LITMIR.BIZ

      One

      King Rafiq ibn Fayiz Mehdi possessed keen intelligence, vast power and infinite riches. Yet none had aided him in preventing a devastating tragedy—a tragedy for which he had been partially responsible.

      As the sun began to set, he stood on the palace’s rooftop veranda and peered at the panorama stretched out before him. The diverse terrain he once revered now seemed ominous, inviting disturbing recollections that cut into his composure like a well-honed blade.

      A dark, winding road at midnight. Silence and dread. Flashing lights illuminating the bottom of a cliff. The twisted metal wreckage...

      “If you believe you’ll move mountains by staring at them, I assure you it will not work.”

      At the sound of the familiar voice, Rafiq glanced back to see his brother standing only a few steps behind him. “Why are you here?”

      Zain claimed the space beside Rafiq and leaned back against the stone wall. “Is that how you greet the man who so generously handed you the keys to the kingdom over a year ago?”

      The same man who had abdicated the throne for the sake of love, an emotion Rafiq had never quite embraced. “My apologies, brother. I was not expecting you for another month.”

      “Since I completed my initial preparation for the water conservation project, I felt the timing was right for my return.”

      Under normal circumstances, he would appreciate Zain’s company. Lately he preferred solitude. “Did you travel alone?”

      “Of course not,” Zain said in an irritable tone. “I do not travel without my family unless absolutely necessary.”

      Rafiq had never believed he would hear his womanizing brother utter those words. “Then Madison is with you?”

      “Yes, and my children. I’ve been anxious for you to finally meet your niece and nephew.”

      Rafiq did not share in Zain’s enthusiasm. Being in the presence of two infants would only serve to remind him of what he had lost. “Where are they now?”

      “Madison and Elena are tending to them.”

      At least he could temporarily avoid the painful introduction. “I am glad you have finally returned Elena to her rightful place. The household does not run well without her.”

      “So I have heard,” Zain said. “I have also heard you are in danger of causing an uprising among the palace staff if you continue to terrorize them.”

      Rafiq admittedly had trouble maintaining calm in recent days, but he did not care for the exaggerated accusation. “I have not terrorized the staff. I have only corrected them when necessary.”

      “It’s my understanding you have found it necessary to correct them on a daily basis, brother. I’ve also learned you have not been cooperative with the council.”

      Rafiq began to question the real reason behind Zain’s surprise appearance. “Have you been speaking with our younger brother?”

      Zain’s gaze faltered. “I have been in touch with Adan on occasion.”

      His anger began to build. “And you have clearly been discussing me.”

      “He only mentioned you’ve been having a difficult time since Rima’s death.”

      Rafiq’s suspicions had been confirmed—Zain had arrived early to play nursemaid. “Despite what you and Adan might believe, I do not need a keeper.”

      Zain leaned forward, his expression suddenly somber. “We both understand how devastating it must be to lose your wife and your unborn child—”

      “How could you understand?” No one would ever understand the constant guilt and regret unless they had experienced it. “You have a wife and two healthy children.”

      “As I was saying,” Zain continued, “it’s understandable that you are still harboring a good measure of anger,

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