I never asked for a bodyguard, especially not one as insufferable as Drake. From the moment he arrived at the castle, with his towering frame and perpetual scowl, I knew we would clash. Father insisted I needed protection after the recent threats to our kingdom, but I was perfectly capable of taking care of myself.
“Your Highness should be more careful with her wandering habits,” Drake remarked sarcastically one morning as I tried to slip past him into the garden. “The roses have thorns, after all.”
“And some guards have particularly sharp tongues,” I shot back, lifting my chin defiantly. His blue eyes narrowed, but I caught the slight twitch at the corner of his mouth.
Living with him was maddening. He shadowed my every move, standing silently in corners with those penetrating eyes, making dry observations about my “princess-like behavior” whenever I showed the slightest hint of rebellion against protocol.
Everything changed at the autumn ball. I wore my favorite red gown, determined to enjoy myself despite my shadow. When Lord Edmund’s son became too forward after too much wine, Drake materialized beside me instantly.
“I believe the princess owes me a dance,” he said smoothly, his hand extending toward me. Before I could protest, he had swept me onto the dance floor.
“I didn’t need rescuing,” I muttered, though I couldn’t help noticing how gracefully he moved for such a large man.
“Of course not, Your Highness. I simply wished to step on your toes personally, rather than watch someone else have all the fun.”
But he didn’t step on my toes. Instead, he held me with unexpected gentleness, his normally stern face softened in the candlelight. For the first time, I saw something vulnerable in those blue depths, something that made my heart skip.
After that night, everything felt different. Drake became more distant, speaking only when necessary, avoiding my eyes. The silence between us grew heavy with unspoken words.
It all came to a head during one of our arguments about my safety. “You can’t keep me locked in this castle forever!” I shouted.
“I’m trying to keep you alive!” he snapped back, his composure cracking. “Why can’t you understand that?”
“Why can’t you understand that I’m not just some delicate flower to be protected? I’m more than just a princess!”
“Don’t you think I know that?” His voice dropped dangerously low as he stepped closer. “Don’t you think I see exactly who you are, Lina?”
The sound of my name on his lips, not “Your Highness,” sent a shiver through me. Before I could respond, his mouth was on mine, fierce and desperate. Then he was gone, leaving me breathless and confused.
We avoided each other for days after that, the tension between us nearly unbearable. Finally, during another heated argument about my latest escape attempt, everything spilled over.
“Why do you keep pushing me away?” I demanded.
“Because I can’t protect you properly if I’m distracted by how much I want you!” he exploded. “Because every time you smile, or argue with me, or show that fierce spirit of yours, I fall harder, and I can’t—I can’t do my duty if I’m in love with you.”
My heart stopped. “Then don’t,” I whispered.
“Don’t what?”
“Don’t just do your duty.” I stepped closer, placing my hand on his chest. “Love me instead.”
This time when he kissed me, it was soft, reverent. His strong arms encircled me as if I were precious but not fragile, protecting but not imprisoning.
“I still won’t let you wander the gardens alone,” he murmured against my hair.
I smiled against his chest. “Then I suppose you’ll just have to wander with me.”
And so my insufferable bodyguard became my beloved, proving that sometimes the greatest love stories begin with the sharpest thorns.