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“Three guards?” I blurted before I remembered who I was talking to. Peter mentioned that I would have a guard with me, but I didn’t think I needed three.
An amused look crossed his face. “My, my. For someone who wanted to be a guard herself, you know nothing of the position. I would have thought you would have done your research, Miss Rumor.”
I tried to maintain my composure and not bristle at his insult.
He sneered, a cruel smile lingering on his thin lips. “You will have a guard with you at all times. Two of the guards will rotate between shifts. One will be with you throughout the night, the other during the day. The third guard will be your backup guard, he will be in charge of other duties around the Kingdom. However, if one of your guards gets injured on the job, your backup guard will fill in. You will be spending a lot of time together, so I recommend that you make yourself comfortable with them.”
“Gets injured on the job,” I repeated, letting his words sink in. He made it sound like it was a common occurrence.
“Yes,” Synder said, noting my words. “Contrary to what you may have believed, being a guard is not glamorous. Especially protecting someone as weak as yourself. If people want to get to Prince Noren, it will be a lot easier going through you. Your betrothed is a rank five. I think Advenians will find it impossible to attack him directly.”
“However,” he continued, “his Princess, a rank zero, makes you averyeasy target. You should always be on high alert. Your school’s training was child’s play compared to the real thing, so it would be wise to stay close to your guards. The use of abilities like compulsion is not monitored as closely within our walls.”
He didn’t wait for me to respond before walking away. Chills continued through my spine long after he left me.
I hadn’t thought about it. That Advenians could use me as leverage to get to Sie. Sie mentioned people may want to kill me, but it didn’t cross my mind that I might be used in that way. Well, they would be disappointed if they tried. I didn’t mean anything to him. Besides, I was not helpless. I’d trained as a guard my whole life. I knew how to fight, and Peter agreed to more training.
A tall head of black hair stood above everyone else. I stole a glance across the hall and instantly regretted it. Sie was surrounded by females, all flirting with him and fighting for his attention.
Didn’t they know he was going to be married now? I was literally standing across the dance floor, and this stupid banquet was supposed to be celebrating our engagement. Maybe they hoped to become one of his mistresses or just wanted to be with the only rank five for a night. I couldn’t deny that he was attractive. Tall, dark, and handsome was an understatement.
I found myself staring as one of the girls leaned into his chest, giggling. She was beautiful with silky golden hair falling past her shoulders and light brown eyes that shone against her pale complexion.
Sie didn’t push her away as she pressed every curve of hers into him. By the way the two of them were talking, they appeared to be well acquainted. He finally turned to look at her, smiling at something she said.
“How are you doing?” a voice asked, startling me. I turned to find a familiar face. Peter. I was relieved to stop thinking about Sie. I hated that him being with other girls bothered me.
“I’m good,” I spoke flatly. Peter’s face lit up with amusement, taunting me.
“Really?” he questioned with a smirk as he followed my stare over to Sie. “Don’t worry, he won’t do anything with them.”
My mouth dropped at his words, that he thought I was thinkingthat.It was what was on my mind, but was it that obvious?
“The blonde over there,” Peter continued, pointing to the beautiful girl still leaning into Sie, “is Reagan. We’ve known her since childhood. Sie’s never been interested in her, no matter how hard she tries. As for the other girls, they are her little minions. They follow her around like a bee to honey.”
Flustered, I tried to recover, “Oh, no. That’s not what I—”
He cut me off. “You don’t have to explain yourself to me. Come. Let’s get a drink. You need one.”
He chuckled as he led me over to a beautiful tower of champagne glasses. I wanted to try it, taste it, as I stared at the bubbles floating around in the golden flutes. I could see why Vallie loved to drink. When it came to males, it was nice to have a distraction.
“I don’t really drink,” I started.
“Funny. If I recall, I clearly remember you getting drunk and seeming to like alcohol very much.” Peter smiled.
“And I recall that thisstalkerfollowed me around the entire night.”
He shrugged. “You needed help, and I was happy to oblige. I’m curious though, does this newfound phase of not wanting to drink alcohol have something to do with the fact that you like to take your clothes off afterward? Something about being too hot…”
I whipped around to face him. “What?” I gasped.
He laughed at me, clearly amused with himself as the tips of my ears heated. “I was staying with Sie at LakeWood during the Trials. I knew he walked you back to your dorm that night, and when he came back to the inn, shirtless might I add, and grinning from ear to ear, I forced it out of him. He’d seen tons of naked girls before, but I guess there was something about you that—”
“I was naked?” I asked, my voice catching in my throat. My eyes felt like they were going to pop out of my head. With everything that had happened, I forgot to ask him why I woke up in his shirt the next day. Goddess above, what did I do?
Peter seemed to note my rising panic. “You don’t remember what happened?”
Words couldn’t form in my mouth as I turned the brightest shade of red and shook my head no.
