grow and be strong.’ He looked over at his errant youngest son and in a raretactile moment embraced him. ‘It is good you are here to share in this day.’
It felt good.
The unvoiced admission surprised him.
‘Come,’ the king ordered. ‘We move to the balcony to share the joyous news with our people.’
It was a good day, an exciting day, a miraculous day. Ibrahim looked at Georgie, who was completely out of her depth and more than a little lost, and as he went to her side he could see the terror in her eyes. As promised, he stood by her as they moved to the balcony.
‘This,’ he explained, ‘is the announcement. This tells our people all is well. When Hassan and Jamal’s first son, Kaliq, was born and we knew he would not survive, there was a small press release and no further comment. Today the people of Zaraq will know all is well.’
She stepped onto the balcony, holding her tiny niece, and heard the screams and cheers from the streets below.
‘You’re doing great.’ He was being incredibly nice.
‘Thanks.’ Georgie shivered through her teeth. ‘The thing is I have no idea what it is I’m doing.’ Still, the excitement was palpable and Georgie joined in, even waved to the people below and had an ‘if only they knew’ moment when she thought of her friends back home. ‘Luckily it’s just for today.’
But it wasn’t just one day for Ibrahim. This was what he was being asked to return to, he thought as he stared out at the crowd. This might be his future.
CHAPTER SIX
‘D O I have to wear this?’ This was so not what Georgie had come to Zaraq for. It was a trip to see her sister, to spend time with her niece, but now she was to dine tonight with the princes and the king, and it seemed there was no getting around it.
‘The heir was born today.’ She could hear the exasperation and guilt in her sister’s voice. ‘Georgie, we will have time together, it’s just with Jamal’s baby coming early … Please, just go with things for a couple of days.’
It was arguably worse than the wedding. To ensure she was fit for the king’s table, maids had braided her long blonde hair and kohled her eyes, and now a garment had been laid out on her bed—a long lemon dress with beading and patterns down two front panels. It wasn’t even close to anything she would have chosen.
‘You look gorgeous,’ Felicity lied, because the lemon would have looked stunning with olive skin and a coil of dark hair, but it clashed with blonde and both sisters knew it.
‘I look like a lemon meringue pie.’ Georgie responded,but she didn’t want to add to her sister’s guilt. She actually managed a laugh as she peered in the mirror. ‘And why is my rouge orange? Anyway, it doesn’t matter, it’s just dinner … I’ll be fine. You will be sitting next to me?’ Georgie checked, but her heart tripped to a race when Felicity grimaced.
‘I will, but I might have to pop up and feed Azizah. She fell asleep straight after her bath so I don’t think she’s going to last the whole meal.’
‘You can’t leave me with them.’
‘I wouldn’t normally—who could know Jamal was going to have the baby early? And I didn’t know there’d be a formal function the day he was born.’
‘Formal!’ Georgie gulped.
‘Well, not formal exactly,’ Felicity quickly backtracked. ‘I mean, it’s family but Jamal’s family are coming too and they’re very traditional … Georgie, I don’t want Rina to feed Azizah unless I really can’t be there. I have had to stand my ground with this—it’s the height of bad manners here to excuse yourself during a meal, but Karim’s spoken to his father …’
‘You’ve got an exemption.’
‘I can’t back down.’ Felicity was torn. ‘But if it is too much for you … If it’s going to set you back …’
‘Felicity.’ Georgie was firm. ‘Not everything goes back to my eating disorder. Any person would be nervous at having to attend a formal dinner with a
It felt good.
The unvoiced admission surprised him.
‘Come,’ the king ordered. ‘We move to the balcony to share the joyous news with our people.’
It was a good day, an exciting day, a miraculous day. Ibrahim looked at Georgie, who was completely out of her depth and more than a little lost, and as he went to her side he could see the terror in her eyes. As promised, he stood by her as they moved to the balcony.
‘This,’ he explained, ‘is the announcement. This tells our people all is well. When Hassan and Jamal’s first son, Kaliq, was born and we knew he would not survive, there was a small press release and no further comment. Today the people of Zaraq will know all is well.’
She stepped onto the balcony, holding her tiny niece, and heard the screams and cheers from the streets below.
‘You’re doing great.’ He was being incredibly nice.
‘Thanks.’ Georgie shivered through her teeth. ‘The thing is I have no idea what it is I’m doing.’ Still, the excitement was palpable and Georgie joined in, even waved to the people below and had an ‘if only they knew’ moment when she thought of her friends back home. ‘Luckily it’s just for today.’
But it wasn’t just one day for Ibrahim. This was what he was being asked to return to, he thought as he stared out at the crowd. This might be his future.
CHAPTER SIX
‘D O I have to wear this?’ This was so not what Georgie had come to Zaraq for. It was a trip to see her sister, to spend time with her niece, but now she was to dine tonight with the princes and the king, and it seemed there was no getting around it.
‘The heir was born today.’ She could hear the exasperation and guilt in her sister’s voice. ‘Georgie, we will have time together, it’s just with Jamal’s baby coming early … Please, just go with things for a couple of days.’
It was arguably worse than the wedding. To ensure she was fit for the king’s table, maids had braided her long blonde hair and kohled her eyes, and now a garment had been laid out on her bed—a long lemon dress with beading and patterns down two front panels. It wasn’t even close to anything she would have chosen.
‘You look gorgeous,’ Felicity lied, because the lemon would have looked stunning with olive skin and a coil of dark hair, but it clashed with blonde and both sisters knew it.
‘I look like a lemon meringue pie.’ Georgie responded,but she didn’t want to add to her sister’s guilt. She actually managed a laugh as she peered in the mirror. ‘And why is my rouge orange? Anyway, it doesn’t matter, it’s just dinner … I’ll be fine. You will be sitting next to me?’ Georgie checked, but her heart tripped to a race when Felicity grimaced.
‘I will, but I might have to pop up and feed Azizah. She fell asleep straight after her bath so I don’t think she’s going to last the whole meal.’
‘You can’t leave me with them.’
‘I wouldn’t normally—who could know Jamal was going to have the baby early? And I didn’t know there’d be a formal function the day he was born.’
‘Formal!’ Georgie gulped.
‘Well, not formal exactly,’ Felicity quickly backtracked. ‘I mean, it’s family but Jamal’s family are coming too and they’re very traditional … Georgie, I don’t want Rina to feed Azizah unless I really can’t be there. I have had to stand my ground with this—it’s the height of bad manners here to excuse yourself during a meal, but Karim’s spoken to his father …’
‘You’ve got an exemption.’
‘I can’t back down.’ Felicity was torn. ‘But if it is too much for you … If it’s going to set you back …’
‘Felicity.’ Georgie was firm. ‘Not everything goes back to my eating disorder. Any person would be nervous at having to attend a formal dinner with a
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