Forbidden

20| Home

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Home

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Chapter 20: Home (Ronan's POV)

I stood behind Grace's seat while she faced another intervention with her parents. That's what all these meetings feel like to me, I can't imagine how she feels during them. She sat with her hands in her lap, staring down at them. 

"Spit it out, come on. We'll be late," Judith huffed. 

God, what on earth is this woman? Does she have no sense of motherliness in her? I know she's not her biological mother, but she should have some sort of attachment, considering how long they've spent under the same roof, playing the part of mother and daughter. Grace let out a sigh, picking at her nails and hesitating more than I've ever seen her hesitate before. I gave her chair a soft kick, urging her to just say it but she was so nervous. 

"She would like to further postpone the engagement." Everyone turned to me as soon as the words left my mouth, including Grace. 

She stared at me wide-eyed. "Are you crazy?" she whisper-yelled. 

I gave her a small shrug. 

"You would like to what?" Judith scoffed. 

"I... I don't think it's a good idea to..." Grace just can't say it this time. She's scared, she doesn't want to anger them but at the same time, she wants to postpone the engagement. You can't get the best of both worlds. And you're always going to disappoint someone, you just have to choose who. In her case, it's herself or them. I'd rather her disappoint them. 

"I've already spilled the truth, I might as well explain," I sighed. "With all due respect, of course." Respect my ass. "If I may?" I looked at her father. 

He nodded grudgingly. 

"Princess Grace is concerned about her safety at such a large event. She's still not comfortable tending to such a large crowd and as her bodyguard, I agree. It's not safe. Just how last time someone was able to sneak in, someone can do it this time too. The palace security isn't capable enough, it's too easy to be disguised as a waiter or any other member of staff. It's an engagement so whenever the ring exchange happens, of course, I cannot be right there with her either, that's another risk. Princess Grace and I think it would be best to postpone the engagement further until I feel it's safe enough for her to be in the public eye again." 

So much for not giving a huge speech, why did I ramble? 

"And it's not a suggestion," Grace finally spoke up, gaining some confidence after my support. It almost made me smile to finally see her stand up for herself a bit. "I won't be engaged this weekend, that's final. I don't care what anybody thinks or says." 

King Elijah and Judith looked at each other. 

"And there's more," Grace huffed. Oh, she's angry now. "I'm disappearing for a few days." 

"What?" her father questioned in confusion. 

"Ronan and I think someone's been following us and keeping an eye on me. I don't like that, you claim to know nothing about it, and it's too dangerous. I don't feel safe. It would be better if I hide for a few days. Stay inside, not at the palace because it's too obvious and twice someone was able to sneak in and nearly kill me. Somewhere safe, somewhere nobody knows, somewhere that's not the palace. I'll leave tomorrow morning with Ronan. We'll be gone for four to five days, we're going because it's not safe for me to be anywhere other than alone with security right now, and we can't tell you where we're going because—"