Emerald St. Clair POV

It's been two days since my accident in the bathroom, and the swelling of my right ankle was healing nicely, though I needed to use a walking stick whenever I had to work, so I didn't put so much pressure on my injured ankle.

I just finished taking a bath with the help of Naima since the poor woman insisted on helping me. After all, she said she didn't want me to have another accident because she was really afraid that their brute king would never let her off the hook if this happened again.

I sighed deeply, remembering the last two days when doctors were constant visitors in my room, checking my injury from time to time. They made me feel that my sprained ankle was far more serious. I have a feeling that it was all Al-Farsi's doing about the doctor's unwanted visit to my bedroom.

Just I was about to get my phone on the bedside table to call my twin when Naima rushed back to my room, trying to catch her breath.

"My lady..." she started, closing the door behind her. "...His Majesty wants you to join him for tea at the private garden in the south wing of the palace right now."

"What?"

Naima bit her lower lip. "The king is requesting you to join him for tea right now."

I blinked at the woman in front of me. Okay, I didn't expect that one coming. It's been two days since my misfortune in the bathroom, and since then, he never bothered to show up here in my room again after bullying those kind-hearted doctors who looked after me, which suited me just fine not seeing his annoying face. I am sure he was busy entertaining his future bride-to-be.

Now he was back irritating me again. So much for my forty-eight hours of stress-free life here in Saqr, and the ruffian king decided to end my peaceful life now.

I noticed that Naima was waiting for my reply patiently. I exhaled a loud sigh and looked at her. "Tell him that I am busy."

The way Naima looked at me was the kind of look as if she probably thought that I had lost my freaking mind. "But..." she started, looking at me unsurely, "...he's the king, my lady. No one can reject his invitation just like that."

It took every ounce of my self-control not to roll my eyes at her. "Of course, I can reject his invitation. I don't want to be seen with him outside, not when his bride-to-be is here. I don't want to create unwanted gossip around here. Tell him that I am not feeling well. That the doctors forbid me from walking that long."

Naima paled, "My lady! I cannot blatantly lie to His Majesty just like that. It could be grounds for treason."

I smiled at her reassuringly. "Don't be ridiculous. Just tell him that I am not well. I am sure Al--I mean, the king will understand my reason."

The woman looked at me for a moment and gave a slight bow in my direction before going out of my room again to deliver my refusal to Al-Farsi.

I unlocked my mobile phone and dialed Ruby's number. I frowned when my twin was not answering her damned mobile. Why is she so damn busy when I need her?

Naima was back in my room with her shortness of breath after trying to call Ruby's number for the fourth time. She was trying to normalize her breathing while placing a hand over her chest. "M-My...lady..." she said, looking at me with worried eyes. "I already informed His Majesty about your regret to join him for tea..."

"And?" I asked a little impatiently when she trailed off her sentence as I gave up calling my twin sister, locking my phone again.

She took a deep breath before answering. "He said, and I quote, 'If she doesn't come here as I requested, I will personally fetch her, or better yet, we'll just have this tea in her room if she prefers' end quote."

I couldn't help but snort at the autocratic command of that brute man! I shook my head in disbelief. "He doesn't know the meaning of the word request, in my opinion. Because this is not a request for tea, it's a freaking order from a tyrant king!"

"If you will just humor him, my lady."

I gave her a dry look. "And why would I do that?"

There was a smile playing on the woman's face. "I'm sure His Majesty misses you so much since he is so busy these last two days with the impending coronations and all."

I was not really in the mood to suffer another gruesome argument with Al-Farsi today because there was not an instance, as far as I can remember when a simple conversation with him didn't end up a heated squabble.

But there was a hopeful look on Naima's face that gave me pause. Probably she was hoping that I would say yes to this polite 'invitation' of His Majesty, so she didn't have to be in the middle of our battle.

"All right, fine," I found myself saying while giving a resigned sigh.

"Oh, thank you, my lady!" The relief on the woman's face was palpable. "Thank you very much."

I rolled my eyes carefully, standing from my bed with my walking stick. "Where is he? Let's go and meet him before he decides to come here himself."

I walked into the silent hallway with Naima on my side. Part of me still thinks that this was a bad idea since having tea with him would only create unwanted gossip between us again, and then there's his bride-to-be...

"This way, my lady." She led me on the unfamiliar staircase that led to the south wing of the palace. She also guided me to descend the staircase until we reached the first floor that led to the private garden where only the members royal family were allowed to come inside.

And there, I saw him sitting casually on the well-laid table with bountiful foods. Al-Farsi stood from his chair as he caught sight of me.

He smiled dazzlingly in my direction while pulling out a chair for me. "I thought you weren't coming after all."

"You gave me no choice remember?" I replied acidly, glaring at him while sitting on the offered chair.

I heard him laugh softly. "You can leave us now," he dismissed Naima once I was settled.

I watched the young maid bow her head before leaving me alone with this brute. I eyed him dryly once we were alone in the private garden. "What's this all about, Al-Farsi? I was starting to enjoy my days here without you bothering me."

"How harsh, habib albi," he said with a playful smile on his face. "I thought you also missed me the way I missed you in the last two days that we didn't see each other."

"Don't start with me," I glowered at him darkly. "Just five seconds in your company and my day is about to get ruined thanks to you."

"Habibti!" There was a disapproving look on his face that was directed at me. "How can you say such awful things to your boyfriend? If I didn't know better, you are just mad at me because you felt neglected these past few days. After all, I am busy."

My mouth gaped open at him. This man was unbelievable with his arrogance. "What the hell? I am perfectly fine without you pestering me with your gruesome presence in the last forty-eight hours. Now you are back."

"Yes. I am," he agreed devilishly. "I miss my girl."

I rolled my eyes while my traitorous heart suddenly flipped over my chest for some unknown reason. "I am not your girl," I reminded him hotly. "Why are you bothering me in the first place? Aren't you supposed to be entertaining your future bride instead of spoiling my day?"

He gave a dark look in my direction, his cobalt eyes filled with annoyance. "First of all, that woman is not my 'future bride' as you put it—"

"Yeah. Whatever."

"—Secondly, I thought we already agreed that we're now boyfriend and girlfriend?"

I threw a daggered glare at him. "Pretend boyfriend. With the emphasis on the word 'pretend,' Your Royal Ass-ness."

If I thought he would be insulted by the way I addressed him, I was mistaken when he threw back his head and laughed heartily. "Yes, my Emerald. I have such a nice ass. You want to check it out?"

Despite the fury that bubbled inside me right now, I still could feel my cheeks heat considerably as the thought of his rear crossed my mind. I immediately vanished the unwanted image as soon as I could. "I am not interested in seeing your naked body in this lifetime!"

"Look, you are blushing." He commented with a smug smile playing on his lips. "I think you are imagining my ass right now."

I glared furiously. "Do you want me to stab your eyes with my walking stick?"

"Why so temperamental, my love?" he asked with a disapproving look, and then there was an evil smile fitted his mouth. "Is it the time of the month now?"

I was probably as red as my hair at that moment, thanks to this annoying devil. My God, but he was impossible! He had no control over his mouth. "As if I would answer your ridiculous question, moron!"

I thought he was going to exasperate me more when his gaze suddenly dropped to my bandage feet. A gasp escaped me when he suddenly kneeled on the lawn to examine my injured ankle.

"What are you doing? Get up!" I hissed at him when he carefully let my feet examine it delicately. I consciously looked around at the open space. What if there are watchful eyes that are discreetly looking at us right at this moment?

It was already bad enough that I was staying here at his palace as his guest at the same time his future bride visited him.

"Get up!" I said once again, looking frantically at our surroundings. "Do you want people to gossip about us? Think what people will say when they see their king kneeling so casually in front of a foreign woman in broad daylight?"

He looked at me exasperatingly, still being stubborn, kneeling in front of me while my feet were perched on his leg. He took a deep breath. "Why do you care so much about what will they say about us? Don't I have the right to worry about you?"

I looked at him in disbelief. "You don't get my point."

"And you don't get my point either." He retorted back. I could see the way his eyes burned like molten sapphire. "When will you let me take good care of you? I have waited eight long years to settle our differences, and yet I still feel that—"

"That what?" I prodded when he trailed off his words.

He looked at me for a moment in silence before shaking his head. "Nothing. It doesn't matter." His gaze then traveled to the still visible henna tattoo in my hands. A self-satisfied smile fitted his lips. My breath was caught in my throat when he suddenly lifted my hand and pressed it to his lips. "Whenever I see this henna on your hand, my heart leaps in my chest, habibti."

I snatched my hand back lightning-fast because I didn't like how my heart beat so wildly in my chest because of this man. I don't like the way he's starting to affect me. I need to get back to New York as soon as possible to be away from his company.

"Don't touch me," I scowled at him, ignoring the hard pounding of my chest. "You are taking this fake boyfriend and girlfriend thing too far, much more than necessary. You are confusing fiction and reality, Al-Farsi."

The corner of his mouth curved with a smile. "Whatever you say, my lovely girlfriend."

I sighed deeply. I knew that he was just testing my patience by using those endearments on me. Thankfully, he came back to his senses and took back his seat that was across from me at the table. He made a gesture with his hand and a servant came out of nowhere.

I threw an accusing look in his direction silently while the maid was busy pouring our teacup some aromatic tea. He paid no notice of my dark look as he waited for the maid to finish and dismissed her with a wave of his hand.

Before I had the chance to chide him, he beat me by saying, "Don't worry. My servants are trustworthy, Emerald. They will not talk maliciously behind our backs."

"How do you know that?" I raised an eyebrow in his direction, challenging him. "You can't possibly know all of your attendants on a personal level."

"I do. Because they have been serving me since I was young," he answered, his eyes bored into mine and then he smiled thinly. "Do you think I will let someone work for me knowing my private life without them proving their loyalty to me?"

I frowned at his words.

He was probably seeing the confusion on my face when he added, "The palace is a lonely place, habibti. Not everyone surrounding you here is your ally. Most of them have their agenda while trying to win the favor of the king."

"I don't think I can follow..." I said after a moment, looking at his emotionless face.

He smiled indifferently in my direction. This was the side of Al-Farsi that I hadn't seen before. It was way unusual for his playful and, most of the time, annoying personality. "It means that not everyone here is faithful to me. I know that my enemies have spies all over the palace watching my every move waiting for the right moment to attack."

"Enemies?"

"Yes," his eyes gleamed with a self-mocking smile. "Not everyone is in favor of modernization I have been campaigning for our country to adopt it. Some of the politicians here are still adamant about continuing to practice the old ways."

My eyes widened. "Really? Then, why still keep me here? Do you think it's a good idea to have a female guest around here when your enemies are waiting to strike at you when you lower your guard for a moment? I don't want to be the reason why they have something against you."

He gave me a haughty look. "Don't worry about them, habibti. I can protect you from them. I am way smarter than they are; always remember that. In this game of politics we're playing, I plan to win."

I couldn't help but chuckle at the arrogance I heard in his voice. The Al-Farsi I knew was back. "Good luck with that."

I saw him cut a slice of cheesecake and push the delicious dessert in my direction. "Your favorite."

I smiled bitterly, looking at the slice of cheesecake in front of me. I pushed back the plate away from me. "Thanks, but I am not eating that."

He searched on my face for a moment. "Why?"

"I have not eaten this thing for years."

"Since when?"

"Since I became a model. I am always watching my calorie intake," I lied smoothly. But the truth was that I had stopped eating cheesecake since that fateful day when I threw a box of cheesecake in the trash bin along with the coffee eight years ago.

"A pity then." He said, getting a slice for himself.

I raised an eyebrow in his direction while watching him take a bite of his cake with open astonishment. "I thought you don't like anything sweet?"

His upper lips curved with a sexy smile. "Cheesecake is an exception from time to time. Here are some. I am sure one bite will not hurt, ya amar."

"No, thank you." I politely decline while sipping my tea.

"Please?" his eyes danced with delight. There was a private smile playing on his face that I didn't trust.

I gave him a distrustful look. "You're going to use the same fork?"

"Why not?" Al-Farsi has this mischievous smirk on his face. "It's not as if we haven't kissed several times before, my love. And we'll kiss even more when we finally arrive in New York to meet your grandfather to play this happy and very much-in-love couple."

Heat rose in my cheeks upon mentioning that. I looked at him when he was still trying to push the forkful of cheesecake into my mouth. "You're very excited about playing this farce, aren't you?"

"Of course," he answered solemnly while the wickedness showed in the depth of his cobalt eyes. "I intend to play my part to perfection starting today, habibti. Now say ahhh..."

I reluctantly took the offered cheesecake from his fork. I smiled at the irony. He was the reason why I stopped eating my favorite dessert, and who would have thought that he would also be the reason why I would eat cheesecake after all these years?

Someone caught my attention on the balcony on the second floor. My eyes met the gaze of a beautiful woman with a group of women behind her, looking at us with sadness and jealousy on her face.

I glanced at Al-Farsi, who was gazing at me with intensity in his eyes. "Your bride-to-be is looking at us from the balcony," I muttered to him with a tight smile.

He smiled dazzlingly in my direction. His eyes burned with unknown emotion in their depth. "Yeah. I am looking at my bride-to-be. And she's so darn pretty that it makes my heart quiver."

I swear my heart just stopped beating. Damn him and his effect on me.