Page 29 of Her Royal Bodyguard

Alex, you are destroying me.

19

The next morning when Erin rose, exhausted from emotion, she heard Alicia babbling away to Alexandra as she did her makeup.

“Morning Erin. How are you doing?” Alicia was annoyingly upbeat.

“Ah, pretty tired. I didn’t sleep so well to be honest.”

“It is exciting about the Princess and Prince Nicolas isn’t it? I cannot wait. I love weddings! I have SO many ideas for hair and makeup I cannot tell you. I cannot wait to see the dress you choose.”

Alexandra smiled wryly into the mirror.

Erin took a deep breath. “I’m sure the Princess will look nothing less than incredible.”

Alicia seemed immune to the pain in Erin’s voice. “So, ma’am, I was thinking we could curl it and pin it up something like this.” She pulled Alexandra’s hair up in pieces off her face, her beautiful face. Erin couldn’t bear to look. “We can get some fake hair to clip in if you want some length and it will look fuller in an updo. Nobody will ever know. Fake hair is SO good these days. I’ll get some to match your colour exactly.”

Alexandra was very silent compared to her usual self. Alicia, however was determined to fill the silence.

“Ma’am, what time will we be leaving today? What are your plans?” Erin asked. Their schedule and protection over here was being handled by Swedish Royalty Protection so Erin was absolutely out of the loop and it pained her to have to ask Alexandra.

“I am meeting Nicolas for a walk in the palace grounds shortly, but if you would rather not come, if you aren’t feeling well, then it isn’t a problem, Nicolas’s security will cover me too.”

Erin closed her eyes to the pain, recognising that she was being given a way out. But she didn’t want to sit for any more hours in her room imagining the worst. Alexandra had said she loved her last night. Said it so many times. Then Alexandra had made love to her. Made her feel like the most special person in the world to her. Yet, this morning she would be spending time with her future husband. Erin felt sick to the stomach.

“I er…. I think I should come along. The fresh air will do me good.”

“Okay, well we leave at 12.”

“Nicolas,” Alexandra beamed a welcome to him. Nicolas smiled and kissed her cheek delicately.

“Princess. You look beautiful this morning.”

They walked together across the grounds. Erin sat in a Range Rover at a distance with the Prince’s security, sunglasses hid her red eyes while she tried to block out their loud Swedish chatter.

“Do you know the history of our palace, Alexandra? Well, this was where both myself, my father, grandfather and great grandfather were born. I grew up here. I always loved it here. We have very lovely grounds that I used to play in as a boy. I was thinking, today, we could walk the grounds together. I would love to tell you all about the history of the palace. I have had a picnic ordered for us that will be delivered to us in a while, we can sit and enjoy this lovely weather. Afterwards, depending on your feelings, we can venture out of the palace gates and I can contact our media advisor who can ensure we get photographed together in the public park and these photos be distributed to the world’s media. Dependent entirely on your wishes. Please, I will not be offended at all if you choose not to or you aren’t ready for that level of exposure.”

Alexandra knew that this was the next step, she knew that this was what she had to do. She also realised that she liked Nicolas. She liked his quiet respect, his geekiness, she liked to spend time with him.

“Nicolas, I have carefully considered what you have said to me, and I would like to progress with things, ideally moving towards a public announcement of our engagement. So yes, absolutely, please do organise for photos in the public park.”

“How wonderful, Alexandra, I am so pleased you have accepted my suggestion. Give me a second.” He reached to his pocket for his phone and dialled his advisor. “Please go ahead with the photos planned for the afternoon, please get the necessary journalists in place.”

They sat for a picnic in the sunshine, the setting idyllic. At least it would have been if Alexandra couldn’t feel Erin’s eyes burning through her from a distance. Erin was going to have to get used to this somehow. But, how? Was it fair to ask her to? If she really loved her, was it fair to ask this of her? To drag Erin into her fucked up wo

rld and ask her to live as a dirty secret?

Alexandra, who usually planned things so carefully, had not planned on falling in love with her bodyguard.

20

Erin left the Range Rover as the Princess and Prince left the gates of the palace and headed out into the big public city park next to the palace. She would work on foot now, on radio contact with the rest of the security team. Following at a distance. Close enough to move quickly in case of a problem, far enough away to give the couple their privacy.

She watched as journalists showed up, she had been informed of the situation along with the rest of the security team over the radio. She gritted her teeth as she watched Alexandra’s perfectly manicured right hand reach for the hand of the Prince. Alexandra in a lovely fitted summery dress in periwinkle blue. The Prince, ever smart, in slacks and an open neck shirt. They walked hand in hand through the park, Erin following at a respectful distance, sick deep in her stomach.

Tears pricked at Erin’s eyes. She was ever grateful she had chosen to wear sunglasses. This wasn’t how she thought it would be. She thought that she would be ok with seeing Alexandra like this. She had known the situation all along. The truth of who Alexandra was and the way she was forced to live. Erin’s dreams late at night were a naive hope that she could run away and live happily ever with the future Queen. What did she want Alexandra to do? Walk away from all her responsibilities?

Erin had been foolish to fall in love with the Princess. Rule number one of her job was to remain professional. Professional was not falling in love or fucking the client. Alexandra had spent last night telling her how much she loved her. But the love of the Princess was the most painful love that there was.

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