Page 59 of Royal Guard

Garrett stepped closer and that low Texas growl filled the room. “Your Majesty... they may be right. It might be the only way to catch the assassins. They wouldn’t hesitate to do much worse to you.”

I held his gaze for a moment. Those clear blue eyes were full of concern: he just wanted me to be safe. But—

“No,” I said. “And that’s final. I won’t sink to their level.”

Aleksander bowed. “As you wish, Your Majesty.” And he and the intelligence chief left. Garrett gave me a careful bow, then stepped towards the door to leave as well.

“Garrett!”

He stopped.

“Do you think I made the right decision?”

He turned to face me and I could see the sympathy in his eyes, the way his big hand was crushing the door handle. He was fighting the urge to grab me and pull me into his arms. “I’m just glad I’m not the one who has to make it,” he said at last.

“My father always said this was the loneliest job in the world,” I told him. “I’m just starting to understand what he meant.”

He looked down at the floor, breathing hard. I could sense the battle going on inside him because I felt the same way. “We can’t be together,” he said at last. “That doesn’t mean you’re on your own.”

My eyes went hot and I had to press my lips together hard. I nodded.

“Will there be anything else, Your Majesty?” he asked.

I shook my head, my voice cracking. “No, Garrett. There won’t be anything else.”

He backed out of the door and closed it. I slumped against the heavy oak, then slid down it to the floor as the tears started.

41

KRISTINA

“It’s time,”said my mother.

I stood... and nearly fell, my legs were trembling so much. Caroline grabbed my arm and steadied me.

My mother put her hands on my shoulders. On the surface, she was as controlled as ever, her make-up perfect, but for once I could see the genuine emotion in her eyes. “I know this isn’t the way we wanted it to happen,” she said. “But this isyourday. Try to enjoy it.” She squeezed my shoulders. “I’m so proud of you.”

I couldn’t speak. Between the fear of messing this up and the danger I would be in, I was so scared I thought I might throw up. So I just nodded. My mother stepped back and, ahead of me, the doors to the square creaked open.

The sunlight was so bright that I couldn’t see anything. It felt as though I was walking forward into a fiery doorway that would just consume me. Then, as I got outside, my eyes adjusted and—

Thirty thousand people lined the balconies of thehistoric square: five floors of them, towering above me. Some of them had stood in line for a full day and night to get a spot. My steps faltered.I can’t—

Then my eyes locked on Garrett, standing to attention just beside the throne. For this ceremony, they’d added a peaked cap to his uniform, its polished brim glinting in the sunlight. The shadow it cast made those blue eyes shine even more. He gave me a tiny nod.You can do this.

I walked to the center of the square, where the head of the church was waiting. I sat slowly on the throne, my hands tightening around the golden arms.

“I crown you Queen Kristina,” he said. “May you reign well.”

The crowd started its cheer before he’d finished speaking and the volume only increased as the crown slid onto my head.God, it’s so heavy!I carefully stood, heart thumping, petrified I was going to drop it. The crowd was deafening, now: I had no hope of hearing what they were saying, but the roar lifted me up and carried me. I looked up and waved to them and it got, if possible, even louder.

For a second, the crowd’s joy swept everything else away and my heart swelled.I am Queen.

Then the responsibility hit me again.Please God, don’t let me let them down.

But I was so glad I’d insisted on having the ceremony. Every face in the crowd was joyous. They needed this, after the bombs and the assassination attempts. And I needed to remember what I was fighting to protect.I can’t let all this be destroyed by war again. I can’t.

I walked the short distance to where the royal carriage was waiting. Six well-trained white horseswere harnessed and standing patiently, despite the roar of the crowd. Garrett gave me his hand to help me climb up. They’d given him white gloves, too.

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