Page 57 of Her Royal Rebellion

She smiled and ducked her head. “It’s my job, Isla. You know I’m always here for you.”

“I do.” I almost hugged her but stopped. She wasn’t a fan of affection, and I knew better than to push her.

“Welcome back, Princess.” A butler I vaguely recognized bowed as he opened the door for me.

“Thank you.” I took the steps but paused when I realized there wasn’t a car waiting. “Carolyn?”

I turned to ask here where it was, but I realized she wasn’t behind me. The doors were shut and I was alone. I looked around, suddenly feeling like something was wrong. Had I walked into a trap? But Carolyn wouldn’t set me up.

“Isla.”

I spun at the sound of my name and smiled when I spotted Logan walking along the path that led around the palace.

“Logan, are you done avoiding me?” I looked around again. “I’m not sure how much time I have to chat. I’m supposed to be heading to a hospital.”

He smiled and stopped a few feet from me. He was wearing a simple charcoal sweater and grey pants. Much more casual than I was used to seeing him. If he wasn’t in uniform then he was in a suit. Even at the cottage he stayed in a black shirt and black tactical pants. This outfit was more along the lines of what Cian and Aiden wore when they weren’t in public.

“I’m sorry about earlier. There were some things I needed to sort through. Then as soon as we got here, I needed to take care of something that was fairly time sensitive.”

“I understand.” I only partially did. It still felt like he was keeping something from me. “Were you able to get everything done?”

He nodded. “Yes, it’s all sorted.”

“Good.” Where was the car? Surely, I was going to be late.

“Isla, will you take a walk with me?”

“I’m not sure I can, Logan. I’ve an event to go to.”

He reached for my hand and led us down the path he’d come from. “There’s no event. Don’t worry.”

“What? Then why did Carolyn say…” I trailed off when the realization that he must have been responsible for that sank in. “What are you up to?”

He gave me a heart melting smile but said nothing.

We passed the garden and continued out to the edge of the lake, close to where we’d practiced archery just days before. That felt like another lifetime.

Finally, he stopped and faced me. “Isla, there’s something I need to tell you. I want you to know that I did it because I wanted to. This is truly my own choice.”

I narrowed my eyes and waited for him to spill whatever he was keeping from me.

He sighed. “I’m no longer an active duty Marine. My sergeant accepted my resignation and as of today I’m a normal citizen.”

I gasped. This was an option he mentioned, but I expected him to think about it for a while, really consider what it would mean. “Really?”

He nodded. “Yes, and also as of today I’m head of security for the palace.”

I let out a laugh. “What? What does that mean?”

“There are some changes and improvements that need to be made around the palace, and I’ll be leading those efforts. I’ll no longer be a guard, but I will advise on their training.”

“So, you’re working in the palace?”

He nodded. “Your father offered me the position this morning.”

I shook my head. “This was what he pulled you away to talk about?”

His smile grew. “This and one other thing.”