Balahar. I will not be a ruler.”
Rose shrugged. “This is a point on which your wishes and Serena’s may not be in harmony. She married with the expectation that she would remain a princess, not become a rancher’s wife. It is a very different world than she would expect, Cade. I don’tknow many women who would want or care to make the transition.”
This was a salient point, Cade silently conceded. Life on a Texas ranch had weeded out many a woman. “I need some time with Serena,” he said slowly. “Some time for her to adjust to the ranch before she makes up her mind that she wants to be married to me, and to live here at the ranch.” He thought for a few moments. “How long can we hold off King Zak?”
Chapter Six
“It is the first time I ever saw such a spark in Cade’s eyes,” Rose stated as she sat in the kitchen with her brother, Randy, and his wife, Vi. Rose knew that she could trust these two more than any other with the thorny dilemma confronting her. “My first thought was to call the king immediately. But when I saw Cade struggle not to let me know how much he wanted time for Princess Serena to fall in love with The Desert Rose, I knew he was really asking for time for her to fall in love with him.”
“I never thought I’d see the day,” Vi said happily. “How did you end the conversation?”
“I agreed to think over whether I could possibly stall King Zak. After all, the situation is beyond highly irregular.”
Randy laughed. “Love can make a man do highly irregular things.”
Rose noticed the strange look Vi gave her husband. But the moment passed, and Vi’s features relaxed into the same pleasant expression she always wore. “How can we help you with this, Rose?”
Always one to ask how she could help, Rose thought gratefully. “I don’t know how exactly. Mainly I needed a listening ear to help me decide if I would be doing the right thing if I assisted Cade in this romance.”
“Our ears are always available,” Randy assured her.
“Separate bedrooms come to mind first,” Vi said.
“Separate bedrooms?” Randy queried his wife.
“For Cade and Serena.” Vi looked at her husband again, her expression uncomfortable. “Don’t you think that’s a good idea?”
“I suppose so. Women think about sex differently than men, I know. Will it further the relationship for them to be separated? Seems to me that close quarters is more likely to—”
“Randy!” Vi exclaimed. “You are discussing a princess, remember.”
“Who is just the same as any other woman, I would imagine. She will want to be told she is beautiful, and desirable, and—”
“And you think that the only place to do this is in the bedroom?”
Silence met Vi’s question. Rose felt a dismayed blush steal over her face. It was clear that her two dearest allies had something to work out between them, although clearly Vi thought that there wasmore of a problem than Randy apparently did. “Perhaps we should discuss this another time,” she murmured.
“Womanly feelings aside, King Zak is not going to want his daughter returned to him in any condition other than that in which she left his palace,” Vi said sternly, “should she decide that The Desert Rose—or Prince Kadar—is not to her liking.”
“Your point is taken.” Rose shifted in her chair. “I may ask the two of you to assist me in some matchmaking if necessary.” It suddenly hit her that if anyone was in need of assistance in the love department, it might be Randy and Vi. Which was strange, as they had an upcoming anniversary for which Randy was busily planning a surprise celebration. “And yet perhaps quiet time alone away from court manipulations—or even matchmaking here—might be the better thing.”
“Will you want them to stay married?” Randy asked. “Is there a problem with it?”
“I simply do not know how to explain it to the king. He is going to feel that we pulled the wool over his eyes. He may demand that his
Rose shrugged. “This is a point on which your wishes and Serena’s may not be in harmony. She married with the expectation that she would remain a princess, not become a rancher’s wife. It is a very different world than she would expect, Cade. I don’tknow many women who would want or care to make the transition.”
This was a salient point, Cade silently conceded. Life on a Texas ranch had weeded out many a woman. “I need some time with Serena,” he said slowly. “Some time for her to adjust to the ranch before she makes up her mind that she wants to be married to me, and to live here at the ranch.” He thought for a few moments. “How long can we hold off King Zak?”
Chapter Six
“It is the first time I ever saw such a spark in Cade’s eyes,” Rose stated as she sat in the kitchen with her brother, Randy, and his wife, Vi. Rose knew that she could trust these two more than any other with the thorny dilemma confronting her. “My first thought was to call the king immediately. But when I saw Cade struggle not to let me know how much he wanted time for Princess Serena to fall in love with The Desert Rose, I knew he was really asking for time for her to fall in love with him.”
“I never thought I’d see the day,” Vi said happily. “How did you end the conversation?”
“I agreed to think over whether I could possibly stall King Zak. After all, the situation is beyond highly irregular.”
Randy laughed. “Love can make a man do highly irregular things.”
Rose noticed the strange look Vi gave her husband. But the moment passed, and Vi’s features relaxed into the same pleasant expression she always wore. “How can we help you with this, Rose?”
Always one to ask how she could help, Rose thought gratefully. “I don’t know how exactly. Mainly I needed a listening ear to help me decide if I would be doing the right thing if I assisted Cade in this romance.”
“Our ears are always available,” Randy assured her.
“Separate bedrooms come to mind first,” Vi said.
“Separate bedrooms?” Randy queried his wife.
“For Cade and Serena.” Vi looked at her husband again, her expression uncomfortable. “Don’t you think that’s a good idea?”
“I suppose so. Women think about sex differently than men, I know. Will it further the relationship for them to be separated? Seems to me that close quarters is more likely to—”
“Randy!” Vi exclaimed. “You are discussing a princess, remember.”
“Who is just the same as any other woman, I would imagine. She will want to be told she is beautiful, and desirable, and—”
“And you think that the only place to do this is in the bedroom?”
Silence met Vi’s question. Rose felt a dismayed blush steal over her face. It was clear that her two dearest allies had something to work out between them, although clearly Vi thought that there wasmore of a problem than Randy apparently did. “Perhaps we should discuss this another time,” she murmured.
“Womanly feelings aside, King Zak is not going to want his daughter returned to him in any condition other than that in which she left his palace,” Vi said sternly, “should she decide that The Desert Rose—or Prince Kadar—is not to her liking.”
“Your point is taken.” Rose shifted in her chair. “I may ask the two of you to assist me in some matchmaking if necessary.” It suddenly hit her that if anyone was in need of assistance in the love department, it might be Randy and Vi. Which was strange, as they had an upcoming anniversary for which Randy was busily planning a surprise celebration. “And yet perhaps quiet time alone away from court manipulations—or even matchmaking here—might be the better thing.”
“Will you want them to stay married?” Randy asked. “Is there a problem with it?”
“I simply do not know how to explain it to the king. He is going to feel that we pulled the wool over his eyes. He may demand that his
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