CHAPTER 2

          Romaine tried hard not to groan like a child, but having someone watch her constantly grew tiresome, and dealing with a new person meant reminding said person again and again that personal space was a must.

“Why can’t you just let me have Theodore? Or Brent? They’ve been here long enough. They knew me,” she muttered. “I know Ralph retired, but why do you need to bring in another one?”

“Because my daughter needs a personal bodyguard at all times. You know this very well. I have one and so does your father. We are the Royal family and that’s the way it is, Romaine. I don’t know why you don’t see that.”

          She wanted to say that a bodyguard hadn’t protected her older brother from the terrible boating accident that took his life when Romaine was only six. Instead, she nodded in apology.

“Very well, Mother, as you wish. I will meet the new security guard.”

          Though she didn’t see why she still needed protection… No one had tried to hurt a member of the Royal family for at least a century. Romaine hated having someone follow her around, watching everyone so intently. She didn’t even get to leave the damn palace unless she was with her parents and they had the entire guard with them.

          They’d stopped letting her go out when Ansell, her brother, had died. Romaine was trapped within a new, over-protective world of guards and servants who were watching her every move, every breath, every step.

“So, when is this new guard arriving?” she asked as they stopped at the bottom of the grand staircase.

“Any moment now, Romaine. Wait here. I’m going to fetch your father so he can be introduced as well. I swear, between the two of you, I’m not certain who is worse with forgetting when you’re needed,” her mother complained and strode off down the hall, Theodore, her bodyguard, behind her.

          Romaine paced back and forth, Brent’s eyes observing their surroundings as she did. She tugged nervously at her dark blue suit jacket and matching skirt, hoping to avoid being scolded by her mother when she returned should she appear less than presentable.

          A princess never wore wrinkled clothes, nor scuffed shoes, and she would certainly never tug on her earlobe. Yet Romaine’s hand reached up to do just that, fiddling with the sapphire-encrusted stud there.

“Do you know who this guard is?”

          Brent shook his head.

“I have heard of him, though, Ma’am,” he replied without elaboration.

“And that’s all you’re going to tell me?”

          His lips twitched in a smile.

“I’m afraid so, Ma’am. Your mother would not like me to gossip.”

“It’s not gossiping if it’s the truth, Brent,” Romaine insisted with a bright smile. “Come on… I know you want to tell me.”

          Steps echoed, coming their way, and Brent straightened, clasping his hands behind his back and looking straight ahead. Romaine narrowed her eyes at him, but he didn’t speak.

          She turned, ready to scold whoever interrupted them… only to find Raoul, the head of the Royal Security. His grey hair had been recently buzzed, and as always, he walked with an air of a man who should run an army, she thought, not the palace security.

          Romaine suspected that long ago, he had been in charge of the army, but he never shared any details on the matter except to say that no palace in the world was safe.

“Your Royal Highness, I wish you a very happy birthday,” he said and bowed his head.

          She held out her hand, and he kissed the back of it.

“Thank you very much, Raoul. I’m happy to see you doing well, as always.”

“I do my best, Ma’am, which is all a man can ask for,” Raoul replied. “Please, allow me to introduce you to your new personal security guard. He will shadow you as Ralph did. Kingston Rossdale, may I introduce Her Royal Highness, Princess Romaine Eloise Santángel-Ordoñez of Deltora.”

          He stepped to the side, and Romaine held out her hand, ready to greet Kingston Rossdale, but the second her eyes met his, she absolutely froze. Her breath caught in her chest when his hand touched hers, and he bowed his head before his hot lips pressed against her knuckles.

“Your Royal Highness,” he greeted her in a deep voice that bordered on a growl. “It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

          Romaine nodded, her hand remaining in his for a moment longer than was appropriate before she managed to pull it free and slid it down her skirt.

“The pleasure is all mine, Mr. Rossdale.”

“No need for ‘mister’, Your Royal Highness… If it’s not too much, I prefer Kingston or… King… That’s my nickname, Ma’am.”

“Very well… I’ll call you… King then… I hope my father won’t mind,” she said breathily, her eyes locked on his.

          He was tall, and beneath his black suit jacket, Romaine saw his flexed muscles, bulging at his arms and shoulders as he took a step back to stand beside Raoul.

“My parents… His Royal Majesty, King Hernando, and Her Royal Majesty, Queen Dorothea, will be here shortly to meet you as well,” she said, forcing a smile onto her face.

          Smiling was the last thing on her mind. He had yet to look away, and those icy blue eyes of his captured Romaine in a way she couldn’t begin to describe. He couldn’t be more than three or four years older than her, but in the depths of those eyes was so much emotion, a swirling storm that drew her in the longer she stared.

          His gaze was intense, and for some reason, her feet moved towards him without her consciously deciding to do so. When her mother called out a greeting behind her, Romaine stopped, shaking her head and mentally cursing herself.

          Maybe he hadn’t noticed her strange behavior. He smirked, and she glared. He’d noticed.

“Welcome, Kingston,” Queen Dorothea said as she held out her hand.

          King Hernando stood beside her.

“I was so happy when Raoul found you to replace Ralph.”

“Thank you, Ma’am. It is an honor to protect the Royal family.”

          He bowed his head again when King Hernando nodded.

“Your Royal Majesty...”

“Kingston, I hear you have quite the background,” the King said.

          Romaine’s eyes narrowed when Kingston’s hands shook at his sides before he curled them into tight fists.

“Just a few honors, Sir, nothing too exciting.”

“Exciting enough, my dear boy.”

          King Hernando tugged at his beard, revealing a grin.

“One night, you and I will have to compare war stories with Raoul.”

          He patted the older man on the shoulder with a wink.

“I knew it,” Romaine mused. “Raoul, I still don’t know why you insist on lying to me.”

“Certain stories are not for a young lady’s ears,” King Hernando chided.

          Romaine refused to let her grin fall, but her father’s words prickled at her as his offhand comments always did. Even on her birthday, when she was eligible to take the throne, he insisted on treating her like a little girl.

          Trying to think of a way to remove herself from the conversation, her eyes roamed the large hall and landed on another pair. Kingston’s eyes narrowed subtly, and she swore they shifted down her body and his jaw tightened.

          Her annoyance rising even more, she politely told her mother she would be in her rooms preparing for the ball that evening and turned on her heel to leave.

“Oh, Romaine, let Kingston escort you,” King Hernando called out. “He will need to know your daily routine and will be accompanying you to the ball this evening.”

“I wouldn’t want to keep him from his other duties of learning the layout of the palace,” Romaine commented as she turned, knowing every new guard began with a tour.

          She begged her father with her eyes to listen to her, but he waved her worries away.

“Nonsense, this is just as important. I will not have my daughter’s safety put at risk. You have been without Ralph for two days,” her father insisted. “That is quite long enough.”

          King Hernando motioned for Kingston to follow her, and Romaine brightened her smile.

“All right then, I guess I will show you to my rooms since you’ll be near them the most.”

          Without waiting for him to reach her, Romaine turned and walked up the stone steps, her heels clicking loudly. Kingston’s footsteps were nearly silent behind her. She glanced over her shoulder at one point to make sure he was actually following her.

          His eyes met hers immediately, and she quickly whipped back around. Her fingers tugged at her jacket as she told herself it was nothing. Kingston Rossdale was just another guard. His handsome face with sharp cheekbones and shadow of scruff were nothing. Not attractive at all…

          ‘Then why the hell do you want to catch another glimpse of him and that body?’ she heard a little voice in her head.

          Usually, her personal guards were not young and certainly not this drop-dead handsome. Add that to the fact of how rarely she saw anyone outside the palace walls, and Romaine quickly pushed away her sudden attraction to him, which was simply hormones and nothing more. Not that it could ever be more than a simple attraction, anyway.

“These are my rooms,” Romaine announced, hating how flustered she sounded by the time they reached her doors.

“Yes, Ma’am. I have studied the map,” he said quietly.

“Right… Of course, you have…”

          She avoided his gaze as she pushed open the heavy, wooden doors and stepped inside.

“Marisol? Are you here?”

          A happy blonde girl bounced out of the bedroom and curtsied to Romaine.

“Princess, I’m glad you have returned early. We have so much to do to get you ready for tonight! Ah,” she said, and her eyebrow shot up when she glanced past Romaine. “And who is this?”

“Marisol, this is Kingston Rossdale… my new personal bodyguard,” Romaine introduced, stepping aside so they could greet each other. “And we have plenty of time before the ball to get ready. What I could use, however, is a cup of coffee.”

          Marisol pursed her lips.

“Princess, it’s nearly lunchtime. You should eat instead.”

“Not you too, Marisol… I just want the coffee for now… please,” Romaine insisted. “I fear I will need it to last through the endless round of dancing.”

“If you insist. Anything for you, Kingston?”

          Hands clasped behind his back, he shook his head once but didn’t speak. Marisol eyed him and shot Romaine another curious look before she hurried from the room, her skirt bustling about her legs.