Rashad made arrangements to visit his mother in the hospital, accompanied by Farouk, while Moussa stayed behind to oversee palace operations. The Queen Mother was glad to see him, though she immediately tried to steer the chat toward the American trip. Rashad skillfully kept the conversation focused on everyday life, enjoying a rare moment where she was not commanding or demanding oversight of the palace personnel.

To set his plan into gear, Rashad contacted Steven to arrange a second trip to America for that very week. On this journey, he would be accompanied only by Daniel and his bodyguards, Moussa and Farouk. Although he had planned to take a private jet, Ester—still acting as Secretary of State—arranged a U.S. Air Force jet, a gesture he deeply appreciated.

They flew into Eglin Air Force Base in Florida. Rashad was housed in a well-guarded farmhouse in a wooded area, accessible only by a single road or by helicopter. Daniel, Moussa, and Farouk were accommodated at the base in high-level visitors’ quarters normally reserved for generals.

That evening, Rashad had just finished refreshing himself and changing into his official dress uniform when he heard a helicopter approaching. He stepped outside to watch it land. Two senior officers assisted Ester as she exited the aircraft. As she walked towards him, the helicopter took off, scheduled to return later.

She would not attend the evening’s official meeting; it was a precautionary measure they had both agreed upon. As she reached him, she flew into his outstretched arms. They kissed for the first time—a passionate embrace that lasted for several minutes.

Breaking apart, Rashad smiled. “Sealed with a kiss.”

“The first of many more to come,” Ester added.

Rashad let out a loud laugh. “Our first meeting was a duel where we traded insults, and now we are a duet singing a love song. Can life get any stranger? I have missed you so much these past few weeks. Sadly, I must return home the day after tomorrow to tie up loose ends. It is something I loathe to do, but it is necessary.”

Before she could respond, Rashad dropped to his right knee. He produced a ring featuring a flawless white diamond set in white gold.

“Ester, will you marry me?”

“Yes,” she whispered, “yes and yes!”

After a quiet lunch, Ester departed by helicopter, and Rashad was whisked away to his meeting with Steven Rock, Travis Landon, and Ambassador Yusuf Said. The meeting was a success, filled with mutual gratitude regarding the uranium deal. The following day, the group toured the base, seeing the B-2 stealth fighters up close. While the others were impressed by the military hardware, Rashad remained distracted by his secret joy.

Arriving back home, Moussa took Daniel back to the mine, while Rashad and Farouk went straight to the hospital. They found the Queen Mother propped up in bed, chatting with her nurses.

“Your return is excellent timing,” she told him as the nurses excused themselves. “The healing process has gone well. I am being discharged tomorrow.”

Two days after she settled back into the palace, Rashad requested a private meeting. He informed her that Moussa and Farouk would also be present. They entered the audience room and performed a respectful bow.

“My Queen, and mother,” Rashad began, his voice steady. “What I am about to share with the three people I love most will sadden your hearts. I request that you listen to my story without any interruptions. You may question me once I have finished.”

Seeing his gravity, they agreed.

“I have weighed all my options,” Rashad continued. “I plan to abdicate the throne to live a life of my own choosing. The ‘American mystery’ you suspected is this: I have fallen hopelessly in love with Ester Van Dhoon, a Jewish woman who has converted to Christianity.”

Shock registered on his mother’s face. Rashad raised a hand to maintain the silence.

“Furthermore, I have had a spiritual encounter with Jesus Christ. I have become a Christian as well.”

The silence that followed was deafening. Finally, Rashad turned to his mother. “You first, Mother.”

She shook her head in disbelief, looking at the two generals. “Are you two in on this subterfuge? My son, is this another of your childish pranks?”

“No, Your Highness,” Moussa answered for both of them. “We suspected his infatuation, but this declaration of faith? It is the first we have heard of it.”

The Queen Mother turned back to Rashad, her words laced with a rare, bitter venom. “Moussa and Farouk are innocent, then? This drama is yours alone! What evil has befallen us? That woman is a witch! She has bewitched you until you are an imposter to me. I am glad your father is not alive to witness this betrayal of Allah, your family, and your nation. Depart from my presence. I no longer have a son.”

Rashad said his goodbyes, though his mother refused to acknowledge them. He turned to his loyal friends. “Will you two escort me to the airport one last time?”

They agreed. To avoid drawing attention, they eschewed the royal Rolls-Royce for a standard SUV. After collecting three suitcases from his quarters, they drove to the tarmac where a private jet waited. No words were exchanged as they reached the plane; the brevity of the situation and the weight of the loss hung heavy in the air. Rashad hugged each man, waved from the top step, and boarded the flight to New York.

Ester met him at the airport with a security detail. Though Rashad felt the sting of losing his country, seeing her again provided an immediate sense of peace.

“I need to set up a press conference within the week,” Rashad told her once they were alone at the Manhattan Hotel. “And we must announce our engagement. I hope you still plan to marry me?”

Ester smiled. “Yes, silly. The conference is already arranged for Saturday at the United Nations Hall. All major news outlets are invited. But remember, darling—I won’t be writing your speech for you.”

On Saturday, Rashad wore a light blue suit instead of his formal uniform. He wanted the world to see him as a man, not a title. He stepped behind the podium and looked out at the massive crowd.

“Thank you for attending,” he began. “Many of you know me as Sheikh Rashad Al-Mustafa Kamaldien, Crown Prince of Kqawarrie. What I am about to say will be a bitter pill for my erstwhile subjects to swallow.”

He beckoned Ester to join him and took her hand.

“I have abdicated my position. Two things have happened to me: I have embraced the Christian faith, and I have fallen in love with this woman at my side.”

The room erupted. Camera shutters clicked like a feverish pulse. In the days that followed, the story dominated global headlines—a modern-day fairy tale of a prince giving up a kingdom for love and faith.

A month later, the wedding took place at the Stewart Air National Guard Base. Steven Rock had hired Rashad as a Liaison Director for African Affairs, providing him with a new professional purpose. The American President allowed the couple to use the base chapel, and the base chaplain conducted the ceremony.

Despite rumours of a hit squad sent from Kqawarrie, the day passed without incident. The gymnasium was transformed into a beautiful reception hall, funded by Rashad’s personal accounts in Zurich.

After a tropical honeymoon, the couple settled into their new life in New York. While Ester weighed several prestigious job offers, Rashad found himself growing daily in his new faith. He often thought of the biblical King Solomon and his thousand wives.

I have Ester, he thought, watching his wife. She is a wife in a thousand, and equal to a thousand wives in one. She is not perfect, but she is perfect for me. Thank you, Lord Jesus.