Yes. And he would not let his prince down.
“Like I said, your wish is my command.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
Kelsey had a hard time keeping up with Lathan as he escorted her through the Royal Treasury beneath the palace.
There was too much to look at. The walls dripped with antique tapestries. Long glass cases held crowns and scepters. The king’s full coronation robes were displayed, along with armor and Queen Serena’s wedding dress.
“There’s so much history down here. Why didn’t I get to see it before?”
“The Royal Treasury is open to tourists daily. Your family only comes down here in the evenings.” Then he slid her a knowing glance. “I believe your evenings were otherwise occupied, Your Highness.”
What…what was that? She thought Marko was the only bodyguard who knew about her romance with Elias. No way would she risk confirming, especially since it was over. “I know the grand duchess requested this to be a private meeting, but you will interrupt us if Mallory needs anything, yes?”
He tapped his earbud. “Your sister’s asleep for the night, according to her guard.”
“I’ll bet. The move and getting settled back at the palace wore her out.” She still had drains in, but her pain was managed and she’d wanted out of the hospital.
Kelsey had celebrated this step in Mallory’s recovery by taking a bubble bath to rid herself of eau de hospital. Due to the summons by her grandmother, she’d even ditched the yoga pants after three days straight and dressed in a sundress sprigged with pink flowers. Girlier than her taste, but a welcome change from the institutional-green scrubs she’d been surrounded by.
“And her nurse has instructions to let us know if she wakes and asks for you. Even the very real fear of annoying the grand duchess won’t keep me from updating you.”
“Thank you.”
Lathan opened a door that looked like all the others they’d passed. But once open, it revealed a three-inch thick steel vault door, propped open. “I’ll be out here if you need anything, Your Highness.”
No dig at Lathan’s politeness, but what she needed was her old bodyguard back.
Might as well wish to find a unicorn horn in one of the displays they’d passed, though. Kelsey plastered on a smile. Couldn’t risk having her grandmother ask what was bothering her and—out of the nonstop worry and exhaustion that had filled her week—accidentally admit that she missed her boyfriend.
Because with Mallory officially out of the woods? It left Kelsey waaaay more time to reflect on how miserable she was without Elias.
The sensor lights flicked on in a sequence with every step. And then she rounded a corner to see a room filled floor to ceiling with drawers of differing heights, a small table with a mirror, and a single velvet-cushioned chair.
Oh, and Elias.
Her heart did a triple beat. At his handsomeness in his black suit and deep purple tie. At his nearness. At simply sharing a moment with him again.
“What are you doing here? The Grand Duchess is on her way.”
“She’s not coming. She granted me a favor by requesting you join her. Of all the people in Alcarsa Palace, I was sure she was the one you wouldn’t refuse.”
“Why bother with the subterfuge?”
He held out a hand to indicate she should sit. “Our last private conversation did not end well. Entirely my fault, but I wasn’t sure you’d give me another chance.” Elias stepped forward, eyes suddenly intense and gleaming under all the pin lights. “And I want another chance, Your Highness.”
That was a painful carrot for him to dangle. “Why? Nothing’s changed. You chose the royal house and your duty over me.”
“True. That was, however, the wrong choice. And it’s important that you hear how soon I came to that realization.”
“I’ll play along. You dumped me last Thursday. When did you decide you were wrong?”
“Thursday. When you started to cry and I realized I hurt you.”
He could say that, but she’d still been alone and brokenhearted for the past six nights. “Funny how it’s Wednesday and this is the first I’m hearing of your great change of heart.”
“That’s the thing with mistakes. Realizing you made one is easier than figuring out how to fix it. I knew I missed you. I knew I’d regret ’til the end of my days breaking it off with you. I knew I’d do anything to get you back.”
“You didn’t do anything.” Yes, that was a pure snark attack on her part. But Kelsey was that worst of combinations: both mad and sad.
“I wanted to.” His hands hung at his sides, limp, just taking what she hurled at him. “I wracked my brain to come up with a solution. The only one I’d come to was leaving the Royal Protection Service. It wouldn’t solve the problem of my being a commoner, but my duty to the crown would no longer impede us.”
Oh no. Thoughtful, but impossible. “Elias, I’d never ask you to quit.”
He wouldn’t be able to live with himself, and eventually he’d end up resenting her. Kelsey knew that wasn’t the path for them.
“That’s because you’re wonderful. And there was the next problem. I knew you wouldn’t let me give up my career for you. So I was back to square one. Missing you. Unable to see a future where I could be with you.”
Great. They were both miserable, and nothing would change. Kelsey stood. “This is a really fun little recap. May I go now?”
“Please, Princess. Five more minutes.” When she gave a tight nod, he proceeded. “When I saw you on Sunday, you looked so sad.”
“Yes. That’s on you, by the way.”
Huh. The snark just kept popping out of her mouth.
Kelsey didn’t even blame it on her near-death experience, or almost losing Mallory. She hurt. No matter his noble motivation, Elias was the one who caused it. So yes, a small, mean part of her wanted to hurt him back.
“I know, and I’m sorry.” Elias crossed his hands over his heart and gave a small bow. “Then I saved your life. And discovered that while I absolutely wanted to save you, I didn’t want to die. That bullet that hit your sister? It impacted me, too.”
It seemed impossible. Captain Elias Trebanti lived his life to give it. A bullet wouldn’t scare him. It wouldn’t dent his impenetrable armor of honor and duty. “How?” she challenged, arms crossed, ready to defiantly shoot down whatever he said.
“I don’t want to die, not for someone else. My life isn’t worth any less than someone with royal blood.”