“It’s still weird,” Damien shrugs, “You are the most important people in the kingdoms, Alpha.”
I haven’t thought about that before, but he has a point. It is unusual for the Alpha or the Prince to go anywhere without his most trusted warriors. Heck, they had their whole entourage last time—to the point my dad had to spread rumors about some knights' cosplay convention, so they could pass without human interference. Sure, it was before signing the peace deal, but still, no backup at all seems extreme.
I look at Cain again and shrug.
“We’re fine. No one is stupid enough to attack us. And if they are, they won’t live for long. So, can we pass?”
“Of course, Alpha. I’ve already got orders from Prince Gregory to let you in.”
Huh, I’m gone for five seconds, and Greg is already giving orders by himself right and left… I go back to sit behind Cain with a spring in my step, and we ride off after putting our helmets on.
As soon as we enter the first city of my former Kingdom, I feel ripped out of the fairytale.
Okay, maybe my fairytale is full of ruthless rogues and rapes in the dining hall; but I’m still a princess forced to live in a medieval-looking castle in the middle of a weird wolf-filled town. My new reality doesn’t feel real.
Now, when I’m thrust back into normal, modern civilization—with electricity, movie theaters, the internet, and Uber drivers… it all doesn’t feel real anymore either.
It’s not long before Cain parks his bike in front of one of the royal family’s summer mansions.
There are already a lot of cars in front of the light-up building, and by the buzz coming from the inside, I assume we are the last to arrive.
“Don’t smoke in the palace, and if you need a whore you have to call her a sex worker,” I say, standing up and taking off my helmet.
“Why would I need a whore? I already brought one with me.”
Ilook at him, not amused.
“What? Not funny?”
I crack a smile. “Okay, it was a tiny bit funny. But don’t even try to drop those kinds of jokes around my parents.”
Cain unlocks our bag and takes something from the storage under the seat. His leather-bound notebook.
“Your whole demeanor has changed,” he says, biting into an apple while looking at me apprehensively.
“What do you mean?”
“You are stiff as fuck.” He bites the fruit again and throws the rest into the bush nearby.
Where the fuck does he always get these apples anyway?
I turn the knob on the front doors, and they open. The only guards we met were stationed by the gate, and the hall is only dimly lit. All the guests must sit in one of the living rooms, or maybe they are eating dinner—it is getting late.
“Come on, let’s find someone who will locate us first,” I hold the doors for Cain, who is carrying our bag.
We are at the corner when I notice my favorite head, full of black coily curls, coming out from one of the many guest rooms.
“That’s my cousin,” I whisper to Cain immediately, “You will have the urge to kill her, but please don’t hurt her. Even when she says ‘totally’ for the gazillionth time.”
She turns around and smiles widely when she notices me.
“Officer Asher!” She screams, without any ounce of military respect. “My favorite Rogue Slayer girl!” She runs into my embrace, a basket filled with a bunch of stuff under her arm.
“Hi, Ella,” I hug her, hoping Cain won’t ever ask me about that nickname.
“You have a very hotbodyguard,” she starts shamelessly ogling unbothered-looking Cain, definitely not knowing what Rogue Prince looks like.
I didn’t either until we met, and she wasn’t in the palace then—so I don’t blame her. Also, I don’t correct her because that is kind of funny and I’m curious when she’ll get who he really is.