I express myself while your sister is here? By the way, where did 'Speed Racer’ go.”

“I’m here,” she called out from the nursery.

Honor shook her head. “Mona is very excited today.”

Yousef touched her cheek. “She has reason.”

“A new baby?”

He choked on a cough. “What?”

“She said there is a new member of the royal family.”

“Look Honor. The newest Royal.” Mona entered the living room cradling a big, hairy Persian cat in her arms.

Honor’s big, hairy cat. “Charlie? But how…”

A lump formed in her throat.
Her mind reeled. She took her pet and hugged him in trembling arms. Leaving him behind in the States when she agreed to stay the year had been heartbreaking. She knelt down next to Joey’s stroller. He grabbed a hand of fur and gurgled happily. After a few patient seconds Charlie squirmed to free himself and go explore.

She stood on shaky legs.
Her eyes filled with tears. No words came.

Mona gazed at her in confusion. “Are you all right?”

She nodded. Her heart beat faster and her palms grew sweaty.

Yousef stroked his thumb along her jaw line. “She’s fine, Mona.”

“You sure? She looks like she is going to cry.”

Honor threw her arms around his neck with such force they stumbled into the wall of boxes before he steadied her. She brushed her lips over his mouth.

“I guess you are all right,” Mona mumbled under her breath and looked away. “Since you two are busy I guess I will change the baby. It can’t be that difficult?”

Honor shyly tried to pull away. “I will…”

He held tight. “Oh let her. It teaches humility.”

She peeked around him at the assortment of cartons. “How?”

“Your father gave me the key to your house.”

He had certainly gone to a lot of trouble. It reminded her of the old days. “You did all this for me?”

He nodded then grinned and turned his head from side to side. “Okay, I paid someone to pack it all up. But I supervised.”

She kissed him again. Deeper, longer, harder.

“I guess you’re not mad at me anymore, Princess.”

She was far too happy to care what he called her but she couldn’t resist.
“No, I’m not, Your Royal Highness.”

Yousef muttered a groan of distaste.
He had always hated the title. “Point taken.”