Page 32 of Her Royal Rebellion

“She looks miserable,” Shane said with a sigh.

I agreed. “Why isn’t anyone saving her?”

I wanted to be that person, but right now she needed one of her friends. I looked for any of the women, but didn’t see them. “Where are they?”

Shane took a small step forward. “I’m not sure. I’m going to go check. Something feels off.”

He turned and walked away while I remained focused on the princess. His suspicion only encouraged mine. The other guards weren’t outfitted with headsets or mics, so I couldn’t share my concern or check with Shane on his status. We only used those in public, but maybe it was time for a change. It had never been an issue at previous events, the guest lists and security screens made sure we heard of any threats. Tonight felt different.

My attention was diverted when Marius stood and offered his hand to Isla. I could see the hesitation in her face from across the room, but without anyone stepping in she stood and he led her to the dance floor. Where were her friends?

What was the point of having them here if they disappeared in her true time of need? If Shane told me they got distracted by someone or something short of a life or death situation, I would personally escort each of them off the palace grounds.

Isla and Marius merged in with the other couples on the dance floor, and I could no longer clearly see Isla. I made my way around the room for a better position. I was almost to the table they’d just vacated when Shane caught up to me.

“They were told Prince Aiden needed them immediately.” He turned his back to the crowd so they couldn’t see his reactions.

“And what did he need with them?”

“That’s the thing. They couldn’t find him, and when I finally tracked him down, he had no idea what I was talking about.”

I kept my face expressionless. “Who told the women they were needed?”

“One of the servers.”

“Did you find out who?” I was growing frustrated.

“Yes. It was a newer employee and when I questioned him, he said one of the guests passed on the message. He pointed them out. It was a parliament member. When I questioned him, he said a man that said he was friends with Aiden was looking around and he offered to help. He pointed him out in the crowd, and it was Marius.”

I shook my head. That was a long trail to follow, too long to be a misunderstanding. “That was planned.”

“I agree. He went to great lengths to hide his identity.”

“Maybe he just wanted a chance to talk to Isla.” I was playing devil’s advocate even though my mind was practically screaming at the red flags.

“It’s possible, but if anything, it just puts a bigger target on his back.” I was glad Shane was just as concerned. Sometimes my personal feelings made me question whether or not I was allowing them to cloud my judgement. Good to know I wasn’t there yet.

The women filed back into the room and spread out, but it was too late. Unless one of them asked to cut in, Marius had Isla to himself.

I noticed one lovely redhead with her eyes locked in our direction. “You’ve gained a fan.”

Shane turned and his eyes immediately found her. “Oh yes, Enya is quite a catch. She was the only one to offer to help me track down the truth of what happened. She marched right up to the parliament member and questioned him. It was a sight.”

I chuckled. “Perhaps you should get her contact information before she leaves, in case you have any follow up questions.”

He nodded and seemed to consider it. “That would be the best course of action. I wouldn’t want to let anything slip between the cracks.”

I smiled and shook my head. I wasn’t sure who Enya was or how she knew Isla, but I knew she wasn’t a royal at least. Probably the daughter of a duke or a friend from Isla’s university days. Hopefully she and Shane could find a way to continue to get to know one another. They were obviously very attracted to one another. I sighed. If only it was that simple for me.

Watching another man with his hands on Isla’s shoulder and waist, knowing it was likely I’d never have that opportunity, was like a hot knife puncturing my stomach. The only thing keeping me sane was her uncomfortable expression and the way she held herself away from him. It was enough for me to know she wasn’t enjoying this. She probably wished, even more than me, that she was out of his grasp.

Even though I wanted her to be happy and find someone she could have the life she deserved with, it would kill me to stand back and watch it all happen. If I were a better man, I might be able to silently support her, but I knew it would be the hardest thing I’d ever have to endure. It would likely be the thing to push me over the edge. I’d have to ask for reassignment, or leave active service. A tiny part of me wished for her to fall for someone else, just to end my misery. She could make my decision for me.

But I knew in my heart my feelings weren’t completely one sided. There was more than just feelings of friendship between us. She didn’t think of me as just her guard. The way she treated Shane and acted around him was different from me. She was kind and friendly to him, but she was less formal to me. Her walls were lowered. She told me things she didn’t share with anyone else.

She told me when I first was assigned to her that her parents had the perfect love story. They grew up with each other and gradually fell in love. She wanted that. She wanted a marriage that lasted, and most importantly, she wanted a life full of passion and love. One night, I checked on her to catch her trying to hide a book beneath a sofa pillow. Between her quick movement and red face, I knew she was up to something. I teased her and made weak attempts to remove the pillow until she caved. She pulled out a thick binder and showed me the pictures she’d gathered to plan her ideal wedding. There was page after page of wedding gowns. Some from runways and others from past royal weddings. She had visions of the flowers, cathedral, and even centerpieces. I sat with her for over an hour as she explained each page. She had everything picked out and coordinated. She knew exactly what she wanted and joked that all she needed now was her dream man. The way she looked at me that night… I think that’s when I realized how I felt about her. When our eyes met it was like something clicked in my heart.

I couldn’t imagine how devastated that girl would be if she knew what her father had planned for her.