Their father frowned over his shoulder at Samar, then focused on Tristan.
Nalini braced herself, anticipating the worst. By now, her father had surely heard of Tristan’s altercation with Jorg in the security headquarters.
But her father reached out a hand to him. “Tristan, yes. I must thank you, both for protecting my ambitious but recalcitrant daughter these past weeks and for stopping these madmen from assassinating a royal visitor in my own palace.”
Nalini stared at him. Gratitude wasn’t what she had expected.
Tristan looked down at her father’s extended hand, seeming as startled as she, before realizing it was an offer of a handclasp.
“You’re welcome, Your Highness,” he said quietly, accepting the grip.
“I understand you may be unwelcome in your own homeland now. I wish to offer you asylum, if it turns out you need it, and a permanent position of employment.” Her father waved toward Nalini. “I think a bodyguard was too lowly of a position for you. I am in need of a new assistant chief of security. The pay is good, and you would have men to command.”
“Wait a minute.” Nalini lifted a finger. “I’d intended to offer him a position of employment working for me. I was even thinking of making him a partner. He’s very good at math and too smart to be some assistant to someone.”
Tristan released her father’s grip and stepped closer to Nalini to whisper, “You think I’m smart?”
“Of course.” She waved toward the tracker he’d discarded as he raced into the room. “Don’t you?”
He genuinely seemed to consider that before answering. “I think I’m all right. But I’ve never had anyone else…” He gazed into her eyes, almost shyly, his brow a little furrowed as he bit his lip and shrugged.
It was such a hopeful, vulnerable expression that it startled her. Minutes before, he’d been the fearless and deadly warrior, certainly not with any doubts about his prowess in that area, but did he truly not believe he was smart? Why not? Because he had a few scrambled circuits that made reading difficult? She vowed to regularly tell him he was intelligent so he would know and not forget. In the meantime, she wanted to kiss him and smooth his brow, but not with her father watching.
Her father, to whom she still hadn’t told her decision about Jorg. Would he change his friendliness toward Tristan when she did? What if he blamed Tristan for her choice?
Nalini faced him and took a deep breath to explain, but he was looking at Tristan.
“A partnership?” Her father raised his eyebrows, turning back to her. “You’ve never taken on a partner. You’ve most vehemently assured everyone who suggested that such a person might be helpful that you didn’t need a partner.”
“I didn’t think I did. Until the right person came along. If he’s willing, Tristan can protect me from villainous types while checking my math.”
“I would love to check your math,” Tristan murmured. “Regularly.”
“Huh.” Samar scratched his jaw. “I’d occasionally wondered what a romance might look like with Nalini. I should have known math would be involved. And late-night pillow talk about returns on investments.”
That sounded delightful, having someone to bounce ideas off. Maybe not in bed, but certainly at the breakfast table, though she would insist on proper meals, not green sludge and lava cupcakes.
“Romance?” Their father blinked and looked back and forth between her and Tristan.
Nalini hid a grimace and took that bracing breath again, while shooting Samar a dirty look for being so blatant about what their father hadn’t figured out yet.
“Father, I can’t marry Prince Jorg.” Nalini lifted her chin, mentally arranging a list of arguments why not.
“No, certainly not,” her father said. “I already sent him notice that, upon closer examination, we find him a completely unacceptable candidate. And I also forwarded Samar’s video to his mother, Queen Iku. I have heard that she is a good woman, and I trust she will issue the appropriate words to educate the wayward boy on his deplorable attitude toward women. I fear he is more his father’s son than hers, as that seems to be the way nobles are raised there, but perhaps she has some sway. I do hope so. For the sake of his soul.”
Nalini’s jaw sagged open. It took her a moment before she could gather words to look at Samar and whisper, “You showed him?”
“Of course I showed him.” Samar sniffed. “You’re my only sister who doesn’t talk down to me and who recognizes that I am an ascended being on a transcendental journey through the arts and beyond. I couldn’t let you marry some Kingdom troglodyte whose crown has clearly cut off circulation to his brain. What a pompous shit.”
“Do ascended beings usually use profanity?” Tristan murmured.
Samar smiled and bowed.
“I am not displeased that you pummeled him soundly,” her father told Tristan. “I only wish I’d been there and that I could have done it myself.” He leaned forward and patted Tristan on the shoulder. “Welcome to the family, my boy. You two, join me for breakfast in the morning, eh?”
He headed for the door, waving for the rest of Namjoo’s security officers to leave with him. They were dragging out the butler now.
Samar winked, waved, and followed them out.
Nalini stared at the doorway for several long moments before it dawned on her that she was alone with Tristan and could be taking advantage of that.
“That went… better than I expected,” he admitted—maybe he’d been too stunned to speak right away too.
“Because my father didn’t order you beheaded for striking royalty?” As she recalled, that was on the books somewhere as a punishment. “Or because I told you how smart you are?”
He faced her, clasped her hands, and smiled. His hair was disheveled from his various battles, a bruise was swelling on his cheek, and a ragged hole torn in his tunic revealed a bloody gouge in his chest. He’d never looked more handsome.
“Both of those things are brilliant,” he said, gazing into her eyes, “but the latter is what really matters and makes me realize that you are an amazing woman.”
“Because I recognize your intelligence?”
“That is a very attractive quality.” His eyes crinkled with humor. “In the past, I’ve only had women admire my physical attributes.”
“Well…” She leaned against his chest, realizing that she could kiss him now, without worrying about being dishonorable to some vague, distant man she didn’t know and a looming betrothal. “I might be interested in admiring those attributes too.”
“Oh?” He lifted a hand to the side of her head, fingers slipping through her hair to knead her scalp. “Do I get to admire your physical attributes?”
Tingles zipped along her nerves at his touch. How could anyone have ever thought that her noble Tristan was a criminal? Or anything but a hero?
“You can admire anything of mine that you like. So long as you kiss me like you did on that barge.”
“Gladly.”
His warm lips came down to hers, and she started looking forward to all the things that would happen before the pillow talk.
Epilogue
There were cameras recording Jorg’s departure, and Nalini knew she should appear regal and stately as she and Tristan stood in the ship bay, watching the prince’s men file into their ship, but she couldn’t stop the goofy grin that kept slipping onto her face.
The previous night had been magnificent. Several different times. Devi had been perplexed when she’d been informed, rather breathlessly, that she and Tristan were switching spots, and Devi would once again sleep in the butler’s room off the foyer, but Nalini would explain it to her later. She and Tristan had been too busy the night before. And that morning before breakfast. And in the shower after. His stamina, strength, and agility were as noteworthy as the legends about knights suggested.
She grinned again, glanced at Tristan, and caught a goofy grin flirting with his lips too.
It was unfortunate that they’d had to pa
use their getting-to-know-each-other-on-a-new-level time to see Jorg off, but her father had sent her a message, saying they should give the prince a polite farewell, even if he didn’t deserve it. She suspected her father, even if he was unwilling to marry any of his daughters to Jorg now, hoped the Kingdom wouldn’t declare their family outright enemies. It was bad enough that they would now have to deal with Prince Dubashi on their own.
With that in mind, Nalini resisted the urge to lean against Tristan and grab some tantalizing part of his anatomy as a stone-faced Jorg walked toward his ship. His bodyguards were equally stone-faced. One was limping. Another had a fist-sized bruise on the side of his face.
Nalini lost her urge to be flippant or petty, but she didn’t step away from Tristan. He was her ally now, as much as her lover, and she didn’t care who knew it.
Jorg spoke a few curt words to her father, who stood along the carpet rolled out to the Kingdom ship, then nodded and walked past. His gaze barely skimmed Nalini and Tristan, and she thought he would ignore them altogether—fine with her—but he turned and walked toward them. No, toward Tristan. He didn’t look at Nalini.
Tristan straightened, his back almost painfully rigid, and faced the prince.
If there was any fairness in the universe—or Jorg’s heart—he would thank Tristan for saving his life. But Nalini doubted he would. A faint sneer rode his lips.
“You are no longer welcome in System Lion or anywhere the Star Kingdom may end up controlling,” Jorg stated. “I’ve sent a message to my father that he will receive as soon as a courier ship goes through the gate, but be assured that I have the power to declare that you no longer work for the crown and are no longer a knight.”
Tristan’s face was too masked, too composed, to give away his thoughts, but Nalini’s heart ached on his behalf. She hadn’t truly believed that Jorg would be a good enough man to reward Tristan for saving his life, but she’d hoped that Jorg would consider the extenuating circumstances and forgive Tristan—or at least treat him fairly.
“So be it,” Tristan said quietly.
Jorg pointed at the pertundo hanging on Tristan’s belt. “You will not retain the weapon of a knight. Give it to me.”
Tristan closed his eyes, showing the first hint that this pained him as much as Nalini knew it must. She wanted to wrap her arms around him for support, but she knew that would be rubbing salt in Jorg’s wounds—even if his most grievous wound was to his pride—so she refrained.
His face still a mask, Tristan lowered his hand, drew the weapon, and handed it hilt-first to Jorg.
Jorg accepted it, his sneer never fading. Nalini expected him to leave then, that his business was done, but he spoke again.
“You left before signing the paperwork regarding Sir Hanh’s estate,” Jorg said.
“It hadn’t yet been prepared by the lawyers.”
“It will be sent along. You will sign it.”
Tristan’s eyes narrowed slightly, and he didn’t respond. Jorg’s eyes closed to slits in turn. He seemed to be waiting for agreement—expecting it. Nalini wanted to ask what this was about, but she kept her silence. The men weren’t looking at her. This was between the two of them.
“No,” Tristan finally said.
Jorg’s eyebrows flew up.
“I’m sure your father can wiggle his fingers and nullify Sebastian’s dying wishes,” Tristan said, “but I’ll not make it easy for him. Or for you.”
“It doesn’t matter whether you sign it or not,” Jorg said. “That land was never going to be yours and never will be.”
“If it didn’t matter, you wouldn’t have brought it up. I suspect the Senate is frowning upon attempts to overrule something in a nobleman’s will.”
“That land belongs to Sir Hanh’s son.”
“If Sebastian thought he deserved it, he would have given it to him. Andreas is as much of an ass as you are.”
“You dare speak that way to me, you common bastard.” Jorg threw his punch so quickly that it landed before Nalini registered the movement.
But it landed in Tristan’s palm with a meaty smack. The strength of the blow didn’t make him budge. He merely gazed back at Jorg indifferently, holding the fist inches away from his face.
Jorg jerked his hand back, and Tristan let him. He looked to his bodyguards standing behind him, as if he meant to order them to try to kill Tristan again. Nalini tensed. A dozen of Namjoo’s men were in the bay, and they also tensed, hands going to weapons.
The bodyguards, men who’d been there when the would-be assassins tried to kill Jorg, looked at him, at each other, and then turned their backs and walked into the ship. They left Jorg alone in front of Tristan.
Nalini hoped Jorg realized that Tristan could have left him to be killed the day before and that he had the strength to kill him right then if he wished. Probably not. Jorg was as obtuse as an asteroid, and with none of its redeeming ore gleaming under the surface.
But he must have seen that he had nobody to back him up if he picked a fight. He turned away from Tristan and stalked into his ship. Only when he disappeared from sight did Nalini let out a relieved breath. At her side, Tristan slumped a little, more in weariness than defeat, she thought.
Her father ordered everyone to leave so the bay could be depressurized and the ship could leave. Good riddance.
Nalini clasped Tristan’s hand as they walked out. “I’m sorry you’re losing your dream of being a knight. I don’t know any other knights, but even without the title, I’m certain you’re a better man than most of them and deserve the position more than anyone.”
“Thank you for that. They’re good men though. They all deserve it. I’ll be fine. I’m just…” His voice sounded tight, and he had to swallow before he could continue. “It was just a job.”
No, it wasn’t, she thought sadly, but she didn’t say it aloud.
“And I’ve already been offered another.” He smiled at her, though it was forced, his eyes sad.
She wished she could make it better for him, give him his dream back. Had she been selfish not to marry Jorg and negotiate with him for Tristan’s future as a knight? Maybe, but she’d believed him when he said he didn’t want her to make that trade, didn’t want her to give up her happiness for his sake. Even knowing that, she was sad that she couldn’t have fixed things for him. All the money her family had, all the money she’d earned with her various real-estate projects, and she couldn’t change the Kingdom and their stupid uptight rules.
But what about this land that it sounded like he’d inherited? If anyone could help him acquire land that was supposed to be his, it was she. Granted, she’d never done projects in the Kingdom, but she had acquaintances who had and who were influential in System Lion. She also knew good lawyers who specialized in property disputes.
“Did someone leave you land?” she asked as they headed back to her suite. “Your mentor, was it? If it’s rightfully yours, and someone’s trying to take it from you, I may know people who could help and who wouldn’t mind taking on even a king.”
Tristan was shaking his head before she finished. “No. I never wanted Sebastian’s land or anything from him. Just his mentorship and friendship. And he gave me that. I only regret that he died before I could tell him how much that meant to me. I know he knew, but…” He shrugged, then smiled at her. “I’m sorry. I’m not being very grateful for the positions you and your father offered me. I would appreciate either of them, and do my best to be a good worker, but I’d most enjoy working with you. The men and women in the security office thought I was weird when I was having the computer read aloud to me.”
“I’m sure that would change if you became their boss. You’re not allowed to think your boss is weird.”
“Are you sure? Because it isn’t that way in the Kingdom. You can’t call nobles weird, but you can definitely think they are. Though I think the preferred term is eccentric.”
“Well, you can be eccentric in the security office if you want, but I would defin
itely prefer it if you work with me.”
“Good. I’d like that too. But I’m happy to be an employee, not a partner. I don’t want a cut of anything you’ve worked so hard for.”
“That’s too bad.” They’d reached her suite, but she didn’t palm open the lock, instead pressing her hands against his chest. “Because I want you to be my equal, not my employee. You saved my life and helped me make one of my dreams come true. I want you to have everything I can give you.”
“Everything?” He wriggled his eyebrows and slid his arms around her back, one hand drifting down to cup her butt and pull her close.
“Everything.” She grinned, molding her body to his for a kiss. They didn’t make it into her suite for quite some time.
THE END
Author’s Notes
Thanks for picking up Knight Protector! I hope you enjoyed getting to know Tristan and Nalini.
This novel has a bit of a story to it. Earlier this year, I was finishing up my Chains of Honor fantasy series, where it is established that mages usually have bodyguards to protect them while they’re distracted casting their magic. A couple of my friends mentioned that they loved bodyguard romances and that I should clearly write one. I don’t generally take requests, but these ladies beta read almost all of my stuff, so if I can throw a bodyguard romance their way, I happily will.
But by that time, I’d shifted into science-fiction-writing mode and was working on Shockwave, Book 1 in my main Star Kingdom series. I had no plans for magic or mages in that universe. But I did have these old-school knights from the Kingdom, and I’d established early on that they sometimes went on spy missions. I thought… what if one of them became a bodyguard? At least for a while. And even though I didn’t have any wizards, maybe I could do another old favorite, the princess. What would Star Wars be without Princess Leia?
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