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Mason had always thoughtof the king as the most generous and friendly monarch on earth. He respected the man deeply and had sworn his life to protect him and his family, but the king often had a smile on his face and a kind word for his guards. After Mason saved Princess Aliya from a serial killer, taking a knife in his own back, and then helped rescue Princess Sophie, Princess Sunny, and Princess Sophie’s parents, stripping the bomb from William Rindlesbacher’s filthy paws, the king had been even more generous and kind to him.
At the moment, the king was as stern, unyielding, and terrifying as his glowering son, General Raymond August.
Mason listened as they took turns reiterating that he had voluntarily promised not to pursue Kiera and reminding him he had told General Ray that he had a girlfriend. They were both stunned that Captain Mason Henson, the man who had protected their family and who they’d trusted above most men in the world, would go back on his word to the general and try to double-time some girlfriend and Kiera.
He wasn’t quite sure how it took half an hour to go over those points time and again. It was one-thirty in the morning, he was exhausted, he wanted Kiera’s hand in his, and he had no idea how to explain his actions or convince the overprotective king and even more overprotective general that he was in fact the one man for Kiera and wholly committed to her and her happiness.
Finally, the king rubbed a hand at his brow and sank into a chair. He gestured for the general and Mason to sit. They both obeyed.
“Please explain yourself, Captain Henson,” the king said, staring at him with those uncanny blue eyes, the very color of Kiera’s eyes, but the king’s eyes didn’t have long lashes or that perpetual sparkle.
“King Nolan. General August.” He nodded to each of them. “Please know that you and your family have my utmost respect and allegiance. I would never do anything to betray or hurt any of you, most of all Kiera.”
Her dad’s brows rose, maybe at his impassioned plea, maybe at him forgetting the ‘princess’ title.
“Two days ago, when General August asked me to pretend to be a couple with Kiera to protect her, and then intoned that I would pursue her, I was honestly offended. In my mind, Kiera was still a teenager in pigtails. I hadn’t seen her in a year and a half, and I don’t spend time on social media.”
“She did mature … quite a bit over the last little while,” the king conceded.
“In every way, sir. Not simply physically, but emotionally and even spiritually. She’s become the perfect woman in every way imaginable.”
The two men exchanged a look.
“Realizing Kiera is all grown up is no excuse for going back on your word,” General August said. “And you told me you had a girlfriend.”
“When I told you I had a girlfriend, it was to prove that I would never pursue a college girl like I thought Kiera still was. I don’t have a girlfriend. I’d gone on two dates with Dr. Miriam Cruz and had planned a third, but as soon as I realized how gone I was over Kiera, I called Miriam and explained we wouldn’t be going out again.”
The general shrugged. “And promising to ‘never pursue her’ and then when I show up, you’re holding hands and Kiera is claiming you can’t leave her side… how is that not trifling with her heart and pursuing her?” He paused, then growled, “Did you kiss her?” as if the thought had just occurred to him.
“She did kiss me,” Mason admitted.
Her dad’s eyes widened. The general’s fists clenched.
“And I kissed her back,” he added.
“This all feels … out of character to me,” the general said. “I know you date a lot, but you’re one of the most honorable men I know. I never would’ve figured you for someone who would go back on his word.”
“You’re right, sir. Kiera blindsided me … in every possible way.”
“How did she blindside you and kiss you?”
“She leaped onto my back and choked me out.”
“Pardon me?” her dad said.
Mason nodded. “There is no world where I could hurt Kiera. I let her knock me out. When I came to, she kissed me.” He smiled, though he shouldn’t have. “She said right before she jumped me, ‘I didn’t promise not to pursue you. Your conscience can be clear. This is on my head.’” He rubbed his hands together, then immediately stopped.
The general and the king stared at him. Mason was slightly embarrassed. What princess had choked out her own bodyguard? And they both knew he could break out of any kind of hold.
They looked at each other. “Schemes,” General August muttered, then he actually chuckled before shaking his head.
“Sounds exactly like my girl,” the king said. “Choked out one of our top men.”
Mason shifted in his seat.
“You told her about your promise?” General August asked.
“I did. She wouldn’t take my answer of ‘I can’t’ when she tried to kiss me or get too close.”
