Wherever you go, go with all your heart.

Confucius

Haven Pierce's POV

I gazed out at the plane window excited as we were about to land in the desert country of Saqr. I've never been to middle-east before that was why I couldn't contain my excitement to explore such a country I'd only heard about before.

As Santi's private jet landed on the tarmac I waited until it was safe to unbuckle my seatbelt and go out of the aircraft. I still don't know who won the bet and what would I want if I emerge as the winner. I am not into fancy things or designer labels for me, clothes are still clothes, the bag is still a bag, and shoes are still shoes whatever their label was.

As we exited on his plane, I was unprepared for the scorching weather. Summer in California was a pale comparison to the weather here. Thankfully, there was an air-conditioned car waiting for us on the tarmac and I sighed with relief when I slid inside the luxurious car.

"I didn't expect that this will be this hot in here," I commented once the car fled out of the airstrip. I was thankful that we didn't have to need to line in the customs just like the normal tourist. I guess I have to be grateful for this man's influence.

"Yes," Santi answered, summer here in Saqr could be so harsh during the day but when nighttime comes it can be so cold."

"Really? I didn't know that."

He looked at me with amused eyes. "You seem very excited about our trip. Are you eager to explore the city?"

"Yes." I looked at the car's tinted window. "I didn't know that there are so many skyscrapers in the capital. I thought I would see ancient-looking buildings just like in Sicily. I could also see soon-to-rise more modern buildings around."

"The improvement of this country didn't take place until two years ago when a new king was crowned after his father's death. He pushed their nation towards modernization and amended some laws to allow him—"

I glanced at him while tilting my head to the side. "You seem knowledgeable about this country when it was miles away from Sicily. Do you travel here often?"

His mouth curved with an enigmatic smile. He was, as if, enjoying a private joke he doesn't like to share with me. "From time to time when I have time. As I said, I have a friend who lives here."

"You mean the 'powerful man' who you are boasting about?" I reminded him dryly.

He chuckled softly, that deep resonating sound made me shiver. I rarely heard him be amused like that so it's no wonder that its effect on me was different. "Yes, that's the man I am talking about, mia amore."

Now it made me curious about what kind of man his friend was. "What's his work? Is he a wealthy businessman here?"

"Nope." He replied with a smile still playing on his handsome face. "He works for the government."

"Oh..." that explains the influence of this man in this country. I wonder how Santi became friends with that man. Is he a corrupt government official to be friends with a mafia boss from Sicily? Is he involved in this man's illegal business?

"I could almost see how your brain works. Are you thinking about how I was related to him and if he was involved with my business? Perhaps, he was my supplier in this country, isn't that right?"

I blushed slightly as I looked away from his knowing gaze. Am I that transparent? Now I feel slightly embarrassed because I was caught judging him and his friend. "Uh...not really. I am just wondering how the two became friends."

He still had this sexy smirk on his face as he recalled how they met. "We met about two years ago in Italy at the Orsini Vineyard. I was there on business while he was there to act as a bodyguard to the model for the Orsini Wines."

My eyes widened in disbelief. "Bodyguard? That powerful man did jobs like that for a model? Why is that?"

"What would be the reason other than he was madly in love with the woman? He follows her around like a lovesick fool. I heard he fell for her when she was just sixteen."

I couldn't help but feel a little bit of envy, hearing their story. "Did they end up together? Or your friend's effort just went for naught."

Santi smiled simply in my direction. "They are married now and have a one-year-old son. We're going to stay in their house for the duration of our trip."

"So he won her after all." I am happy that his efforts paid off. He won the affection of the woman he loved for years. "Wait..." my eyes brightened at his words. "Does that mean I won the bet, Signore?"

He laughed, giving me a smug look. "We shall see when we get there. Have you ever thought about what you like in case you win from our wager?"

"I am still thinking about it," I told him truthfully since I still didn't know what I wanted if ever won this bet. Would he agree to have a date with me just the two of us without bodyguards? But I guess that's highly impossible since he was the type of man who values his safety more than anything else.

"There's no need to think about it..." he trailed off his words before I could ask what he meant by that. My jaw slacked when I saw the car entering the massive gate of what seemed like a palace.

I looked at him with disbelief. "Don't tell me—"

With a smug grin on his face, he unclasped his seatbelt when the car parked in the huge driveway, and a uniformed guard opened the door for us. "Surprise? Welcome to the official residence of the ruler of Saqr."

"What the fuck..." that's all I managed to say while staring at the imposing, intimidating palace in front of me.

The entrance door burst open to reveal a man wearing traditional clothes with a regal aura around him. I could see how the guards outside bowed their heads to the newcomer. A smile broke on his handsome face. "Santi!"

"Your Majesty," he shook hands with the man and exchanged pleasantries with him. Is this the king? Isn't he too young to be the ruler of this country? I thought the king might be in his forties or something. I never guessed that he might be in his early thirties. "Sorry, for informing you with short notice, and thank you for accommodating me."

His Majesty waved his hand before clapping Santi's shoulder with a laugh. "What's with the formal pleasantries now? I am not used to it."

Santi cleared his throat and looked in my direction." Sweetheart, I would like to introduce His Majesty, Khalil Al-Farsi King of Saqr. Your Majesty, this is Haven Pierce my—"

He didn't manage to finish the introduction when King Khalil pulled him to the side and whispered something in his ear. Santi didn't answer but His Majesty was grinning widely at him. He looked at me and offered his smile. "Khalil Al-Farsi, a pleasure to meet you, Miss Pierce."

"Nice to meet you too, Your Majesty." I took the offered hand and curtsied awkwardly.

"Okay, that's a long handshake." Santi snatched away my hands rudely from the king. I looked worriedly at the sovereign lord of this country he didn't seem to take offense about his rude behavior but was somewhat amused by it.

"Please, let's continue this conversation inside it's rather hot in here. I asked my staff to prepare some refreshments for your arrival." King Khalil gestured inside the palace. Santi and I followed him into the intricately detailed interior of the palace. There were at least half a dozen men following him around. He must have noticed that I was looking at the men who were following him when he smiled at me and said. "It's rather annoying sometimes that they follow me wherever I go inside the palace as if they don't trust me that I will not do my job."

I lowered my gaze, unable to meet his eyes directly. It was one thing that he was the ruler of this nation, and it was another that he was a very handsome king with cobalt-blue eyes.

"I will have teatime with my visitors," he announced authoritatively on his staff. "I will meet you in my office after."

With that, I found ourselves walking on the grand staircase of the palace just the three of us. He led us to the endless corridors and probably to the wing of the palace where he entertained his visitors.

"You know that I cannot let you sleep in the same room in the palace. There are still rules here that I cannot bend for you, Marchesi. I hope you can understand. I also followed these rules when Emerald visited before we were married." I heard the king say to Santi who was walking side by side with him.

"I know and I am not expecting you to do any of that," Santi replied sanguinely. "My intention towards her is genuine and pure."

King Khalil stopped walking and stared at him for a long moment. From the king's stoic face, his face was now filled with amusement. He cleared his throat through coughing. "Oh, wow, I didn't expect to hear such a word from you after knowing what kind of—"

"Are you going to dish me in front of the woman I am trying to court, Your Majesty?" Santi raised an eyebrow at him.

"Oh, right, where's my manner." He tried to look regal once again and continued to lead the way until we reached a room at the far end of the hallway. He pushed the door open and I immediately saw a woman with a toddler in her lap sitting on the sofa with teapots, sweets, and fruits on the table.

"Hello," the woman greeted with a smile. I knew this woman she was a famous American model and a wealthy heiress. I heard that she retired from modeling because she got married to royalty I didn't expect that she married the young king of Saqr.

"Your Majesty," I mumbled as I curtsied again.

"I'd like you to meet my lovely wife, Emerald, and our son, Rahim," King Khalil went to his wife's side and smiled affectionately at her before taking the toddler in her arms. "Habibti, this is Miss Haven Pierce, Santi's special lady."

"So you finally found the one, eh?" Queen Emerald teased, her green eyes sparkling with delight in their depth. "I always knew that you would find the right woman for you sooner or later." She looked at me with a wide smile. "I like the color of your hair."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

"Oh, please," she waved her hand dismissively. "Just call me Emerald. I am still not used to being called like that."

"Uh..." I don't think I dare to call the queen of a nation by her first name since it was my first time meeting here. Heck, I am not even friends with her.

"Enough of this introduction," Santi inserted in smoothly, taking the toddler in his father's arms. "How are you, Rahim? It's been a while since I saw you. Are you walking straight now? The next time I visit I will teach you how to drive cars."

Little Rahim giggled happily, showing his four baby teeth.

"Hey, don't start corrupting my son!" King Khalil reprimanded Santi with a warning look.

"Why don't you just give Rahim to me and make a new baby? I assure you that I will take care of him very well. He will live like a king in Sicily." Santi suggested to the couple while making baby faces for the toddler who was giggling happily.

King Khalil stood from the sofa trying to steal his son from Santi's arms but wasn't letting him take away the child from him. "My son is not a toy that you can just take because you like him, you idiot. Why don't you make a baby on your own?"

Santi started running around still holding the baby in his arms while the king was chasing him around and shouting at him. It occurred to me that Santi was fond of children whether he would admit it or not. From what I could see, he would be a good father.

"Sit with me, Haven, and let's have tea." Queen Emerald invited tapping the space next to her. I reluctantly did so, who would have thought that I would be having tea with a queen? Never in my life, have I ever thought that I would be sitting next to royalty.

She started asking me questions about where I was born and grew up in California. Her sudden interest in me may have something to do with her being a fellow American. According to her, she was born and raised in New York City and her grandfather was the billionaire gem dealer Daniel St. Clair our conversation was interrupted when she threw an acid glare at the two men who still running around the room like children.

"If my son got hurt because of your childishness," she threatened darkly. "I will bash both of your heads to the nearest wall. I mean it."

Never had I ever thought that she was a fierce woman since the two men stopped running around and sat with us like reprimanded children. She turned to look at me with a cheerful smile. "Now let's go back to our topic."

I managed to shake my head slightly while looking at her with astonishment. She's one hell of a woman.