Two weeks later, my finals had wrapped up and I was on a plane. Part of me was peeved with the squishy seating and the senior citizen in front of me who reclined their backrest until it was digging into my knees. I knew that Jasper and Zara had access to a private plane and I knew that they would not be relaxing in Banff with just one week between now and their wedding. But I reminded myself that I was flying to a foreign country for free and that I had more important things at hand.

During the nine-hour flight, I did my best to research the couple. Zara was a young monarch and had made headlines multiple times of the past year. In the span of a few months, she had taken power, caused economic spirals, fled, and returned home just to be filmed as her young sister attempted to murder her for power. When Jasper had finally proposed to her, it seemed almost yawn-worthy when a picture of her plain gold band was printed on every major paper.

As I dug around on her, I found that she was in fact allergic to cats, but she had her own dog. Though it was not confirmed, her closest friend was her head chef, a young woman from Mumbai. She was fond of swimming and traveling.

Jasper was tougher to dig up dirt on seeing as the government would protect him—and the information surrounding him at all costs – but I had read all of those reports as soon as they had been released. I felt as a Kingsley, it was my duty to know what had happened to Jasper. We had all thought he was dead. He left for an assignment and was never heard from again. Until he showed up, covered in scars and with a child.

That man had gone through things I had never even heard of, forms of torture I couldn't even fathom. It ranged from being locked in a dark room for days on end with no light, no food, no human contact. He had been crammed into an enclosed space for twenty-four hours that was too short for him to stand up in, too small for him to sit in. Waterboarding, combing, sleep deprivation, starvation, stress positions, that man had endured it all. And the only reason he came out of it alive was because he was driven to save his son.

So knowing what I knew about Jasper, I should have expected the hell fire I was walking into. But, for a time, I was enchanted by the quaint streets and the cheery citizens in Zara's country. It very much reminded me of a fairytale. I asked the cab driver to take me to the center of the city and enjoyed a few local shops from the capital. After hearing about the famous apple orchards and sampling some fresh apple cider, I was tempted to book a tour, but knew better. I hailed another cab and was taken as close to the palace as possible. There was a brief security check after I showed my ID, then I was ushered up to the palace.

The palace was more modern than any castles I had ever seen, yet still maintained old-time charm with its stones and the fountain at the front. The lawn was manicured to perfection and each flower seemed to be blooming in sync with those around it. Staff on the grounds were in perfect uniform and I almost felt intimidated stepping up to the front entrance where a man eased open the giant wooden door.

I was left to stand in the grand foyer, wondering if all of this could really be marble, while someone went to fetch the queen. It was no secret that Jasper made ample amounts of money, as did everyone who risked their lives for their country through our work, but even this must have been a shock to him. I felt stunned staring at the statues that should have lived in a museum and paintings that were larger than life.

"Oh, London, hello," Zara greeted, her heels clicking away on the stone flooring. I immediately assessed her outfit, a little surprised that she wasn't wearing a ball gown with a tiara. The blouse with a pussycat bow at the neck and sheer sleeves fitted nicely into her waist until the white skirt cut across, modest and sharp all at once.

"Hello, thank you for having me," I said, stepping forward to shake her hand.

She wrapped me in a loose hug, smelling like expensive perfume and pricey hair products. To be fair, whatever was keeping her updo in place was nothing short of magic because there was not a single fly away.

"Did you have a good flight?"

"Yes, of course. A safe flight is always a good flight."

"Glad to hear it! I'm having my chef prepare supper right now, it should be done in an hour or so. Should I show you to your room?"

I opened my mouth to answer, but Jasper's heavy voice cut me off. "Actually, she's going to join me for my workout, we have a lot to cover." In such a light space with neutral colours, he was a wave of darkness and his shorts and basic shirt only made him stand out more.

"Jasper," Zara sighed.

"She's not a guest. You don't have to dote upon her. She's here for work," my cousin stated, then his dark eyes swept to me, losing the warmth he had for his wife. "Looks like you're ready for a workout anyway."

"This is what I wore to be comfortable on the flight," I said, looking down at my cranberry leggings and knotted top.

He wasn't listening, he was walking away and when I glanced at Zara for help, she only shook her head. I had no choice but to follow him as he led me around the palace which started to feel like a maze. We ended up in a basement that had only a fraction of the luxury as the upper floors, letting me know this was the functional space and where the staff were housed.

No words were said during our workout. I did what he did. We jogged side by side on the treadmill for the first five minutes which was enough to get my heart rate up. Apparently, it was leg day so we cycled through lunged, squats, calf raises, and split squats. I pushed myself as hard as I could safely, knowing that there was judgement every time I removed weights from the bar or my core quivered and I took a misstep. Jasper was a personal trainer's dream, moving with fluidity and confidence, focused on form instead of reps. To be honest, seeing the weight he could move and his discipline was a little frightening.

When I was finishing my last set of deadlifts, he finally decided to break the silence. "You were supposed to be here two hours earlier."

"I went into town," I managed through clenched teeth.

"I didn't say you could."

"What are you, my dad?" I snapped, setting the weight down a little too harshly.

"Right now, I'm the person signing your cheques." His voice was flat and unaffected as he mopped sweat off his forehead with the bottom of his tee shirt.

I faltered. My narrowed eyes dropped to the mats beneath my feet. "I'm sorry."

"When you finish, your bedroom is up the stairs, down the second hallway on the left, third door on the right. Shower, change into something respectable and meet us for supper. We can go over details then."

I did as I was told, finding my room after jiggling a few locked doorknobs and changing as quickly as I could. I thought of Zara's smart outfit and did my best to mimic her choices. I pulled on plaid pants with a fabric belt, tucking in my mock neck sweater and draping a thin, gold chain over top. First, I went to the formal dining room which was empty, only to be saved by a kind old man who escorted me to the personal side of the palace where a table that could fit ten was set for four.

"You remember London, don't you?" Jasper said to his son.

Dallas had grown since the last time I had seen him, now a full ten years old. I gave him a bright smile but he only managed a nod before diving back into his meal.

I was a little surprised that my first meal with a royal would be a burger, but the bison meat and the blue cheese were perfection so I was certainly not going to complain. For the majority of the meal, Zara told me about her adventures dress shopping and thanked me a thousand times for giving her inspiration for her gown. She even offered to pay me or give me credit when the pictures were released but I just brushed it off, telling her that we were family.

After Dallas cleaned his plate and ran off to put his dishes in the dishwasher, the conversation turned. Jasper who had been silent for the most part piped up, "I have maps being jotted up and sent to your room tonight. I want you to review them. You need to know every way someone could sneak in or out."

"Why not just have more security or keep your guests on a tighter leash?" I suggested.

"This is a wedding, not a prison. We are having several members of parliament over, dozens of princes and duchesses and arrogant men in politics. We want everyone to be comfortable and have a good time, but with the high-profile names comes a higher risk."

"I understand."

"Good, we'll start reviewing plans tomorrow morning. Zara has taken the liberty of ordering a dress for you so you don't have to worry about that. I have a gun that you can carry if you choose."

"Christ," Zara gasped, a delicate hand landing over her heart. "I don't want someone to have a gun at our wedding."

"I carry a gun more than you know. If London chooses to carry, you won't even know," he soothed.

"Her dress is silk! I will know."

But right then, I decided that my most enticing challenge out of this whole event was going to be finding a way to conceal that gun under such a soft material.

With a frustrated sigh, Zara brushed imaginary lint off of her blouse. "Jasper also forgot to tell you that you were allowed to bring a guest and we would be honored to have your boyfriend join us."

"I am actually single, but my friend would love to come."

"Perfect, we can figure out how to get him on a plane in time for the wedding."

As supper began to wind down, I grinned to myself. This was going to be nothing more than a paid vacation with my best friend. 

~~~Distraction Section~~~

Hello everyone! I hope you are all well during this holiday season. This time of year can be filled with joy, but it can also be incredibly hard for some. If you are having a hard time this year and would like someone to talk to, I am here for you!

If you are following the publishing of The Girl With The Mouse Ears, I just wanted to let you know that there are delays due to natural disasters around the world which have hit some of my publishers closely. I ask for your patience through this time. Also, if you want to see art I had commissioned of Miles and Nike it is on my Instagram page!

Question of the Day: What is your favorite thing about this holiday season?