Page 1 of Modern Romance November 2024 5-8

She Will Be Queen

Carol Marinelli

PROLOGUE

‘SLOWDOWN,SAHIR...’

Sahir turned. He’d been a little relieved that the ancient steps carved in the bedrock were so narrow that there could be no conversation, and Mother was some considerable distance behind.

Queen Anousheh of Janana was unsuitably dressed for a rugged walk.

The wind was blowing her black hair into her eyes and her elegant robe was clearly a hindrance. Naturally, his delightfully eccentric mother was in full make-up. Even her footwear was jewelled.

It didn’t usually slow her down, though.

Sahir retraced his steps and offered his hand for the steepest incline. ‘Why are you wearing palace slippers?’

‘They are my walking shoes.’ She smiled.

Sahir had not been looking forward to this. It wasn’t just that at thirteen he felt a little old for the annual picnic his mother insisted upon. It was more the fact that when they eventually got to the top there was an awkward conversation to be had.

Sahir, much like his younger brother and sister, had grown up vaguely aware that their mother had aconfidant—whatever that meant.

As heir to the Janana throne, Sahir spent his summers being tutored in protocol and Janana’s intricate laws—and a few years ago he had discovered that their mother had a lover!

Sahir had kept that knowledge to himself, but this particular summer their mother’s disinhibition had meant his younger siblings had worked things out for themselves.

Somethinghadto be said.

‘It has to be you,’ Ibrahim had said, always happy to avoid a task and volunteering Sahir. ‘You’re going to be King one day.’

‘Mama’s going to leave Papa!’ Jasmine had sobbed dramatically. ‘Oh, poor Papa.’

‘She is not going to leave him.’ Sahir was firm with his sister. Even if he was cross with Mother, he felt defensive towards her. ‘As Queen, she’s done nothing wrong—the law states that she can take a confidant—and anyway, Father might have—’

He’d halted abruptly, deciding not to reveal that the King was allowed aha?iyya, or second wife. Not only would Sahir prefer not to deal with more drama from Jasmine, he could not begin to fathom his austere father invoking such a rule.

‘Papa should be kinder.’ Ibrahim had been indignant. ‘He’s miserable and always cross...’

‘He has a lot on his mind,’ Sahir had reminded him sharply. ‘These are troubled times. The King has to focus on peace for our land—not dramas within the palace walls.’

Growing up, they’d all heard their mother taunting the King whenever she felt she was being ignored—telling him that she would take it up with her confidant...saying that at leasthelistened to her, at leasthenoticed what she wore...

It had all come to a head this summer.

Ibrahim had seen her one night, all dressed up in lipstick and jewels, and their mother had urgently warned him not to tell.

And Jasmine, after a bad dream, had tried to get to her mother’s bedroom. But the entrance to thesynwing had been locked...

‘There were no maidens and she took for ever to answer,’ Jasmine had sobbed to Sahir. ‘Then she wouldn’t let me in...just sent me back to bed...’

More worryingly for Sahir, he had seen the sour expression on Aadil’s face when a lavish delivery had arrived for the Queen.

Aadil was Sahir’s protection officer, but Aadil’s father was the King’s senior advisor, and if this reached the King’s ears there would be trouble.

Sahir knew every rule, and he knew that while a confidant was allowed, all partiesmustbe discreet.

Increasingly, Queen Anousheh of Janana was not.

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