Dreamwalker's Bride - Chapter 62

New job orientation
The two guards delivered him to a set of chambers and quickly departed. As he went inside, he realized they must be the princess’s. He was shocked, honestly, that as an outsider he was given access to these rooms. Surely someone who had worked here for years would be more trusted than himself! Then again, Ulrich had probably worked at the palace for years to become a sergeant, and that ended poorly…

A messenger arrived and presented him with an ornate looking letter with a royal seal enclosing it, along with his possessions from the stable.

Trace nervously took them from the messenger. Then, he was left alone. He sighed, trying to release some of the stress of the day. He was in a lovely sitting room with large windows and a lot of light. Dainty tables and furniture made it seem an ideal place for a young royal to lounge or entertain guests.

He broke the seal and opened the paper, which turned out to be his royal orders. Apparently the matter had been decided.

“You have been royally decreed to protect Princess Sapphira from all threats to her life or safety. She is free to move within the palace but not to leave it without the king’s explicit, written permission. The Princess’s double is to pretend to be her every time she leaves her chambers, so that any attack will fall on the wrong target. Failure to protect her life and safety is punishable by swift death. Intentionally or negligently harming the Princess is punishable by torture, followed by slow death. Further instructions are enclosed herein.”

“Well, that seems perfectly clear,” Trace murmured, scratching the back of his head. The next page listed a series of protocols and rules for interacting with the princess and escorting her around. The detail was a bit startling. How was he to remember all this??

“What does?” The Princess flounced into the room from an adjoining chamber with a haughty air. “What are your orders? If I’m confined here, I’ll scream until you and the other guards go deaf and then make my escape.”

“Please don’t, Your Highness,” Anaisa followed behind the young woman with a heavy sigh.

“Well?” The Princess stopped in front of Trace, and looked him up and down. “Oh. I have to say the uniform suits you rather well. Doesn’t it, Annie?”

Trace’s eyes found Anaisa’s, and their gazes held for a moment. It had only been a matter of hours since they’d spoken on the stairs, and minutes since he’d seen her last in the throne room, but somehow he had missed her. How was that possible?

“What’s your name again? I can’t recall.” The Princess turned back to her new bodyguard.

“Trace, Your Highness,” He answered her for the first time with a slight bow.

“If I’m to have a bodyguard around all the time, at least he’s pleasant to look at,” The young woman mused, and he colored at the forwardness of the royal.

“I don’t believe it is appropriate for you to speak that way,” He tried to make his rebuke as gentle as possible, but there was no way he was going to endure that kind of talk. The king might behead him for it.

“To speak truth? Annie, confirm that I am correct,” The Princess demanded, turning on her maid.

It was the second time the Princess had directed Anaisa to comment on Trace’s appearance, and the maid blushed in response.

“You see! She’s struck witless by your fine appearance! You cannot blame me for commenting on it when she will not. This will be of some amusement to me, rest assured.” The Princess smiled like a cat.

Anaisa’s face was red, but she kept her voice even.

“Didn’t you want to know the status of your freedom, Your Highness?” She said pointedly.

“Oh! I forgot! Give me your orders, immediately. I must know.” The Princess stepped toward Trace and held out her hand.

He shrugged and handed them to her. He had not received a directive to keep anything from her, so he saw no harm.

“I’m… allowed to leave my chambers only if I pose as a maid?” The Princess’s face darkened.

“Wasn’t that your plan all along?” Anaisa put in, but received a sharp glare for her attempt to mollify the royal.

Oh, of course. Trace wasn’t supposed to know any of that. He cleared his throat.

“What are your intentions for the rest of the day?” He asked. Perhaps knowing things in advance would help him plan. He wished there were some sort of royal schedule so he knew what to expect, but perhaps the princess normally did what she wanted.

“I had planned on going for a ride on my mare,” The Princess pouted. “But even if I were allowed to go out of the palace, I would still be subjected to letting Annie ride my horse while I rode her inferior one.”

Trace was losing patience with the childish attitude. No wonder Anaisa talked ill of the woman; she was more of a spoilt toddler than a graceful woman turning the age of marriage.

Sapphira heaved a heavy sigh and plopped down on a cushioned chair. She looked ready to settle in for a long session of whining and bemoaning her fate. Trace was not in the mood to hear such a rant. He opened his mouth to tell her so in the most respectful way he could, but Anaisa beat him to it.

“I might suggest a nap, Your Highness,” Anaisa spoke sweetly, but Trace could feel the irritation under her words, “You did not sleep well with the storm last night and you might feel in better spirits if you rested.”

Trace suppressed a grin. His sister-in-law often said something similar to her children when they were cranky.

The princess glared at her for a moment before stretching and standing back to her feet with an impish smile.

“Are you sure you’re not just trying to get some alone time with our handsome new guard?” She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively.

Anaisa sighed, and the princess threw up her hands. “All right, I will go nap so that you two can be alone. Don’t do anything too inappropriate, I can hear any… loud noises… from my room!”

“Your highness!” Anaisa cried as the princess danced out of the room, and Trace pursed his lips.

The door to the sleeping chamber shut as Princess Sapphira laughed with mischievous delight.