Page 55 of My Arabian Billionaire

“Remember what you came here to do,” Kamil remindedher.

Harper took deep breaths. They were completely right, but---

“I don’t feel restricted at all,” she heard a soft voice answer, and Harper scowled. She had no trouble recognizing this voice as well. It was none other than Kyria, the young, shy ward of Altair and Malik’s mother, and Harper’s dislike towards the so-called feminist increased. Was Jennifer Patrick actually trying to bully a teenage girl over an abaya?

“I knew you’d say that,” Jennifer was saying, the words followed with another snide laugh. “And it’s okay, really. I mean, compared to other Arab nations, Ramil’s pretty modern. But be honest – do you honestly believe wearing that will prevent things like rape? And I’m just asking here, I’m not being judgmental or anything, but don’t you think it’s stupid that a woman’s modesty is determined by her choice of clothing?”

“I don’t see anything wrong with a woman wearing what she deems proper to wear for herself,” Harper heard Kyria answer in her usual soft, melodic voice.

Bravo, Kyria, Harper thought and by way of the murmurs of assent she heard, the other guests appeared to agree with the younggirl.

Unfortunately, it didn’t sit well with the older woman at all, causing Jennifer to sneer, “How very safe. Spoken like a pampered princess who doesn’t know how to think for herself.”

A hush fell over the small crowd at the cruel words, and Harper’s bodyguards shook their heads at her in unison.

Don’t. Get. Involved.

And she shouldn’t. She mustn’t. A proper queen wouldn’t involve herself. Right?

The sheikh’s words returned toher.

Don’t do this forme.

Her teeth gnawed on her lip. If she got herself involved, she wouldn’t exactly be scoring brownie points with the sheikh, but she would at least be proud of herself, that she stood for what was right. Maybe that was what the sheikh had indirectly asked her to do. Don’t do this for me. Do it for yourself. Maybe that was what he wanted her to realize?

Behind her, Jennifer was going on and on about the detrimental effects of the abaya on the overall culture of feminism, and Harper started grinding her teeth.

Don’t do this for me. Don’t get involved. Don’t. Don’t. Don’t.

Ah, God, this was so confusing.

She thought about the sheikh. Thought about herself. Thought about Kyria.

The next thing she knew, she had already whirled around and was marching determinedly towards the group of women. The guests in her way immediately scooted back at the militant look on the queen’s face, and both Kyria and Jennifer appear startled when Harper suddenly joinedthem.

“Your Majesty.”

All of the women except for Jennifer bowed in her presence.

“It’s my personal belief that we’re all created equally,” the other woman said with a smile, “so I hope you don’t mind if I don’t bow and scrape.” Like othersdo.

Everyone heard the unspoken implication, yet another example of the woman’s unbelievable tendency to be microagressive, but this only made Harper even more determined. Smiling back, she said easily, “I don’t mind at all. I think it’s important we don’t impose our own beliefs on others, especially if such beliefs do no harm. You agree with this, too, don’tyou?”

“Actually…” Jennifer’s tone was of polite amusement. “It’s the cornerstone of my platform.” The words were spoken in such a way that made the queen appear uninformed, and the other women in their growing crowd shifted uneasily on their feet. “I even spoke of this recently when CNN invited me to speak about Arab women.” She paused, a look of embarrassment on her face. “Or don’t you guys have CNNhere?”

Harper refused to be sidetracked, saying simply, “We haveit.”

And when it became clear that was all that the queen had to say, Jennifer’s smile became brittle.

Harper waited patiently, knowing the other woman was the type to want to say the lastword.

And she was right.

After a moment, Jennifer started to speak, and Harper immediately cut her off, saying, “I’m glad to hear you believe in the same things, Jennifer. I guess that means you may have only misunderstood Kyria’s stance earlier.”

Jennifer frowned. “I---”

But Harper, still smiling, cut the other woman off again. “You, as someone who believes in the importance of not imposing our own beliefs on others, should understand more than most people that her choice to wear an abaya must be respected, whatever her reasonis.”

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