The Crown's Game

Chapter 13

Wood

How stupid could I have been to call her pathetic? How stupid was I to start and argument over something I knew you she hated talking about? Very, I was very, very stupid. The stunt I had pulled with Oliver had done me no favours and I needed to apologise; I was sick of patrolling the halls like a foot guard instead by her side like I belonged. I waited and waited outside the stairwell, when she finally emerged, I pounced on her before she even got the chance to deny me.

"about?" frustration seeped from her.

"I'm sorry, okay? I didn't mean it. I should have kept my nose out of I, and I was a stupid idiot" I looked at her with puppy dog eyes.

"and?"

"I was being a prat and idiotic one at that" I sighed "and you didn't deserve it, you're just doing your job as I should've been doing"

"I'm sorry I called you jealous" she looked at her feet.

"well, I wasn't" I said straight.

"I'm glad we cleared that up" she swallowed, moving on past me. I looked down spotting the sparkle on her left hand.

"so, it's official then?"

"he hasn't actually asked, but it's just for show" she looked at the ring, staring at it, it seemed she thought if she could stare hard enough it would melt right off her finger.

"is everything okay?"

"just fine" she smiled.

"Addison" I moved towards her.

"please, don't touch me" her voice had a slight shake to it "I have a job to do and so do you"

"I thought-." I began but she was already moving.

"I know, but you, you thought wrong"

"remember"

"I do but I can't" she stepped back "and neither can you" and she was gone. My heart ached after her, the girl that I loved so deeply. She knew, she knew I loved her and maybe she loved me too but the job, the job would always come first. She would come round. Surely, she had too. I walked down the stairwell and past the kitchen towards the guard's quarters. I slumped on to my bed. It wouldn't be long before I was expected to be back walking around the halls like a man with no where to go. But, I guess, in a way that's what I was. I pulled my jacket off followed by the shirt and white vest underneath it. I hated wearing the official uniform. Most of the time we just wore our informals, to blend in crowds. This clown's outfit was only for official visits and groundwork in the palace. A light pinkish scar now ran the length of my torso. I stood looking at it in the mirror. It had healed nicely and the bruises around it slowly fading away.

"hey Wood" Ciara rounded the corner into my room, her face turning a shade of bright pink and she turned away immediately "sorry, I can come back later".

"no, come on in" she still didn't turn around "Ciara" I huffed "it's not like you've never seen me without a shirt before". She turned looking anywhere but directly at me. Ciara and I had both worked personal protection for Addison from the time she turned seventeen. We were both twenty at the time and only trainees. We were more friends to her than anything. A way for to feel safe as well as be safe all at the same time. When the King was killed, Addison named Ciara her Captain of the Guard. She controlled every guard in the palace and co-ordinated all protection for the family. I was in charge of everybody who looked directly after Addison, it was a difficult job. She hated being watched, especially after her Dad died it was impossible to keep an eye on her. Ciara and I spent more of the first year searching for her instead of protecting. She didn't like it, the thought that she constantly was being watched and the extra protection after the assassination she could feel it. The eye's watching her all of the time. Ciara and I were close, she was tough. One of very few woman who worked in the guard during Nathanael's reign. But she rose in the ranks and quickly.

"em, I just came to tell you that I need you with Addison for the rest of the week" she was still looking at her feet, I didn't understand why, it's not like she'd never seen me like that before. "the Queen has asked that Red attend the charity events she has over the next few days"

"perfect" I said slipping a t-shirt back on much to Ciara's relief, the pink was slowly ebbing away from her face "has the plan come through for the ball?"

"well, I had it and now some Lady is coming, apparently the fiancé to be of the Prince's brother" my ears pricked at that "so, her entire entourage has thrown that whole plan into disarray" I didn't hear anything else she said. Oliver was getting married too. At least none of us would have to watch him making eye's at Addison across rooms. He was notorious player, so I had a feeling even if he was promised to another, it wouldn't stop him from going anywhere near the queen. I felt relief seep through my body. I wasn't jealous of him because he didn't stand a chance. But at least then I knew, I knew he couldn't say or do anything. "hello? Earth to Wood" Ciara snapped her fingers in front of my face.

"yeah, sounds good"

"what does?"

"what you just said" Ciara braced her hands on her hips, a disapproving glare on her face.

"remember that line we talked about? You need to start respecting it and I mean that"

"I don't know what you're talking about" I said grabbing a jacket from the wardrobe.

"Wood, I swore a vow just like you to keep her safe, don't take advantage of that"

"there's nothing going on" I said.

"from her end. But you? You've got ideas in that head of yours"

"you don't know what you're talking about" Ciara turned to leave, a clear look of disappointment.

"I will not hesitate to replace you if you put her danger"

"Ciara" I muttered.

"no, Wood. I'm serious. We missed it with her father"

"that wasn't us"

"that isn't the point. Nathanael got into that car and our training and values were meant to keep him safe and now he's dead" she was serious, deadly. "I will keep her safe, at all costs. Stop messing with her head and start looking at what is right in front of you" with that she was gone. The line, at least that's what she meant was right in front of me. I had a shot to shoot. I just needed the right moment.