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s to be utterly beautiful, Zelda knew

“I’ll get a chance to see it on the day, at least,” Tahirah said with an unconcerned shrug

Of course, with such a short tiner and her staff were alown the day of Zelda glanced down at her hand; the plan was for Zayed to cereer at the party that evening, as part of the festivities, but she had tried it on before co else in her new life, it seeold and platinum, wrapped around diamonds and rubies

“Should I be able to breathe in this?” Zelda glanced at Tahirah as one of her teahtened fabric at her waist

The designerand the pressure on Zelda’s ribs slacked slightly “You’re going to look stunning,” Tahirah said, stepping back to admire her “Look at yourself”

Zelda turned slightly and looked in the full-length mirror Even with her hair sieous; more beautiful than she had ever looked in her life

“Your uy like Zayed,” Tahirah said

The words hit Zelda like a lead weight Al her s and e flooded her mind “Just reo to your honeymoon” “All I care about for you is that you are happy with the man you marry—and that he’s not a deadbeat” “I’d rather you be the wife of atwo jobs who loved you deeply thanyou want except his love”

Zelda’s stohts turned to the wedding that was only a week away She knew, like waking up froe with Zayed rong It wasn’t what she wanted Even if it was a shae—etShe didn’t want to have a shareed to it, and even if it was in her best interest

Zelda got through the rest of the fitting on auto to coner’s assistant, and gossiping about the preparations, about her ring, and about the party that evening Afterwards, she nuot into the limousine that Zayed had put aside for her use, and all the way back to the palace, she thought about the party to coht about the ring that Zayed had had iven her, and the priceless dress The thoughts swirled around in her head, and she had barely realized that she’d arrived at the hed

Zelda clis from the last-minute purchases she’d own for the engage a hasty “thank you” to her driver, she stepped into the house, walking towards her quarters She stowed her purchases next to the couture gown and sat down in the bathrooh time to take a bath and scrub herself head to toe before the stylists arrived to do her hair and makeup for the party

She licked her lips and tapped her foot idly on the floor “The real question,” she said to herself, listening to her voice echoing off of the walls, “is whether I can bring eo to it, and then…

“And then what? It’s not going to get any better if I ditch hied,” Zelda said, thinking out loud “No No, it would be better…”

She shook her head again There wasn’t a good option in front of her If she ran away now, Zayed would have to explain why the bride-to-be was absent froet away afterwards, he would have to explain why the engagement had fallen apart so quickly No matter when she left, it would humiliate him But she knew that she couldn’t stay; her cold feet and the memory of her mother’s waric

Zelda stood and beganher backpack buried deep in the huge closet and scanning the roo she’d had in it when she arrived She told herself that it was at least slightly less terrible for her to only take as hers; that there was so Zayed had bought her in the time she’d been in his home