An Inconvenient Marriage (Married to a Prince) by Kat Attalla

breath.  “Don’t mock me. I don’t know what they expect from me.”
    “Just be yourself, Lilah. Like you, the desert tribes respect honesty above anything else.”
    As he pushed her through the tent flaps a blast of heat reminded her they were in the middle of the desert. When she saw a camel with the colorful saddle right outside her door, the temperature took a back seat to the exotic beauty of the oasis. Yes, this would be a trip to remember in more ways than one.
     
    Chapter Eight
     
    Delilah plopped down in the middle of the sofa and tucked her feet under her legs. This work from home arrangement suited her. Too bad it was a temporary situation until her boss found a replacement. The seven thousand mile commute for the monthly meeting wasn’t feasible.
    Her new tablet, which she fought tooth and nail against buying, turned out to be a great little gadget. The lightweight devise proved more portable than her four year old laptop. She could work from the bed, the garden and even a coffee shop. When she had questions, she face-timed with her colleagues.  The down side? The games. Whoever invented Candy Crush should be arrested. After seven days she was an addict.
    A week had passed since she returned from the desert and it had been one of the most exciting, confusing, sexy and happiest times she could remember. To say her mother pitched a fit over her decision to stay would be understatement. She tried to explain that Nadiar had transformed into a modern city in the past twenty years but Marissa refused to listen.  Delilah shook her head. Some mindsets couldn’t be changed. Time to get back to work.
    After another few minutes of Candy Crush.
    She wasn’t sure how long she played before she heard Sami come in. With a quick touch of the screen she closed the game and switched screens.
    A shake of his head said he knew she’d been feeding her candy habit but he was not amused.   He joined her on the couch but settled into the far corner.
    “Something’s wrong.”
    “Is it?” he asked.
    “You tell me?” They hadn’t fought so why the attitude? Was he tired of married life already?  He certainly never got tired when they were in bed.
    “Have you spoken with your mother recently?”
    Her stomach cramped. “If you call ten minutes of yelling a conversation, then yes, I spoke to her. Why?”
    “What did you speak about?”
    “Did something happen, Sami?”
    “I don’t know. Your ambassador came to the palace today.”
    “My ambassador?”
    “The American ambassador. Had a meeting with my parents. As counsel I usually sit in on those meetings but I was left out. Any idea what that might be about?”
    “Not a clue. How would I?”
    “I guess you will find out tomorrow. You are requested to meet with the Consul General tomorrow, but my parents were led to believe it would be an act of aggression if I were to stop you from going.”
    “That’s ridiculous.”
    “Have I stopped you from doing anything you wanted or made you do anything you didn’t want?”
    “No. Nor did I ever say you had. To anyone. I will call the embassy.”
    “No. You need to show up in person.”
    Sami was not one who showed feelings since he denied possessing any. But something about this bothered him. Although he sat next to her, he felt miles away. She touched his hand, He didn’t pull back but she could have grabbed a block of ice.  Hard, cold and emotionless.  He hit the remote for the TV and put on the news. What was going on in his mind? She wasn’t a psychic and he wasn’t a talker. She was in for a long and silent night.
     
    * * * *
     
    The following morning the driver dropped Delilah in front of the American Consulate. U.S. passport holders entered through the front gate while non-citizens were led to a security check point at the side of the well-guarded building. Portraits of the president and the ambassador framed the flag at the entrance. She proceeded through an archway where both American and Nadiarian