“You guys really need to be with me wherever I go?” I asked.
“For your protection,” said one of them. “King’s orders.”
“Well, tell the king that I can manage to walk through the palace on my own without help. I mean, no one is hiding in that suit of armor over there to assassinate me, are they?”
The two guards looked at one another with expressions of slight confusion.
“I got this!” I said. “Thanks, but I’m good. If the king says anything, just tell him I wanted some alone time.”
With no small amount of hesitation, the guards broke away from me and left down the hall. Relief washed over me once I was alone. Never in a million years back in Seattle did I ever think that I’d take something as simple as being by myself for granted.
I hurried up to my chambers, meeting a different member of the service staff who awaited me with my tea. I took it, thanking them before stepping into my room and shutting the door behind me. I wasted no time peeling off the dress I’d worn for my dinner alone, finding a pair of shorts and a loose-fitting T-shirt. Once those were on, I started a fire in the fireplace. Outside, a soft rain fell on the windows, the low rumble of thunder sounding now and then. Tea in hand, a fire roaring, I stepped over to the window and watched the rain come down. In those moments, I could almost forget that I was thousands of miles from home, alone in a place where I felt like an outcast.
I put my tea down on the bedside table and headed into my bathroom to wash up for bedtime. As I was about to turn on the light, a knock sounded from my door. “Come in.”
Luc opened the door, standing at the threshold in a tight white T-shirt and a pair of black joggers. He looked delectable.
“Do you have everything you need? The kitchen staff said you hardly ate dinner.”
I sighed and continued into my bathroom, flipping on the light and grabbing my face wash. Luc ventured further into the room, standing just outside the bathroom as I turned on the water.
“Just not very hungry,” I said, lathering up my face and splashing water on it to rinse the soap from my skin. When I looked up in the mirror, I caught Luc’s gaze as he studied me. “What?” I asked.
“You really gave those poor etiquette coaches a run for their money today.”
I shrugged. “I am who I am. I wasn’t trying to be difficult.”
He laughed.
I raised my eyebrow. “Did something happen to you today?” I asked. “Take a whack to the head, maybe?”
“What, I’m not allowed to laugh now and then?”
“Oh, you’re most certainly allowed to, oh Lord of the castle. But in the short time I’ve known you, it doesn’t appear to be something you do often.”
He flashed me another smile before shaking his head.
“I know this is all strange to you, but you’re making an honest go of it. You’ve got a month to prepare for the naming ceremony and the ball. I think you’ll get it just fine.”
He said the words with such a confident, matter-of-fact tone that part of me wanted to believe him.
“I take it from your silence that you don’t feel the same way.”
I began the process of rubbing moisturizer into my cheeks.
“It’s nice that you say that. I mean it. But you’re wrong. I was a huge disappointment today and acting like I didn’t care was my way of trying to sidestep how embarrassed and out of place I felt.”
He said nothing, glancing over in silence to let me know that he was listening.
“I talked to my sister Hailey today. I told her about what happened at the lessons, and she just laughed her head off, still having a hard time wrapping her head around the fact that I’m here having honest-to-God princess training. After I told her about my lessons and how much of a disaster they were, she filled me in on everything going on back home.”
“And how’s business?”
“Amazing. She’s hired a couple of interns from one of the culinary schools in town, has them running ragged. And as she told me about all of that, how she’s been so busy she can hardly think straight, and how much fun she’s having, all I could think was…that’swhere I’m supposed to be. Not here.”
Luc trained his steely eyes on me, crossing his arms over his chest and continuing to listen without saying a word.
“But it’s crazy, right? I mean, what kind of a girl would miss grease burns and smelling like crab all day?”