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“Dad …” Ray’s voice stopped him.
He pivoted, impatient to go to Madeline.
“From what I gathered, it was about you. The guy was trying to get her to commit to lure you away from your guards. He also said some foul things, like he wanted to see how the future queen tasted.” Ray’s mouth and shoulders were tight.
Nolan froze. “He hurt her to get to me.”
“I believe so.” Ray looked him over. “I’m sorry.”
“This isn’t your fault, son.” It was Nolan’s fault. He had put Madeline at risk because of his role in life. Anne had been killed for the same reason. His vision felt cloudy. What if Madeline had been killed?
“Levi and Mason should never have let her go alone,” Ray said, oblivious to the churning in Nolan’s gut. “Four different guards stopped her and allowed her to leave by herself. Madeline is very convincing and an authority figure, but Mum knew better. She would’ve never …” He broke off and clenched his fists.
Nolan could only stare at Ray. Anne knew better, but she’d snuck out of the castle without guards on that fateful winter night to try to salvage a lifelong friendship, and she’d been killed.
“Apologies. Madeline isn’t the queen, and I don’t want to compare her to mum, or bring up ...” He studied the windows behind Nolan. Then his gaze swung back to Nolan’s face, and his blue eyes were as serious as ever. “But you understand how safety works, especially for you and mum, for T and Jenn. When we don’t follow those protocols ….” He shrugged and thankfully didn’t spell it out.
“I understand,” Nolan managed. He knew what happened. Oh, how he knew.
“I know you do.” Ray clenched his fists again, a common thing when he was worried or upset. “It’s easy to see how you feel about Madeline. Can you convince her to always keep guards with her?”
Nolan stared at his son. The general of Augustine. Ray took everyone’s protection very seriously, and he was fabulous at protecting their family and their country. The Rindlesbachers had thrown them for a loop with their brilliant scheming, but recently it had seemed the kingdom was safe and settled. Nolan had wrongly assumed they could relax a bit.
Why would some man go after Madeline to get to him now? Was it tied to parliament’s weird accusations and Naomi Rindlesbacher? They had to get to the bottom of this and keep Madeline safe, but he understood more than most that ditching guards wasn’t acceptable. If only he’d woken the night Anne had slipped out of the castle. If only the guards had been more diligent. If only Leslie hadn’t been manipulated and brain-washed by the Rindlesbachers. He could list ‘if onlys’ for hours, or he could help Madeline understand how important her safety was to him. To all of them.
“I’ll talk to her,” he assured Ray.
“Thank you.” Ray nodded to him.
“Thank you, son.” He wanted to get to Madeline, but there was something he needed to know. “Are you all right with me remarrying someday?” He hadn’t convinced Madeline to marry him, but that wasn’t the issue right now. Right now, he needed his son’s insight. As a rule, Ray was logical and unselfish.
Ray studied him, thoughtful. “I don’t need a mother figure in my life like Kiera, Macey, or some of my siblings or in-laws seem to, but I like and respect Madeline. And the most important thing is … she makes you happy.” Ray granted him a rare half-smile. “You’ve been strong on your own, and working many hours as you always did, but without Mum…” He clenched his fist. “I could see the toll it was taking on you and that you were lonely. You’ve kept going for our family and for Augustine. But the past month … you’ve been happy.”
It was a long speech for Ray, and it touched Nolan deeply.
“Thank you.” Nolan couldn’t resist embracing his boy. Ray was thirty-one, married, the general of all their armed forces, as tough and no-nonsense as anyone Nolan knew. Besides special occasions, he didn’t embrace anyone besides his wife and Kiera.
Ray returned the hug for half a second. Then he cleared his throat and stepped back.
“Talk to you soon.” Nolan lifted a hand, spun, and ran down the hall.
He had to get to Madeline.
He pumped down the staircase and was outside her suite and pounding on the door before he could stop himself.
Yanking his hand back, he clenched his fists like Ray would’ve. Madeline had been attacked. It washed over him in a horrible wave of agony. If only he could pound the man who’d hurt her. That was very uncharacteristic of him to even think. He was fit and strong, but he’d never been a brawler. He’d been raised from birth to be a genteel king. His parents had believed in hiring more guards, not learning to protect themselves. Ray had been the one to teach him to spar and how to protect himself physically.
The door finally swung open. Madeline was in a robe, her hair piled on her head, her face solemn, her green eyes wary.
“Madeline,” he groaned.
She gave a little cry and flung herself against his chest.
Nolan had no problem wrapping her up tight and holding her close. He gently ushered her into the room and closed the door behind him, continuing to hold her. She leaned against him, almost as if she couldn’t support her own weight. Some man had attacked her, threatened her. He didn’t rape her. Those words were somewhat reassuring, but not really. How far had the man gone? What external and internal injuries did she have?
She suddenly pulled back, and her emerald eyes filled with fire. “Nolan! You can’t go hiking anymore. That awful man is after you. He wants me to get you alone, away from your guards, and then he said he’ll take care of the rest.” She shuddered. “You may not leave the castle. Unless you have a whole platoon of guards. Ray will agree with me.”
Nolan stared at her. “Madeline…” He had to clear his throat to continue. “You were attacked by this man, and you’re worried about me? Love … I’ll be fine. Ray taught me how to fight and he never lets me leave without guards. It’s you we’re all worried about.”
