the duchess

training program

-a week later-
(So I may or may not have accidentally posted a draft of this chapter the other day... sorry)

JULIE'S POV

When the prince said he would put in a good word and fast-track this process, he wasn't lying. How I wasn't found out still is a mystery to me.

For the last week, I've been put through test after test after test. Seeing how physically fit I am, my skill levels and other things.

Some people around here don't trust me still, I don't blame them. Some think I only got in because I'm a legacy kid. I ignore those people though.

When I say I ignore 'those people' I mean everyone but Riley and Grey.

Riley has been with me since day one. Since minute one. He's showed me the ropes, told me all the gossip, helped me with things, so on and so forth. Not to mention, Riley is super attractive AND my age. He's funny, makes sure I feel comfortable in training and makes sure I get home safely every night. If I were to trust someone with my secret, it would be him.

On the other hand, there's Grey. He's Riley's older brother by six years. If I thought Riley's short blond hair, blue eyes and 6'1 figure wasn't attractive enough, look at Grey. He got the brown short hair, blue eyes and absolutely towers over me at 6'3.

Grey is sweet. A gentle giant. His humour is his shining factor, other than the fact he could date any woman he wanted to. He's a gorgeous man, I won't lie. I can't quite place his accent, it's a mix between American and Australian. OK, enough about how handsome this man is, more about his personality and how amazing he actually is.

Grey and Riley always bring me home. That's how things work around here, at our level you work your shift then go home. I'm hoping to work here long enough that I can get a forever home.

I have my own horse, I'm still trying to think of a name for him. We ride them home every night. Turns out the guys live not too far away from my place.

Gray it's always making me laugh,  picking me up and tossing me over his shoulder. He's somewhat of a stickler for the rules, he's technically my boss so... I guess I need to respect him. 

Despite that, he always includes me. He's also is the only one with the balls to say I'm actually skilled, other than Riley.

These guys are my friends. I feel horrible for lying to them. They've treated me with nothing but kindness, respect, and dignity. I want to tell them so badly but what if they have a negative reaction. 

What if telling my friends my deepest secret gets me thrown in jail, kicked out of the program, or worse. You never know with King Mitch, he has some weird fucking rules.

More about how the program works. We train, we learn basic rules, regulations and other boring shit. At lunch, there's this huge ass dining hall in the basement for people at our level, we're also allowed out on the gardens.

After lunch, we do more training, this time more hand-to-hand combat and other things. It's like a training program, making sure that Amaranth's future military is ready for anything.

After they work our asses off and all of us are dying of dehydration, some injury we acquired during this 12 hour day, or just flat out tired, they sent us home.