Page 64 of Royal Guard

I finally came to a stop under a row of life-sized paintings of the royal family and their ancestors. They were arranged by date and in the most recent one,Kristina stood there in a white dress and tiara. She was beautiful. She was special. Shefitin this place.

She was up there in the clouds and I was down in the mud, where soldiers always are. Even if I wasn’t, even if I had a magic lamp and a genie who could make me a goddamn prince, it didn’t change what was inside me. It didn’t change what I’d done.

I made a decision. And went to find Kristina to tell her.

46

KRISTINA

Down in the medical facility,Dr. Glavnic checked me out. I had some scrapes on my shins and calves that he carefully cleaned, a lump on my head where I’d been kicked and plenty of bruises, but there’d be no lasting damage. “You were lucky,” he told me.

“I had Mr. Buchanan,” I told him.

I checked in on my father, but there was no change. I slowly climbed the stairs up the tower to my room. Just lifting each foot was an effort: I was exhausted.Everything’s such a mess.Garmania about to invade us. My own people close to rioting. I’d seen Jakov’s face when he heard about the vigilante justice. All his fears were coming true. I’d hidden the cherry candy I’d bought in America away in a drawer. I knew I wouldn’t be able to convince him to give it to Simone, not when things were like this.

In my bedroom, I fell into a chair. The sun was low and the room was a mass of shadows.

Something moved out from behind the drapes. A figure. I let out a half scream and dived for the door.There’s someone in here!I turned on the lights—

“Sorry,” said Caroline absently. “Didn’t mean to scare you.”

I wilted, panting, my hand to my chest. “Jesus!What are you doing in here?”

“I just wanted to be alone,” she whispered.

She looked thin and drawn.Is she eating?“Caroline…”

She shook her head and tried to push past me. I had to grab her arm to stop her. “Talk to me!” I demanded.

She was close to tears. “You have a country to run,” she said.

Sothatwas why she hadn’t been talking to me. Being Queen had even messed up things with my best friend. “Oh, Caroline!” I gathered her into my arms. “Ialwayshave time for you.”

She hiccoughed. Her face crumpled. And suddenly it all came out, all the tears she’d been holding back since we discovered Sebastian was a traitor.

“I’m just—” She sniffed. “I just want to see him. Even after what he did. I just—Why can’t everything just go back to the way it was?”

“I know,” I whispered, stroking her blonde hair. “I know.”

She shook her head viciously. “Youdon’tknow,” she said. She pulled back and looked at me. “Kristina, I thought he was the one!”

She threw herself against my chest again and started sobbing. My chest ached for her. I’d had no idea it was that serious. No wonder she was heartbroken.

“They have him in acell!”she sobbed. “And everyone’s—”

She broke off, but I frowned. “Everyone’swhat?”

“I heard some of the other maids talking. They think I must have known. Or that I’m stupid for not realizing.”

My arms tightened around her. I was going to have some very stern words with those maids. “He was very convincing,” I said gently. “I liked him too. He had usallfooled. He’s so nice.” Shy, in fact. That’s why I’d been so surprised at the idea of him and Caroline together.

“That’s what I like about him,” croaked Caroline.

I released her from the hug so that I could look at her.

“Other men just want to…” She looked down at her feet. “You know. They think I’m blonde, and a maid, and they want me for...fun.But Sebastian, he treats me like I’m something special.” Her lower lip trembled and she looked up at me. “He makes me feel like—”

She broke off and started sobbing again, but it didn’t matter: I knew what she meant. I’ve always known that it must be hard for her, being best friends with a royal.

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