The Guardian

Chapter Seventeen

Our matching eyes meet and I raise an eyebrow. "What's wrong Aedrioch?"

As he explains it all to me, it starts to make a lot of sense. More than a lot of sense, complete sense actually. I listen, not commenting on anything. The sun starts to move lower into the sky and he keeps talking and I ask questions at the end.

At nightfall, I stand up and pull my hood up. "I have a job to get to, protecting the Queen, you could come. She wouldn't mind."

He hesitates for a moment before nodding. "Sure, I'll come."

"You can't say a word, just follow me, understand?" I raise an eyebrow and look at him as he pulls his hood up.

"Understood, lead the way," he nods and climbs onto his horse as I climb onto Huntress.

I lead her straight into a gallop as we ride in the direction of the stables. Once there, I ride up the side and through the side gate, Aedrioch following behind me. We ride onto the road and through the palace gates after I nod at the guards. We race up the drive and stop at the top, dismounting and giving the reins to a stable hand, who starts to lead the horses away.

"My Lady," I hear a quiet voice behind me and I spin around to find one of the guards standing there and I raise an eyebrow. "Who is the young man with you?"

"My brother, don't worry, he's to be trusted, on my command," I give a sweet smile and start walking for the service entrance around the side of the palace.

Aedrioch follows me with a small smile and I pull the key from around my neck to unlock the door. I step aside and my brother enters, with me right behind him before I shut and lock the door behind us. We're plunged into darkness and I grab his hand, leading the way from memory up the stone staircase.

We reach the top after a minute and I walk in from behind the tapestry into the foyer outside the King and Queen's room. I walk through first and adjust the tapestry right after my brother steps through just after me. A lounge has recently been moved into the room opposite the door and I collapse onto it, Aedrioch following my every move.

"So what exactly do you do up here?" He keeps his voice low, the castle quiet and asleep.

"Watch over the King and Queen at night, and all the windows in their room are rigged and cannot possible be opened, as well as several layers of glass and bars. No one can get through them. I just have to guard the door. The King doesn't know though," I keep my voice as low as his.

"But why?" He looks at me curiously, an eyebrow raised.

I open my mouth to answer when we hear a small movement from the bedroom.

Our heads snap to face the door before it opens a moment later. Evangeline steps out, her hair loose to her waist. She wears a red silk nightgown and a sheer black robe, which she pulls around her when she sees Aedrioch. But you can still see the growing baby bump.

"Oh..." Aedrioch sighs as he realises and Evangeline gives both of us a small smile.

"I, uh, I didn't realise your brother was in town, Adelaide," her voice is barely a whisper as she closes her bedroom door.

"I didn't know until a few hours ago, I didn't think you'd mind," I give her a small, apologetic smile and she dismisses my apology with a wave of her hand.

"It's rather convenient actually, because Isodore came to visit earlier and personally invited us to his masquerade this weekend," she lets out a heavy sigh. "And Eric agreed immediately with a smile as usual. So I need a guard. And I know you're supposed to be guarding Isodore. I was going to ask you to stay with me instead, but if you're brother's here then he can look after me?"

"Of course, your Majesty," Aedrioch's whisper is as charming as ever.

"Thank you, I'll see all at the ball on Saturday," she gives a small, final smile before sneaking back into her room.

"Now do you understand?" I raise an eyebrow and I'm met with my own eyes and a small nod.

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By Friday afternoon, Aedrioch had an outfit and mine was properly fitted. I had been excused from working in the palace that night, Aedrioch was taking my place for the night. No one else knew he was in town, and Phillipa was sneaking him into the party, through the kitchen. Sophia and I were sitting in front of the fireplace in my room with food, as usual.

"I met the most handsome stranger near the tailor's yesterday," she was smiling widely and I shoved a cherry into my mouth as she twirled a blonde curl and bit into a plum. Both of us had our hair out and we were wearing matching black slips and she had a blue silk robe, I had a purple silk robe.

"Ooh, tell me all about it," she doesn't miss the sarcasm in my voice, but she just rolls her eyes.

"Well, I walked in to see if he had any ribbon left over from my dress for tomorrow and when he went to look for it, this stranger walked in. Tall and handsome, muscles and curly brown hair, almost the same colour as yours. And dark blue eyes," she swoons a little and I laugh when I realise who it is. "What's so funny?"

"I think you met my twin brother, he's in town, but you can't tell anyone," I give a small smile, still chuckling.

"Well, I introduced myself as Lady Sophia Hamlin and he gave a small bow. Then the tailor returned with my ribbon and he said his name was Aedrioch and that he'd see me at the party," she gives a smug smile reaches for a bunch of grapes.

"Yeah, that's my brother," I'm still laughing and eventually she joins in.

"I did think he looked a lot like you," she's still laughing while she chews a grape. "And I knew you had a twin, but it never really occurred to me."

I shake my head and finally stop laughing. "You can be really stupid sometimes Soph."

"Hey, leave me be genius," she laughs and we're both smiling widely when we here a knock at the door.

"Come in unless you're Isodore," I call out, not caring what he'd think and Sophia laughs again.

The door opens and Damian steps inside and laughs when he sees us smiling like idiots. "Sorry to interrupt."

"No, I was just leaving," Sophia's smile turns sly and she pats my knee before standing and wrapping her robe around her before marching out with my bowl of grapes and swinging the door shut behind her.

I reach for another few cherries and pop one in my mouth. "Come and sit down, what's wrong?"

He moves around to sit where Sophia was a moment ago and I pull my robe over my legs as I tuck them up under me.

"Well, are you ready for tomorrow night?" He speaks quietly and I raise an eyebrow. "I mean, is everything ready, you said your brother was coming as well."

"Yeah, my brother is staying with the King and Queen, and Sophia is doing her own thing but still staying near us. And we are watching out for Isodore. You're allowed to carry 2 swords, so I'll take one if anything happens, and I'll be armed anyway," I give a small smile and a shrug. "We've been through it a hundred times, how could I forget."

"I know we have, I was just making sure you knew," he gives a small smile and steals some of the cherries in my hand, but I don't react. "At least you don't have to go up to the castle tonight."

"Same here, Aedrioch's covering because I have appointments with Sophia all morning. But because I slept all morning, I'm not tired at all," I give a small laugh and empty my cherry seeds into a waiting bowl.

"Well, do you want to do something?" He raises an eyebrow and pops a cherry in his mouth.

"Sure, but I am sick of being inside all the time," I smile with a tiny laugh.

"How about after dinner, we go for a walk in the woods?" He gives a small smile but hardly meets my eye.

"Sure, but speaking of dinner I have to get ready, so out," I smile and wave my hands as I stand up. He laughs and walks out.

I stand there smiling for a moment longer.