Guard

Chapter Twenty-Nine: Prince

ALEC

I looked back at the Queen to see her speechless. Her mouth opened and closed, unable to utter a word as she stared at the man a couple of meters in front of her.

I turned my head back to look at the young man stood in front of me. I had mixed feelings just being in his presence.

"Under who's orders?" Her Majesty finally blurted out.

"No one's." The man replied. "Mine."

I frowned deeply at his response. "You cannot simply barge in here and-"

He interrupted me with a wave of his hand, and took a step closer to the Queen, which caused me to annoyingly take a bigger step towards him.

"You do not approach unless asked." I seethed, my eyes boring into the side of his head. "You should know that."

I could swear I saw him roll his eyes. He wasn't at all fazed. We had a similar build and similar height. He likely didn't see me as a threat.

He continued, ignoring me, his eyes on Her Majesty. "Think of this Your Highness, my proposition could benefit our kingdoms. Isn't it about time we make peace?" He asked, a very sly tone in his voice.

This was only my first time to meet this man and he was already leaving a bad impression on me.

The young man that stood in front of me was Prince Damon de Clare, of the Kingdom of Eldham. I had heard many things about his story, but as many as I had heard, I wasn't quite sure which accounts were correct and which weren't. And what was worse was I didn't know all of it.

I knew about Eldham - Our two kingdoms have been on good terms for the last couple of years but there was a long history of feud between Askaria and Eldham. I knew about it's history and it's Royal Family, but Prince Damon was something else entirely.

Damon De Clare was adopted into the Royal Family after miraculously being found abandoned at the church's doorstep by King Arthur of Eldham. He was brought up and raised by the King and Queen as if he was their own. Although, as soon as he had turned eighteen, he decided that he wanted to start making his own choices. He left the castle and lived with his adoptive mother's third cousin. Since then, he has been off the radar. Until now.

And that was all I knew. As Head of the Royal Guard, knowing everything was crucial in being able to do my job properly. But the fact that I didn't know a fair deal about this man, honestly scared me.

He had just made a proposition to the Queen and I had no background of his thinking, his strategies, his purpose. He was like a ghost.

My advice was always greatly appreciated by Her Majesty but I wasn't sure how I would respond if she'd consult me about this.

"Alec?" I felt a hand on my shoulder. "Are you okay?" I heard faintly from behind me.

I was suddenly aware that my breathing had picked up. My heart pounded in my chest, I could feel it also in my ears. I felt beads of sweat run down my face and my hands become clammy. What was happening to me?

"Cassian?" I heard Her Majesty call me. Her voice wafted in my ear, causing me to strain my head to the side to face her. The simple action making my head spin, my vision blur and my body lose its balance.