Page 56 of Her Royal Rebellion

I nodded and headed through the back entrance of the palace toward the stairs. I was ready for a nice long bath. If Logan was going to avoid me, then I could give him the space to do it. On the flight to the palace, my mind went through every possibility of what could have happened when Logan left the room with my father, but it was making me crazy. Had it gone well? Did Dad give his blessing? Did he say no? What if he threatened to have him reassigned on the other side of the country or deployed halfway around the world?

There were too many options and not all of them were good. I wasn’t going to chase him down and force him to talk before he was ready. If he needed space, then I could give him that. Afterall, he’d done the same for me.

I stepped into my room and stared at my bed. I waited for a flashback or memory of the night I was taken, but nothing came. It was a small mercy. There was no dread or fear of being in here. It was still my space, my sanctuary. That hadn’t been taken from me. I moved through to the bathroom and started the water to fill the tub. A long soak was just what I needed.

My mind wandered again as I undressed and stepped into the warmth. I sank in, rested my head back, and closed my eyes. Maybe Dad gave him an assignment. Or told him he had to do something before we’d receive their blessing.

I tried to stop thinking and just relax, but that only lasted a few minutes. A knock came from the suite door, but I ignored it. I was taking some necessary me-time. Everything else could wait.

“Princess?”

I groaned and dipped further into the water. Carolyn would wait until I replied, no matter how long I took.

“Yes?”

“I know you just got back, but your attendance is required at an event tonight. You need to be ready by five.”

When I got in the bath it was close to three so I knew I needed to hurry. “What event?”

“One of the hospitals,” she replied.

I didn’t remember seeing a hospital event on the calendar this week, but since my schedule had been commandeered by my father I might have missed the notice.

“I’ll be ready.”

“Let me know if you need me.”

I listened for the sound of her walking away before I slammed my fist into the water. I just wanted a moment of peace. Was it asking too much for just a few days for myself?

Of course, I wanted to support the hospital and be there for the unveiling of a children’s wing. I was passionate about the work and I loved seeing the kids, but not today.

This was why I wanted to stay at my cottage. I needed time off the grid, well at least the palace’s grid. I needed time to decompress and make sure I was back at my best so I could be completely present when it mattered. Now I was going to be forced to smile and pretend for the evening while my mind was focused on what was going on with Logan. Hopefully Cian and Serena would be there as well. I could use them as a distraction so no one realized how scattered I was.

Finally admitting I was pushing it, I left the safety of the bath and went through the motions of getting ready relying on muscle memory while doing my hair and makeup. I slipped on a pale green shift dress and cream heels before walking out to my sitting area where Carolyn waited. She looked up from her folder and smiled.

“I’m so happy to see you back, safe and happy.”

I tried to smile but it fell flat. I wasn’t necessarily happy. Yes, I was glad to be home and not locked away in a strange place, but my confusion with Logan was overshadowing that.

“Are Cian and Serena attending as well?”

She nodded briefly. “Yes, but they’ve already left. Cian needed to arrive early to sign a few things.”

She stood and we walked out to the hall. Shane smiled at me when he saw me. “Welcome home, Isla.”

“Thank you, Shane. And thank you again for being there. For coming for me.”

He seemed uncomfortable by my words but he nodded. “Of course.”

I continued down to the main stairs and I noticed Carolyn had fallen behind. I stopped and looked over my shoulder. “Is something wrong?”

She looked up from her phone and shook her head. “No, sorry. Just letting one of the committees know that we’re moving the meeting to next week.”

I waited for her to finish before continuing down. “Is everything ready for Independence Day?”

“Yes, everything has been booked and scheduled. I’m starting my confirmation calls next week so nothing will wait until the last minute.”

“Thanks so much for staying on top of everything. These past few weeks have been rough, but you’ve been so amazing for picking up my slack.”