by Kim Loraine
“Sparrow, look at me,” I say through clenched teeth as we pull up in front of the palace.
“No. If I look at you, I’ll lose my nerve.”
“Please?” God, I’m fucking begging her, but I can’t bear the thought of going on without one more shared moment between us.
She trains heartbroken eyes on me, and I take her hand, giving it a squeeze. “I can’t.”
“I love you. Never forget that.”
The palace doors swing open, and she whips her head in their direction. Her brother, the king, and Princess Alina are rushing out to us. Before she can respond the car door is pulled open and King Ryder takes her by the arm, bringing her into his embrace as though I don’t even exist.
I exit my car and stand on the sidelines, but Clark is there, his big body a strong presence next to me. “You did the right thing keeping her safe.”
I nod. Not because I don’t want to say anything, but because my throat is too tight to let words out.
“It won’t go unnoticed after the princess gets settled in.”
I don’t want notice. I just want her. But I nod, and keep my expression neutral. I can’t let him see how upset I am by this. But when Waverly looks back at me as her brother ushers her inside, I nearly lose my hard won control. She’s walking out of my life, and I can do nothing to stop her.
“She looks broken,” Clark says, guilt coloring his tone.
It’s true. She does. She looks like someone took her heart and stabbed it. “She’s not. That woman is the strongest person I know. Fucking amazing.”
He coughs. “Careful, Archer. Your reverence is a little strong.”
Shit.
“You should have seen her fighting him off. He had her chained.” Anger blossoms in my chest at the memory of her kicking and screaming as Lord Waystrom moved in on her. “Our princess…chained like a criminal. I’m pretty sure she broke his knee before I got to her.
“She’s always been brave.”
Brave is an understatement. She’s a fucking warrior. “That she has.”
The door shuts after the royal family enters the palace, and I’m flooded with a mixture of confusing feelings. Pain, relief, longing, joy. She’s home, where she belongs. My sparrow is safe in her gilded cage, and now all I can do is look at her and remember what it felt like when she was free.
Chapter 10
Waverly
It’s been two weeks since the ball. Fourteen days, and I can’t stop thinking about Archer. I’ve always fantasized about the man. Who wouldn’t? He’s built and gorgeous, everything I picture when I think of the perfect man. But now? Now he’s at the forefront of my mind. I look for him around every corner, hope he’ll appear and whisk me away. Instead, he’s vanished.
“He’s taken leave,” Alina says as we walk through the rose garden. You’d think we were in a damn Austen novel, the two of us, taking a turn about the garden. It’s ridiculous, but my mother thinks it will be good for me after my recent trauma.
“What? Who?”
“Your guard. Archer.”
“What do you mean, leave?”
“I overheard Clark talking to Ryder. He needs time to recover after his injury.”
My chest tightens, and fear takes hold. Had I not given him the treatment he needed? Was he going to end up sick because he spent too much time giving me what I wanted? “Is he…” I swallow hard. “Is he going to be all right?”
She shrugs. “How the hell should I know?”
I try to brush it off, but the fear of losing him forever is so real it hurts. “I should ask Ryder to check on him. He risked his life for me.”
“Of course he did. He’s a royal guardsman. That’s his job.”
“Alina, he chased down my kidnappers and rescued me.”
“Again, his job.”
“But—”
“Wave, you’re acting like he did something extraordinary. The man signed up for this. He’s probably an adrenaline junkie looking for the rush, and you finally delivered.”
It makes me angry that she’d say something like that. Like what Archer did was normal, everyday, and common. Archer risked his life for me. He saved me from a fate I can’t even imagine. I am not a damsel in distress, but I am his. And he will forever have a part of me. No amount of distance can change that.
“Hello? Waverly?” Alina waves a hand in front of my face.
I shake my head and drag my mind from Archer, and the memory of him taking me in every way I let him have me. “Sorry. I was…” I trail off, because I don’t know what I wanted to say. How much should I tell her? I talk about absolutely everything with my sister. She’s the only one I confide in fully. But if she tells Ryder about what Archer and I did, that could end badly.
“Imagining what he looks like without a shirt on?” Her eyes sparkle with mischief. “Or do you know firsthand? You did spend an awful lot of time alone with the man.”
My cheeks burn. “He looks amazing.” The words come out before I can stop them, and she squeals in delight.
“Oh my goodness, tell me everything.”
“Well, he got hurt—as you know—and I…tended to his wound.”
She takes my hand and pulls me with her until we’re in the center of the maze. “How much of him did you tend to?”
I roll my eyes, wishing I could gush over the tenderness with which he treated me. “He has a beautiful body. That much I can tell you.”
“Is he…well endowed?”
“Alina!” I can’t help the laughter that follows my shocked gasp of her name. “I can’t say. But I cleaned his injury and dressed the wound. Let’s just say, running hands over a man’s six pack is something every woman should get to do.”
She sighs and stares up at the blue sky. “I’m starting to think I’ll never get a chance.”
“You’re only nineteen. You have plenty of time.”
Her lip turns down in a pout. “But not with the man I want. Kingston gets farther away from me with every passing day. What if he finds someone else? What if Ryder chooses someone else for me?”
My skin crawls at the thought of either of us being forced to marry someone we didn’t choose. “It’s possible, but after what happened to me, perhaps he’ll let us do some things differently.” I close my eyes and take a long breath, trying to keep my thoughts from drifting back to the one man I do want. “I don’t think I ever want to get married.”
“So you want to spend your life as Corline’s virgin princess?” She’s teasing me, but right now, I am completely unsure where I want my life to take me. And virgin? Well, that’s already been taken care of.
“I know. I was only joking.”
She takes my arm again and we stroll in silence back to the palace, to the prison of duty and expectations.
After going our separate ways, I decide on a break in the library. Maybe a little reading, some time to myself will put my mind in a better place. One not constantly whirling with memories of the man I can’t love. My breath catches in my throat at the sight of Archer leaving Ryder’s office as I walk down the hall. He bows and offers me a soft, “Your Highness,” before beginning his trek to wherever he’s headed.
“Archer,” I say, needing more from him than a formal greeting.
“Princess?”
I want to run into his open arms and hold onto him for dear life. His eyes lock on mine, the same longing I feel reflected in those depths. “Are you recovered?”
He steps forward, so close I can smell the spicy scent of his aftershave. My nipples harden just from the proximity of him. “I’m recovered from my injury. As to whether I’ve recovered from the loss of you…that remains to be seen.”
“It’s been two weeks. Not a word from you.” I hate the wobble in my voice.
“I thought it would make things easier.”
“I can’t stop thinking about you. Not seeing you makes it worse.”
His lips are close enough that all I’d need to do is lean forward. He seems to know exactly w
hat I’m thinking because he moves closer.
I back up until I’m pressed against the wall, my breaths coming in soft pants as he follows. “We can’t. Not here.”
Understanding burns in his gaze, and he reaches out to brush his knuckles over my cheek. “I know.”
My brother steps into the hall, a smile on his handsome face and the two of us break apart like something shocked us. “Waverly, just the person I wanted to see. I’ve decided to honor Archer with knighthood for his selfless actions during your terrible ordeal. I think it only fitting that you be part of that ceremony.”
Archer sucks in a sharp breath, as though this new development were a surprise. “Your Majesty—”
“You deserve it. If you’re going to be leaving us, the least I can do is give you a title to take with you.”
Leaving? What does my brother mean, leaving?
Archer takes a few more steps back, putting more distance between us as my focus pins him. “Of course,” I manage through a tight throat. “I’ll be glad to take part.”
Ryder frowns as he looks from me to Archer. “What’s going on here? Did I walk in on something I shouldn’t have?”
My heart lurches. “I…”
“Your Majesty, Princess Waverly has been nothing short of gracious. I seem to have forgotten my place in all this.”
Ryder grins. “She’s a grown woman, Archer. I’m certain my sister would’ve reminded you of your place if you stepped out of line.”
Oh, if he knew how far out of line the two of us had been. We didn’t step, we leaped.
Archer bows and presses his lips into a firm line. “If I might take my leave, Your Majesty? I have duties to attend to and staff to inform of my departure. With Clark and I both moving on, there will be a period of adjustment.”
“Of course. As long as it doesn’t interfere with the safety of the royal family.”
Archer nods. “These men and women would die before willingly shirking their duty to you. I’m not the man to take Clark’s position, as I said earlier. Clark has left big shoes to fill.”
“And as I said earlier, you were the only one to suspect something was wrong. I hate to lose you. That kidnapping plot shouldn’t have been missed, but no one’s eyes were open wide enough.”
It’s written all over Archer’s face, but I’m the only one who knows how to read him. He wasn’t watching the family, he was watching me. That’s why he noticed. Is that why he’s leaving?
“Thank you, Your Majesty. I will always be in your service should you need me. You have my word.”
Ryder smiles and then takes me by the arm, gently pulling me to stand next to him. “My sister and I thank you. We’ll have your knighthood ceremony this Sunday, and then you are free to go wherever you need.”
Archer bows again, and his eyes find me. There’s so much pain there. He thinks he’s doing the right thing, but how can that be if it means I won’t see him again?
The man I love leaves, making his way down the hall, and my brother stares at me. I can feel his gaze.
“Oh, Waverly. You didn’t.”
My gut clenches. “Didn’t what?”
“You went and fell in love with him.”
My chest hurts, eyes burn with tears. As my lower lip begins trembling, Ryder pulls me into his embrace. I don’t need to say anything. He knows. He knows because he’s been right where I am. The only difference is, he got his happy ending. Mine is walking out of my life.
Chapter 11
Archer
Sunday morning I’m dressed in my best suit, ready to accept an honor I don’t know if I truly earned. If the king knew what I’d done to his sister, and how many times, I’m certain I’d be receiving a punishment rather than a knighthood. As I walk into the rarely used throne room, I search for Waverly. I always search for her first. She’s breathtaking in a crimson dress with a pencil skirt that hugs her curves but still leaves her modest. I want nothing more than to pull her to me and kiss her for all I’m worth.
“Archer Locke, step forward,” King Ryder’s voice carries through the room, and the audience of noblemen and women comes to a hush.
My gaze finally leaves Waverly because I have no choice. Just the fact that the king’s words were the only thing that tore me from her is evidence enough. I am leaving. I have to. My focus is only on her. I can’t think about anything else, not my job, not the rest of my life. I’m a danger to everyone I’m supposed to protect. Even her. How can I keep them safe if all I want is her?
I’d been gone for weeks, but she was always there, in my head and my heart. I knew staying would only cause us both more pain. And eventually, she’d marry. I couldn’t watch that. There’s no way I’d be able to handle knowing another man had her.
“Kneel,” the king says.
My knees meet the velvet cushion on the ground, and my king stands over me. “Archer Locke, I originally planned to offer you knighthood, and a permanent place in service of the kingdom as a protector, but certain information has come to light, and I’m afraid I can’t do that any longer.”
My gut turns to stone. Oh, no. He’s figured me out. Of course he did. The king is a smart man. I take a deep breath and bow my head, ready to take whatever punishment he gives. “My apologies, Your Majesty.”
“Instead—” he begins, ignoring my words “—due to the Duke of Longmire’s treasonous behavior, he has since been stripped of his lands and title, and with no heirs to continue the family line, the dukedom reverts to The Crown. I’d much rather have a man I can trust in that position. So, Archer Locke, do you accept the title of Duke of Longmire?”
I cut a glance at Waverly, and her eyes widen. I can’t turn this down. I can marry her. I can keep her if I’m a duke. “I do.”
“Excellent. Rise, Duke of Longmire.” I stand and find the king smiling widely. He gestures in the direction of Waverly, and the tears shining in her eyes tell me everything I need to know. The king knows. He knows how in love we are, he knows how hard this has been, and he has figured out exactly how to fix this without changing any laws or rules. “There is one thing I forgot to mention. My sister has been promised to the Duke of Longmire since she was five-years old. I hope gaining a title and a fiancee isn’t too much to handle.”
I can’t stop the smile spreading across my face. “No, Your Majesty. In fact, it’s more than I could’ve hoped for.”
Tears are streaming down Waverly’s cheeks now, and, without a thought of propriety, I run to her, catch her up in my arms, and kiss her like no one is watching. She is mine.
“Your Majesty,” I say, still holding her close.
“Yes?”
“How soon can we be married?”
He grins. “The sooner the better, I’d think.”
I nod and press a kiss to Waverly’s temple.
She tips her chin up and whispers, “Let’s get out of here.”
“With pleasure.”
The king dismisses us and we walk hand-in-hand to the garden where we can be alone. I need to be with her, to press her close and hold her and not let her go. The crunch of the gravel path under our feet is the soundtrack to our quiet walk.
“You were really going to leave me here. All alone?” Her voice is small but strong. An accusation I’ve earned.
“I thought…fuck, Sparrow, I thought it would be better for both of us. How could you move on if I was there looming?”
She stops walking and stares at me, her face a mask of anger and betrayal. Then, the woman’s palm connects with my cheek. She pulls her hand back and stares at it as though the thing moved without her permission. “Oh, good lord, I’m sorry.”
“I deserved that.”
Taking a deep breath, she nods. “Yes. You did. How dare you think leaving me was the best thing. I decide what’s best for me.”
I grab her hand and bring it to my lips. “I see that now.”
“You promised you’d never leave.” Her whisper pierces me.
“I did. And I’ll spend the re
st of my life keeping that promise if you’ll let me, Sparrow.”
Her cheeks go pink, and those perfect lips turn up in a smile. “Technically we’re already engaged, you know.”
“But I want you to marry me because you choose me, not because your brother deems it so.”
“Then I suppose you’d better ask.”
Dropping to one knee, I take her left hand and kiss the finger where her engagement ring should go. “Sparrow, I’ve loved you for years; let me love you for the rest of our lives. Marry me? After all, what good is this new title without a beautiful princess by my side?”
Her whisper of, “yes,” is almost too soft for me to hear.
I crush her to my chest before claiming her mouth with mine. This is everything I’ve wanted, and I’m afraid it will all disappear before I can truly have it. “I love you, my Sparrow. So much.”
“Let’s go get married, then,” she says. “I don’t want to spend another night apart from you.”
Chapter 12
Waverly
Archer and I are to be married in a small ceremony in the palace chapel. It turns out even with the king’s approval, it takes longer than a few hours to put together a wedding. I stare at myself in the mirror and smile at the simplicity of my gown. Knee-length white lace with a scalloped collar. The birdcage veil is my favorite part. It reminds me of Archer’s name for me.
“You’re a vision, darling,” Mum says as she stands behind me and looks into the mirror. She toys with a lock of my hair, positioning it just so. “I wish your father could be here to walk you down the aisle.”
Sadness grips me, but I push it aside. “I have Ryder.”
She squeezes my shoulder. “I know, thank God for that.”
Alina bounds into the room, her light and flowing rose colored gown perfect on her slight frame. “I’ve been sent to collect the bride.” I nod and smile, ready to marry the man I’ve dreamed of for years. “But first, I have something for you…from your groom.”