"You must be insane if you think I'm going to walk around with six guards," Jade said.
Aaron cocked a brow. "Careful who you call insane. That is how many I have. You will get used to it."
They were in the garden, underneath their oak tree. Jade was sitting on one of the lowest branches, wiggling her feet. Aaron was standing in front of her, leaning against the tree's trunk.
"All due respect, I know how to protect myself. I don't need any guards, let alone six. It's not happening. I'm drawing the line here. Nah-ah."
Aaron's hand landed on her lower legs, stilling her feet before they managed to accidentally kick him in the face. The humour in his eyes dissipated. "Jade, you do need guards. That's non-negotiable."
"All the guards hate me. Chances are the guards you set me up with are exactly the kind of people I need protection from. You saw what I did to that one guard, didn't you? I knocked him out without even moving a finger. I don't need protecting."
"You can't always be aware of everything. You need people by your side who have your best interest in mind."
"Well, no one here does."
"I do. I have your best interest in mind, and I am telling you that you need guards." His fingers moved up past her knee. She stared down at his hand on her leg, inching dangerously close to her thigh. Her breath quickened and she scowled at him, taking his hand and moving it away.
"Don't distract me. I'll take one guard. How's that?"
"That is a good start. Now add five more and I will be satisfied."
Jade groaned and threw her head back. She lightly jabbed her foot against his chest. "You annoy me, Your Highness."
"Watch it, little one." He ducked underneath the branch she was sitting on, snaking his arms around her from behind and dragging her out of the tree. She squealed and thrashed her legs, but he was far too strong.
"Put me down! Aaron!" She laughed, trying to wiggle out of his grip. He put her down on her feet but didn't release her, pressing her against his chest.
"Not until you agree."
"Never!" She was panting slightly, her heart racing. He lowered his head to the crook of her neck, taking in her scent. His heat enveloped her and her knees buckled. "Two guards. That's my final offer."
"Five," he said, pressing a kiss against her neck, right where her shoulder met her neck. A shudder slithered through her and she gasped.
"One."
"Four."
"None!" Her hands found his and she tried to pry them away from her. He loosened one hand and grabbed both of hers, sandwiching them between his.
"Three."
"One."
He sighed, releasing her and spinning her around. "You drive me crazy."
"Right back at you. Two is as high as I'm willing to go. And I want to pick them myself."
"Jade –"
"No. Those are my terms. Take it or leave it."
He narrowed his eyes at her, as though he was contemplating whether or not she was in earnest. She glared back at him, widening her eyes. He outdid her on many levels – height, strength, energy – but when it came to stubbornness, she took the crown.
"Fine," he said. "Do not smile at me like that. This is not funny. You are way too headstrong for your own good."
She grinned and brought her hands up to his chest, fiddling with the top button of his jacket. "When will I get to choose my burdens, Your Highness?" She loosened the button. He clacked his tongue and buttoned it again.
"I am going to link all available soldiers right now. I know you. If I do not keep you to your word, you will change your mind."
"Is that so?" Her hand shot up and she ruffled his hair.
"Jade! Stop that!" He scowled at her and ran a hand through his hair, trying to force it back in submission, while keeping her at a distance with the other hand. "Why does seeing me in disarray please you so much?"
"Because you hate it. And it makes you look less severe. You always look like you stepped straight out of a painting, and I don't think you understand how intimidating you are to normal people like me."
"I hate to burst your bubble, but you are far from normal. Come. The soldiers are gathering in the front garden." He slipped his hand in hers, gently tugging her into motion. She followed. "Do you really think I look intimidating?"
She laughed. "You must know as much. You are both gorgeous and powerful. Everything you do radiates authority. It's hard to match that kind of energy."
"I am gorgeous, huh?"
She pushed against his shoulder. "Hush. Like you don't already know." The good thing about the castle's structure – the square of the castle inside the octagon of the outer curtain walls - was that the garden wrapped all around the edifice, and they could walk from the back all the way to the front without having to cut through the castle.
Jade pulled her hand back, rolling her eyes at his dismayed look. "I need my head screwed on right for this."
He still scowled. "Fine. You know, I can live with you picking your own guards, but you do realise we have hundreds of castle guards, do you not? And you know none of them. It might take a while."
"All I need is a few seconds to know what kind of person I'm dealing with. It'll be alright. And it's the only way I'll accept having guards at all, so you will just need to learn some patience."
He sighed. "I hate being patient."
"O, I know, Your Highness."
"If only I were allowed to touch you right now, I would teach you to stop using my title to tease me."
"Good thing you're not allowed. Goddess, how big can a garden be? Getting from one side to the other takes hours."
"Fortunately you are not prone to exaggeration."
She rolled her eyes and sighed in relief when they at last turned the corner and the front garden came into view.
"O. You weren't joking." Jade's brows shot up as she looked at the hundreds of soldiers neatly lining up before her. They were all standing straight as stick, and more were trickling in from every direction. The front gardens didn't have much in the way of trees or other vegetation. In fact, there were only two large fountains, and the ground was laid with heavy, white-tinted stones, so it provided plenty of space for the soldiers to gather.
"This is everyone who is not currently on patrol or walking the halls," Aaron said. "We will give them a few more minutes, then you can go ahead. For the sake of rotation, you need to pick at least six."
"Six?" She pulled a face.
"Surely out of nearly a thousand soldiers, you will be able to pick six to your liking."
"I wouldn't be so sure." She linked her hands behind her back and let the chatter of their thoughts run through her head. This was going to be a challenge. Right away, she picked up dozens of minds who were so hostile it made her blush. At this rate, it would be impressive if she managed to pick out even one soldier who didn't bear her ill will.
"Ready?" Aaron asked.
"Ready as I'll ever be. Do they know why they're here?"
"Yes. I have informed them you will be picking a number of them to serve as your personal protection detail. It is an honour for guards to be so closely affiliated with the royals. Usually only proven guards and weathered soldiers get that chance. I really would be far more comfortable if you would at least allow me to introduce you to some people I would deem suitable."
Jade shook her head. "Nope. I need to pick them myself."
"I am going to regret agreeing to this, am I not?"
She grinned at him and started towards the soldiers. There were so many rows of guards, she wasn't even going to bother counting. They reached almost from the outer curtain wall to the inner. She started walking past the first row of soldiers, tuning in to every single one of their minds alternately. She wasn't sure what she was even looking for, but trusted her gift and her gut to tell her when she found it.
There were very few women among the guards. The first row, which contained dozens of people, had none at all. Nor did it have any other candidates to her liking. She started walking past the second row. She knew all eyes were on her. No one spoke a word and it made her nervous. Still, she kept her head up and her eyes on the people she walked past.
She was midway the third row, when she stopped. Aaron was trailing after her, at a safe distance as not to disturb her magic. She turned to the man in front of her, searching his face. His features were stern, but his eyes were honest. His mind revealed no impure thoughts of any kind. He had a logical brain. To him, it didn't matter where she had come from. All that mattered was that she was the prince's mate.
"What is your name?" she asked.
"Travis, Ma'am." He bowed his head.
She tilted her head, letting her eyes run over him. He was tall, muscled, yet most certainly past his prime. "How old are you, if I may ask?"
He straightened his back, puffing out his chest. "I am 58, Ma'am, but I assure you I am as strong as any of them."
"I believe you. If you are willing, I would love to have you as one of my guards."
His eyes widened a little and he inclined his head. "It would be an honour, Ma'am."
She smiled and shot Aaron a look, nodding at Travis. "I pick him." His look of mild confusion and more than mild dismay amused her and she walked on before he had a chance to complain. Behind her, she heard Aaron tell Travis to move to the front and wait there.
More rows passed. Some thoughts made her want to stop in her tracks, but she spurred herself on, tuning out every insult. Eventually, she halted again, this time in front of a woman.
When she raised her eyes to the guard, the woman dragged herself up taller. She was clutching her spear so tightly her knuckles had turned white.
"What is your name?"
"Mae, Ma'am." Her hands were trembling, and she was moving her weight from her toes to the back of her feet and back. It only took a few seconds inside her mind for Jade to understand how hard Mae had had to fight to become a guard in the first place. She wanted the chance to be Jade's guard, to prove that she had what it took – to prove she was as good as, if not better than, any man.
Jade leant a little closer. "Relax. No need to be nervous." A bit louder, she added: "Would you like to serve as one of my personal guards?"
A shudder travelled through Mae. "Really? I mean, it would be my honour, Ma'am." She bowed her head, clumsily, nearly dropping her spear.
"Great." She smiled and nodded at Aaron. He didn't seem pleased, but that only made her more confident in her choice. If he insisted she chose the obvious candidates, he should have said so. Two down, four to go.
_______
A/N: This chapter was getting too long, so I split it in two. I'm posting the next one too, so make sure not to accidentally skip it :) (Or do. Don't let me tell you what to do).
Thank you for reading!