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When Gale shot her a glare, she pretended to be interested in Achilles and Andromeda.
“Odette, I understand you are upset by this. So am I. But we can’t force him back to the palace!”
“It’s not force because this is where he wants to be,” I replied. It was horrible that he was just allowed to go like that.
“He’s the one who gave me the resignation letter.”
“Sometimes, people do the extreme to see how far you are willing to go for them. How hard you are willing to fight for them. You were supposed to tear the letter up.”
“I told you I did! The damn man pulled out another one.”
“Then you should have ripped that one up, too,” I snapped. “Iskandar has dedicated his life to protecting us. You. Everyone always calls him a rock, but a rock does not float in the air; it always rests on something.”
He sighed. “Yes, he rests on the rules, Odette.”
“No, he rests on us. The Monarchy. He protects us; he fights for us because he believes in us. Like millions of other people in this country, he trusts that when the going gets tough, we will stand by them. What are we going to do next time the press attacks one of the people close to us? Let them go? When it’s family, we weather through it. When it is the staff or the help of the guard? They are simply replaceable? No. I refuse. Loyal people should be treated with loyalty,” I stated, rising from my chair. “Whenever you go somewhere, I’m less worried because I know Iskandar is right there, watching over you. We can’t fight the press, fine, but they should know no matter what, they cannot bully and slander our people.”
Turning from him, I marched toward the doors, and before I could even lift my hand, Mr. Parsworth bowed his head to me before the other footmen opened the doors.
“Bravo.” Eliza rushed up beside me and linked arms with mine. “Very moving. Mr. Parsworth’s chest puffed up a bit. I think they were a bit touched.”
I let go of the breath I was holding. “I’m not comfortable without him or Wolfgang there. I know we shouldn’t treat them like they are our friends or family…but still. I don’t have very many close friends; the ones I do have I want to protect.”
“I’ll back you anytime,” she said as we walked.
“You’d think I’d personally kicked him out of the palace with how upset she is,” I muttered as I leaned back into a chair. “He’s my guard…was. Whatever. I should be the one giving speeches about loyalty.”
“Why aren’t you?” my mother asked.
I peeked one eye open to look at her. “Not you, too. Honestly, what are you all expecting me to do? There was no way to force him. He was gone faster than I could even blink. He had a whole exit plan ready, too.”
“They all do.”
“What?”
“All the guards, they have a system, a line of succession of their own,” she explained as she lifted her tea, stirring slowly. “They all operate under the belief that any day on the job could be their last. Of course, they couldn’t leave any gaps; if one of them falls, another rises instantly. Do you not like your new guard?”
“He’s fine, just not…”
“Iskandar?”
I didn’t reply. So she chuckled at me. “One would think you were the one in love with him.”
“Mother, please!” I snapped. The last thing we needed was for the ears of the palace to hear that and repeat it somewhere else…somewhere in front of a reporter.
“I’m kidding, but I can tell this bothers everyone. Even the guards don’t seem pleased with it. And they do their best to never let us know anything about them.”
“I know.” It was easy to tell people were not pleased. The monarchy was a machine, and each person was a gear keeping us running. Each and every one of us was replaceable, even I was. But that didn’t mean we ran smoothly when replaced. “I know, but I didn’t fire him. So I can’t bring him back.”
“Well, she said she sent Wolfgang, so maybe he’ll have some luck.”
“Maybe.” But I doubted it.
Chapter 33
So far, on this little adventure to hell, I have almost died twice!
Once by nearly being shot by a local hunter. The second by an actual bear I came across. So, to both the hunter and the prey…I was a target. There was symbolism in that somewhere, but I let it go. I was going to get this done. Even if I had to hike up Mount Everest and swim the Nile. I was going to make it through, even if it killed me. And it just might.
