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
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
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