Protecting The Princess

Chapter 2

The quiet of early morning wrapped the palace grounds in a shroud of calm as the sun cast its first rays through the tall, arched windows. I stood in the corridor outside the princess's quarters, my posture rigid, eyes fixed straight ahead. My mind, however, drifted back to the previous night and my first impressions of her—Princess Leonor. Or Leonor, as she'd asked me to call her after some polite insistence. Her face flashed in my memory, that striking blend of grace and warmth still vivid in my mind. Annoyingly vivid, if I was honest.

I shook the thought from my head. I had a job to do, and the more I focused on her as a person rather than an assignment, the riskier things would become. There was no place for distraction.

The sound of light footsteps pulled me back to attention. Leonor's private maid, a reserved woman named Lucia, appeared at the end of the hall, glancing my way with a nod of acknowledgment.

"The princess will be ready for breakfast in the west dining room in fifteen minutes," she informed me with the measured efficiency I was starting to recognize among the palace staff.

I gave her a curt nod, and she walked off, leaving me alone once again in the early morning quiet. With that, I took a mental inventory of the day's scheduled events. Leonor's calendar was filled with formal meetings, a luncheon with a visiting ambassador, and a charity event in the evening. Tight schedules meant high-alert situations and the constant need for watchful eyes. Exactly the way I liked it.

As I made my way down the corridor to the west dining room, I felt that usual switch within me—the one that allowed me to filter out my surroundings with clinical efficiency. I took note of every door, every window, and each corridor that intersected. I felt a familiar sense of calm settle over me as I planned my strategy, ensuring there were no gaps in the protection I could provide her.

Arriving at the dining room, I took a position just inside the doorway, surveying the room as staff prepared the table with meticulous care. I'd barely settled in when Leonor appeared at the opposite end of the room, looking refreshingly casual in a simple white blouse and a soft green skirt. She walked over with a lightness to her step, seemingly unburdened by the looming threats her father and I took so seriously.

"Good morning, Storme," she said, offering me a gentle smile. "I see you're an early riser too."

"Good morning, Your Highness," I replied, defaulting to the formal address, though her gaze flickered with amusement at my choice of title.

"I told you to call me Leonor," she reminded me, not unkindly, as she took her seat at the table. "After all, if we're going to be stuck together all day, we might as well make it a little more...comfortable, don't you think?"

Comfortable wasn't the word I would use, but her relaxed attitude was clearly something I'd need to adjust to. "As you wish, Leonor," I conceded, though my tone was still edged with formality.

For a moment, an awkward silence fell between us as she poured herself some tea, stirring it absently. She seemed thoughtful, as though trying to find the right words. "So," she began, looking at me over the rim of her teacup, "how do you manage? I mean, you're always on alert, aren't you? Doesn't it get exhausting?"

"Not particularly," I replied. "It's what I'm trained for."

She watched me, her gaze soft but penetrating. "That sounds a bit...lonely."

Her words cut through my usual emotional armor, and for a split second, I didn't have a response. But I quickly collected myself, shrugging slightly. "Loneliness is part of the job. It helps keep the focus clear."

Leonor tilted her head, studying me with a curious expression that made me uncomfortable. "Maybe. But you don't always have to live by the job, do you?"