The Sultan's Daughter (Princesses Uncovered #5)

Chapter 11: Gafar

Gafar collapsed into the silk covers of his bed, laughing. The look on Yasmina’s face had been delectable. The shock and repulsion she felt had been so obvious.

And yet, a small spark of their previous attraction had remained there, lurking under the surface of her resentment, waiting for him to tease it back to life. Well, she wouldn’t look at him as though he were vile for much long. He would win her heart. He was certain that he would.

All he had to do was talk to her father now, and she would be his, along with the rule of the kingdom. But he didn’t really want the kingdom. That was never his aim. Yasmina was his goal. He’d wanted her ever since she’d turned fifteen.

He could still remember the day when he’d attended her party, watching from the sidelines as she danced and laughed. That laugh. It was so contagious, so inspiring. It always had his head in the clouds with euphoria. Ever since that day, he’d realized he wanted her.

At first, he had fought it. He hadn’t wanted the emotions he felt to get in the way of doing his job. But when he realized they weren’t going away, he gave up fighting, instead letting them solidify, intensify. He almost lived for that smile of hers, that laugh, which would send him into heaven once more. But she never smiled at him anymore.

When they were younger, she had. It had always been a game for him. Doing things to make her smile, basking in the wide, happy grin she would lavish on him when he brought her the little bouquets of flowers or boxes of chocolates to surprise her. Their childish games had always brought her laughter out, and he smiled remembering it.

But the smile faded when he remembered that she no longer laughed like that with him, no longer smiled at him. It had all changed in a single day. The day of her seventeenth birthday.

He tried to banish the memory, but it insisted on making its way to the surface.

He stood in the wide, empty ballroom, waiting for Yaz to show up. It was a favorite hiding spot of hers, and he knew that she’d be here tonight. After social events, she usually came here to spend time breathing and recovering.

He smiled. She always was such an introvert. Never one for big parties. Of course, she went. She was the Princess. It was expected. But after seeing what had happened at tonight’s party, Gafar knew she’d need cheering up. That was why he was here. He wanted to help out with that.

She came tripping into the room, her gauzy black overskirt swirling around her silk, silver pants as she ran in.

One look at her face told him that she had been wounded deeply.

Fury rose within him as he recalled the harsh, biting words the young woman from the party had spoken to Yaz.

The young woman had no right to accuse Yaz of being power-hungry and presumptuous just because her fiancée had flirted with Yaz. It hadn’t been Yaz’s fault. She had quite clearly pushed the young man away, giving him a cold shoulder and telling him not to flirt with other women when he was engaged.

Yaz looked up, seeing him then. Her lower lip trembled and tears leaked from the corners of her eyes. She shook, and she looked as though she might collapse to the floor any moment.

Gafar opened his arms, and she rushed into them, hugging him as the tears came in profusion. “I can’t believe she said those… those awful… things.” Yaz gulped against his chest. “How could she think that I’d do something like that?” She gasped.

Gafar felt another surge of emotion, wanting to kiss the tears away then and there. He shook his head, trembling imperceptibly when she spoke. “I don’t know, Yaz. She had no right!” He hissed.