Read Online The Royal Elite: Ahsan (Elite, Book 2) by Danielle Bourdon - Free Book Online Page A

with your culture or your way of life.” She stroked the steed's muzzle, appearing content with the contact.
    “Without getting too explicit, I don't want multiple wives. All my brothers who are of age have at least two, some as many as four.” It just wasn't his preference. What his brothers did was their own business, and while he didn't want it for himself, that didn't mean he judged his brothers for their way of life.
    She straightened, stepping away from the stall door. “ Four wives? Wait, how many brothers do you have?”
    “Eight. And nine sisters.”
    Sessily's mouth dropped open in shock. “Eighteen children, including you?”
    “My father has several wives. It's common here, just like it's common in other cultures to only have one wife. The Emir wants to make sure he has an heir of his choosing to pass the kingdom down to. More children means more choices.”
    “So you might one day become the Emir? If he chooses you?”
    He laughed and coaxed her into a slow stroll. “He would never choose me.”
    “Why not?” Sessily paced at his side, paying more attention to him than the horses.
    “For the reasons I just stated. He needs someone who will carry on traditions. Someone willing to follow in his footsteps.”
    “And you go your own way,” she said, repeating him “which takes you out of the running.”
    “Yes.” Vaguely amused at her curiosity, he led her along the many stalls, petting a few of the horses who stuck their necks out to reach him. The way Sessily ran the pad of her finger along her lower lip struck him as thoughtful, contemplative. “Something on your mind?”
    “Oh, I was just wondering why you're content to let him choose another. Isn't that the desire of heirs, to want to rule when it's time?” She slanted a sidelong look at him.
    He met her eyes, sliding a hand into his pocket. “Some heirs, not me. I have no desire to become Emir.”
    “Why not?”
    “Many reasons, not the least of them the politics one has to play when they accept that title. I have other, more important things to do with my time.”
    “I'm intrigued by that. Your decision, I mean.”
    “Trust me, if you had to deal with the politics and the clandestine situations that come up, you wouldn't want to be anywhere near it.” Those were not half the reasons, but the ones that sounded best in his mind. He did not relish being hounded every second of every day by lobbyists who wanted this or wanted that, and the jealousy of his brothers. There was always animosity within the ranks after a new Emir was chosen, and a body could never truly trust those closest to them, even if they shared the same blood. It would be a lifetime of watching over his shoulder, of never knowing when a strike might come.
    He preferred to hunt, rather than be the hunted.
    “It sounds like you have made up your mind for good on the matter,” she said next.
    “I have. Long ago.” At the juncture of barns, he paused to let her decide whether she wanted to pet the horses here, or keep walking down the other long row of stalls.
    Sessily smiled at him, one of those sweet smiles that did strange things to his heart.
    She said, “You have made what appears to be an excellent life for yourself here, away from all that. Our stables and homestead are not half so luxurious.”
    He laughed. “It suits me. I like to travel, so I am not here as much as I could be. You've told me very little about your family and your business.”
    She glanced ahead, strolling forward with her hands clasped behind her back. “I have one sister, Iris. My mother passed away some years back, and my father travels extensively for the business. He made sure I knew my way around the stables though, so I'm the one who oversees the day to day running of it.”
    “And is that the life you envisioned for yourself?”
    “Yes and no. I love the horses, though I wish I could travel more with my father, see the world.”
    “I've never seen you at any of the big events.”