Undo Me Page 12

  After I was sure it was all covered, I zipped the gown and closed the doors. I said a quick prayer for Luke to come out on top of the situation with the council before heading out to the car.

  * * *

  On the way to the private tarmac that Luke and I had been to numerous times together, I couldn’t get my fiancé out of my head. Was I an unsupportive fiancée for not being by her man? Was Luke testing me somehow, or did he really not want me near the council meeting? I supposed since I was the topic of conversation, Luke thought he was saving me from whatever they had to say. I doubted it could be any worse than the things that his Mother said to my face, but I knew he was trying to protect me. I didn’t want to go to my wedding the day after getting berated by a bunch of old men, so going to get Matt was the next best option.

  Besides, I missed the hell out of him. He’d been supportive and there for me since the beginning when it came to Luke, but I didn’t feel that I was a good friend to him. Now was my opportunity. Flying him over on a private jet and giving him whatever he needed to enjoy this trip was my present to him for being the best best friend a girl could ask for.

  When we arrived at the tarmac, the plane had already landed. Two workers were setting up the stairs next to the plane, and right when I got out of the car, the door opened.

  Matt’s mop of brown hair was the first thing I saw as he shaded his eyes from the intense sun beaming down over us. He threw on his sunglasses as if they were the lifeboat to save his vision.

  I walked over to the plane and met him at the bottom of the stairs. “A little sunnier than you’re used to?”

  “Soph is that you?” he asked, reaching out and pinching my cheeks.

  I laughed and swatted him away. The other workers continued whatever they were doing, but I felt their eyes on us. I wondered how many future queens had other men teasing them the way that Matt did.

  “Have you been on that plane before?” he asked.

  “Yes, of course, I have.”

  “I never want to travel any differently,” he said. “I slept. In a bed. On a plane. And had gourmet meals that didn’t come on a microwavable dish.”

  “I am with a king, you know,” I said.

  “And about to be married to one!” Matt said excitedly. “I can’t believe all of this. It’s like a dream.”

  “It is,” I said. “Come on. Let’s get you in the car before you burst into flames.”

  “Maybe I could get a tan while I’m here,” he said, glancing around.

  “You’ll have plenty of time for that,” I said, getting into the car.

  Even though there were more important things to worry about, a question lingered in my mind. I had wanted to ask Matt over the phone, but it was too personal and deserved to be asked in person.

  Once we started driving away toward the main road, I couldn’t hold it in any longer.

  “I have something to ask you,” I said.

  “What’s that?” he asked, staring out the window. Matt traveled a lot for work but mostly in the States. I was more surprised than anyone that I had more stamps in my passport than he did.

  “Look at me,” I said. When he did, the question burst from my lips. “Will you be my man of honor?”

  “Yeah,” he said with a shrug.

  Slapping my hand on my leg, I asked, “That’s it? Just ‘yeah’? This is a big moment for me.”

  “Who else would you have?” he asked, glancing around the car.

  “True, but you could have at least acted surprised,” I said.

  “You know I hate lying,” he said with a grin.

  I bumped his arm with mine. “You love to lie.”

  Matt and I chatted about his travels on the way to the palace. I pointed out some landmarks for him, at least the ones I knew. Luke would have been a better tour guide. Thinking of Luke, my fingers crossed over each other as I hoped that he was all right during the meeting with the council. I wondered what he would tell me when we arrived back at the palace.

  Butterflies fluttered in my stomach, and I leaned forward, closer to the driver. “Excuse me, can we get back to the palace as soon as possible?”

  He glanced at me in the rearview mirror and nodded his head before accelerating the car.

  I had to be there for Luke. As much as I loved Matt, I wanted to be there for one of the most significant decisions in his life. Even if I was late, I was going to try to get to him as soon as I could.

  19

  Luke

  I arrived in the meeting room earlier than the rest of the council members. It was a first for me and gave me a few minutes to organize my thoughts before they walked in through the back door and took their seats in front of me.

  Jaabir had a smirk on his face. My hand twitched, itching to smack it from his mouth. He was the reason for all of this. If he hadn’t pushed his agenda onto the other council members, maybe they would have accepted Sophia right away. Now, I had to stand up in front of them and defend myself for no reason.

  Qadeem, as head of the council, was first to speak. “Why have you called us to this special meeting?”

  It was a formality, but stating the purpose of a meeting outside the regularly scheduled ones gave the meeting purpose and drive. And it was useful for the meeting minutes.

  “I have called this meeting to discuss the wrongful ultimatum that you pronounced, forcing me to make a decision regarding my relationship with Sophia Holmes.”

  “Wrongful,” Jaabir spat in a low voice.

  My jaw clenched, but I didn’t give him the satisfaction of knowing that I’d heard him.

  “Yes,” Qadeem said. “And we are under the assumption that you have a decision for us.”

  “I do,” I said.

  “Before you offer your decision, I want to be sure that you understand that whatever you say here is your final choice and that you understand the outcome of either decision,” Qadeem added.

  “I understand.”

  Qadeem sat back in his chair while Jaabir leaned forward, desperate to hear that I would either give up the kingdom or give up the woman that I love. In his eyes, either way, he won. Little did he know that I was going to win no matter what.

  “Then proceed,” Qadeem said, opening his hand to give me the floor.

  I stepped in front of them, making eye contact with each of them before moving onto the next. I was their king and like hell would I allow their old-school thoughts on how a king should live to dictate how I lived mine. I thought of Sophia, and the fleeting thought of her not being in my life made my chest tighten. I thought of telling Abir that I was stepping down after a month and now he had to have all the responsibilities while I went back to England to live happily ever after with Sophia. The image of his grief-stricken face made my stomach churn.

  In the council’s eyes, they didn’t care that I was happy. They cared that I agreed with them, even when I didn’t. I channeled Father’s tough attitude when it came to fighting for what was right.

  “I’ve decided to marry Sophia,” I said.

  Jaabir crossed his arms, not hiding the wide grin on his face. The other members, including Qadeem, shook their heads, unable to meet my eyes. They didn’t need to look at me for me to see the disgust written all over their faces.

  “You’ve left us no choice,” Qadeem said. “I am sorry to say that according to this council, the seat of the king has been revoked and—”

  The doors to the room opened, and I whipped around to see Mother standing in the doorway. She was formally dressed in a white gown and hijab.

  The council members were speechless. All except for Jaabir.

  “This meeting is closed,” Jaabir said. “You know the rules.”

  “The rules are about to be changed,” Mother said, unshaken by his words.

  “Stop her!” Jaabir said to Qadeem.

  “You will do no such thing,” I said to all of them. “At this moment, she is still your queen and outranks all of you. Now, you will sit and listen to what she has to sa
y, or I will have the guard escort you from this room.”

  Mother came to my side and lifted her chin. “Thank you, Luke.”

  Jaabir shot daggers at Qadeem, who looked a little more shaken in a room that normally, he commanded. He didn’t speak, but a small nod of his head signaled for Mother to continue.

  I was open to whatever she had to say, knowing it was in my favor. She hadn’t told me that she’d planned on barging into the room, and I wondered if she’d planned this ahead of time or happened to be passing by when she heard that the meeting was happening. Considering they were about to tell me that I was no longer king, she had the perfect timing.

  “Luke is and will be your king until he takes his last breath in this palace,” Mother said, addressing the council.

  “We gave him a choice—”

  “You will not speak until spoken to,” Qadeem interrupted Jaabir.

  Jaabir sat in his chair like a kid who had just been scolded by his mother.

  Now he knew what it felt like each time he addressed me in the same manner.

  “Luke may not be of the royal bloodline, but he is Erol’s and my son and will always be. Under our laws, you do not have the right to remove him as king for his decision to marry a woman outside of our culture.”

  “It has never been done before,” Qadeem said.

  “So, what?” Mother asked him. “This is why the laws were written as such. They are open to interpretation by the council and king. You are the checks and balances to the system. Just because one of you has a problem,” she shot daggers at Jaabir, “someone who’s had a problem for a very long time doesn’t mean there aren’t discussions to be had. Since when are ultimatums about wives any concern of the council? If you want me to bring you the definition of the council within our laws, I can do that. The interpretation is quite black and white on that subject.”

  The council members shifted in their seats. I couldn’t be prouder of my mother for standing up for me. It was something I always wanted but never knew that I needed. I didn’t care that she commanded the meeting space where I was supposed to reign. We were a family, and treating the kingdom like that would be my legacy.

  “When Erol and I chose to adopt a son, it was not something we took lightly. We knew we would change a child’s life and possibly be able to choose the successor to the throne.” She looked over at me and smiled, the way she used to when I was a child. When things seemed much simpler. When had I lost touch with that?

  “We picked a boy that we felt, in our hearts, needed us as much as we needed him. You all worked with my husband and the previous king. You saw how big of a heart he had for this country. You trusted his choices. Why are you turning your backs on him now? He wanted Luke to become king in his stead. What would you say to him right now, face to face, if you had the opportunity? Would you tell him that he’d made the wrong choice with Luke?”

  Mother paused, and none of the council spoke a word. The only movement was their blinking eyes of surprise.

  “You’ve already seen what Luke can do with a company, one that has put a lot of money in your pockets. Why not allow him to rule as a happy king with the woman that he loves? A woman that I love and respect as well.”

  Shooting her a look, she was as serious as I’d ever seen her. She did love Sophia, even in the short time she had gotten to know my fiancée. It was the same with me. Sophia managed to burrow herself into Mother’s heart as much as she did mine.

  Mother bowed her head at the council, daring them to say something.

  I looked at them too, hoping that they had something negative to say to my mother. We were a united front, and I would defend her as much as she defended me.

  The council members glanced at each other while Jaabir kept his narrowed gaze on Mother and me.

  I never thought it was possible that none of them would have anything to say. At the very least, I expected more of a fight from Jaabir. But even though he didn’t agree with many things, he did agree with Father. And Father’s wish had been granted. Were they about to dethrone me because someone stirred the pot? I was going to outlive all of them. The least they could do was work with me instead of against me.

  “Nothing?” Mother said, resting her gaze on each of them. “That’s what I thought. Now, there will be a wedding at the palace tomorrow. You are all invited if you choose, since you are important friends of the royal family.”

  The council members looked at each other, and I couldn’t help but smile. I’d come into the room expecting to tell them that I was marrying Sophia. I’d intended to come into work on Monday with a ring on my finger, but Mother’s admission gave a far greater reaction. One that I was happy I didn’t miss.

  “Congratulations,” Qadeem said. There was no hint of anger in his voice, but I did hear a twinge of regret. Maybe he should remember this confrontation next time he wanted to listen to Jaabir and attempt to mess with my personal life.

  “Come, Mother,” I said offering my arm to her. I wanted to pick her up and kiss both of her cheeks, but I would save the celebration for when we left the room. There was no need to rub it in their faces.

  I pushed open the door, and someone yelped. I glanced back to see the council members shuffling out the other door.

  “What was that?” I asked, just as I saw Sophia jump out from behind the door I opened.

  “Sophia?”

  She gave us a sheepish smile. “Sorry, I was eavesdropping. You opened that door faster than I could move.”

  “What about Matt?” I asked. “Where is he?”

  “He’s here somewhere,” she said. “I told the driver to get me back here as soon as possible. I heard only part of the conversation.” She turned to Mother. “Gia, you don’t know what it means to hear you say those things about us.”

  Mother reached out and hugged Sophia. I wasn’t sure who was more shocked, Sophia or me. When Mother pulled away, she cupped Sophia’s cheeks in her hands. “You’re going to be the new queen. And I couldn’t be happier to pass that along to you.”

  Sophia blinked away tears in her eyes. “Thank you.”

  Mother squeezed my hand before shuffling down the hallway, getting back to whatever she’d been doing before coming into the meeting and rescuing me. With Father’s passing still in their minds, the council members couldn’t turn down the opportunity to honor their previous king. I wished I would have thought of it, but Mother’s speech was way more inspiring than mine ever could have been.

  “My queen,” I said, slipping my hands around Sophia’s waist. We were completely alone for once, and there were no secrets between us. It was a strange, yet comforting feeling. From the beginning, there were lies and secrets either to each other or my parents. With everything out in the open, the path cleared for us to be together.

  Sophia lifted on her toes to kiss me. I met her halfway and our lips pressed together. I put all the love I had for her into that kiss, and I hoped that she understood just how I felt for her.

  “Thanks for risking your seat for me,” she said, leaning her head back. Her eyes darted between mine.

  “I’d risk it all for you, Sophia,” I said. “I love you.”

  She pecked me on the mouth, grinning. “I love you too, Luke.”

  20

  Sophia

  Since Gia put together the wedding in such a short amount of time, there was nothing Luke or I could say when it came to the night before the wedding. She’d let go of most of her traditional views but chose to hold on to the one that didn’t allow us to sleep together that night.

  While I wanted to show Luke how appreciative I was about what he’d done for me, we respected her wishes.

  After a wonderful rehearsal dinner with the people we loved, I took Matt around the palace while Luke and Maddox went off together. Maddox had mentioned something about the bachelor party, and Gia’s face had paled to the color of the tablecloth. I knew Luke didn’t plan on going out to a strip club—I didn’t think they had those here—but he went off w
ith Maddox anyway, probably to defeat his best friend’s urge to flirt.

  Matt eventually dropped me off in the same bedroom that I’d slept in when I first came to the palace. We said goodnight, and I thought I saw excitement flash in his eyes when he asked where Luke and Maddox might have gone.

  Settling into my new-old room, it was strange not sharing a bed with Luke. I was used to his solid body right next to mine for the entire night. Instead, I was able to stretch my arms and legs and not even reach the edge of the bed.

  Curling up in the same position that I slept in every night, I arranged the pillows to act like a Luke-substitute. Too bad they were too soft to matter much.

  Instead, I filled my mind with everything that was to happen the next day as I slowly fell into a dreamless sleep.

  * * *

  I supposed it was a good thing that I got a restful sleep because the flurry of activities started at the crack of dawn the next morning.

  Gia burst into my room with several servants behind her. “It’s your wedding day!”

  She was already dressed and perky. The exact opposite of me. If she hadn’t said anything, I wouldn’t have known what day it was without waking up and realizing it on my own.

  I rolled over and shoved my hair out of my face. “Huh?” I asked, still in the uncomfortable stage between wake and sleep.

  “Get in the shower,” Gia said, pulling off the sheets around me. I quickly adjusted my shirt so that none of the servants would see too much of me. Though, I doubted they would care. And I knew they were going to get a look at my naked body when I put on the dress.

  “There’s a cap in there,” Gia continued. “Keep your hair dry so that it’s workable.”

  I allowed Gia to escort me to the bathroom. She closed the door, trapping me inside while she gave the servants orders on the other side.