Altair - Royal Marriage of Convenience Romance - Page 5

Sheikh Altair was not an ordinary sheikh and never would be. Most princes only wielded their swords for show. Sheikh Altair, however, had willingly lived in the shadows, turning himself into an assassin to avenge his father's death. He was danger and nobility personified, and even to this day, Ramilians were just as excited and passionate when swapping stories of Altair's battlefield victories during the blood-drenched years of the Sand Wars.

Ramilian males saw Altair as a modern-day warrior they could only hope to emulate in their next lifetime. Ramilian women, on the other hand...

Afaf and the other girls only had one thought in their minds as they watched the sheikh descend the steps of the mosque.

Oh, to be the lover of such a man as Altair Al-Atassi...

Let it be me!

Let it be me!

Let it be me!

OBLIVIOUS TO THE AMOUNT of attention he was attracting from the opposite sex, Altair headed straight inside his limousine, and the sheikh was already contemplating his next move even before his back hit the seat.

When he had told the other sheikhs of his plan, he had known right away that his younger brother would be the first to refuse an engagement with Sheikh Mahmud's daughter. Malik, after all, had already given his heart away years ago, and Altair's brother was only waiting for the right time to claim his woman.

Khalil, too, had been automatically out of the equation. The king was not only married, but the man also loved his queen with all his heart.

As for Rayyan...

Altair had never voiced his suspicions to anyone, but he was certain that Rayyan's affections were otherwise engaged, and he therefore hadn't been surprised when the other sheikh coolly expressed his unwillingness to take part.

In the end, the choice had boiled down between him and Tarif, and although Altair was privately convinced the role of fiancé would've suited the other sheikh better—-

His thoughts drifted back to the advice the palace's imam had given him. While Altair did not consider himself Christian or Muslim, he had always respected the imam's wisdom, and for the most part, the older man's counsel had always been helpful.

Now, however...

Innocent or not, traitor or not, the princess should not be your excuse to dishonor yourself.

The holy imam had cautioned Altair against doing anything he might regret, but if ever things came down to choosing between what was right and what would keep everyone alive—-

He just could not...and would not lose another member of his family again.

Chapter Two

Travel brochures frequently described the luxurious resort town of Alfiraz as one of Ramil's crown jewels. A lush and modern oasis set amidst sand dunes and fields of cacti, brittlebush, and Joshua trees, Alfiraz was also home to the royal family's vacation estate. It was the only privately owned property in the area, and it was here that the princess of Farigha had been quietly spending her days since her father, Sheikh Mahmud, had been quietly placed under house arrest.

The staff manning the estate had been with the royal family for over a decade. They were experienced and well-trained, and in their years of service, they had the opportunity (but not always the pleasure) to attend to A-list celebrities, dignitaries, billionaire tycoons, and - as this was par for the course - other members of royalty as well.

Upon Princess Safiya's arrival, the staff believed they knew everything there was to expect of the girl.

But they were wrong.

Two months had come to pass since then, and by now everyone was well used to the princess' charming...eccentricities. Whereas most other royals nitpicked on just about everything, the princess mostly nodded and quietly thanked all sixty-plus members of the staff...by name. Whereas most other royals demanded to be waited on hand and foot, there hadn't even been a day the princess had slept in; she was always up and about on her own early in the morning, and her bed properly made up by the time the attendants came in.

Everyone had been understandably suspicious at first, and no one more so than the special agent working undercover as the princess' personal maid. But eventually, she and the rest of the staff had come to realize the princess was truly what she seemed: a nice person plain and simple, and it was because of this Yara was now in a bind.

Yara would never have accepted this assignment if she hadn't owed Altair a favor. With a few rare exceptions, Yara saw royals as cruel and useless idiots. The princess, however, wasn't just nice. She was also different...in one of the saddest ways there was.

Yara had seen her fair share of abuse and injustice in the course of her work under the kingdom's defense department. And unfortunately, the more time Yara spent with the princess, the more it became obvious that the fairytale existence the world attributed to the girl was nothing but an illusion. Yara knew a victim when she saw one; there were certain signs one had to look out for...and the princess unfortunately exhibited all of them.

Tags: Marian Tee Romance
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