I awoke the next morning in Genevieve's bed. She was curled around me in a warm embrace. I debated over whether or not to just close my eyes and go back to sleep. If I could just stay in this moment, wrapped in her arms and not having to concern myself with what I knew was waiting outside the door.Aurora's room was next door. Jonah's room wasn't far either. Those rooms would be empty today, no longer inhabited by traitors. I wondered what my mother was doing. What did she think? How was she feeling?It was thoughts of her that drug me from bed. Genevieve barely stirred. I knew she must be exhausted from the events of yesterday. I scrawled out a quick note to her and set it on the pillow next to her.Slipping out of her room, I hurried to mine. I needed to find some clean clothes. After hurrying to put on my clothes from last night as quickly and quietly as I could, I was disgusted by how wet and cold they were. The ocean water didn't smell very nice either.I took a quick show
*Genevieve*The good thing about the fact that there was a massive wedding planned to happen in a week and a half was that it took little to no time to throw together our wedding.I didn't want the elaborate wedding that Aurora had planned, but I did want something romantic and beautiful. I had helped the palace staff make some adjustments to the current decorations, rearranging some of the decorations and florals and everything else to make the wedding more fitting to Rowan and me.Finding a wedding dress had been a little more complicated, but a dress shop in town had been willing to accommodate me.As I stood and studied my reflection, I found myself wishing my mother hadn't abandoned me. I wished my father wasn't an alcoholic. I wished that I hadn't thrown my entire personality into my military training, keeping me from having any time to make friends my own age.The dress was sleek ivory satin. It stood out against my tanned skin, but it didn't overpower me. It had a sco
Rowan wanted to watch this movie. I wanted to be a good wife and watch it. I wanted to show that I was interested in his interests. But war movies were just so boring, and I could think of something much better to do with my time.In the few days between his proposal and our wedding, I'd had time to do a little shopping in town. I hadn't exactly needed lingerie our first few days here because we'd been too ravenous for each other, but now, I thought it would be a nice touch. And useful in convincing him to ignore this awful movie.Crawling into the bed, I pulled the covers up over my lap and settled in next to him. He turned to me and gave me a little smile before returning to watching the movie. Someone on screen threw a gun at someone else.I stroked his arm, trying to put on a convincing show that I was watching the gray planes on the screen drop bombs on the towns below. He absentmindedly scooted closer to me. Rowan's hand found my thigh, and he ran his finger along the skin,
*Genevieve*The clouds were painted orange, even from this high up. The wings of the plane stretched like open arms, welcoming the ground beneath us as we started our descent. I turned to look at Aurora as she peered out the plane window. Her golden hair fell in waves over her shoulders, and her brilliant blue eyes lit up with a childlike wonder as she took in the scenery of the island below."It's beautiful, Genevieve," she breathed, turning her perfect face to look me fully in the eyes."I think we'll be happy here," I told her, ignoring the pit in my stomach.The Duchess was the kind of beauty that men go to war for–a perfect figure, a perfect face, a perfect personality. She never said a wrong word, and she was clearly born to play the role of a royal.We were opposites, I supposed. Her blonde hair was a bright contrast to my straight, black hair. Her fair skin and rosy cheeks made my tan skin and ruddy cheeks seem darker. Her sapphire blue eyes sparkled, making my dark b
The view from my room included a nearly panoramic view of the ocean. I watched a pod of dolphins surface just off the coast, and I let myself enjoy it for a moment. Duty took priority over pleasure at all times, so it was nice to have a rare moment of peace to myself.But that was all it was, a moment. I needed to decide if I should say anything to Aurora about Prince Rowan's flirtations, and I needed to decide quickly. I was getting ready for the state dinner tonight, and I only had a limited amount of time before I had to go get Aurora.The gown I would wear tonight had been chosen for me, one with a slit up one side so that I could easily access a holster on my thigh where my gun would be kept. There were several other hidden weapons within the dress and under the dress, and I felt as if I were suiting up for battle rather than getting ready for a state dinner. At some point, I expected this feeling of strangeness to wear off, this otherworldly feeling as I prepared to do my job
*Rowan*"Let me walk you back to your room. I've really enjoyed getting to know you tonight. I'm looking forward to seeing you more tomorrow." I took Aurora by the hand and stood, hoping she would do the same."Thank you," she said, smiling demurely. Her small hand tightened in mine, and she got to her feet.Genevieve stood instantly, a shadow to Aurora. I tried to smother my smile, but I couldn't. She thought I was some sort of risk to her Duchess. I was a risk to no one. I could hardly stand up to my own pathetic parents.I said nothing to Genevieve as we left the dining hall, instead focusing on my fiancée."Was your room to your liking?" I asked."It's perfect," Aurora gushed. "I've never stayed anywhere so fine in all my life.""I'm glad it meets your standards. After the wedding, we can both move into that room, or you can move into mine. Whatever suits you better," I offered.I considered our quickly approaching wedding. I ignored the wave of nausea that washed t
*Genevieve*My alarm went off just before sunrise. I climbed out of bed and debated what a captain of the guard should wear on someone else's date to the beach. I had taken the time last night to put away all of my clothes in the dresser drawers. I was here for the long haul, there was no need to be living out of suitcases. I opened the drawers and stared down at my options.It was hot, but not unbearably so. I grabbed my cargo pants, ensuring I could store everything I'd need for the day in the pockets. I hated the idea of wearing long pants and boots to the beach, but it was the most appropriate attire for the day. My job wasn't to be comfortable, it was to keep Aurora safe.Getting changed for the day, I regarded myself in the mirror. I pulled my hair back into a tight bun. Selfishly, I took a moment to apply just a little makeup, something to accent my features and keep me from looking so washed out. Maybe it was the pressure I felt from being around Aurora all the time, but
*Rowan*Sleep eluded me. I tossed and turned most of the night. I couldn't get any rest, and so when the sun finally threatened to rise over the horizon, I was exhausted. I had work to attend to though, so I needed to get going. Maybe exercising would help me to feel more awake.I started to get ready, looking for my gym shoes in the pile of discarded shoes next to my balcony doors.Something about Aurora didn't sit right with me. I wasn't sure what it was that was making me uneasy. She was sweet, with the ability to make conversation out of anything. I didn't think there was anyone in the world who she couldn't befriend. She was a perfect politician and would make an excellent queen someday.However, something still felt off about the whole situation. I chalked it up to the fact that it was an arranged marriage and so neither of us truly had a choice in the situation. Maybe it was that lack of freedom that had me on edge. That made sense, I wasn't used to being optionless ofte