Caelan blindly stared at the trees as Eno’s words slammed through his brain. He’d forgotten that. The Royal Guard gave up the right to marry so long as they actively served the king. It was believed they couldn’t devote all their being to the protection of the royal family and Erya if they had a family of their own.
It wasn’t unheard of for many members of the guard to leave when they entered their late twenties or early thirties so they could have their own families. As a result, the Talos family and the Erya government always saw to it that all leaving members were given a healthy bonus based on their years of service so they could more easily support their new family.
But Eno…he wasn’t the type to leave the service. His friend had always proclaimed that he was proud to be a lifer. The only thing he ever wanted was to serve and protect his prince, now king. Caelan doubted the idea of leaving the Royal Guard had ever crossed Eno’s mind.
Until he fell in love with Rayne, of course. Then everything changed.
“Well, I could always amend—”
“Don’t even suggest it,” Eno cut him off. “Right now, I might not like it, but I do agree with the rule. The focus of a Royal Guard member needs to be wholly on protecting the king. I struggle with that even now because of my feelings for Rayne. I should quit. I will quit.”
“Shut up,” Caelan snapped. “I don’t want to hear that bullshit. As much as Rayne loves you, we both know he wouldn’t give up being my advisor. It’s who he is. The same as you are and always will be the protector to the royal family. You wouldn’t be happy doing anything else.”
Eno flashed him a smile that didn’t reach his dark eyes tinged with sadness. “Then we don’t marry. I’ll always feel guilty because I won’t give him up when I know I should.”
“That’s even more bullshit. Nobody is giving anyone up, and you’re not quitting your job.” Caelan rolled his shoulders and resumed walking with Eno. “It’s just a matter of finding the right job for you. When we get back to Stormbreak, we’ll have to clean up all kinds of fucking messes. I need to officially announce that Rayne is the dauphin, which he isn’t going to be happy about. That’s going to mean a totally new security detail for him. I’ve got a fiancé, which means Drayce can’t be my bodyguard. And if you’re the fiancé for my dauphin, won’t you need protection? Maybe you become the guy who oversees the Royal Guard for the immediate royal family.”
“I do not need a bodyguard,” Eno grumbled.
Caelan stopped, turned, and gave Eno a very long, telling look. He was a freaking god now. Was it really the best use of resources to assign a bodyguard to him?
Of course, it would be strange and revealing if he didn’t have one.
“Maybe you could go into training the Royal Guard. That’s more of a consultant role rather than being active,” Caelan suggested.
“Maybe,” Eno hedged. He shoved a hand through his hair, pushing it from his forehead. “It’s a lot to figure out and think about.”
Caelan snorted. “I don’t know why we’re wasting our brainpower on it. I’m sure Rayne has got this all figured out, and he’s going to propose the second he gets your ass back to Stormbreak.”
“You think he would?”
He snickered and shook his head. “Of course. He probably doesn’t want the happy moment tainted by New Rosanthe and god-related insanity. He wants it to be perfect. Unlike me, who has impulse-control problems.” Caelan glanced over his shoulder and smirked. “What are you going to say when he asks? No, because I’m a Royal Guard?”
“Yes. I mean, no, I wouldn’t say that. I’d say yes. No question. No hesitation. He’s the one I want forever.”
Caelan shrugged. “Then we will figure this out. Rayne needs a keeper.”
“Hey, guys!” Drayce shouted from his position behind Rayne. “I hear water. Lots of it.”
“Watch out for gators!” Caelan called to him.
Drayce narrowed his eyes on his lover. “That’s not funny.”
No, it wasn’t funny. They’d caught a few glimpses of large…somethings…in the Whitgami, but there had been no other alligator attacks since the ones Safa had summoned. As a dragon, Drayce could easily take care of any alligators. The problem was if they attacked while he was still in his human form. And those damn things were fast. Too fast.
They tromped another few hundred yards through dense growth until they broke through the trees to see a wide, clear stream. The water appeared to be only about waist-deep but was swiftly moving and could probably pull them off their feet.
At Gilea’s direction, they refilled their water canteens and took a moment to leisurely wash away some of the dirt and sweat. The stream was cool and refreshing from the day’s heat. It was hard to believe that it was January. Stormbreak and most of Erya would still be locked in harsh winter temperatures, while the Ordas felt as if it was the middle of the summer.