Page 6 of The Prince's Wife

He wanted badly to pace around the room, but it wouldn't do for Relanya to walk in and see him behaving so gracelessly. Instead he accepted the cup of tea Javed brought him, thanking him with a soft caress to his cheek.

"You need not be so nervous, my prince," Javed replied. "When have you ever made anything but a wonderful impression on anyone? I'm certain she was charmed by you last night."

"She was," Heydar replied. "A little frayed and tired, but definitely charmed."

Aradishir cast him a disbelieving look. "She barely noticed me."

That got him a pensive look from Merza, always a little too sharp for Aradishir's piece of mind.

Thankfully, before he could speak, the door was opened by one of the guards in the hallway and Relanya stepped inside, accompanied by two other women. All three were in Tavamaran dress, and one of the women looked as Tavamaran as was possible. She looked vaguely familiar, but she was the daughter of an ambassador, so that made sense.

Aradishir's eyes were only for Relanya, though. The short top and skirt were made of a beautiful fabric that shifted between gray and lavender, bringing out the smoky gray of her eyes. Chains of amethyst, diamond, and pearl were wrapped around her waist, and she'd affixed a ring of keys and a small pouch to them. On her head was a matching diadem, and rings glittered on her fingers. Her beautiful ink-dark hair had been pulled into a single braid, affixed with white gold clasps at regular intervals.

Most fascinating of all was a beautiful, colorful tattoo on her right arm, a complicated geometric pattern done in myriad colors; a beautiful, intricate rainbow that covered her entire arm like a sleeve. Tattoos were not something done by royalty or nobility. They were for commoners or performers, concubines. The court was going to throw a fit. All Aradishir could think about was tracing every single line, first with his fingers and then—

Nothing. He was not going to make an absolute fool of himself and his family by lusting afterhis brother's betrothed.

Crossing the room, he bowed, arm across his chest. "Your Highness, it's an honor to properly make your acquaintance. I am sorry that your arrival in Tavamara has been so tumultuous.

Bowing in turn, Relanya replied, "Not at all, Your Highness. Not even monarchs can control the weather. I prefer your sand to my snow, to be certain. Thank you again forretrieving and returning my errant son. I wish I could say he will behave from here on out, but I expect that now I'm out of sight, he is once more into mischief."

Aradishir laughed, motioning her to the table and their waiting breakfast, trying and failing not to notice the beautiful perfume he caught a whiff of as she passed. Something delicate, honeysuckle and the barest hint of orange blossom and ginger. It suited her perfectly.

Taking a deep breath, Aradishir let it out slowly and went to take his own seat directly opposite her, his harem spread around the table so they could serve both parties easily, interspersed with Relanya's two handmaidens.

He could do this. His parents were trusting him. Bakhtiar was trusting him. He would do his duty, and this stupid little infatuation would pass. He was just flustered because he'd never been trusted with a duty like this, had never interacted with more than the women of the court, and Relanya was ridiculously beautiful and fascinating. Everyone was counting on him to do this right, and do it right he would.

"I am sorry, again, that Bakhtiar could not be here himself. I know he very much wanted to be, of course."

Relanya smiled. "These things happen, Your Highness, please do not worry on my behalf. Your home is even more beautiful than I imagined. So much green! Your deserts of sand are far more amenable to such things than my desert of snow. I brought some of my songbirds with me, and they have been trilling all the day long."

"They do not mind the lack of cold they must be used to?"

"No, my songbirds come from all over the world. I used to keep them in a specially made greenhouse. I'm told your temples keep birds as well."

Aradishir nodded, thanking Heydar for the tea he poured them before replying, "Yes, it's an old, old tradition of thetemples. You'll no doubt hear the entire history when you visit them with my mother later in the week, so I won't tell it now. Today I thought I could show you around the palace and, if there's time, some of the city. Tonight of course there will be a banquet in your honor. I can regale you with the other plans arranged for the week later. Is there anything you would like to do that we might not have thought of?"

"I have every faith that Prince Bakhtiar planned everything perfectly," Relanya replied. "It's kind of you to carry out his duties in his absence. I hope he is recovering well?"

"Yes, Your Highness," Aradishir replied, even though for all he knew his dumbass brother's leg had rotted and fallen off. It would serve him right. Bakhtiar had his good points, but he was also a spoiled brat who never thought things through nearly as much as he should. Or put much effort into things he did not care about, like arranging all the details of his future wife's visit or buying her gifts or even pretending to care. Yet he was still getting all the credit, and Aradishir couldn't say a damn thing.

Whatever. It didn't matter. All that mattered was Relanya's happiness, and securing the marriage once and for all. Bakhtiar was going to owe himso many favorsafter this.

Merza served their breakfasts, and Heydar easily kept conversation flowing from there. He'd set Javed to serve Relanya, though at the banquet his mother's concubines would have that honor. Aradishir smiled faintly to see how intently the handmaidens were watching his concubines, no doubt trying to learn all they could, if they were indeed Relanya's future concubines. Truly impressive that she'd come so prepared, and people would be rightfully impressed that she arrived with three women already willing to devote their lives to her.

Who wouldn't want to, though? They'd only been speaking for an hour or so now, and she'd proven to be kind,friendly, charming, and an expert conversationalist, all vital to being a princess of Tavamara.

No, a queen. She was intended to be a queen someday.

Why did that reminder leave an ache in his chest?

Aradishir ignored it, focusing on the beautiful woman in front of him, discussing all the things he wanted to show her in the city, gritting his teeth that he had to spin them as Bakhtiar's plans and wishes that he was only carrying out.

As breakfast was finished and cleared away, Aradishir motioned for Merza to bring forward three of the many, many gifts he'd managed to secure, despite the challenges.

The first gift was a necklace from the vaults, a beautiful piece he'd bought years ago of a water lily made from precious jewels, with leaves all along the chain and on the right side, a jewel dragonfly on its way to perch on the water lily.

"Mercy me," one of the handmaidens said, while the other gasped. Relanya, of all things, seemed surprised. Why would a princess and future queen be surprised by jewelry?

---