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Leading the way back to the sofas, I sat serenely, taking up a broadcasting tablet that lay on the table. Swiping through the news headlines, I tapped on the ones that piqued my interest. There was a new mine opening in Simpia. A new school opened using the funds from the sale of my parent's city residence. The trend in fashion had shifted to follow my influence. The explosion of a Cyran supply ship was still under investigation. Still, it was suspected to be caused by faulty maintenance.
"He's covering it up?" I asked, looking to Hartwin.
Hartwin looked up from his own tablet. "Do you really expect us to advertise that there have been several assassination attempts on the Prince since he joined with you?"
"But people here at the palats must have seen what happened?"
"Well, of course. You saw the broadcast of another abduction attempt?" Hartwin reminded me of the broadcast that went live the day following the news of the supply ship’s explosion. "We are quite happy for the public to know that Abaddon is a self-proclaimed mad king who is trying to abduct a woman he has been obsessed with for the past ten years. It puts the people behind us when we take action."
Frowning, I flicked to the people's impression polls. "There is already popularity rising for the Prince to take offensive action?"
Hartwin nodded. "You have tremendous support, Princess. The people here were thrilled with your joining, even with the rumors that it was not your choice. They do not want to see you harmed by a mad man."
Searching through the news cycles, I found an article about my stabbing. "I was stabbed when one of the abductors became desperate?" I raised a brow tossing the tablet back on the table. "And I was thrown to the ocean while trying to escape. That's why no one's seen me, because I was left quite ill? Everyone's going to think the ocean is polluted for an Avalonian to get sick in water."
Just as Hartwin opened his mouth to reply, a Royal Guard wearing the sleeve sash to indicate he was training to be Elite wheeled in the second break snacks on a trolley. All the staff was reinstated, but no civilians were permitted to the top floor until the staff review was completed. Apparently, only one other staff member raised a red flag so far. He was suspended until those flags were investigated.
Clovis took the trolley from the guard. Hartwin waited until the door closed again to answer me. "The public believes you were injured from the fall. That it took so long to recover you because you sunk to the floor of the ocean unconscious, Princess. A Praldian or Cyran would probably die from the fall alone and drown if they did survive. So, it is quite believable that even a race who can breathe underwater would be off-color after falling over fifteen hundred meters. And the fact is that you are ill, and your recovery will take some months."
Hartwin knew the truth, but no one else in this room or the palats did, so he was playing along. While Clovis placed plates around the eating table, Hartwin collected my elbow to help me stand, then walked me to the table.
"You've been seen since the incident, Princess. Your walks around the ring were slow. You look paler than usual and appeared exhausted as if every step took great effort. You may not have realized how sick you look, but it supported what we released to the Broadcasters."
Sitting at the table with the other guards, I felt insecure. "I didn't realize I looked as bad as I felt. I'd never spent that long gone in water before. I didn't know how exhausting it would be. I was too terrified to come back until it was quiet again," I admitted quietly to my lap, wringing my hands absently.
The guards paused, watching me before looking to Hartwin. If Jervaise or Erhaird, or maybe even Chas, were at the table, they would have just said what they were thinking, but the others were newer and a lot more reserved around me. Hartwin reached over, gently rubbing my upper arm three times, drawing my eyes to his, then he dropped his eyes to my lips instantly.
"None of us will ever understand what you have been through and how scary that was for you, Princess." He withdrew his hand. "We are just glad you are safe. We do not judge you for hiding."
"Actually," Dail confessed quietly, keeping his eyes on his plate, "I saw you on the edge of the cliff. You put up a hell of a fight, Princess. I saw the ship's teleport click in and thought they would get you. When I saw you jump" –he licked his lips and dared to look through his brows at me— "that was the gutsiest thing. I do not know many that would have chosen that out instead of being taken aboard the ship."
"I will risk death than chance the Barbarian ever getting hold of me again."
"I believe that is what scares Prince Saboa the most, Princess." Chovis locked his gaze on my lips. "He can rescue you from any who takes you, Princess. But, he cannot rescue you from death."
The other guards nodded in agreement then the room fell silent for a long minute. Picking up my spoon, I took a mouthful of soup. Everyone returned to eating. After a few more minutes of only eating, the general chitchat between the guards started again and saw us through the meal.
ChapterEighteen
Stopping my pacing, I marched towards the door. "Princess," Hartwin warned. All of my six guards were in the sitting room with me despite the engineer leaving an hour ago. Lunch was eaten, and I'd become excessively claustrophobic as the minutes ticked by. For the last hour, I'd returned to pacing by the window, much to the guard's dismay, but I'd reached my endpoint.
"I can't stay closed up all day. So, I'm going for a walk."
"You are restricted to quarters," Hartwin reminded me forcefully.
"Fine," I snapped. Then, pulling the door to the outer quarters open, I stormed through.
"Princess!" Hartwin grumbled loudly as all the guards hurried to catch up with me.
Marching to Luther's office door under the watchful eyes of his elite, I threw open the doors, startling Ravid, who stood opposite Luther at his desk while they talked. Luther raised his head but merely watched me, waiting.
"I need to go for a walk."
"No." Luther looked back to the plans in front of him.
"I wasn't asking, Luther; I was telling you. I have walked the ring safely for most of this week. I won't stay penned up like an animal."
"This is not the time, Zira," Luther informed me patiently.
