The Sheik and the Runaway Princess (14 page)

He kept his attention on the tiny stitches. “Choices had to be made.
Difficult choices.
Ones that no man should have to make.
Is he very angry with me?”

She ached for his pain. “You’ll need to discuss that with him,” she murmured.

“I shall.” He glanced at her over his shoulder. “But your lack of answer gives me the information I need. Kardal is very angry. I can’t blame him. From his perspective, I abandoned him. He was never acknowledged. I had no place in his life. There were reasons, but do they matter?”

“No,” she said before she could stop herself. “Children don’t care about reasons. They only know the results of actions. When a parent isn’t there, or makes it clear the child isn’t important,
then
the child is hurt and feels betrayed.”

He walked toward her, studying her. Sabrina kept her chin high and her shoulders square, but her manifestation of pride didn’t erase the fact that Givon knew her life story. He would know that she wasn’t just speaking about Kardal.

When he was standing in front of her, he took one of her hands. “I was a fool.
Partly because I was hurt when Cala demanded that I never contact her or her child again, and partly because it was easier.
I could suffer silently when I was alone, and no one else had to know. If I had acknowledged Kardal, questions would have been asked.
Questions that I did not want to answer.”

He squeezed her fingers,
then
released them. “Expediency is never the answer. I should never have promised Cala. Or having promised
,
I should have broken my word. Kardal was more important than both of us.”

Sabrina followed him to the sofa and settled next to him. “King Givon, it’s not too late. Seeing the truth is the first step in making it right.”

“This can never be right.”

“Perhaps, but it can be better than it is now.” She leaned toward him. “Why did you come if not to make peace with the past?”

He was silent for a long time. “I came because I could no longer stay away. The pain of being without was too great. I wanted to know if there was a second chance.” He shrugged slightly.
“Perhaps with both of them.”

“Cala, too?”

Was it possible that after all this time they would rekindle their romance? Sabrina felt pleased at the thought.

King Givon smiled. “You think I am too old?”

“No. I think things are going to be very interesting around here.”

“Kardal will not approve.”

“Perhaps not at first,” she admitted. “But I don’t think it’s going to be his decision. His mother can be just as determined.”

“Tell me about Kardal. What is he like?”

She drew in a breath. “Obviously the best thing would be for you to get to know him yourself. But until that happens, I can tell you that he is a wonderful man. You’ll be proud of him.”

Givon shook his head. “I have no right to pride. I had no part in forming the man he has become. Is he a good leader? Do his people respect him?”

“Yes to both. He does not shy away from difficult decisions. He is strong, yet fair. You know about the joint air force with Bahania?”

“Yes. El Bahar will be a part of that as well. We will contribute financially as well as having airfields out in the desert.” He touched her slave bracelets. “I suspect you and Kardal met under most unusual circumstances.”

She laughed,
then
told him about getting stranded in the desert. “He brought me here, so I have found the City of
Thieves
after all.”

“You have not known him very long, yet you seem to understand him.”

“I try. In some ways we make each other crazy, but in other ways we get along perfectly.”

King Givon’s expression turned knowing. Sabrina shifted uncomfortably. “It’s not what you think,” she said, refusing to remember the kisses they had shared. “We’re friends. There’s not all that much royalty running around so we understand each other.”

“Does he know what he has in you? Does he know what is in your heart?”

Heat flared on her cheeks, but she refused to be embarrassed. “I assure you, there’s nothing to know.”

“Ah. So you have not yet admitted the truth even to yourself.”

“There’s nothing to admit.”

And even if there was, she thought to herself, and there wasn’t, it all meant nothing.
Because no matter what she might dream about, reality was very different.
Her destiny lay
elsewhere,
and not here with the Prince of Thieves.

Sabrina did not return to her own quarters after leaving King Givon in his. She had too much to think about.
Too much to consider.

The king had been wrong, she told herself for the hundredth time. He’d been wrong about her having feelings for Kardal. She couldn’t think of him as anything but a friend because that’s all he was to her.
A good friend.
Someone with whom she had a lot in common.
Someone…

She hadn’t realized where she’d been walking to until she found herself in the anteroom overlooking the formal garden. Spring was rapidly approaching summer and already the gardeners had hung wide awnings to protect the delicate plants from the strong desert sun.

Sabrina moved to the window and pressed her fingers against the three-hundred-year-old glass. It was less smooth than what one could buy today, and thicker. But it had a beauty no factory could produce. She thought of the treasures in the vaults and the magnificence of the castle. There was so much to see and understand here in the city. She could happily make it her life’s work.

And in a few short weeks, she would never see it again. She knew her time here was limited. She felt like Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz, watching the time of her life flow like the sands in an hourglass. How long before her father insisted she return home? How long until she had to pledge herself to the troll prince? How many more days in the City of
Thieves
?

She ran her finger along the ledge, where lead held the glass in place. A sharp point caught the skin of her thumb, piercing her. She winced and pulled back. Instantly a single drop of blood formed in the shape of a teardrop. As if her body wept.

But not for the city, she thought as she finally accepted the truth. While it intrigued her and excited her imagination, she would not miss the castle
nor the streets nor
even the treasure when she left. She would miss the man who was the heart of the city.
The man who had stolen her heart.

She’d fallen in love with the Prince of Thieves.

Sabrina rubbed at the drop of blood, as if by erasing it from her body, she could erase the truth.
Except the truth could no longer be denied.
She was in love with a man she would never see again. Even if she went to her father and confessed her feelings, she knew he wouldn’t care. He had married for the sake of his country twice and he would expect no less of her. Perhaps if he cared about her, she might have a chance, but he did not. He had made his feelings abundantly clear.

Kardal, she thought suddenly. She could go to Kardal and tell him. Perhaps he had come to care for her as well. They could run off together and…

And what?
Where would they go? Even if he would leave the city for her, she could never ask that of him. He was as much a part of this place as the castle itself, or the sand of the desert.

So he would stay where he belonged and she would return to Bahania to marry someone else…a man who could never hold her heart because she had already given it away.

“The security area is through here,” Kardal said the next afternoon, trying to sound more gracious than he felt.

After more than twenty-four hours of ducking his father and when that wasn’t possible, making sure they weren’t ever alone so they would have to speak directly to each other, he was finally trapped with Givon.

After lunch, both his mother and Sabrina had claimed appointments that could not be broken. Even Rafe had deserted him, stating he had an important staff meeting to attend. Givon had been left to Kardal, and Kardal didn’t doubt for a second that there was a conspiracy afoot.

However, there was no time to round up those involved and complain. Instead he had to show his father the security section of the castle.

“We have taken advantage of improved technology,” Kardal said as they stepped through wide glass doors that opened silently, admitting them into an alcove. When the doors closed behind them, they did so with an audible snick of an activated lock.

“As you can see,” he said, indicating the glass room, “we are trapped. The glass is bulletproof and explosion resistant. Should we try to make our way into the security area without proper clearance, forces on duty will respond within thirty seconds. To prevent us from trying something aggressive in that short period of time, a nontoxic sedative will be dispensed into the atmosphere.” He pointed to small spray nozzles extending down from the ceiling.

Givon looked around at the glass enclosure. “Most impressive,” he murmured. He glanced at Kardal. “Do you plan to sedate me?”

Kardal ignored the humor in the other man’s voice along with the question. “The doors are released by a combination of thumbprint and retinal scan.”

He touched the security pad and stared into the scanner. Seconds later the inner doors opened and they stepped into the heart of the operation.

Television screens lined one entire wall of the huge room. Remote cameras sent back views of every oil pump in both El Bahar and Bahania, except those within twenty miles of the main cities.

“All the information gathered is collected here,” Kardal said, walking over to a row of monitors opposite the television screens. “We regulate oil flow, check for any potential safety problems with the equipment and notify the nearest crew if something breaks. Over here—” he led the way to a different cluster of monitor screens “—we use infrared to find trespassers. And of course the remote cameras provide us with the majority of our information.”

Givon crossed to those screens and watched a group of nomads seen on one television. They rode camels and appeared not to notice the large oil pump behind them.

“Internal security?” he asked.

Kardal nodded. “They patrol the desert regularly. We also have helicopter patrols, but it’s not enough. The area is too large and those who wish to make trouble are growing more sophisticated. The technology which aids
us,
assists them as well.”

Givon circled the room, pausing to speak with several technicians. Kardal stayed still, watching his father, wishing the visit would end quickly. He didn’t like being uncomfortable, but that was how he felt around King Givon. If they weren’t discussing matters of mutual political and economic interest, he didn’t know what to say.

His father was not as he had expected. Kardal hadn’t realized he even had expectations until they were not met. He’d thought Givon would be more arrogant and brusque. Instead he found the king to be a thoughtful man who didn’t pontificate or insist his opinion be the only one.

He wore western-style dress rather than traditional robes. He could have been a visiting executive rather than a reigning monarch.

Givon returned to his side and smiled. “You are doing an extraordinary job. Your unique blending of traditional methods with new technology has given your security an edge.”

Kardal led them out of the security monitoring station and into one of the conference rooms. Unlike the ones by the old throne room, this space was completely modern and impersonal.

“The City of
Thieves
receives a percentage of the oil profits from both your country and Bahania. In return we provide security for the oil fields. It is to our advantage that there is no trouble, or any delays in production.”

Givon took a seat on the far side of the table. “I agree, but there are degrees of excellence. You aim for the top.”

Kardal settled in the chair opposite his father. Was that pride in Givon’s voice? Kardal felt both pleased and annoyed.

“You have a natural affinity for leadership,” Givon continued.

“I suppose you want to take credit for that,” Kardal growled before he could stop himself.

“Your grandfather raised you and you are now your own man. I think any praise should be shared equally between you and him.” Givon paused,
then
pressed his hands on the table. “Whatever you might have inherited from me could have easily come to nothing. So no, I do not believe I am entitled to take credit for your success. I will admit to feeling some sense of pride, however misplaced. That is a father’s right.
Even a father who has done as badly as me.”

Kardal didn’t know how to answer that. He wanted to storm out of the conference room and not have this
conversation,
however he didn’t think he would. He and Givon had been heading toward this moment ever since Cala had issued the invitation to the king.

There was a pitcher of water in the center of the table, along with several glasses. Givon turned one of them right-side up and poured the water. He took a sip.

“I should have come sooner,” he said, studying Kardal.

“Why? What would have changed?”

Givon shrugged.
“Perhaps nothing.
Perhaps everything.
We will never know.”

“You wouldn’t have received any better security service.”

Givon set the glass on the table. “This is not about your work, Kardal. It is about you and
I
. However much you do not wish us to discuss these matters, we must. I can tell you that I have learned over my life that some things can be delayed, but few can be escaped entirely. I don’t blame you for being angry with me.”

Kardal continued to sit in the chair. He forced his features to remain calm, but both activities took all his strength of will. He wanted to spring to his feet and rage against the man sitting across from him. He wanted to shout his frustration and demand Givon explain his arrogance in coming here after all this time. He wanted to yell that his father was nothing to him—less than dust and no words were going to change how he felt.

Anger, frustration and deep, ugly hurt filled him. Emotions he’d never acknowledged before bubbled to the surface. He could barely breathe from the intensity of it. Sabrina had warned him, he thought suddenly. She had said he must prepare himself for what would happen when he finally met his father. That if he didn’t consider the impact the meeting might have, he could be overwhelmed.

She was
more wise
than he had been willing to admit.

“I know you are angry,” Givon said.

“Anger is the least of it.” Kardal spoke between clenched teeth.

“Yes. That must be very true. I wish…” He sighed. “I want to explain. Are you willing to listen?”

Kardal wanted to shout that he was not. But he refused to storm out of the room like an angry adolescent. Instead he offered his father a curt nod and wished fiercely that Sabrina was with him. He could use her gentling presence.

“Thank you.” Givon leaned back in his chair. “I am sure you know the story of how I came to be here. When your grandfather produced no male heirs, tradition dictated that either King Hassan or I provide Cala with a son. The tradition also stated that the king of Bahania and the king of El Bahar would alternate. The last time there had been no heir had been over a hundred years before. It was my turn, so I left my wife and sons and came here.”

“I am familiar with the history of the city,” Kardal said impatiently.

“Perhaps, but this isn’t just about history. This is about the people involved. We are not talking about cold facts. I was married, Kardal. I had two sons. I cared for them very much. None of them wanted me to come here. I did not want to come here. The thought of seducing an eighteen-year-old girl was repugnant to me.” He paused and stared directly at Kardal. “I was the same age you are now. How would you feel about taking one of the elder’s daughters?”

Kardal shifted uncomfortably. He understood his father’s point at once, but didn’t want to admit that. “Go on,” he said instead.

“Whatever you may think of me,” Givon continued, “know that I was never unfaithful to my wife. She was pregnant with my third son. We were happy together. But duty called. I came to the City of
Thieves
and met Cala.”

As he spoke her name, Givon’s entire face changed.
A softness
filled his eyes and the corners of his mouth turned up. Kardal frowned, refusing to allow the old man’s emotions to sway him.

“She was not what I expected,” Givon said simply. “She was beautiful, but it was more than that. She might only have been eighteen, but she and I got along from the first. I found myself mesmerized by her, feeling things for her I had never felt for anyone before. I had arrived with the intention of doing my duty and leaving. But after meeting her, I could not imagine simply taking her into my bed without some kind of understanding between us. We spent time together and began to enchant each other.”

He leaned forward and picked up his glass. “I was a king, a powerful man, completely enthralled by a slip of a girl. I felt like an idiot and more happy than I had ever been in my life. I loved her and in loving
her
realized I had never truly loved my wife. Not the same way.
So Cala and I decided that I would stay.”

Kardal stiffened in his seat. “You were going to stay here?”

Givon took a sip of water,
then
nodded. “I did not want to leave her. What other choice did I have?”

“But you didn’t stay.”

“No.” He set his glass on the table. “A month slipped into two. I knew I would have to give up my monarchy, my sons, everything. I was prepared to do so until my wife arrived. In my absence, my third son had been born. She placed the infant in my arms and asked if I was planning to abandon them all. In the baby’s eyes I saw my future and knew it could not be here. I had been playing a game but it was time to return to my responsibilities. The people of El Bahar mattered more than the state of my heart.”

Kardal didn’t want to think about how difficult the leaving would have been. He knew his mother well enough to know that she would not have handled the disappointment with quiet dignity.

“Cala told you never to come back,” he said, believing the words for the first time in his life.

Givon nodded. “I agreed, but I had no intention of keeping my word. I promised I would return. But within a year, my wife had died. I was left alone with three young boys. I couldn’t leave them to be with you and Cala. They were the heirs, so I could not take them with me, nor would I have forced my oldest son to rule at such a tender age. I sent word to Cala asking her to bring you and join me. She said that you were to be the Prince of Thieves and had to be raised within the city walls. I think she was still very hurt and angry. I don’t blame her. Mine was not a world she trusted. I was not a man she trusted.”

Kardal didn’t know what to think. He hadn’t wanted to hear his father’s words, but now that he had, he couldn’t erase them from his mind. Nothing was as he had imagined.

“She never hated you,” he said before he could stop himself. “She never spoke ill of you.”

“Thank you for telling me.” Givon’s dark eyes turned sad. “For myself, I never stopped loving her.”

That was more than Kardal wanted to know. He mumbled an excuse to his father and quickly left the room. Hundreds of thoughts tumbled around and around in his brain, but there was only one that mattered. He had to get to Sabrina. Once he was in her company, everything would be better.

He hurried down the halls of the palace, slowing only when he reached her door. He stepped inside without knocking.

She sat at the table, several old books opened in front of her. She looked up at him and smiled. He took in the long red hair tumbling around her shoulders, the welcoming light in her eyes,
the
curves of her body more hidden than revealed by the cotton dress she wore.

She rose and walked toward him.
“Kardal.
What’s wrong?”

“I spoke with my father.”

He tried to say more, tried to explain how difficult it had been to find out that Givon wasn’t the devil at all, but a man who had been forced, by circumstance, to make difficult decisions. Kardal didn’t feel the older man was absolved from blame. Givon still could have contacted him. But the areas of blame and guilt were less clear than they had been.

Sabrina watched the emotions chasing across Kardal’s face. His confusion and pain called to her as clearly as if he’d spoken her name. She didn’t know exactly what had been discussed, but she could guess.

Her heart ached for the proud man standing in front of her. The man she loved but could never be with. Without considering the wisdom of her actions, she crossed to him and wrapped her arms around him. He hugged her back. Their bodies pressed together, comforting them both. When he lowered his mouth to hers, she had no thought of refusing him or pulling back.