When vengeance strikes in the form of a bullet out for the princess's blood, Princess Aleia VonAuclair must flee the heart of her country in order to protect the people she loves and take back the pieces of her soul she'd lost to the girl she once l...
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"You are under no circumstance allowed to reveal your true identity nor the identity of your family and peers. Understand?"
I peered up at Aaron, the royal family's Head of Security Defense and the Head of the Royal Guard, as he ran through the details of my new protection program. His black combat shirt stretched over his broad shoulders while he talked and I grimaced, before giving him a resigned nod.
The events of the past month whirled through my mind, bringing about emotions ranging from fear to anger before finally settling on resignation. I'd accepted my fate long before these papers had been placed in front of me.
"You are not to speak or reiterate the details of your life here in Asrea or your protection regime to anyone outside these walls. You are not allowed to leave or go anywhere without informing at least one of your guards and if you have the need to return to the kingdom, you cannot- and I must emphasize this- you cannot inform anyone other than your parents, your brother, and your personal bodyguard, Bryan."
I quirked an eyebrow at his last sentence.
"Bryan? I thought Derek would still be my personal guard." His unblinking eyes continued to stare at me blankly causing me to flick mine between him and my parents, unsure. "Why do I need another one?"
My parents' grim faces sent dread curdling through my stomach. My mother, prim and proper in her royal blue gown and sparkling tiara, grabbed my hand and gave it a comforting squeeze.
Her silky dark hair cascaded down her shoulder in waves, a hairstyle that the crown would deem improper if we were anywhere else other than the private quarters.
My mother was the rightful queen of Asrea, having ascended to the throne a month after marrying my father. It was quite the story, my parents' fight to marry one another when my mom was already betrothed to another man.
But my father being the second in line to the throne of another kingdom in Europe made things much easier for the crown to accept. It still made a magical bedtime story, though one I didn't even know was about my parents until late in my teen years.
"Derek is...unavailable for these next few months. We don't think it's the right time for him to move to another country when he's needed here most. Our security defenses have tightened, yes, but we still need to scope out for any weaknesses."
I nodded slowly. Derek had been my personal guard for years now, and so the disappointment leaking into my veins could only be blamed on the fact that I would miss the familiarity that he brought with him.
Moving to another country would be foreign and scary, but I'd thought Derek being with me would bring about an inkling of much needed familiarity. I guess I wasn't being granted that either.
"I'm sorry that it has to be this way, sweetheart," my dad started. His eyes, normally stern, held a twinge of a frown. I smiled weakly at him, but it did little to soften the deep wrinkle lines adorning his forehead and cheeks. "Bryan will be flown in tomorrow morning where he will be briefed about the situation. He'll then escort you to the States where you will stay with Matt."
