Weight of the Crown (7 page)

‘Come on, Goldilocks, it’s time to get out of my bed. Alyssa!’ he called across the room.

Oh, why couldn’t you have thought of Sleeping
Beauty instead?
she thought, but deep down she knew. It was the same reason why he hadn’t shaken her awake. That would have bridged the invisible dividing line between them—the one she had been so keen to draw. His bedroom was the place where it was stretched so thinly, Alyssa was glad Lysander was the one making sure things didn’t get too personal. The reason for her being here in his bed was awkward enough. She already felt at a disadvantage, and wouldn’t have known what to say.

‘You’ll have to get your seat belt on for the landing,’ he announced as she checked her watch.

She sighed, but it had nothing to do with sleepiness. It was such a let-down to get up and leave all that comfort behind. Lysander’s on-board office was geared up for work, not fantasy. She had experienced a lovely dream, but that was all. He had made waking her up nothing more than a chore, to be ticked off his ‘to do’ list. Given his casual attitude to women and her damaged feelings, Alyssa knew it was probably just as well. Trying to hide her mixed feelings about that, she busied herself getting Ra’id ready for touchdown. To distract herself, she risked a look out of the nearest window as she fastened his seat belt. If anything could take her mind off Lysander, it was the reminder that she was on a plane.

As the clouds thinned the lion-colored landscape of Rosara became visible below. Alyssa’s stomach lurched, and not only through fear. She hadn’t anticipated the way she would feel when seeing Lysander’s country. His beautiful land appealed to her heart straight away,
in the same way something about him reached out to her. It was a mystery, just waiting for her to explore …

The moment they landed Ra’id bounced out of his seat. Alyssa was glad of the excuse to chase after him. She couldn’t wait to get off the plane, but Lysander caught her arm as she passed him. She looked back, and her reaction made him let go instantly. He raised his hand in a wordless apology.

‘I thought you might like to let me go on ahead, Alyssa. That’s all. I’m more used to the reception committee,’ he began, but his cabin crew were already swinging the aircraft’s door open.

She caught Ra’id’s hand before he reached the top of the steps, and she was almost thrown backwards by a wave of noise. Looking out of the plane, she registered the huge crowd of people gathered around Rosara’s small airport building. They were lined up around the roof, the balconies and spilling onto the airstrip. Panic almost swamped her. She gripped Ra’id’s hand, but the little boy was in his element.

‘Wave, Alyssa!’ He laughed, but all she wanted to do was dive back into the plane. She half turned, but Lysander was right behind her. There was nowhere to run, but suddenly that didn’t matter. She couldn’t move. The change in Lysander was so amazing, she wasn’t going anywhere. Acknowledging the cheers of his people, he seemed taller and more impressive than ever. Everything that had intrigued her about him was magnified under Rosara’s golden sunlight.

Rising to the occasion, he lifted one hand to salute the crowds. They went wild with delight. Lysander must
be as popular with his people as he was with supermodels and celebrities! Swept up in the romance of it all, Alyssa couldn’t help being impressed. She had wondered if Lysander saved his best behaviour for abroad, making his home ground the place where he was Player King. Instead, he looked every inch the suave, sophisticated statesman. With one hand on Ra’id’s shoulder, he encouraged the little boy to wave to their audience. Alyssa decided she might have misjudged Lysander. His country was bringing out the professional best in him. Maybe she would be able to relax her guard a little bit while she was here, after all … The heat of Rosara flowed over her, filled with exotic sounds and scents. It was exciting, but terrifying at the same time. The breath caught in her throat, and she had to fight the urge to lean back against Lysander’s reassuring bulk.

He had no qualms about lowering his head until she could feel the whisper of his words, warm against her neck.

‘Are you OK?’

She nodded. ‘Just a bit overwhelmed, that’s all! Are you always greeted like this when you arrive in Rosara?’

‘Pretty much. With so few flights in and out of our country, a royal arrival is always a real event. Practically the entire local population turns out to welcome us home.’

That explains everything,
she thought with a rueful smile.
He’s playing to the gallery. It’s an easy way to impress the maximum number, with the minimum effort.

Letting Lysander deal with the cheering crowds, she basked in the warmth of his reflected glory. It was lovely to pause, and take in her new surroundings. The atmosphere was rich, and Rosara was well named—The Land of Roses. She could smell flowers with every breath, and it was wonderful. She drank in optimism with the dry air as she walked down the aircraft steps holding Ra’id’s hand. With Lysander so close beside her, her dream job was getting better and better.

‘There. You’ve done it. Solid ground beneath your feet at last.’ He chuckled quietly.

Alyssa laughed at the sensation of his breath whispering over her hair again. She was glad he had to lean so close to make himself heard over the racket.

‘Yes, but you helped me more than you will know, Lysander. Thank you. And it was well worth the journey. I’m so pleased to be here at last. Isn’t it terrific? All these people really love you!’

‘I know. They always have, but that isn’t enough any more, is it?’ he murmured with an insight that made her look at him with new eyes. ‘From now on, I must earn their respect, too. That’s why I must get to work straight away. I should be hustling us straight to the palace.’ His grimace told its own story. It was one thing to be the centre of attention, but not so enjoyable when you were in charge of all those individual lives.

Alyssa knew all about pressure. She had been under enough of it herself in the past. But this was on a massive scale.

She thought back to her first sight of Lysander, surrounded by clamouring staff all wanting a piece of him. He had looked as tense as she’d felt then, but arriving
home in Rosara had transformed him. He moved today with the ease of someone who didn’t have a care in the world. It was only when he mentioned going to the palace that the telltale creases reappeared around his eyes.

‘The crowd are enjoying this so much, it’s a shame to disappoint them by rushing away. Why don’t you send someone on ahead to sort out the most urgent stuff, while you stay here and enjoy your reception for a bit longer?’ Alyssa said with a smile. She guessed he might use her words as a good excuse to linger. ‘Anyone can see how you’ve been missed. You and Ra’id really ought to let the crowd get a good look at you both before you disappear behind the black glass of one of your official cars, Lysander!’

The warmth of his presence was quite a distraction in itself, but when his hand dropped lightly onto her shoulder in response to her words, she jumped.

‘There’s no need for that.’

Lifting his hand again, he pointed across the tarmac. A huge black open-topped limousine was gliding towards them. Surely she wasn’t expected to travel in that with him, under the interested gaze of his adoring public?

A chauffeur in full formal uniform and cap opened the car doors for them, saluting as Ra’id bounced into the front seat. Despite his regal status, Lysander stood aside with a smile for Alyssa to get into the rear seat first. She almost died of embarrassment as the crowd greeted this little touch with an extra loud roar of pleasure. From the sound of it, watching Lysander load young women into the back of official cars was a national pastime.

As they drove slowly past the airport terminal a man burst from the ranks of the crowd. The car slowed, giving him time to throw something into the car. It fell into Alyssa’s lap. She jumped, then saw it was only one of the famous red roses of Rosara. It was the first of dozens. The car soon filled with flowers, all thrown by the delighted, cheering crowd.

Secure in his popularity, Lysander gave her a lazy smile.

‘Wow, I’ve never experienced anything like this! Your people seem truly happy to have you as Regent.’

Her words had far more effect on him than the jostling press of people around the limousine. He dodged her gaze, leaning forward to reach between the front seats and tousle Ra’id’s hair. ‘I know. So all I have to do is to build on that. For Ra’id’s sake.’

Alyssa wondered if he only tacked on those last few words for her benefit. It was easy to see it was Lysander the people wanted. It was his name they were calling, not the name of his nephew. That made her feel suddenly very uneasy, but she couldn’t ask him about it in front of all these crowds. She had to wait until their car turned onto the new main road leading directly from the airport to the palace.

‘I need to speak to you, Lysander.’ She flicked her eyes meaningfully towards where Ra’id was chatting happily to the chauffeur.

Lysander flipped a switch, and the car’s roof slid silently into position. Then he raised the partition separating them from Ra’id and the driver.

‘Are you sure it’s safe to bring Ra’id to a place like this?’

He gave her a steady look. ‘It’s his home. You don’t need to worry about a thing.’

‘Yes, I do. I lost a child because I didn’t like making too much fuss, even though I knew in my bones it was the right thing to do. I’m never going to stand by and watch another one suffer. This time I’m going to speak out, whatever the cost to me.’

His looked at her steadily. ‘Go on.’

‘The people of Rosara are fond of Ra’id because he’s small and cute, but most of that love and affection wasn’t directed at him. It was meant for you.’

Lysander leaned back in his seat. As their car crossed the trackless wastes of desert he gazed out of the window, running one finger back and forth across his lips. ‘Oh. Is that all you’re worried about?’

‘All?’
Alyssa’s voice was a squeak of disbelief.

‘Let’s just say that who the country want as their king isn’t uppermost in my mind at the moment. My people want something to celebrate, Alyssa. My—
our
—country was marooned in the Stone Age until only a few decades ago. They don’t want that any more. My late father replaced the horrible regime that killed my mother, and started improvements.’

‘Your mother was killed?’

His expression shut like a trap. ‘Yes. The recent rulers of Rosara don’t have a good track record when it comes to wives. My parents were put together by politicians, while my late brother married for love. Both matches led to disaster and death, so I’m saving myself from that. That’s why, when it comes to women, I keep moving. Everything I’ve seen and experienced tells me it’s safer that way.’

‘I thought men played around for the sake of it.’

Alyssa hid her pain so well, Lysander laughed. ‘Yes, there’s an element of that. Or at least there was, until my brother died and I was forced to—’

He stopped in mid flow, looked at her and became serious again.

‘When I became Ra’id’s guardian, and caretaker for my country. That’s a job that’s every bit as serious as childcare, wouldn’t you say?’

‘I hope you’re not making fun of me.’

This time he recognised that something had touched a raw nerve in her. The half-smile he had been using to try and lighten her mood vanished again. ‘Now it’s my duty to concentrate on my country, and carry on the good work started by my father and brother. Once I’m up to speed on ruling, I’ll teach Ra’id how it’s done. Until then, I’m happy to live off my—I mean
our
—people’s love until I can earn their respect. If the Rosari are happy, then the Kahani family is happy too. It doesn’t matter which one of us gets the credit.’

‘I want to believe you,’ Alyssa said slowly. ‘But when you mention Rosara, sometimes you forget Ra’id. Your instinct is to call this country your own, instead of saying “
our
country” and “
our
people”.’

The look Lysander gave her was inscrutable, but he didn’t silence her so she carried on.

‘You said that your country is in flux. I hope there’s no tussle for power going on behind the scenes. It would be terrible for Ra’id if Rosara turned into a war zone.’

Lysander’s hawklike glare checked the car’s intercom. Their conversation was guaranteed to stay secret, so he relaxed—but only a little. Almost as though he
enjoyed keeping her guessing, he started to smile and let his expression mature in the heat of her glare. She refused to back down.

‘That won’t happen. I do love my country, but I didn’t ask for this responsibility—frankly, I’m far more comfortable lazing about on yachts. I’ll just be thankful when it’s over and I can get my freedom back. Until then, it’s my job to keep control of things.’

‘Including me?’ She narrowed her eyes.

He allowed his soft laughter to caress her. For an instant she was back in his private cabin, waiting expectantly beneath his hands.

‘I only work wonders, not miracles.’

She lowered her lids in disdain, but his next words were a teasing throb of promise.

‘Don’t tempt me to try, Alyssa, or you’ll miss your first sight of
our
palace.’

He spoke in a low, slow combination of notes that played over her body like fingertips. She turned her head away. It was one thing for her body to be preoccupied with Lysander, but she wanted to keep her mind her own. She needed distraction. Glancing out of the window, she got it.

‘What’s the matter?’ Lysander tensed again at her gasp.

‘I knew somewhere called the Rose Palace had to be beautiful … but I hadn’t realised how big it would be!’ she breathed.

‘Do you like it?’

She didn’t need to answer. Her amazed silence was enough.

The Kahani palace had been the home of Lysander’s
family for centuries. It stood on the site of the best oasis in that vast, ochre landscape. The afternoon sun was already drawing gossamer shades of apricot and salmon across the sky and sand. Against this exotic colour scheme, Lysander’s home stood out like a fairy tale castle spun from sugar. An enormous range of buildings glowed as white as a wedding cake against the tawny desert. Nothing Alyssa had read or seen could have prepared her for this.