The Formidable King Read online

  Damn it! There had to be a way out of this mess.

  If there was, he’d find it.

  As he looked down at the strain in her beautiful, tearstained face, Gabe realised that he’d do whatever it took to protect India. The truth hit him hard. He’d give his life to protect her, because she was more important to him than anything else in the world. Somehow, he’d done something he’d sworn never to do. He’d fallen in love with her.

  Chapter 9

  ‘I’m sorry, Your Majesty. The situation is most regrettable, but I have no legal grounds to keep Miss Hamilton here.’ Ambassador Rousseau’s face was wreathed in wrinkles of consternation. His words were effectively a death knell for India. ‘In fact, I’m violating international laws while she remains here in embassy walls. She’s not a citizen of France, or Santaliana, and we have no agreement with Britain.’ He moved his hands in a helpless gesture. ‘She doesn’t even have any diplomatic immunity.’

  A second ago, all had seemed hopeless. Now, fresh adrenaline coursed through Gabriel’s veins as a possible solution struck him. ‘What if she had both?’

  ‘Your Majesty, she has neither.’ He shook his head and looked at Gabe as though he was delusional. ‘Even if she was a citizen of Santaliana, you know as well as I that while we can provide aid for your citizens, we can’t protect someone facing a murder charge.’

  ‘But if she had diplomatic immunity...’

  ‘She doesn’t.’ There was a fragment of frustration in Rousseau’s voice now.

  ‘I’ll make her a diplomat of Santaliana,’ Gabe declared.

  ‘Your Majesty, how can she be a diplomat of your country? She’s a British citizen!’

  He was right. India needed to be a citizen of Santaliana. Gabe’s fingers tapped against his thighs as he racked his brains and sought against all odds for a legal solution to this terrible mess.

  ‘I’ve got it,’ he announced, as the path forward became so blindingly obvious, jubilation flooded through him.

  Only one course of action was possible, and he was more than willing to follow that course.

  ‘What if India were the Queen of Santaliana, travelling to Africa on a diplomatic mission in her role as managing director of the international humanitarian organisation, the Princess Eden Foundation?’

  Rousseau threw up his hands and puffed out an outraged breath. ‘I couldn’t be party to such a lie!’

  ‘It doesn’t have to be a lie. She is the managing director—’

  ‘But she is not your queen!’

  ‘She will be.’ He made the statement with absolute conviction.

  Rousseau’s eyes widened so much he looked like a distorted caricature of himself. ‘You’d honestly marry her?’

  ‘Would it make a difference if I did? Would it stop you from feeling obliged to hand her over to Mawandi if she was my wife and I granted her diplomatic status and immunity?’

  The ambassador muttered something under his breath, then stroked his chin in agitation while he paced back and forward. When he spoke, it was as though he spoke to himself. ‘If Miss Hamilton was perceived by the international community to have diplomatic immunity, there would be no backlash against France for providing her with refuge here at the embassy—particularly if she was a member of the royal family of Santaliana.’ He stopped his pacing and looked up at Gabe. ‘But there are still two difficulties.’

  ‘Go on.’ Gabe held his breath.

  ‘Bagazin has never ratified the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.’

  Of course it hadn’t. Mawandi wouldn’t agree to any policy that stood to improve international relations.

  ‘You’re telling me that under Mawandi’s dictatorship, Bagazin doesn’t recognise legal immunity or safe passage for diplomats as set out by the charter from that convention?’ Gabe clarified.

  ‘Exactly. So, while diplomatic immunity would allow me to offer her protection, it wouldn’t stop President Mawandi demanding she be handed over. This is his country. He could swoop in here and force her to face trial.’

  ‘Trial?’ Gabe said sharply. ‘You mean sentencing.’ He needed Rousseau on his side. He needed to appeal to the French Ambassador’s humanity—his basic sense of human decency—to make whatever allowances were necessary—to find legal loopholes and make sure India had safe passage from Bagazin.

  ‘I agree with you.’ Rousseau sighed heavily. ‘Miss Hamilton has already been tried and convicted by the president. From what I know of him, I predict he’s determined to have her head for the death of his son. Charles was a cruel bastard who raped any appealing woman he came across, but his father condoned his behaviour. Mawandi couldn’t care less that Charles was killed in self-defence. Bagazin is not a democratic country, and in the president’s view, any woman should’ve thought herself privileged to capture the interest of his son.’

  Gabe voiced his utter disgust. ‘The son obviously took after the father.’

  ‘If it weren’t for my country’s mining operation and the number of French nationals employed in that operation, there would be no embassy here. As it is, the lucrative high yield of metals from our Bagazin mines means we hold a certain political sway, but must still tread carefully with President Mawandi.’

  ‘I understand the French interests here. Bagazin stands to lose more than France if you threaten to pull the mining operations out of the country.’ Gabe made the hint even though he knew it was highly unlikely the ambassador would even entertain the notion.

  As expected, Rousseau raised both hands and faced his palms outward in protest. ‘You ask too much, mon ami. We wouldn’t make such a heavy threat over an incident which doesn’t even involve a French citizen.’

  ‘It involves the queen of a close ally.’

  The ambassador snorted. ‘A woman who is a queen only because of your desire to protect her.’

  Gabe’s desire went much deeper than that, but it was immaterial. He wished he held an ace—some way of forcing France to make the threat of closing down their mines. Unfortunately, he didn’t. Santaliana was only a small kingdom. It benefited far more from its bilateral alliance than France did. ‘You mentioned a second problem?’

  ‘The matter of trial.’ The ambassador’s mouth firmed and his tone was unrelenting. ‘In a serious matter such as murder, you must be aware that it’s expected that the diplomat’s home country waive immunity so the diplomat can be tried in the country where the crime was committed. Either that, or there’d be an expectation that the diplomat’s country would prosecute the case in public interest.’

  ‘You’re telling me that if India leaves here as a diplomat of Santaliana, the international community will expect her to face a court hearing in Santaliana for the murder of Charles Mawandi?’

  ‘Exactly. There is a way to smuggle you all out of the embassy and safely out of Bagazin if you make her your wife and a diplomat, however my country would be honour-bound to demand Miss Hamilton stand before a court. Failure to do so would sour the spirit between our countries and cause international outrage.’

  In his years as king, it wasn’t the first time Gabriel had walked a tightrope on international affairs. This time, however, the risk of losing his balance and falling was far more personal and there was no safety net in sight.

  ‘Knowing your companion will have to face court on a charge of murder at some point, are you really prepared to make her your queen—to bring such negative publicity to your country and to the House of de la Croix?’

  ‘Yes.’ There was no option. He would never agree to hand India over to Mawandi, and if there was too much pressure—too much political fallout, he’d damned well abdicate and Devereaux could become the king.

  Gabe was amazed at how light he felt about the decision. All these years he’d put his kingdom above everything, but there was no way he’d put it above India’s safety.

  ‘Do you agree to have the woman who will be your queen face a court hearing upon your return to Santaliana?’

  He had no choice if
he wanted to get her out of Bagazin alive. ‘Yes.’

  ‘You’re prepared to face all the negative publicity a murder hearing and possibly a very drawn-out trial will bring to the Crown of de la Croix?’

  ‘Absolutely.’ All that mattered was India’s safety. ‘She’s innocent of the charge and doesn’t deserve to be handed over to Mawandi.’ He believed it with every fibre of his being.

  ‘Everything I’ve ever heard about you is true, Your Majesty. You’re a man of great honour who takes his responsibility for others seriously.’ The ambassador gave a half-bow. ‘If you wish to proceed, we need to act quickly. You need to be married immediately, draw up papers declaring your wife-to-be a diplomat of Santaliana, and we need to arrange for your transportation out of Bagazin within the hour.’

  ‘Please, make the arrangements.’

  Adrenaline rushed through him. India would be safe.

  India would be his wife.

  His conscience pricked. India was engaged to Artarmon.

  Tough. Gabe pushed that fact away, reasoning that there was no other choice. Fate had intervened. Somehow fate had driven them both into this position, and he was going to embrace the opportunity. Smothering the core fear he’d carried for so long—that he wouldn’t be able to keep a woman he loved safe—he vowed he would marry India and he’d spend every day of the rest of his life keeping her safe and making her happy. He’d make sure she never had any reason to regret that she’d married him and not Artarmon.

  Now all he had to do was break the news to India.

  Chapter 10

  ‘Plans are underway for us to fly out of here within the hour, and back to Santaliana,’ Gabriel announced to India as he walked into the room.

  It was the best news she’d ever had.

  ‘Oh, Gabriel!’ She ran into his arms and was instantly enfolded in his powerful embrace. She hugged this man who was prepared to fight for her safety. She didn’t know how he’d managed to work the miracle, but he was beyond being her hero. ‘Thank you! Thank you for convincing the ambassador of my innocence. Thank you for believing in me. I can’t ever repay you for your trust in me.’

  All alpha male, had there really been any doubt he’d prove to be her ultimate protector? she wondered.

  His lips twisted. ‘It wasn’t so simple. Perhaps you should sit down, India.’

  Oh, no! Her smile froze as she heard the warning in his words. What hadn’t he told her?

  She pulled back a little from him but didn’t want to sit down. Holding onto his upper arms, she said, ‘Tell me.’

  ‘You’re a British citizen charged with murder,’ he told her tonelessly. ‘There was no way the French Ambassador could offer you protection.’

  She looked around her to ensure they were completely alone then whispered, ‘So we’re having to flee the embassy? I thought it was going to take days to replace the fuel line on the jet. How are we going to get out of Bagazin?’

  His jaw firmed and the action emphasised the slant of his cheekbones. ‘President Mawandi ordered the ambassador to hand you over.’ He ignored her gasp and rushed on, ‘Rousseau could only offer you protection if you were a diplomat of Santaliana and therefore entitled to diplomatic immunity.’

  Eyes widening, she asked, ‘You’ve given me diplomatic status?’

  ‘I can only do that if you’re a citizen of Santaliana.’

  Her shoulders slumped and she admonished herself because she should’ve known she couldn’t be a diplomat of Santaliana as a British citizen. But Gabe had told her they were leaving. He wouldn’t have said such a thing if it wasn’t possible. ‘I don’t understand. If Rousseau can’t offer me protection, how can we escape?’

  ‘He’s helping us. He’s giving you protection as a diplomat of our kingdom.’

  Gabriel wasn’t making any sense. ‘But you said—’

  ‘There’s only one way you can become a citizen when we’re so far away from my kingdom.’

  The blonde curtain of hair shifted as she tilted her head in question. She needed to brush a few stray strands from her eyes so she could look at him.

  ‘You need to become my wife.’

  India’s eyes opened so wide, her muscles strained. ‘What?’ she whispered. She mustn’t have heard him correctly.

  ‘A marriage between us is the only way I can protect you.’

  Holy hell! She hadn’t misunderstood. But... He couldn’t mean it. He couldn’t seriously intend to marry her. ‘Gabe—’

  ‘Listen to me, India. There’s no time to waste. The French have power here because their mining operations bring a lot of wealth to the country, but the ambassador can’t hold off Mawandi indefinitely. There’ll be a priest here in the next ten minutes and there’s no other option. We need to take our vows immediately. It’s the only way to guarantee your safety.’

  ‘You’re seriously prepared to marry me?’

  ‘Yes.’ There was no hesitation in his response.

  ‘I can’t believe this is happening.’ Surely this was some very complex dream and she was about to wake up at any second? ‘You told me you’d never marry again.’

  ‘India, if we don’t get married, I can’t protect you.’

  It was impossible to believe he’d take such extreme measures for her safety.

  But was it so incredible? Eden had told her Gabriel had a deep sense of responsibility to everyone around him.

  As she looked at him, tears formed in India’s eyes. A wealth of emotion she’d never felt before welled up, expanding through her chest cavity and lodging as a lump in her throat. Looking into his deep blue eyes, she bit down on her lip as she fought against the tears. This man—this important, wonderful ruler of a kingdom—was prepared to marry her to protect her.

  Nobody had ever cared enough about her to put themselves on the line for her.

  Gratitude flowed through her.

  When Gabriel reached out and took her hand in his and she felt the familiar, close connection to him, she knew it was much more than gratitude she felt for Gabriel de la Croix. It was far more than gratitude and far more than lust. India had fallen in love with him.

  ‘There are two other things you need to know.’ The seriousness of his tone penetrated her sense of unreality.

  What more could there possibly be? ‘I’m listening.’

  ‘Once you marry me, there’ll be no marriage to Artarmon. In Santaliana, the royal family does not divorce.’

  Her eyes widened so far they strained. ‘You’d have to stay married to me?’

  ‘There’ll be no divorce,’ he repeated.

  India was horrified when she understood that her situation made him feel forced to tie himself to her for the rest of his life. ‘But you told me unequivocally that you’d never remarry!’ Could she really allow him to do this for her out of his innate sense of responsibility? It was hardly fair to him, and this profound sense of honour was exactly what Eden had worried about.

  A small tic appeared in his cheek as he clenched his jaw. ‘What I said is no longer important. If you don’t become my wife, I can’t give you diplomatic immunity and you will be handed over to Mawandi. Make no mistake about the urgency or gravity of this situation. If we don’t marry, it’s as good as signing your death warrant.’

  It was the truth. She knew it. Guilt poured through her like a corrosive acid. Her shoulders rounded and she simply couldn’t look him in the eye. She’d caused this. She’d put Gabriel in this untenable situation because she hadn’t trusted him with the truth of why she couldn’t be in this country.

  The friendship they’d started to build would be totally destroyed. He’d resent her terribly for making him feel forced into this situation.

  ‘Do you agree to put aside your plans with your fiancé and marry me?’ he asked.

  Dear Lord! Not marrying Jeremy wasn’t the problem here, it was marriage to Gabriel that was plaguing her conscience. She couldn’t look at Eden’s brother as she forced the reluctant, guilty agreement through her lips. ‘I agree.
’

  ‘You won’t see Artarmon, again, India.’ His tone brooked no argument. ‘There will be no affair and you will not shame the de la Croix name by taking lovers.’

  Like Angelique had.

  He didn’t need to say the words. It was obvious he thought of his deceased wife.

  Lifting her head to meet his eyes, India knew deep sorrow that such a noble man felt he had no choice but to marry her when he’d been so clear before today that he could only ever offer her an affair. She was also upset he believed he needed to make the decree that she never take lovers. Angelique had evidently scored deep scars through his heart.

  ‘I’m sorry about this marriage, Gabriel.’ She bit her lip again as she disengaged her hands from his and tried to find the right words to express her feelings. ‘I’m so grateful to you. I would never do anything to bring you shame.’

  ‘I don’t want your gratitude, India,’ he ground out.

  If he didn’t want her to express her thanks, what did he want?

  Cold dread leeched through her. Oh, no! He desired her and he’d expect her to be a real wife to him in the physical sense. Her heart clenched painfully and her guts roiled. Gabriel was prepared to make this enormous sacrifice for her, but he didn’t know that she couldn’t have a normal marriage with him. It didn’t matter that she loved him. Emotion and physical responses were two entirely different things.

  Before she could bring herself to broach the subject, Gabe continued, ‘You also need to know this isn’t the last you’ll hear of Charles Mawandi’s death.’ His hands clenched and unclenched at his sides. ‘Word of what’s happening here today is bound to reach the UN. There’ll be an international expectation that you face a court hearing.’

  ‘What?’ Perspiration beaded her brow and upper lip as she flushed hot then cold.

  ‘I believe you when you tell me what happened and I’m confident any other sane person would also see the truth. However, on serious charges, diplomats are expected to face trial. A country will usually do one of two things—withdraw immunity and allow the diplomat’s case to be heard in the country in which the crime was committed, or make the diplomat face a court hearing in their own country.’