Page 3 of Her Royal Rebellion

“We’re not after anything, Isla,” Mum finally spoke up. “You know how important it is for us to maintain our relationships with the other families and governments. This is just a step toward that.”

“We don’t have conflicts with anyone.” At least, not that I’d been told. “This isn’t the 1500’s. We don’t establish trade routes through marriage anymore.”

“That isn’t what this is about,” Dad countered.

“Then what is it? Give me the honest answer.” I never challenged my parents like this, but I’d never been pushed so far into a corner. I wasn’t going to smile and take this silently like I usually did.

“You will do this because it is what I ask of you.” He slammed his fist on the desk but I kept my head high and never broke eye contact. He taught me how to negotiate and get what I wanted, now I was going to have to use it against him.

“Will I have to pick one of them? What if I don’t love any of them?”

His eyes narrowed. “You will do as I say, Isla. You will choose one of the suitors. Each of them is more than suitable.”

“What if I don’t?” I kept my voice level, not showing my panic.

“Then I will have to take another look at the budget and see if renovating the children’s wings are the best use of our resources.”

My jaw nearly hit the floor. “You can’t do that.” He wouldn’t dare punish sick children to control me.

“Don’t push me.” His clipped tone made my blood run cold, but I wasn’t giving up yet.

“How can Cian, the future king, marry whoever he wants. An American, at that, and I have to endure whatever titled idiot comes through the door? Why am I being made to marry a stranger, but my brothers can marry whomever they please?”

“Because you are a princess. You aren’t going to take the throne, so you have the option to marry out of Lochland,” Mum tried to explain.

“I am not a bargaining chip. I will not be used for the crown’s gain!” I sucked in a breath, struggling to keep my composure. “You cannot marry me off to the highest bidder.”

I jumped to my feet and hurried out of the room, ignoring my parents’ calls. I stormed past the guards and used the back staircase to get to my suite on the third floor. I hoped to see Logan, I could use one of his reassuring smiles right now, but Kyle was on duty. I nodded and he gave me a slight bow I chose to ignore rather than correcting him. He was always so formal and tense around me, and I didn’t have the energy to put him at ease at the moment. Just like everyone else, he could survive the rest of the day without me putting on a front. Carolyn could attend my meetings and reschedule everything else. I needed to escape.

2

Logan

I rubbed my hands over my black wool pants and tugged at the neck of my emerald jacket. Twenty minutes had passed since my appointed time. Nothing in the Marines ran late. Something was going on.

Each second that passed filled me with more panic. Were they discussing me? I wasn’t up for promotion, so this couldn’t be a good thing.

“Corporal McCready, the sergeant is ready for you.” The petite receptionist pointed toward the hall on her right.

“Thank you.” I stood and straightened my uniform before heading toward the office. I knocked on the door and waited for the call to enter.

Sergeant Brown was sitting behind his desk when I walked in. I saluted him before he asked me to sit. “It’s good to see you, McCready.”

“You as well, sir.” His friendliness wasn’t unexpected. I’d been reporting to him since I was assigned to the crown two years ago. After my third tour in the Middle East, the opportunity to guard the royal family in Ballivaughn came up. It wasn’t as exciting as being on the front lines, and most of the men in my squad looked down on the position, but after my last tour, the passion I’d once had for fighting had dimmed. I knew it was important, but so was guarding the leaders of our country. I took the assignment and was shocked when I was tasked to be the head of Princess Isla’s security.

“I apologize for the delay, but I was waiting for confirmation on something before we could talk.”

I sat up even straighter.

“An opportunity has presented itself, and you were the first person that came to my mind.”

“I appreciate that, sir.”

The corner of his mouth twitched up in a hint of a smile. In the two years I’d known him, I’d never actually seen the man grin.

“The position is a special task force that you would lead. I can’t give you too many details but it means a promotion and quite a lot of travel.”

That would mean leaving the palace. Leaving Isla. The sergeant was looking at me as if he expected me to jump at the chance. It was an offer I would have loved a year ago, but now... I was having a hard time imagining it. A life away from the royal family?