Love is a force unto itself, sayyidi. For love, people consider the unthinkable . . . and often achieve the impossible. I would not sneer at its power.” The caliph held her gaze. “I am not sneering at its power. I am lamenting its role in this story.” “You are saddened by love’s importance in the emir’s life?” He paused. “I am frustrated by its importance in all our lives.”
