Page 3 of The Princess and Her Grand King

He had provided them with bodyguards who took their roles seriously, making sure no harm came to them. Aekeira's heart alternated between grateful and suspicious.

There had to be a catch. A motive. Men like King Orestus did not change overnight.

The problem was, she had no idea what his motive could be.

Her greatest worry upon their return had been Emeriel’s punishment for her years of deceit. Yet King Orestus never once brought it up. Not in public, not in private.

He treated them as if a lie of that magnitude hadn't occurred. As though Emeriel hadn’t suddenly transformed from a boy to a girl.

The kingdom, however, was a different matter. The court was in tumult, the city in uproar. And for two years, King Orestus turned a blind eye.

Even his son, the crowned prince, had taken notice, developing a strong interest in Emeriel's gender revelation.

He confessed his feelings for her, and been relentless in his pursuit. Using charm to mask an iron-willed determination to have Emeriel, that, at times, unsettled Aekeira.

Was this why King Orestus protected them so fiercely?Aekeira had once asked herself.Did he want Emeriel for his golden prince?

But that theory quickly fell apart when the king discovered his son’s courting. He had not only erupted in a fit of rage, but also forbid Prince Daviel from getting close to Emeriel and Aekeira.

As though they were more precious than his favorite son. Or, perhaps, the king believed they carried some deadly, contagious disease. Aekeira was more inclined to believe the latter.

King Orestus’s protectiveness seemed less like the doting care of a guardian and more like the calculated caution of a man harboring secrets.But what could they be?

What was driving him to shield them so fiercely?

Not that Daviel had taken his father’s command to heart. If anything, his chase had tripled since then. Only more discreet, slipping through the shadows and around corners to find moments with Emeriel.

Aekeira shook the thoughts of the past away, back to the present.

Just how long before the people rebelled because ‘they were not fulfilling their roles in society?’

It worried Aekeira more than she cared to admit.

***

Sliding the needle through the linen, Aekeira pulled carefully until the thread emerged from the other side.

Embroidering had always been her peace. A calming ritual that helped steady her thoughts. After a long day of tending to the gardens, she needed this quiet moment to work on the needlework she’d been piecing together for weeks.

How was he?

Is he doing alright?

Her hand stilled.

A familiar crash of longing blasted her, threatening to pull her under.

Deep breaths. Take deep breaths.She closed her eyes, fighting to steady herself.

"Are you alright, My Princess?"

Aekeira blinked, opening her eyes to clear the blur of unshed tears. Otto stood before her, gazing at her with worry.

"I'm fine." Aekeira forced a smile at the older man.

Otto had cared for them when they were children, having served as their mother's personal servant. After their parents’ deaths, he had been dismissed, leaving Aekeira and Emeriel to fend for themselves. King Orestus had never provided them with servants, guards, or much of anything.

It had been… surprising to say the least when, upon their return, the king not only reinstated Otto but also assigned troops of bodyguards to protect them.

---