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  “I don’t mean to suggest that you don’t care for your homeland, or that there’s nothing to compel you to stay,” he said. “I merely meant that you do have the freedom to move and seek your future elsewhere if you decide that’s what you want to do. I can’t move to America. I have to live in Al-Yara. You’re right about that. But you—you do have the freedom to leave, if you choose to do so.”

  “Well.” She sounded slightly mollified. “I suppose that is true.”

  “Just think about it,” he said. “You don’t have to come out here for good right now. You could just come for the next six months, or maybe a year. You wouldn’t have to buy a house here. We could live together in my penthouse. There’s plenty of room. You would have your own space. And I know you enjoyed seeing Al-Yara. Wouldn’t you like the chance to get to know the place where your child will be spending so much time a little better?”

  She hesitated. “It wouldn’t be permanent?”

  “Only as long as you want to stay,” he said.

  “I’d have to fly over,” she pointed out, and now, he could hear the smile in her voice. “You’re all right with that?”

  “You wouldn’t have to fly,” he said. “I could charter us a boat.”

  “A boat? I live in Missouri, Ahmad.”

  “Well, all right, you could fly to the coast,” he suggested. “That isn’t a very long flight. And from there, we’d take the boat to Al-Yara.”

  “Could we really do that?” she asked.

  “Of course we could. But would you?”

  “I’d want to bring my mother over when it’s time for the baby to be born,” she said.

  His heart soared. She was going to say yes! “Of course,” he agreed. “Anything you want.”

  “And your penthouse—it’s really big enough for me to have privacy? Because… I don’t want you to take this the wrong way, but I don’t think it’s a good idea if you and I are in too close of quarters for a long time.”

  “I understand perfectly,” he said. “I promise, you’d be able to go days at a time without even seeing me, if that was your preference.”

  “Not that it would be,” she said hurriedly. “I just need to have a space where I can go to be on my own.”

  “You’ll have that. And while you’re here, I’ll be able to show you all the parts of Al-Yara you haven’t had a chance to see yet.” He was really feeling excited, now. “I never thought we’d have a chance to do that. We won’t, I suppose, once the baby’s really here and you’re back to working full-time. We should take advantage of the opportunity.”

  “If I come to Al-Yara,” she said, “there will be no way to conceal from your family that there’s a pregnant woman living in your penthouse, will there?”

  “For a time, I think they won’t notice,” he said. “They tend not to concern themselves with what I’m doing, as long as it isn’t under the palace roof. Besides, they’re going to need to know before too much longer, anyway. I’ll want to inform them before the day of the birth. And I think we’re well out of danger of my brothers trying to compete, now. Umar’s wife isn’t pregnant, and if Rafi had impregnated a girl, he wouldn’t be able to keep quiet about it.”

  Joanna took a deep breath. “All right,” she agreed. “I’ll do it.”

  “You will?”

  “I’ll pack my things as soon as I get back from this trip, and I’ll tell my boss I’m taking an early leave.”

  “Will it be a problem?”

  “No, it often happens with flight attendants during pregnancy,” she said. “You’re not wrong that many women are told not to fly after six months. They were probably expecting me to say something any day now.”

  “I knew it.”

  “You’ll make the travel arrangements?” she asked.

  “I’m already buying you a flight,” he said, excitement brewing within him. “I’ll see you very soon.”

  Chapter 15

  Ahmad

  The boat he had chartered for their passage to Al-Yara wasn’t even the largest one in the royal fleet, but Ahmad could see that Joanna was impressed with it nonetheless. She stared in awe as she walked up the gangplank, clearly overwhelmed.

  “It’s really just us on this boat?” she asked him.

  “Us and the crew,” he said.

  “But no other passengers? We’ve got the whole thing to ourselves?”

  “Yes, but it’s only five stories,” he said. “Maybe it looks bigger than it is.”

  “Five stories! It’s a boat!” She shook her head. “Why does it need to be five stories?”

  “Well, it doesn’t need to be,” Ahmad said. “But of course, you know that bigger vessels tend to fare better in rough waters.”

  “Are we expecting rough waters?”

  “No, I’m just telling you why the boat was built to be this size. And then there’s everything we have on board, of course.”

  “What do we have on board?” she asked.

  “This deck we’re on now, the second deck, is crew quarters,” he explained. “Each of these doors leads to a crew bunk room. I don’t have access to them, but if you’re curious, I’m sure we could get a member of the crew to show us around later.”

  “Oh, no,” Joanna said. “I wouldn’t want to pry into their private spaces.”

  He nodded. “Very well.”

  “What’s on the other decks?” she asked him.

  “Well, the first deck has things like storage and medical supplies,” he said. “All the food for our journey is already down there, and everything else we might need, too. There won’t be any need for us to go down there unless you’re curious.”

  “So, we’ll just be on decks three, four, and five?”

  “That’s right. Deck three is where the captain’s bridge is—and I think you really should see that, because it’s something to behold. Deck three also has the dining room right in the middle. It’s big enough to serve two hundred, but of course, with just the two of us, we’ll be able to choose excellent seats for our supper every night.”

  “Two hundred!” She was fascinated. “What is this vessel ordinarily used for?”

  “It’s chartered for fancy parties, weddings, things of that nature,” Ahmad said. “I believe my brother Rafi threw a party on this boat when he completed his university education.”

  “You believe? You didn’t go to that party?”

  “I wasn’t invited,” Ahmad said. “Rafi and I aren’t close, and besides, he knew I wouldn’t approve of the way he was spending his money. No doubt he thought I would sour his evening with my complaints.”

  “That’s kind of sad,” Joanna said. “If a member of my family had a party, I’d hope to be invited.”

  Ahmad said nothing. She didn’t understand what it was like, what his brothers were like. She had no siblings of her own. He had come to realize, over the past several months, that it was a source of sadness for her, and so he tried not to talk too much about his own contentious relationship with his brothers. But sometimes it slipped out.

  Anxious to change the subject, he went on.

  “The third deck also has an outdoor bar at the back, and a swimming pool and hot tub at the front.”

  “A swimming pool?” Joanna’s eyes widened. “You’re kidding.”

  “Not a very large one,” Ahmad hastened to add.

  “There are only the two of us here,” she pointed out. “It doesn’t have to be big. Oh, I’m glad I bought a maternity swimsuit before I came!”

  Ahmad thought of the picture he had seen of her in those tight clothes that revealed her shape. A swimsuit would be even more revealing. He had to forcibly push the thought from his mind.

  “Your stateroom is on deck four,” he said.

  “Stateroom?” She cocked her head. “I was picturing a little cabin.”

  “Of course not,” he said. “You’ve got a suite of rooms, actually. A living area, a sleeping area, a bathroom, and even a little kitchen space, though I don’t imagine you’ll have muc
h need for it on this voyage, since we’ll be taking all our meals in the dining room. And if you ever do prefer to eat in your room, the cook will bring you something.”

  She nodded. “That sounds amazing.”

  “Your things have been taken up already,” he said. “Do you want to go and get changed for dinner? The chef on the boat is one of the best in all of Al-Yara.”

  She nodded. “I’ll go put something on,” she said. “Is it formal?”

  “It’s up to us,” he said. “Would you like to dress up?”

  “I think it would be fun for the first night of the trip,” she said. “We should celebrate the newest part of our adventure.”

  Ahmad nodded. “As you say. I’ll go get ready, too.”

  He retreated to his own stateroom. He had chosen for himself one of those that faced to the north, and had sent Joanna’s things to a room facing south, thinking she might enjoy the warm winds that tended to blow up against that side of the vessel. He changed into a tuxedo and examined himself carefully in the mirror, determined that his appearance should be flawless.

  They met for dinner and took a table by the window. The chef was serving whitefish with roe and asparagus, finished with a special sauce of his own invention and a chocolate soufflé for dessert. Ahmad and Joanna ate and made light chitchat, and following the meal, each retreated to their own stateroom for the rest of the night.

  Ahmad tried not to feel disappointed. He had hoped she would want to stay up with him, that she would want to visit the bar for a mocktail or look up at the stars. But he wanted to make sure he respected her space and gave her everything she needed throughout the voyage. The last thing he wanted was to get their time together off on the wrong foot by making her feel as if she was subject to his wishes in any way.

  The trip to Al-Yara was fifteen days long.

  For the first three days, Joanna kept mostly to herself. She took her breakfasts and lunches in her room, leaving Ahmad to dine alone. She did make a habit of joining him for dinner, but Ahmad suspected she was only doing so out of a desire not to seem rude.

  But what could he say? He wanted her to feel comfortable. He wanted her to do whatever was going to make her happy.

  On day four, he got up with no optimism that today would be the day they finally spent together. He dressed in his swimsuit and a tank top and went down to the pool. It wasn’t big enough to swim laps, but it was large enough to submerge himself beneath the warm sun. He paddled back and forth a few times, then climbed out and arranged himself on one of the deck chairs.

  Some time later, he heard a movement beside him.

  He looked up. Joanna was standing over him, dressed in a bright orange one-piece swimsuit. Momentarily captivated by her body, he said nothing, just regarded her as she settled down on the chair beside him.

  “Is it okay if I join you?” she asked hesitantly.

  “Of course,” he said. “Wait, and I’ll send for drinks.”

  “You don’t have to—”

  But he had already lifted his hand. A moment later, one of the crewmen had come over in response.

  “Did you need something, Your Highness?” the man asked.

  “We’d like a couple of smoothies,” Ahmad said. He turned to Joanna. “What flavor would you like?”

  “Um, what flavors do you have?”

  “Anything you want.”

  “Strawberry?”

  “A strawberry and a mango, please,” Ahmad said to the crewman, who nodded briskly and retreated.

  Joanna glanced at him. “What if I’d asked for something weird?”

  “Like what?”

  “I don’t know, watermelon.”

  “Watermelon isn’t weird. We have watermelons on board.”

  “Starfruit.”

  “I think we have it. Do you want a starfruit smoothie?” he asked.

  She grinned. “Maybe later.”

  “I haven’t seen much of you in the last few days,” he said. “Have you been enjoying the trip?”

  “Yes,” she said. “I hope you’re not offended that I’ve been keeping to my quarters.”

  “No, not at all. I’m very happy to see you now, though.”

  “I suppose I felt a little shy of you at first,” she admitted.

  “How can you?” he asked. “We’ve been talking to each other so much. Almost every day we send an email or speak on the phone. I’ve told you things about myself that almost no one else knows.”

  “I know,” she agreed. “I’ve done the same. But I think there’s something about being together again that’s making me realize exactly how much I’ve confided in you, how much you know about me. It’s not my usual way to open up to people as much as I have with you.”

  “I won’t ever betray your trust,” he promised her.

  “I know that,” she said. “That’s not my concern. It’s just a little awkward to find myself sharing a boat with someone who knows me as well as you do, and yet who—in reality—I’ve spent almost no time with. It feels like the person I speak to on the phone or through email is somebody else. Seeing you face-to-face… it’s like meeting you for the first time again.”

  He could sort of understand what she meant. There were a thousand little things about her that he had never noticed, that was for sure. The way she tapped her fingers against her knees when she was nervous. The way she screwed her mouth sideways and bit her lip. The way she combed her fingers through her hair when the wind blew, gathering it and holding it over one of her shoulders, then shaking it loose when the wind died down.

  It was like meeting a completely new person.

  That was why he had been nervous when she had kept her distance from him. Even though he knew, had known for a long time, that Joanna liked him, it felt like he had to win her approval all over again now that they were face-to-face.

  The smoothies arrived, breaking the tension. They lay side by side in the hot sun, reading their books and sipping their drinks. After a while, Joanna got up and went to the pool, stepping in carefully. Ahmad watched as she got on a floating lounger, leaned her head back, and closed her eyes.

  He wanted to go in with her.

  But in an environment like that, would he be able to keep his hands off her body? Already, her soft skin and her new curves were all he could think about. He wanted to know what she felt like, now that she was carrying their child.

  “I’m going to go take a shower,” he called.

  Joanna nodded and said nothing.

  Ahmad spent the rest of the day berating himself. He was going to have to learn how to spend time around Joanna without thinking about her body. She deserved better than that from him, and he was determined that he would give it to her.

  By the time they met for dinner, he felt clear-headed again.

  “I’ll tell you what,” he said before she could sit down. “What if we take our dinner up on deck five?”

  “You’ve never told me what’s up there,” she said.

  “You didn’t go exploring?”

  “I didn’t know if I should,” she said. “I thought I’d better stick to the places you had told me I was allowed to go.”

  “Well, come on,” he said, leading her out of the dining room. “You’ll like this, I think.”

  Deck five was all open-air. They walked to the railing and looked out at the setting sun as the wait staff carried a table up onto the deck and began to arrange it for them.

  “I’d like to bring the baby on a trip like this, someday,” Joanna said.

  He glanced at her. “Would you?”

  “Wouldn’t you?”

  “Very much,” he said. “The more of the world our child sees, the better, in my opinion. I’d love them to be well-traveled.”

  Joanna’s face lit up.

  “I feel the same way!” she said. “When I was a child, I never really left Missouri, and that isn’t what I want for my kid at all. Did you ever leave Al-Yara?”

  “Sometimes,” Ahmad said. “Sometimes I accom
panied older members of my family on diplomatic functions. But even when that happened, I only ever had the opportunity to visit with the royal families of various nations, mostly in the same part of the world as Al-Yara. I would have liked to travel farther. Japan. Australia. Canada. And I would have liked to see the culture of all those places. The real culture, not just the royal culture.”

  “I’m so relieved to hear you say that,” Joanna said. “I have to admit, I had worried you’d want our child to be sheltered, to be kept inside and away from people as much as possible.”

  “Of course not,” Ahmad said. “Didn’t I agree to public school?”

  “You did,” she said. “But to be honest, I thought you might just be ceding the point to make me happy.”

  “I wouldn’t have done that,” he said. “It’s important to me that our child is well educated. If I honestly thought that the royal tutors were considerably better, I would be advocating for them.”

  “But how can you be sure?” she asked. “You don’t have any more experience of American public schools than I have of your royal tutors.”

  “No,” he agreed. “But I can see an example of the kind of person who comes out of them, can’t I?”

  Joanna’s cheeks colored and she looked down at the deck, but Ahmad could see that she was smiling.

  “I’m glad we agree on so many of these things,” she said. “I’m glad we seem to have the same ideas about the way we want our child raised. It would be painful if we had to fight each other every step of the way.”

  Ahmad nodded.

  “I agree,” he said. “It’s much better that we’re already of one mind.”

  The table was ready. Joanna and Ahmad sat down and waited as the wait staff brought out steak fillets and tureens of buttery vegetables.

  The boat rocked gently beneath them. Ahmad gazed out into the distance, thinking about everything that had happened between himself and Joanna.

  In many ways, he knew he was very lucky.

  He would simply have to hope that she would find life in Al-Yara to her liking and would choose to stay.