The Princess's Guard ✔️

27

"So we go on as normal?" I pick a dagger, turning it in my hands.

Ark draws in a breath. "For now."

I turn away from him, unable to bring myself to look into his eyes. It feels as though there is an unspoken subject between us that neither of us want to bring up first.

Ark isn't just my mate. He's also working for the rebellion, and he's met with me multiple times. We both know that, and yet it's like we cannot acknowledge it.

"You told me you had a mate," Ark says suddenly.

I blink, holding his gaze for a long moment while I scramble for an excuse. I could just accuse him of what we both know now, but I want it to be him who broaches the subject.

"I made it up," I say slowly, nearly wincing at how incriminating I sound.

"Why?"

"Frustration, I guess. I didn't think you would be my mate." I genuinely didn't. It never crossed my mind, and although I always felt a draw to Ark, I thought it was purely sexual...

I mean, could I ever love someone like Ark? Could he love me?

"So, what happens with Caspian?" he questions.

Something grips my stomach and tightens. I've tried not to think about Caspian and what I'm going to have to do. It's the last thing I want to face, even though I know I have to.

"I have a duty, Ark," I remind him, my voice barely above a whisper.

He nods. "Alright. I understand."

"Do you?" I quirk a brow, not convinced that he is so willing to concede when he's made plenty of comments about my relationship with Caspian.

He steps toward me, grabbing the dagger from my hands. He's back to wearing gloves, so when the leather brushes against my fingers, I find myself yearning for the feeling of his skin on mine again.

"Laps. Go on," he instructs, returning the dagger to the weapons rack.

I don't move, not wanting to drop this conversation just yet. "Were I not a Princess...Would you-"

"There is a lot I don't know, Kiva. What has transpired between us is not something I could have predicted. Having a mate - That's not a luxury I ever indulged. So now, I don't know what to do," he admits, not meeting my eyes.

That's similar to how I feel. I've always known that I could never be with my mate, so until I touched him the first night they broke in, I had always tried not to think about it.

"Why didn't you ever think about it?"

"My life has been difficult. Most days I just survive. That's not a life I want to bring another person into," he mutters.

I shouldn't, but I want to know as much about him as possible. It puts us both in danger, and yet I can't help myself.

"Why did you take this job, really?" Just admit it. Admit you want to tear down exactly what gives me power.

"Maybe I wanted to meet the infamous Princess," he muses, a lightness tinting his eyes, a sense of humour in his tone. "To confirm if the rumours are true."

I fold my arms over my chest, officially curious. "Rumours, what rumours?"

He looks over me with a thoughtful gaze. "About the beautiful girl stuck in her castle, protected by her father."

I nearly choke on a laugh. Really? I didn't think people put much thought into who I am and what I'm doing in this manor. I've never really experienced much in life, so I figured no one would ever find me interesting.