by Mia Carson
She tapped her fingers loudly on the tabletop and watched Matt as he picked up the phone in the room to call for Marie. When he hung up and glanced at Daphne, he frowned. Her face had paled. Her eyes shot to the shattered remains of crystal she took her anger out on and she slumped, very unladylike, in her chair.
“I can’t believe I did that,” she whispered, placing a hand over her mouth. Her eyes widened. “Matt, I’m so sorry. I… I never act like this.”
“Everyone has their breaking point, my lady,” he said quietly, knowing that well enough from experience. “Do you wish to talk about it?”
“No, at least not here. Maybe tonight if you’re willing to come to the rooftop with me?”
His chest swelled at the tinge of need in her words. She was asking for trouble and he knew it, but he couldn’t stop himself from promising he would be there. She stood, stepped carefully around the glass again, and walked to the door slowly, ready to leave. Her posture said she was in no mood to deal with anything else that day, but Matt couldn’t keep her from her duties. She would continue about her day without any regard to taking care of herself nor her mental stability. Whatever her mother spoke to her about had her on edge.
Telling her about Dion today would only make it worse. He decided he would wait until a better time to tell her what was going on with her cousin. Just in case she went off again. There were only so many things in her room she could break as a release.
Chapter 7
Daphne feigned feeling ill for dinner and took it in her rooms to avoid another confrontation with her parents. Matt told her Jeremiah would be outside her door while he ate, but if she needed anything, he would be a phone call away. Her cheeks reddened before he left her, that smoldering gaze of his glancing hard at her face. She hated that he saw her flash of weakness but was thankful the man hadn’t said a word about it the rest of the day.
Now that she was finally alone, she kicked off her heels, poured a glass of white wine from the chilled bottle on the table, and settled on the chaise lounge. She nibbled at freshly caught fish and salad but lost her appetite after a few bites.
When she’d returned from her last meeting of the day, there had been a file on her table with a note from Marie. All the information they had on Matthias was at her fingertips, and she was dying to find out about this man driving her to rebel against every social rule she’d been taught from birth. He saw past the mask she wore every day, and instead of judging her for it and pointing out her flaws as her over-protective parents constantly did, he accepted them with that same heated look in his eyes when he captured her lips with his, pressing their bodies together.
Her face warming from the thought of him holding her, mixed with the wine, caused that warmth to spread between her legs. She clamped her thighs tightly together and told herself to take it one step at a time. First, she needed to figure out who this man was.
Sipping on her wine, she flipped open the file folder on Matt and admired the straight-faced picture staring back at her. Those dark, slate eyes managed to capture her with their fierceness. Her fingers trailed down the image until she pushed it aside and read about his background. Born a native on the island, he had served in the military since he was eighteen. She wasn’t surprised he was a decorated soldier based on his years of service, but when she turned to the other pages to see for what exactly, there were no details.
“Really? What did you do?” she wondered aloud, skimming over the blacked-out pages beneath the others. “Seven years, and there’s nothing.”
The rest of the file contained little background on the schooling he’d acquired during his service and his latest job as a nightclub bouncer. Nothing was mentioned of his family, though the recommendations for this job were from his old commanding officer and the general of the whole Apostolos army.
No doubts remained about his abilities to keep her safe, but still, she wasn’t satisfied with the few answers she’d managed to glean from the information. She tossed the folder aside, irritated. Tonight, she was headed up to the roof, and he would meet her up there. Did she want to risk pushing him away and ask what he used to do? She considered the possibility of him being an assassin but nervously laughed it off. That would be the last job this type of man would want, wouldn’t it? Or maybe it was where he was most comfortable, being in the midst of the action, a chance for danger around every corner. Her laughter quieted as the realization hit her of just how safe she was with Matt watching over her. God help the person who tried to take on a man with a blacked out military past.
She puttered around her room, thinking of a way to approach the subject delicately, when Jeremiah called through the door. “Come in,” she said and set her wine glass down.
The door opened and Jeremiah stepped inside, bowing his head. “Sorry to disturb you, Princess Daphne, but your Aunt Agnes is here,” he informed her with a frown. “Shall I bring her in or are you still feeling ill?”
Daphne nodded vigorously. “Yes,” she said, trying to sound ill, coughing for good measure. “I’m afraid to let anyone in. Might catch what I have.”
“Very well, my lady,” he replied and ducked back out of her room. She heard his voice and Agnes’s shrill reply before the woman barreled into her room despite Jeremiah’s protests. “My lady, shall I have her removed?” Jeremiah snapped as he grabbed Agnes’s upper arm.
“Unhand me at once! I am sister-in-law to the king,” she stormed and tried to yank her arm free. His didn’t budge.
“Yes, but not by blood. I do not take my orders from you,” Jeremiah retorted. “Princess Daphne? What would you like me to do?”
“You will let me speak with my niece, that’s what!”
“Aunt Agnes, that is enough,” Daphne commanded. Her aunt turned her glare her direction. “Why are you here? I am not feeling well and would like to rest, so if you have business with me, speak it quickly.” She motioned for Jeremiah to release her arm, but he didn’t leave the room. “Well?”
Agnes straightened her dress, frowning. “You appear well enough to me, my dear sweet niece. Perhaps you are simply overburdened with your new duties as future heir.”
Daphne’s hands curled at the jibe, but she didn’t acknowledge it further. “If you are not going to tell me what you want, then Jeremiah would be more than happy to remove you.”
“That will not be necessary. I came to protest the actions taking place against my son.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Don’t act like you don’t know what’s been happening,” she snapped and took a step forward until Jeremiah warned her not to again. “This investigation into the smuggling allegations! It’s outrageous, and I demand you do something to stop it—now.”
Daphne sighed and paced to the chaise, sitting down heavily. Her aunt wanted her to magically make all the problems go away. Ironic, since she was currently trying to kill the education reform Daphne wanted to put through. “Why?”
Agnes’s face darkened as she crossed her arms over her chest. “Excuse me?”
“Watch your tone, my lady, or I will remove you despite what Princess Daphne says,” Jeremiah warned.
“It’s fine, Jeremiah, but thank you,” Daphne assured him. “I said why should I help you when you are doing everything in your power to kill the reforms I’ve been working on for two years?”
She huffed. “This is completely different. He is your cousin.”
“My point, Agnes,” Daphne went on, “is that if I do something to completely stop this investigation from happening, why should I not do the same to ensure my reforms go through despite what you or the rest of parliament thinks?”
Agnes’s mouth fell open. “Why, you little—”
“I wouldn’t finish that sentence, my lady,” a rough voice said from behind Agnes and Jeremiah.
Daphne watched Matt’s towering body move into the room, his worried gaze sliding first to her and back to Agnes. “Thank you, Matthias,” she said, hoping her surprise didn’t come th
rough her words. The worry vanished, and the intensity returned in a shot.
“Of course, princess. Jeremiah sent a call through the com. I assumed he was in need of assistance,” Matt said. “What seems to be the problem?”
“My aunt was just leaving. Would you two be so kind as to see her out?”
“What? No, I’m not leaving until you do something to stop this!”
Daphne sucked in a deep breath, drawing strength from Matt’s presence, and glowered at her aunt. “Agnes, if Dion has nothing to hide, there should be no cause for alarm. The investigation is routine for anyone who may be involved in such allegations. Perhaps the culprit is someone who works beneath him. Either way, we will get to the bottom of it. End of story.”
Jeremiah and Matt each took an arm and steered her towards the door. “You will be a terrible queen! You hear me, Daphne? You will be the ruin of this kingdom!”
“And you believe Dion would be better?” she snapped and ordered them to turn her back around. “Why? What makes him so much better than me? Tell me that.”
“He has lived,” she spat out with a dark grin. “He has been amongst the people. They know who he is and what power he could wield if he took over. You, on the other hand—they only know your face.”
Daphne bristled, her eyes narrowed. “They know what I’ve done for them—all my legislation, the reforms to lead this kingdom into the future.”
“Do they? Are you sure? Perhaps you should speak to your mother about that.”
“Enough! Jeremiah, take her out of here,” Matt ordered, and Jeremiah obliged, tight-lipped and muttering as he dragged a still arguing Agnes out the door.
Daphne didn’t move. It hardly registered when Matt reached her side and guided her to the chaise. Why would the people not know about all her hard work? She sacrificed daily for them, fought for parliament to focus on the good of the kingdom, their military, and their future generations. Why would they not know?
“Have a drink, my lady,” Matt urged and pressed a filled wine glass into her hand.
She sipped it. After a second thought, she chugged the wine until the glass was empty and the disbelief wore off enough for her to speak. “Do the people really not know who I am to them?”
He hesitated and turned away from her.
“Matt, please,” she whispered. “What’s going on outside these walls? What aren’t they telling me?”
“I don’t think this is a conversation for your room,” he said quietly, and the catch in his voice forced her to her feet to pace madly around her room. “Princess, please, there is no need to stress like this.”
“And why not? My aunt seems so sure I’m not fit to rule! Why? Tell me, damn it!” She clapped a hand over her mouth so fast it hurt, and she winced at the sharp pain. Matt got to his feet, reaching out for her, but she held up her hand. “No, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to say that.”
He ignored her protests to stay away and took her hand. Instantly, a calmness spread through her and she sucked in a few deep breaths until the panic ebbed.
“Daphne,” he whispered. “I’ll tell you everything tonight on the roof. Trust me?”
“With my life,” she sighed. “Fine, the roof. Don’t be late.”
He didn’t smile, but his eyes lightened enough for her to see the pleasure it gave him to know he would see her later. His hand was still securely closed around hers when Jeremiah reappeared in the doorway. Immediately, Daphne pulled away, but Jeremiah’s raised brow told her he had seen it.
“Your aunt is gone, my lady,” he said. “I believe we will retire for the evening. Theodore will be in the halls tonight as per usual.”
“Of course. Thank you, Jeremiah, and you, Matthias,” Daphne said formally.
They bowed their heads and left her alone. Daphne blew out a breath as she tugged at her ear on the way to her bedroom to change. If Jeremiah let slip what he saw to anyone, Matt would be removed from the palace at once. She was not allowed any contact like that unless it was with someone courting her and if approved by her parents. They would never allow her to get so close to a bodyguard.
And you’re going to do it anyway, she thought with a smirk. I think it’s about time we rebelled a little.
She would meet Matt on the roof and get answers to the hundreds of questions filling her mind. Then she would see where the night took them both.
***
Matt walked down the hall beside Jeremiah. “I’m sorry for giving you an order earlier,” he told Jeremiah. “It wasn’t my place. Afraid my old habits took over.”
“No,” Jeremiah said with a laugh. “Think nothing of it. That woman drives us all crazy, the princess especially. If I had any say, she and Dion would be banned from entering on a whim. I should never have let her in.”
“I don’t think you could’ve stopped her unless you tackled her,” Matt grumbled.
“Probably not.”
The rest of the walk to their quarters was silent, but when Matt took a step to continue down to his room, Jeremiah’s hand fell on his arm. “What’s wrong?”
Jeremiah took his com out of his ear and motioned for Matt to do the same. His eyes darted down the corridor both ways before he leaned in and asked, “Are you and Daphne sleeping together?”
Matt’s face was blank, though his fingers twitched painfully at his sides. “No, absolutely not.”
“Are you sure? I saw how you two looked at each other before she jumped backwards,” he said with a grin. “Listen, I wanted to tell you that if you are or have any sort of… connection with her, I’ll cover for you.”
There wasn’t an easy way out of this, and Matt should’ve shut his mouth and walked away, but he had to know. “If I was, and I’m not admitting anything,” he whispered, “why would you do that? I barely know you.”
“I didn’t say I would do it for you, necessarily.”
“For the princess?”
Jeremiah glanced up when a door opened close by and motioned Matt down another hall. “Listen, I’ve known Daphne for years. I grew up here. My dad was a bodyguard. Never, in all the years I’ve been around her, have I seen a single real smile cross her face. Not until you showed up.” He grinned and shrugged. “If you’re the reason for the smile, I don’t care what you two are doing as long as she’s able to find some happiness in her life.”
“She means a lot to you, doesn’t she?” Matt asked as a strange sense of pride filled him.
Princess Daphne was known for her radiant smile amongst the people but considered a shut-in. Agnes had been right in her words earlier. Yet here was a man loyal to a fault to the real princess no one knew outside the palace walls.
“One day, everything will change for her,” Jeremiah said. “The people will see her and know what she did to change this kingdom, but until that day, she’s trapped. Just make sure, whatever you do—or don’t do,” he added with a wink, “keep it secret.”
Matt nodded. “Understood.”
“I hope so. If anyone catches wind of this, you’d be out on your ass and she’ll have handed Agnes a reason for her parents not to give her the throne.” He wished Matt a good night and walked down the corridor, tucking his com back in his ear.
Matt did the same and walked slowly to his room. If they were caught doing anything, it would be over for them both. This job was better than the one he had before, but that wasn’t what he worried about losing. He didn’t want to lose Daphne. As he told himself he needed to keep his distance, he was constantly drawn to her. Hearing Agnes yell at her earlier brought out the old anger he used to cling to during his days abroad.
And since he’d left her alone, his chest was tight and his hands twitched against his thighs. He couldn’t get them to stop, but he knew the instant he was with Daphne again, he’d find the control she managed to grant him. As he entered his room and changed out of his suit, he realized no matter what happened between him and Daphne in the future, it would be worth it.
Every last second would be well worth it, no
matter the consequences.
***
Daphne told herself to slow down as she rushed from her room a little before midnight, darted through the palace, and climbed up the trellis to the rooftop. The second the sea breeze hit her face and she inhaled the salty tang of it, her body relaxed, muscle by muscle. She tugged her light cardigan around her body and stared out over the city streets, absorbing the lights and the music echoing up to her.
Agnes’s words hit her again, and she took a step away from the edge of the roof and the city, the people she held so high in regard. Did they really think so little of her after all these years? Her rule hadn’t even officially started, and they doubted her.
“Daphne,” Matt said from the other end of the roof.
She turned slowly to look at him, enjoying how his t-shirt clung to his muscled arms and shoulders, giving a clear view of his chest as well. His jeans hung low on his hips, and her dreams of him holding her, kissing her, snuck into her mind. She licked her lips and watched his heated gaze slip to them. He stepped towards her and reached for her hands slowly as if expecting her to pull away, but she didn’t want to pull away. Not from him.
At first, she wasn’t sure what to say. So much had happened that day that finding the right place to start seemed too hard, but she wanted to know who he was. That was the first order of business. His hands warm in hers, she tugged him to her usual spot and they sat down, their legs hanging over the edge of the stone roof.
“Your hands,” she said quietly after a while. “They twitch a lot.”
He frowned down at her. “And? You tug on your ear more than any woman I’ve ever seen. Careful, it might come off one of these days.”
She smirked. “Did you just make a joke?”
“I can make jokes,” he muttered. “I just choose not to most days.”
“Would that have anything to do with why your military record is pretty much blacked out?” she asked carefully.
