Royal Inheritance

by McKenna James

  It would be a lot easier if it was just her looks, her body, that gets under my skin. But it’s not. She doesn’t let on to many, but I’m with her practically twenty-four/seven, I can’t help but see the real her on occasion. Raina is all heart and passion, not to mention incredibly smart. She’s the real deal and the whole damn package wrapped in an unattainable bow.

  Raina makes a hard job even harder. There is an art form to looking calm and collected while also being on high alert all the time. Frankly, it can be exhausting. And on my downtime, I want that ... downtime. Only lately, that isn’t how any of this has been working out. The princess is turning out to be a lot more work than the King. Who’d have thought that'd be the case.

  Raina has only been my responsibility for the last six months. Actually, it is more like one hundred and ninety two days, but hey, who’s counting. Before then, I thought I was good at my job, great even. I’ve never failed an assignment. I always manage to keep everyone alive, safe at all times, and most importantly, to me at least, happy.

  The King makes it through his daily engagements without a hitch. Though, all the public appearances are a little more work. Constantly having to be on edge and prepared for all and any eventuality is taxing. But I am simply part of a detail team and not responsible for organizing every little thing, so really, it is pretty painless for me all in all.

  That is until I was placed in charge of the princess. This was a stepdown, but also a step up at the same time. I’ve been charged with protecting the King himself, and it didn’t get much higher up than that. At first, I thought I’d done something to anger him, something wrong, at least. Then he pulled me aside and explained that he asked for me specifically to guard his daughter.

  “Gavin, you have been by my side for the last few years, and you’ve done a fine job.”

  “I’d like to hope so, Your Majesty.”

  “But I need you for Raina now.”

  Though I generally didn’t question my superiors, I was dying to know why me. There must have been something written on my face for once, so he continued.

  “There isn’t anyone I would trust more with the safety of my daughter, our future Queen.”

  “You honor me, Your Majesty.”

  “But it’s more than that.” This caught me by surprise. “I’ve come to trust your character, as well as your abilities, and as such, I think you are exactly what the Princess needs at this time in her life. It’s not going to be easy, I’m afraid. She doesn’t like change, and there will be a lot of pressure on her to step up and do her duty soon. She needs someone steadfast, someone closer to her own age, and hopefully, someone she can trust and listen to. Because Lord knows, she doesn’t heed anyone else around here, myself included, or quite possibly, myself especially.”

  And there it was. The truth behind the reassignment. King Albert is a wise man. A humble man. A gentleman. But completely out of touch with his daughter. She would come to loathe listening to me just as much as she has any of the others who had come before me. Raina would ignore any and all our suggestions. She even managed to sneak out on more than one occasion, which resulted in me needing to move into one of the bedrooms near her suite. That didn’t go over so well. With either of us.

  Despite all my best efforts, I found myself chasing after her more often than not, usually on horseback, which was the most royal thing she ever did. I think that was her favorite game. The chase.

  The rest of the time, she is more like a rebellious Gen Z. The minute she turned nineteen, her life changed. Raina was mostly interested in drinking and dancing. Instead of fighting a losing battle with her, she was given a little leeway these last few months, only because I was to be glued to her side the entire time. I was forced to go to more clubs in the last six months with Raina than in all of my twenties.

  Each time is more torturous than the last, with Raina teasing me to no end, presuming I couldn’t dance because I wouldn’t while on the job. Then one night, I have no idea what possessed me. I guess it was the fact I’d still been struggling to get through to her; it all changed.

  “You are so boring, Gavin, so old and dreary too. I still think you’ve had a lame and extremely sheltered life. And that’s coming from me, a princess, so I would know.” She giggled drunkenly as we’d entered the palace foyer, headed for her suite.

  “Because my nine years on you makes me old?”

  “Mmhmm,” Raina proclaimed, pausing in front of the grand ballroom before me, to punctuate her point face to face.

  I’d had my fill, run out of patience, and for once, I’d cracked. Taking her hand in mine, I pulled her roughly through the double doors of the ballroom, carefully checking no one was around to see us sneak in.

  “What, pray tell, are you doing?” Raina asked curiously as I closed the doors behind us, her warm palm still in mine.

  “Breaking the rules and proving a point, apparently.”

  I led her to the center of the room by our joined hands and watched Raina frown in confusion as I took out my phone with my other, pulled up the music app on it, and pressed shuffle. Her facial expression morphed to one of pure joy and shock as the first bars to Ed Sheeran’s Thinking Out Loud filled the dead silent room.

  “I didn’t see that coming.”

  Her surprise was evident in the wide set of her gorgeous almond eyes, still a little cloudy from tonight's earlier escapades, but the crystal blue hue was clearing by the minute. I shrugged, a little embarrassed, having forgotten I had his album in my music library.

  Taking Raina further by surprise, I pocketed my phone, making sure the speaker was pointed outward, and wrapped my arm around her slender waist, positioning my palm against her lower back.

  This was the closest we’d ever been, and the shock of electricity that passed between us didn't go unnoticed by either of us. Raina took a shuddering breath in, her pupils dilating further when my Adam's apple bobbed as I swallowed deeply.

  I should have stopped it there, not taken it any further, but I was committed to the challenge at this point. There was no turning back. How true those words were then, as they are now.

  As we moved around the dance floor in an easy waltz to the soft sounds of Ed streaming out of my back pocket, the tension magnified. It was a big mistake on one level, dancing with Raina like this. Feeling how right she felt in my arms, how perfectly easy we moved together, never once out of step, so in sync you’d have thought we’d been dancing like this for years.

  Raina’s warm eyes never left mine, and her sweet breath fanned my face as we glided along the marble floor song after song. I stopped noticing what was playing after the first track. It was so easy to forget who she was, hell, who I was, being with her like this. Thankfully, she broke the spell after a couple of songs.

  “So,” she started, clearing her throat as subtly as she could. “You can dance.”

  “So it would appear.”

  “I guess I underestimated you.”

  I took that moment to spin her out from me and around a few times before pulling her back against my chest. She giggled breathlessly and shook her head.

  “There is very little you know about the guy behind the job, Princess. You’d be wise not to take everything at face value, but more importantly, making snap judgments or presumptions. Underestimating people will not do you any justice in the future. You’re too smart for that.”

  She blinked a few times before nodding in agreement. “You’re right. I won’t make that mistake again.”

  Raina smiled softly, somehow taking what I said the right way for the first time in our history.

  From that night onwards, she stopped teasing me, well, mostly. She is more playful about it, but she started respecting me, listened to almost everything I told her to do. That night became the breakthrough I needed with her. She finally believed I wasn’t old, lame, and stiff, which shouldn’t have been such a stretch since I was only nine years older.

  Our working relationship has been smooth sailing ever since.
As I stare at her now, at her special ball, I watch and wish that I could take her for another spin around the floor instead of these pampered princes who would never be enough for her, even if they brought all the wealth to the table.

  The way she has been looking at me lately, I swear to God, if I didn’t know any better, I’d think she has some serious feelings for me. Even if she does, I wouldn’t be able to act on them. First, it breaks every bit of the bodyguard code. It’s impossible to protect the ones we love. We get distracted. Lives are in jeopardy.

  Second, her family would kill me. And I’m not even talking theoretically. This could potentially be seen as a treasonous act for which the punishment is death. They’ve stopped hangings, and the guillotine is too messy, but they have plenty of cyanide to take out all their enemies, both real and imagined.

  Of course, if their real enemies are real royalty, then they have to respond differently. I’ve been a party to the discussions. I am always in the room. They treat me like wallpaper, so they probably forget I am there. And I don’t mind. It means I am doing my job, and they can relax. I, on the other hand, never can.

  The minutes tick painfully by, but the hour is upon us. The ball is finally coming to an end. Thank God for that. Watching her is torture. I want to be the one dancing with her, feeling her soft, warm body pressed against mine... Maybe, once everyone is gone, if there is no one around and she still has any energy left. What am I thinking? I feel ridiculous for even thinking like this, but I can’t help myself. Somehow, I’ve fallen for the princess.

  “I thought this night was never going to end,” Raina says once she’s stopped in front of me.

  “Not yet, Your Highness.”

  “Oh, God. I forgot all about Father and his damn interrogation. Urgh.”

  We head for the King’s study, and I fight not to put my hand at the small of her back as we walk side by side down the long hallway. Raina raps on the door, but instead of waiting for a response, she lets herself in and plops on the lounge chair by the fire. I keep my face neutral, but inside I grin at her total disregard for etiquette, that is until I catch sight of the King. He looks off, out of sorts. Maybe he’s having second thoughts about putting his daughter through all of this. I doubt it; he doesn’t have a choice in the matter.

  The King looks at his daughter then turns to me and raises an eyebrow. I just shrug. What can I say that he doesn’t already know?

  “I’m beat. Can we get this over with quickly, please,” Raina mumbles around a yawn.

  “Of course, but I have some news I need to share with you first.” This makes Raina sit up straighter. “I had a visit tonight from the police.”

  Now it’s my turn to take more notice. I had seen the King leave the ballroom at one point tonight. He looked a little worse for wear when he came back an hour later. Now I know why.

  “The constable informed me that Edgar’s death wasn’t an accident.”

  “Wait. Hold the phone. Edgar, our financial advisor, is dead? And you didn’t think this was something I needed to know about?”

  “I did mention that he was no longer with us—”

  “I thought you fired him because he sucked, not that he died!”

  “I felt until I had all the relevant information I needed, it wasn't in your best interest to correct your assumption.” Raina huffs indignantly. “I had suspicions in regards to how he passed, and I think someone at the ball tonight was involved.”

  This shuts her up, and a little color drains from her face.

  “The death of Edgar put us in possibly an even worse financial position than we were in before he died. If someone else had a hand in that, I can imagine they’d understand what it would, what it did, do to us. We are now vulnerable and susceptible to the wrong kind of alliance.”

  “For what purpose? To force our hand so I have to marry one of their pompous sons?”

  “It leaves us open to anyone with that knowledge to get in here and gain power, perhaps, even try to take over our country.” He pauses to let that sink in before continuing. “So we need to be extra careful of these suitors, even more diligent. They may not only be after your hand; they may also be after your country.”

  Raina ponders this new information the King just dropped in her lap by pulling off her shoes and wiggling her toes. I don’t know why women wear such high heels, but I know Raina isn’t a fan. I could tell she was hurting bad; she needs a foot massage. I wish I could be the one to give it to her.

  “Well…” The King clears his throat, getting our collective attention. “We can discuss our financial ruin another night, as you said it’s quite late, but before you go, I’d like to get your thoughts on our top five from tonight? Did you get a particular vibe from anyone?”

  His hands are clasped on his desk, and he leans forward, too eager for his own good in front of Raina. As of late, the situation seems to have taken a toll on him. He’s aged faster in the last six months than he has the entire time I’ve worked for the royal family.

  “Of the five, I think we can safely lower it to three: Prince Sebastian, Prince Jasper, and Prince Oliver.” She sighs. “They seem to have the most potential, the most money, and I guess, less conceited than the others. Not so desperate to wed me maybe. I don’t really know what else you want to know.”

  “That’ll do, for now.”

  “May I go?”

  He nods. “We’ll talk more tomorrow.”

  She waves vaguely, letting him know she’s heard, but doesn’t want to deal with it further. As the princess leaves the room, her father pulls me aside.

  “Take care of her,” he urges.

  I nod. “I’ll do my best, Your Majesty.”

  I mean it. She is special, even if she is something of a pain in the ass. She means well. She doesn’t understand much about the world, which is a product of growing up in the castle. How could she, sheltered behind stone walls?

  I catch up with Raina on the grand staircase that leads to her room, and she slows to hook her hand through the crook of my arm. I try to act unaffected; she’s not usually so forward. She does seem rather shaken by the news of Edgar's sudden death. Not only is she supposed to marry one of these princes, but he could be someone plotting to use her, someone with no interest in her at all. The same thoughts raging through my mind must have been in Raina’s also as her forehead puckers deep in thought.

  “I don’t want to do this, Gavin,” she announces in a low voice. “And I want you to help me get out of it.”

  I swallow hard. This isn’t going to be good.

  CHAPTER THREE

  Raina

  I swallow my impending laughter at watching the color drain from Gavin’s face. I know exactly what he is thinking: Raina has a plan; this does not bode well for me. I could see the hand in his mind slash across his throat. I want to roll my eyes. And people call me the dramatic one.

  “My father hasn’t sentenced anyone to death in... Ever. You should know this; you worked with him for years. It’s more of a looming threat than an actual go-to while managing the monarchy. Like sentencing people to the dungeon we don’t have. Stop freaking out.”

  The color returns in full force, creating a warm flush to his face. I grin hard, but hold in my laugh. I sober instantly as the topic at hand comes back to mind.

  “There has to be some way we can save me from a fate worse than death, and get all the money back that has been lost and squandered away. I know there has to be. Just having me marry for money isn’t going to cut it.”

  Gavin looks skeptical and resigned.

  “Come on, Gavin. You saw the likes of whom I was dancing with all night. I’d rather die than have to be shackled to one of them for the rest of my life. Or, you’re going to have to save my sorry ass when I end up killing the lucky one who makes it to my wedding bed. You’d help me bury the body, right? Isn’t your job to cover all aspects of protection? Like protecting me from jail.”

  He doesn’t look amused. I sigh.

  “They don
’t know me, Gavin. Not one of them even tried to get to know me while we were dancing. They don’t care one bit about me, just the crown that’ll be attached to my head once my father kicks the bucket.”

  A pang I wasn’t expecting hits me at my own words. I don’t want to think about my father dying, let alone having to pick up the country's pieces, and doing my duty instead of grieving as a normal daughter would. Not the least of which, if my father gets his way, I’ll have some crown chaser beside me who wouldn’t give a shit about me and my pain.

  My prospective husband, a prince, of course, the ones put forth to me as an option are all second sons, princes who would never be king of their own kingdom. Here, they have a shot at ruling. Little do they know that my father has already drafted paperwork dictating that I’ll be queen, but no man will ever be king who isn’t of our country’s descent. They’d have no title bestowed on them, no control over my country, unless they try and fail, to wield some over me. I would, however, be expected to produce at least one heir to the throne with them. I shudder at the thought of being with anyone in that ballroom tonight. Well, all but one.

  My lip twitches into a smirk as I imagine how fun it would be to reproduce with Gavin. We’d need a lot of practice. I sigh as the images are dashed away by reality. He is already worried about my father and the threat of being executed if he fails in his job or goes against the crown.

  My chances of seducing him are pretty freaking slim at this point. And let’s be honest, my seduction game isn't great. In fact, it’s nonexistent. I don’t have a lot of experience with men, like at all. How could I? I am constantly chaperoned. What chance do I have of getting up to anything with a guy when I went to the strictest, practically prison-like, all-girls boarding school in the middle of nowhere. That and the fact my father hired a bodyguard and private tutor the very minute I returned home at eighteen. Sheltered doesn’t even begin to cover my life.