Page 34 of The Sheikh's Willing Captive

"The particular custom to which I am referring dates back five centuries. It is not often invoked. Except under special circumstances. And I think what we have here with Miss Gower is a very unique circumstance."

"She's a special woman," Razim felt compelled to say. And he meant it.

Ahmed nodded in agreement. "She possesses a rare beauty," he said. "And qualities of character not often found in a woman. At least according to what I have heard of her."

Razim nodded. That pretty much described the woman who had just ended their marriage. The woman who was about to leave him forever.

"The reason I am bringing this to your attention is that it is clear to me that there still exists a considerable affection between yourself and Miss Gower."

"What are you talking about, Ahmed?" Razim ejaculated. "We just used an ancient ceremony to finalize a divorce ."

Ahmed pointed to his own eyes. "These eyes have seen many things during my long life," he said. "Never have I seen a more perfect example of true affection hidden behind a mask of pretend indifference."

Razim was stunned that the normally taciturn man would admit such a thing. Ahmed was the epitome of a governmental administrator in the kingdom.

Efficient. Knowledgeable. Cool-headed.

There were many like him who enjoyed the patronage of the ruling families. Usually, someone like Ahmed would never express a personal view like this.

"Do you speak of Miss Gower?" Razim asked.

Ahmed shook his head. "I refer to both her and your esteemed highness," he said.

"Are you telling me that you believe I did not want this divorce?" Razim asked incredulously.

"Not only that, but neither does Miss Gower want the divorce."

"How can you tell that?" Razim asked.

Ahmed tilted his head and then shrugged sagely. "You can call it an instinct."

"But there is no solution to this situation," Razim stated. He peered into Ahmed's eyes. There was a glint of something mischievous there, Razim told himself. Ahmed knew something, and he was about to tell all. "Is there?" Razim added.

Ahmed smiled. "One of the benefits of doing this for so many years is that I get to understand the finer details of tradition. Most people pay no heed to such things," Ahmed said. "That is an unfortunate sign of the times."

"Yes. Yes," Razim said impatiently. "To what do you refer?"

Ahmed paused. Razim told himself that the old man had a natural flair for the dramatic.

When Ahmed spoke it was with a low voice. "There is a tradition that allows a marriage annulment to be overturned."

Razim froze. He stared in disbelief at Ahmed. "Overturned? You mean that she would still be married to me?"

"Not only that," Ahmed said. "But once overturned, the marriage can never be annulled. Ever again."

Razim was sure that the color had drained from his face. "You mean she could never be divorced from me?"

Ahmed nodded. "The marriage would become an unbreakable contract. An obligation that could never be refused."

Razim gasped and ran a hand through his hair. He turned away from Ahmed and tried to comprehend what this could mean. Paige would be his wife forever. Hope rose in his heart.

He turned back to Ahmed. "How is this done?"

Ahmed's mouth turned down, as if there was an element of distaste in what he was about to say. "Before I answer that, it might be useful to tell you why such an arrangement was created."

Ahmed lifted his eyes to the ceiling and recited something from memory, probably some ancient document describing the history of marriage in Qazhar. "In order to confirm a wife's loyalty to her husband, it was found necessary to create a situation where her fidelity to him could be confirmed."

Razim frowned. "What does that even mean?" he said feeling increasingly irritable.

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