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I smile as my father comes to me, with unhidden tears in his eyes. He’s more careful but the worry in his features saddens me. He sends Lia out to play with a promise she can return later after I’ve rested.
“I don’t like this type of thing. It’s twice now.”
“I know,” I say smiling. I’m home. I’m safe. “Where’s Kayne?” I ask. If it weren’t for Kayne saving me on both occasions when my uncle wanted to take control of Strohamden and when Roger Thompson wanted to take control over me, I would be dead. My father knows that.
But I can’t wait to see him. Every second I don’t set my eyes on him is a second too long.
“Margo decided it’s best he’s not around the palace just yet, especially after your absence. There was a small article in some low-traffic site about you running off with your bodyguard for a heated affair. Of course, Margo had that shut down in no time. But she thought it best we pace ourselves.”
“And he agreed? Kayne agreed to stay away from me?” I ask frowning.Did he agree to stay away from me?
“Yes, surprisingly. Only because Igor is outside your door.”
“Igor is all right?” I ask. Part of me still feels happy to see and hear of the people I hold dear, but part of me wilts at Kayne’s absence.
“He is now. We all are now that you’re safe.”
It’s at this point I realize I haven’t told my father anything about Kayne and me. I went to seek him out in New York, then asked him to marry me, which he refused to do only because he wanted to be the one to ask me and then of course we got kidnapped after extensive explosions were set off in his apartment building.
“Dad… Kayne—”
“I know. He told me.”
“He did?” I don’t know why I’m so surprised.
“Of course. He has my full blessings. There isn’t a better man for you than Kayne.”
“Is that because he keeps saving my life?”
“That and so much more. I don’t ever have to worry about you, Sophia. Not with Kayne at your side. And I’ll take the credit for matchmaking you two up.”
I laugh and it hurts my side. But my father is right.
“I may have gone about it in an odd little way but the result is still the same. You belong to each other. I don’t know how I didn’t see it before.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean I should have paid more attention to the way Kayne looked at you over the years before I sent him on that mission regarding you.”
I blush but it makes me feel so happy to know I wasn’t the only one who had been secretly infatuated.
“He’s the only man for the job of being your husband and I can tell you now he has no intention of taking the title of king.”
“I know.” But why hasn’t he come to me yet? I change the subject. “What else has Margo dictated about my life?”It was Margo that told him he couldn’t come but still, when did he start taking orders?
My father detects my irritation. He smiles it off and fills me in on everything that has been decided for me.
“After almost losing you, a total of three times, already, twice almost to Thompson when I thought I was doing the right thing to marry you off to the man, I’ve concluded that life is too short and reputations and impeccable records take second place to happiness. What I’m saying daughter is, do what will make you happy.”
A tear rolls down my face to hear my father say that to me. But I understand my duty, as he does to our country. But that doesn’t mean I have to be a miserable queen. I won’t be that kind of a queen.
I try not to let Kayne’s actions cloud my responses though. I don’t want my father to worry about anything else when it comes to me.
“What does the public know of my absence?” I ask but I’m really not interested in the answer. I don’t care if the world knows what happened to me, but I also know I have a duty and I will perform that duty whether the truth comes out or not.
Why isn’t Kayne here? My brain keeps shouting out that question three times for every one thought I have. Why isn’t he here?
“Just that you needed a little me time, as they call it before you stepped into your role as Queen of Strohamden. The public is led to believe you’re in Switzerland, in the Alps, centering yourself. No one who knows you will believe you need to center yourself to take on the role you were born to play, but Margo did a good job of selling it to the public.”
