Royally Not Ready(95)

She lets out a heavy breath. “Barely,” she whispers and then places a kiss on my jaw. “No one has made me feel the way you do.”

“Same,” I say. “And that answer at the end, you meant it?”

“I meant every single word of it,” she says. “This is what I’m supposed to do, this is where I belong. If I must keep reminding you of that, then so be it, but I’m not going anywhere.”

I lift her chin, turning her toward me, still in awe of her words.

“I’m taking the crown. It doesn’t end with King Theo. And I’ll provide enough heirs to continue the legacy and show them how amazing this country is. Teach them to learn to love it, as you’ve taught me.”

I kiss her lips and roll her to her back, then cradle her head softly and spend the foreseeable future kissing her all over her body, because it’s the only response I have.

She’s staying.

She’s mine.





“Tomorrow is our last full day here,” I say to everyone at the dinner table. Brimar made another soup, this one full of potatoes and beef, and of course fresh-baked bread, which Lilly has had three pieces of so far. “Which means I need you, Lilly, to finish your fish.”

“Can’t I finish it when we arrive at Strombly?”

“No.” I shake my head. “It’s going to be hectic when you get there. You’ll be pulled in every direction. And you need the fish for Torg. You’ll be trading it.”

“Oh, okay. I just have to smooth it out a bit and paint it. So, not much left to do.”

“Brimar and Lara, are you able to pack up the castle and make sure all is left in its proper place?”

Lara nods while Brimar grumbles about him taking care of the kitchen.

“I have some phone calls with Henrik tomorrow and some prepping to do, so I won’t be able to do much to help.”

“We can handle it,” Lara says. “Plus, I have some protocol to go over with Lilly.”

“What sort of protocol?” Lilly asks, surprisingly still using the table manners we’ve taught her. She’s been working hard, and it shows. When we first arrived, she would have been hunched over her bowl, spoon in one hand, bread in the other, slurping up her soup. Now she’s poised. Regal.

“Since we’ve been here, we’ve been relaxed when it comes to following the protocol of what you need to remember when out in public. As your bodyguard, I need to go over some things with you, like how you need permission and clearance before entering a building or going outside, how you don’t open a door, and logistics that need to be remembered. It’s simple, but I do feel like it’s something we need to touch upon before we leave.”

“Oh, yeah, anything you guys can think of, I’d love to know, because I don’t want to make a fool of myself when I arrive.”

“You won’t,” I say. “You’re prepared.”

“I feel like I am, but I’m also nervous, and when I’m nervous, I forget things.”

“Well, we’ll all be there for you,” Lara says. “And I can whisper in your ear if you need help or reminders.”

“That would be so great. Thank you so much,” Lilly says as she sets her spoon down, turned over on her plate, indicating that she’s done. She then places her hands in her lap and smiles at us all. “I know you’re going to say it’s your duty to serve and protect, but I want to tell you how thankful I am for everything you’ve done for me since we’ve been here. I’m not sure you’re aware how terrifying this has all been, but you’ve made it a thousand times easier by being there for me, walking me through everything I need to know, and even poking fun at me when needed.”

I reach out to Lilly and take her hand in mine. I feel the heat of Brimar’s and Lara’s eyes on the connection, but I hold her hand anyway. “You’ve done an exquisite job of handling everything we’ve thrown your way.”

“I couldn’t have done it without you guys. Seriously.” She takes a deep breath. “I truly feel as though you’re family, the family I’ve been missing since my parents passed away. And you’ve shown me the history I’ve been missing my whole life, the history I’ve craved. This has been a scary, but also fulfilling, few weeks, and I’m so thankful for all three of you.”

“Wow,” Lara says, dabbing at her eyes with her napkin. “Does she have the regal thing down or what?”

We all chuckle, and I squeeze Lilly’s hand and say, “She does.”

Shortly after, I carry the plates to the kitchen while Lara and Lilly work on some self-defense moves that Lilly has wanted to learn. I decide to stay in the kitchen and help Brimar.

“What can I do?” I ask him.

He whips a towel in my direction. “You can dry.”

“Easy enough.” I saddle up next to him by the sink, and as he rinses the dishes, he hands them to me. “Want to talk about whatever’s on your mind?” I ask him.

“Nothing’s on my mind.”

“Brimar, I’ve known you since we were kids. Trust me, I can tell when something is on your mind.”

He scrubs a dish extra hard as he asks, “Do you actually like her?”

Not a fan of his tone, I ask, “What do you mean?”