Page 51 of Modern Romance Collection Books (5-8)

Riyaz thought about it. He knew that he didn’t want to, but he had to consider the possibility that he could. He had very nearly done so in the library.

“No,” he said. The idea of hurting her was anathema to him.

“Very well,” said Cairo. “But my conscience is clear. As long as you will care for her. Keep her safe...”

“I swear my life on it. I will do whatever needs doing in order to make her happy.”

“Good.”

“There is a room prepared for you in the back of the palace. It will be your quarters. And you will remember your place.”

“It would probably do you well to remember yours,” said Cairo. “You are a figurehead, and an imperfect one. And we will need to announce my marriage and yours, and you will have to be ready to face the nation.”

“I am ready,” said Riyaz.

“Are you?”

“Brianna will make sure that I am. Whenever you say I should.”

“You put a lot on your fiancée.”

Riyaz nodded. He couldn’t deny that he did. “Because she is strong.”

And that was the truest thing of all.

CHAPTER NINE

THENEXTDAYwas a whirlwind. They made plans to make the announcement of his engagement, and of Cairo’s marriage to Ariel.

Brianna had spent Ariel’s first moments of the palace with her, and over the next few days, she found herself with the other woman quite a bit. She wasn’t jealous. But she also wasn’t fully resigned to the idea of marrying Riyaz either. But then... She wasn’t sure she knew what she wanted. At all. She couldn’t imagine leaving Riyaz altogether. But at the same time... She had wanted a normal life.

This would be the furthest thing from that. She wasn’t certain she could handle that.

“Apparently we’re announcing my marriage to Cairo today,” said Ariel.

“You’ve been prepared to marry one of them your whole life. I guess that must feel... Like it was coming this whole time?”

Ariel shook her head. “I wouldn’t say that. No. I wouldn’t say that. I have loved Cairo since I was a girl. But I spent a long while thinking that he was dead. I didn’t think that he had survived, and even if he had, I didn’t think I would ever see him again. Much less be married to him. I knew that I didn’t want Riyaz. Not ever. We met and there was just no... Connection. I was miserable here at the palace except when I was with Cairo. But you know, the years passed, and things become complicated. He was different when he was a boy.”

“But you love him still.”

“And you?”

“Yes,” said Brianna, honestly. “But as a friend. I thought for a time that I might want him. Because he was the kindest, most wonderful man I had ever known. Because he was a man who cared for me without wanting anything in return. Because that felt revolutionary for a very long time in my life. Especially considering where I come from. I wanted him to love me, because I thought maybe we could heal each other. Maybe we could find something normal and wonderful and special together. But we can’t. And I recognize that now. Because... Because he’s my friend. He’s not the love of my life.”

“Is Riyaz?”

That question terrified her. She genuinely didn’t want to answer to it. Because if he was the love of her life then... What did that mean for anything? For her life, for her own sanity.

How could she want this? A life in this palace, with that man, who she felt was fundamentally broken in some way.

And even as she thought that, she had an image of wanting to hold him together. Wanting to keep him from shattering into more pieces.

Did anyone know her as well as he did? In just these few days, had anyone ever gotten to know her in a way that was any deeper? Any more real?

She already knew the answer to that.

“Riyaz is complicated. It’s like he... Imprinted on me. For lack of a better word. I was the first woman that he saw when he came out of the dungeon. I don’t know if he knows what he wants.”

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