Page 49 of Her Royal Rebellion

“Whatever comes next, we can deal with. We can handle it together.”

“Okay.”

That one word held so much promise. I was ready to fight for us. We were going to have to face her parents and family, but it didn’t matter. Together we could do anything.

“I’m going to finish my sandwich now.” She pulled back with a silly smile and I chuckled. I picked up my own and devoured it in just a few bites. The last time I ate was the night before. I’d been too stressed to think of anything but getting to Isla to even consider stopping for something as frivolous as eating.

Once we were done, she took my plate with hers and set them on the nightstand. “Okay, let’s be serious.”

I tried not to smile, but she was sitting cross legged in the middle of a bed, still in her pajamas from the night before, and she wanted to be serious? “Yes, let’s.”

She pursed her lips and glared at me before starting again. “What are you going to do?”

“As far as my job?”

She nodded.

The choice was obvious. I knew if I ever got the opportunity to be with Isla, that was the sign I’d need to know it was time to leave active duty. “I’ll let my sergeant know it’s time for me to be discharged.”

“You’re sure? I don’t want you to have any regrets. If you aren’t ready to leave, you don’t have to. We can wait.”

I shook my head. “No, I’m ready. I might not know what I’m going to do with myself, but I’m ready to end this chapter.”

“That means not being my guard anymore.”

I almost laughed. “It might not be my official title, but I promise I will never stop being your protector.”

She smiled and leaned forward, placing a sweet kiss on my lips before pulling back. “I know.”

“Good.” I grinned.

“Would you accept a room in the palace?”

Her question caught me off guard. I had no idea what to say.

“Serena and Charlie both live there. It’s easier for everyone.”

I knew it was strategic from a security angle to keep everyone under one roof as much as possible. It made everything much easier to manage rather than dividing resources just so Charlie or Serena could live in an apartment in town. It didn’t make sense, not when the palace had plenty of room and they so quickly merged into the princes’ lives, accepting roles that supported the crown’s philanthropic efforts.

It was an easy decision for them, but for me? I didn’t know what to think. Could I go from a guard to a guest? How would the staff feel? Would it cause problems? I wasn’t concerned so much about their opinions, but I did respect them. If it made people uncomfortable then I would have to take that into consideration.

“I’m not sure. I didn’t think about that. I guess I assumed I’d find my own place.”

She cocked an eyebrow. “Do we really need to have this argument? You know I’ll win. I have your very own reasoning on my side.”

I barked out a laugh. “You’re right. The moment we go public with our relationship there will be a target on my back. I have just as much reason to stay in the palace as Charlie or Serena. I might be able to take care of myself, but it wouldn’t be fair to the security team. That is, if your parents allow it.”

She waved off my concern. “Once we get over the hurdle of them accepting us as a couple, you having a room in the palace will be a given.”

That was true. The scariest step was going to be approaching her parents and risking their rejection. I knew they liked me as a guard, and maybe even as a person, but that didn’t mean they would be quick to give us their blessing. Isla was able to play it cool and act like this wasn’t a huge deal, but I knew their approval was important to her. As her mom and dad, they had a lot of sway and influence over her happiness. As the king and queen, they could forbid our relationship from continuing.

All we could do was hope for the best. It might take time for them to accept the idea of us together, but I wasn’t going to give up easily. Not after how long I’d waited for this day.

“We’ll survive this, right?” I asked with a laugh, but I really did need some reassurance.

“We will. It would help if we had my brothers on our side first.”

The thought of talking to Aiden and Cian, and even Rowan, was almost as daunting as the king and queen. Those guys were friendly with me, but that’s because they only saw me as their sister’s guard. Once they realized I was interested in her in a less than professional manner, that would probably change.