I have no idea what has been happening to me these last couple of days. Life feels blank—like I'm missing something important. I feel as if the only thing keeping me sane was snatched from my arms.
"Alex."
My mother's quiet voice rings in my head, and it's only a reminder that I lose the people I care about. I told myself so many times not to get attached, but what I feared has come true. I care about the princess more than I probably should. It's terrifying.
The sound of Elena's door opening breaks the silence, and I see the princess standing there and looking like the most angelic being in the world. And then there's Marco, who's just next to her. My blood boils when I see his cocky little grin.
"Elena!" King Victor's sharp and commanding voice echoes throughout the empty palace corridors. His presence is the kind that demands power and the utmost respect, but I'm confident that everyone who serves the king resents him. My own hatred for him grows stronger every day.
Beside him is Queen Cassandra, the soft-spoken royal. I've never noticed it until now, but she looks like an older, sadder version of her daughter. Her hair is darker in color, and she has eyes that are a dark, fathomless green in contrast to Elena's bright ocean-like eyes.
"Yes, father?" the princess asks bitterly, her eyes drifting toward me. I couldn't look away from her after that.
"Hurry up," he orders. "The limo is waiting for us. I trust that you're ready." The way the king talks to his own daughter is so condescending. He talks to her like a servant, even though she's the rightful heir to the throne.
Elena scoffs and gestures to herself and Marco. "Are you going blind?" she retorts, making me stifle a laugh. "We're obviously ready; let's just get this shit over with."
I follow behind her and the prince as they walk toward the king and the queen. I hear King Victor mumble something about disrespecting him again, but I drown his voice out. I'd rather listen to hers.
Everyone exits out the palace doors except for the king, who stops me before I can go outside with them. "West," he addresses me, using my last name only. "I trust you know that nothing will change in the Royal Academy when Marco becomes king. And nothing will change with your job, either."
Remembering how things worked at the Royal Academy is something I'd rather not think about at the moment. My anger keeps spiking up, but I can't say anything to the king. I will never open my mouth in front of him again.
After a pause, he continues. "So fail to keep my daughter safe, and you'll face the consequences like last time. Don't disappoint me, Alexander. You're the best we have, and I meant it that day when I said you had potential."
That day. He means the day he killed my mother.
₊˚ʚ ᗢ₊ ˚✧ ﾟ.
"Let me go!" My little arms thrashed against the palace guard's chest. I desperately pounded my fists against him, trying to wiggle out of his strong grip so I could get to my mother.
"Hold still, or I'll use this on you, you little piece of shit," the guard snarled, gripping my head and pointing a pistol to my chin.
I tried everything to get out of his arms. I head-butted him, I hit him, and I even bit his arm. None of it worked. So little ten-year-old me did what I do best. I pulled out the taser from his pocket and shocked him with it.
The guard's body went limp immediately, and he fell to the floor, unconscious. I immediately dropped the taser and ran to my mother, who lay huddled on the floor next to a pool of blood.
"Mom!" I cried, shaking her shoulders. My hands were trembling, and so was my voice. I was completely and utterly weak.
She didn't respond, but her eyes were open. She reached out for my hair and stroked it gently, blood sputtering out of her mouth. My eyes felt glassy, and I knew I was on the verge of crying. I had to hug her, but when I reached out for her, another guard yanked me back.
"MOM!"
I watched helplessly as a bunch of other guards came and dragged her up by her hair. They were careless with her body, which was beaten to a pulp. But they didn't care—they did whatever they wanted. I watched her get taken away to another room, and dread filled me when I knew I couldn't do anything about it.
₊˚ʚ ᗢ₊ ˚✧ ﾟ.
Before the rest of the memory can play out in my head, I finally snap my thoughts away. Thank God. I look back at the king with a small nod. "Of course, Your Highness. I understand." My voice is as even and measured as possible—I can't take risks around him.
He seems satisfied and turns around to walk out the door. I take a deep breath and close my eyes. It's been hard not thinking about everything that's happened and the future of the country, but I have to keep my focus. Even now, I can't help but think about the princess and what she means to me.
We all load up into the limo. King Victor sits across from us, while the queen takes a seat next to her daughter. Marco, who's sitting beside her, rolls his eyes at her and turns away. Elena looks like she's ready to hit him. Marco, on the other hand, seems to be waiting for something to happen—something that will never come to pass.
We make it to the private dock quickly, and as soon as the doors open, the noise of the waves crashing against the rocks and the seagulls makes me want to cover my ears. I feel the anxiety and panic in my chest, but I force myself to be strong.
Everything will be okay.
I focus my attention on the charter cruise instead of thinking about anything negative, and it is truly a sight to behold. The ship is a marvel of modern engineering and luxurious design. It's a sleek and elegant vessel with lines that are sophisticated. The ship's exterior is painted a deep and vibrant blue, with gold trimming along the side and at the bow and stern.
King Felipe and Queen Letizia come into view, meeting us at the dock before anyone can board. I notice the princess immediately scowling—not that I can blame her—but I don't need her idiotic father yelling at her again.
"Don't be a brat," I whisper lowly in her ear, nudging her slightly. "Smile."
The princess is hesitant to do as I say, but she eventually relaxes her face and forces a cold smile. Queen Letizia dismisses her with a wave of her hand, and Elena responds by clutching my arm tightly in anger. I can feel her fingers digging into my skin, but I don't say anything.
It's better for her to take her anger out on me than cause a scene.
Princess Elena lets go of my arm to board the ship first, and Marco follows after her like a stray puppy. Some water sprays up onto the deck, soaking the prince's shoes. With a scowl on his face, he takes off his shoes and sits down next to Elena, crossing his arms over his chest.
It's hard not to laugh at that, but I keep a straight face. Everyone else boards the charter, but we haven't left the dock yet. For the princess's official wedding party, the king and the queen have invited over two thousand guests, and we're waiting for everyone to arrive.
₊˚ʚ ᗢ₊ ˚✧
After what seemed like hours, the last of the guests finally arrived, making the ship's deck feel even more crowded. I stand near the railing of the ship, hoping the fresh air will clear my head.
The princess is on the other side with Marco, but I prefer not to think about that. I watch over her from a distance, not getting too close unless absolutely necessary. Some may say that I'm ignoring her, but I'm really not.
A group of people suddenly approach me, probably because I'm standing alone. They're all women who seem to be around my age or possibly younger, but I'm not looking to socialize with anyone, so I pretend as if I don't notice them at all.
"Hi," one of them says—a short girl with dark hair.
I don't respond to her, instead narrowing my eyes and waiting for her and her friends to walk away. My brow arches slightly, but I keep my firm stance. No distractions.
"Aren't you the princess's bodyguard who's always walking next to her on the news?" another girl inquires, this one having strawberry blonde hair and freckles. She's pointing at me with a curious gaze.
"He looks even better in person," a raven-haired girl whispers to the shorter, brunette one. Real subtle.
"What's underneath that suit, sir?" the strawberry blonde girl asks out loud, a wide and thirsty grin on her face.
I give her one lazy glance. She looks very young compared to the rest of the ladies—possibly sixteen or seventeen. Her face is round, with large, sparkling eyes, a cheeky smile, and a small nose. Her skin is fair, but there's a hint of color from a recent sunburn. Her hair is long and straight, with a glossy sheen and a slight wave that frames her face.
In other words, she's not the princess, so I shouldn't be wasting my time with her. So my gaze locks in on Elena, and this time, I don't look away.
But the girls don't let up. "Not a talker, huh?" The raven-haired girl giggles. "My friends and I can loosen you up, right, girls?"
One by one, the girls move closer to me, their eyes never straying away from mine. I feel the blood in my veins turn cold, and my grip on the railing tightens. As a bodyguard, I can't let myself get caught off guard by a group of women.
"You look way too young to be a princess's bodyguard," the strawberry blonde comments. "Not that I'm complaining. How old are you, sir?"
My eyes never dart from the princess, even as I respond to the other girl. "Too old for you." My words, as empty as the expression on my face, seem to make the girl angry.
However, her brunette friend has a go at me next. "Too old for her, but not me. I'm nineteen," she says proudly, and she seems to view me as a challenge. She takes a step forward, brushing her hand against my arm. "Would you care for a dance, sir?"
I shake my head. "I don't dance."
"That's too bad." She runs a finger down my chest, and I move back as much as I can without falling back over the railing. "I'm sure there's something else we could do..."
What the hell?
"I'm not interested," I say flatly, even though my anger is brewing inside. It's like my temper is a ticking time bomb, waiting to explode at any second, but I still remember my training and keep my composure.
The short brunette girl scoffs with a snarky grin on her face. "Suit yourself." Then she grabs the arm of the strawberry blonde girl, and the two of them walk off to find some other guy to harass.
The raven-haired woman is the last to go, and we lock eyes before she leaves. She looks amused, as if she found the entire exchange entertaining because she's not the one getting rejected. But I glare at her, and she suddenly looks unsure of herself before scurrying off to catch up with her friends.
With those girls gone, I let out an involuntary sigh of relief. I focus my attention back on the princess. She's the only thing that matters to me right now, not a group of young women who don't know how to take no for an answer.
I won't let anything happen to her. Not on my watch.
Marco, being the annoying prick he is, keeps moving closer to her even when she backs away. She seems like she wants to sucker punch him in the face, and while I'd support her doing it, I know I have to step in and intervene.
As I approach the princess, she's about to start an argument with Prince Marco when he suddenly grabs her arm to try and pull her back closer to him. The look on her face when he grabs her is one of outrage and fear.
"Get your hands off of her," I demand, stepping in between the two of them.
Marco immediately straightens himself to appear more intimidating. He stands tall, but he's still tilting his chin up just to look at me. I reach out and gently remove his hand from Elena's arm, and he finally steps back, sulking like a child.
"Everyone is getting along here," Marco snarls, his fists clenching. "My wife doesn't need you to protect her whenever she's around me." He reaches for the princess and snatches her back, glaring at me.
I don't even have to do anything because Elena pulls away from his arms as quickly as she can. But before she can stand by my side again, the prince grabs ahold of the silver necklace she's wearing and yanks her back. The necklace comes undone, and he holds it away from her.
"Give it back!" the princess shouts, gaining the attention of everyone on the deck of the cruise ship.
I step forward, and the prince's expression darkens. For a brief moment, he's almost daring me to start something, but he quickly realizes that I'm not backing down.
My hand shoots out, and before he can stop me, I grab him by his tie. "She wants it back, and you're going to give it to her." Marco tries to pull it back out of my hand, but I have a firm grip on it.
"Hands off, or I'll drop it!" the prince roars, his face turning bright red. A few people around us have started to stare, waiting to see what's going to happen next. He's still holding the necklace away from Elena's grasp, dangling it over the railing.
The princess doesn't hesitate. She steps up to Prince Marco's side, her jaw clenched, and glares at him. "That's my grandmother's necklace," she says through gritted teeth. "It's the only thing I have left of her. Give it back!"
"Why don't you come get it, little princess?" Marco taunts, lifting one finger from the necklace and slowly letting it slip.
Elena acts fast, pouncing on him completely and snatching the necklace from his hand. But before I can pull her away, Marco takes the necklace back, only to have it fly over his hand and into the shallow part of the sea.
"NO!" the princess shrieks and rushes to the railing while I follow after her.
We both watch the necklace drop into the water, and I have to act fast before it sinks all the way down. While a necklace isn't an emergency, if it's important to the princess, it's important to me. I throw off my suit jacket and dive into the freezing sea, my eyes wide open.
My training kicks in as I hit the water, and I quickly swim down to grab the necklace. The pressure is starting to get to my ears by the time I have the necklace in my hands, but I didn't spend five months straight learning how to dive to a depth of 9 meters for nothing. Once I get it, I rise back up before my oxygen gets cut off.
With my eyes and lungs burning, I emerge from the sea and spot a ladder on the side. I hold the necklace tightly while climbing up, my soaked clothing slowing me down slightly. By the time I reach up to the deck, everyone is staring at me.
I don't care about them, though.
I drop Elena's necklace in her hand, and she looks at me with wide eyes. The audience watching us starts applauding, but my body aches too much to acknowledge anyone. I clutch my stomach—where it's hurting most of all due to the healing tissue—and make my way to the lounge inside the charter.
Once I'm inside, I slump down on the red velvet couch of the empty lounging room. An involuntary groan slips from my mouth as the pain in my body elevates to new levels, and I grip the fabric of the couch, almost ripping it.
"Alex!" I turn my head to see the princess walking in by herself, storming up to me with fury in her eyes. "Are you crazy? You could have died!"
"Don't blame me for this." I grit my teeth, trying to stay calm. "It's your husband who's the crazy one." Those two words come out more bitter than I intended, but my jealousy has sparked, among other things.
Elena bites her lip and scoffs, then turns away from me. She rubs her neck absentmindedly before glancing at my soaked clothes. "You're going to catch a cold."
"I'm fine," I snap, not wanting to discuss my health with her.
She continues to look at me with concern, even grabbing my arm and examining the tiny bruises I received from jumping into the water. I can't deny that I appreciate her care for me, but my priority isn't me. It's the princess. It's always the princess.
Eventually, I squeeze my eyes shut, not being able to deal with the burning of my eyes. Diving into salt water with my eyes open was probably stupid, but I don't care. I still got what mattered.
The princess sighs, and I open my eyes to see her standing with her arms crossed in front of her chest. Her lips are parted, and one eyebrow is raised in suspicion. But her expression is still gentle and affectionate.
She's so beautiful.
My silence doesn't help my situation, though. "Are you sure you're okay?" she asks. "Your eyes are red, and you're shivering."
"Princess," I say, my voice cracking the slightest bit, "I've been through worse."
My words don't seem to make her feel better. She starts to frown, and her eyes travel down my body before she suddenly jumps. "Shit! Your wound!" That realization is all it takes for her to sit on my lap and unbutton my shirt.
I let her do it without resistance, and she immediately pushed the fabric out of the way to reveal my still-healing wound. To my surprise, her expression is one of concern—not anger—and her hands are so gentle that I almost forget what she's doing.
As fast as she opened my shirt, her fingers were already taking my belt off and pulling the waistband of my pants down, and I bit down on my bottom lip to hold back a groan. She doesn't notice my reaction; thankfully, she's too busy examining my abdomen.
I try to control my breathing and hold onto her legs. "It's not bleeding," I grumble tightly. "You don't need to worry."
"I know, but I still do." Her hands, as soothing as her voice, caress my sore body, moving up and down my torso.
I don't respond back, but I don't tell her to get off either. I arch my head back, letting her take care of me like she did when I was in bed. I hold onto her tightly as the tranquility stretches, and none of us dare break it.
My hands rest on her thighs for what feels like an eternity, but really, we are only sitting in silence for a few seconds. I pretend not to be aware of it, even though I'm enjoying it—maybe a bit too much.
Suddenly, I lean in closer to her, and my lips lightly brush over her ear. "The lounge is empty," I whisper.
Elena's breath hitches, and my mind goes to all the possibilities of what we could do in here. I can feel her heart racing against my body, but she tries to keep her composure. "It is," she replies back in a careful, quiet tone.
Her body is quaking against mine. I know she feels it. My left hand moves up her thigh, while my right hand travels up to softly play with her hair as we sit. Our eyes stay on each other's, and I slowly angle my head downward, so our lips are nearly touching.
The princess's gaze strays away from me, but she doesn't move. It's like her body is frozen in place, and yet her forehead presses against mine. We're both dangerously close to each other, and I have to close my eyes to fight my desires.
I don't just want to kiss her. I want more. And that scares me.
Finally, I let out a small sigh, my lips nearly touching hers. "You know I want this just as much as you do," I mumble. My jaw is clenched, trying to keep away from her.
"Somehow, I don't believe that," she whispers back, slowly moving her smooth hands up my chest toward my tie.
Fuck.
My eyes dart to her hands, and I grab them firmly, stopping her movements. "Believe it," I say lowly. The desire in me grows stronger, and I give her a look as if silently asking her if I can kiss her. She nods.
My mouth is parted as I take in her beauty. I can't resist her anymore. It's killing me. I pull her head to mine and close my eyes, getting ready to kiss her, but she pauses. Her gaze is still lingering on my lips, though. "What if someone's here and they find us?" she murmurs in a hushed tone.
I stop for a moment and try to think rationally, but I don't want to think rationally. What I want is her. "It's just us. Just you and me, Princess," I whisper back before capturing her lips on my own.
At first, I'm slow and gentle. But that's not who I am. My hand grasps her neck as I thrust my tongue into her mouth. The sweet taste of strawberry is alluring, and I need more. My tongue laps at her bottom lip, and I push her down on the couch.
Her hands tug on my wet hair while she moans softly into my mouth. We're both gasping for air, getting completely lost in each other. As I devour her, I become more and more greedy. My mouth is demanding, and I can't catch a break. My hand moves from her neck and slides up her thigh until it slithers its way under her blue dress.
The princess squirms, letting out quiet groans that seem to get louder as my lips leave hers and trail down her jawline. I pepper delicate kisses on her neck before sucking on her skin and nipping at it. Unfortunately, I can't get carried away, so I leave subtle marks that she can cover easily.
My mouth moves down to her collarbone, and that's where I find one of her weakest spots. Her nails dig into my back, and she lets out a loud gasp. "Oh my god," she breathes.
"Do you like that?" I mutter against her supple skin, fighting the urge to go lower. I'd need her permission for that too. No matter how much I want her, I also want her to be comfortable even more.
"A little too much," she gasps, her chest heaving up and down. Her eyes look foggy, and her breathing is irregular, even though we haven't gotten to the good part yet.
Part of her dress is wet because of me, and I can see her bra. I look away out of respect, but she cups my chin with her hand and pulls my face back down to her. My heart almost leaps out of my chest. "Are you sure you're up for this, Princess?"
She yanks on my unbuttoned shirt, trying to take it off completely. "I'm sure," she responds, her voice almost a desperate plea.
I can't help but let out a breathy chuckle. "So eager." My hand squeezes her breasts through her fabric, and I stop momentarily to kiss the underside of her neck.
But before I can finally rip her dress off of her, my ears perk up at the sound of voices growing closer to the door. That's when I remember we're in public—in the lounge—and could be caught at any moment.
Sighing, I sit back up and straighten my shirt, buttoning it up. "Going to have to cut this short, Princess." I pause, glancing over at her. "Fix your dress."
She curses under her breath before pulling the front of her dress up and fixing her slightly disheveled hair. She gets done just in time before Marco opens the door and finds us sitting on the couch.
Since he's stupid and self-centered, he doesn't notice anything that looks wrong. "Elena, mi amore," he taunts. "It's time for our dance."
.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.・。.・゜✭・.・
authors note: stop bc why is this also 4k+ words istg it would've gone on forever if marco didn't interrupt 😭 BUT ANYWAYSSS THEIR FIRST KISS FINALLY