┏━━━✦❘༻༺❘✦━━━┓

Home

┗━━━✦❘༻༺❘✦━━━┛

Chapter 20: Home (Ronan's POV)

I stood behind Grace's seat while she faced another intervention with her parents. That's what all these meetings feel like to me, I can't imagine how she feels during them. She sat with her hands in her lap, staring down at them. 

"Spit it out, come on. We'll be late," Judith huffed. 

God, what on earth is this woman? Does she have no sense of motherliness in her? I know she's not her biological mother, but she should have some sort of attachment, considering how long they've spent under the same roof, playing the part of mother and daughter. Grace let out a sigh, picking at her nails and hesitating more than I've ever seen her hesitate before. I gave her chair a soft kick, urging her to just say it but she was so nervous. 

"She would like to further postpone the engagement." Everyone turned to me as soon as the words left my mouth, including Grace. 

She stared at me wide-eyed. "Are you crazy?" she whisper-yelled. 

I gave her a small shrug. 

"You would like to what?" Judith scoffed. 

"I... I don't think it's a good idea to..." Grace just can't say it this time. She's scared, she doesn't want to anger them but at the same time, she wants to postpone the engagement. You can't get the best of both worlds. And you're always going to disappoint someone, you just have to choose who. In her case, it's herself or them. I'd rather her disappoint them. 

"I've already spilled the truth, I might as well explain," I sighed. "With all due respect, of course." Respect my ass. "If I may?" I looked at her father. 

He nodded grudgingly. 

"Princess Grace is concerned about her safety at such a large event. She's still not comfortable tending to such a large crowd and as her bodyguard, I agree. It's not safe. Just how last time someone was able to sneak in, someone can do it this time too. The palace security isn't capable enough, it's too easy to be disguised as a waiter or any other member of staff. It's an engagement so whenever the ring exchange happens, of course, I cannot be right there with her either, that's another risk. Princess Grace and I think it would be best to postpone the engagement further until I feel it's safe enough for her to be in the public eye again." 

So much for not giving a huge speech, why did I ramble? 

"And it's not a suggestion," Grace finally spoke up, gaining some confidence after my support. It almost made me smile to finally see her stand up for herself a bit. "I won't be engaged this weekend, that's final. I don't care what anybody thinks or says." 

King Elijah and Judith looked at each other. 

"And there's more," Grace huffed. Oh, she's angry now. "I'm disappearing for a few days." 

"What?" her father questioned in confusion. 

"Ronan and I think someone's been following us and keeping an eye on me. I don't like that, you claim to know nothing about it, and it's too dangerous. I don't feel safe. It would be better if I hide for a few days. Stay inside, not at the palace because it's too obvious and twice someone was able to sneak in and nearly kill me. Somewhere safe, somewhere nobody knows, somewhere that's not the palace. I'll leave tomorrow morning with Ronan. We'll be gone for four to five days, we're going because it's not safe for me to be anywhere other than alone with security right now, and we can't tell you where we're going because—" 

I kicked her chair and she shut up. "Because it's protocol," I cut in. "I'm not allowed to disclose secret locations in a case like this. Nobody can be trusted and my only priority is my client. That's Princess Grace. Apologies." 

There was utter silence for a long time, we could even hear the guards talking outside, near the entrance. "Well, it looks like you've got everything all figured out," King Elijah cleared his throat. 

I glanced down at Grace before my eyes met her father's. I don't understand. Despite what he did to Grace's mother, it seems like he wants to defend Grace. Like he wants to help her but due to some reasons, he can't. Like something forbids him, prevents him from doing so. I'd bet that something is his wife.

"All right," he sighed, nodding. "Go ahead." 

"What?" Judith asked. 

"Go ahead," he repeated, ignoring her. "I hired you to keep her safe. Do it by all means. On your first day here, I told you that you must keep her safe at all costs, no matter what happens to anybody. I don't care who gets angry. Do what you must, keep her safe." 

"Elijah," Judith gritted. 

He lifted a hand, cutting her off for the first time, this time, he's defending his daughter. This time, he's standing up for his family. This time, he's not following orders. "She's my daughter, Judith," he said sternly. 

I looked down at Grace who blinked, watching her father before quickly looking down at her lap, a single tear falling, rolling down her cheek. 

"I want you to be safe, Grace. Do what you want until you feel that way, hmm?" 

She nodded without looking up. 

Her father stood up, giving her head a little pat, shaking it a little, and ruffling her hair softly before leaving. Judith sent Grace a glare and then followed her husband out. Judging from the tension that was created and Grace's reaction, I think maybe her father hasn't defended her like that since her mother died. And judging by the way her shoulders softly shake, I think it's too overwhelming for her. 

It felt like a moment that she should be left alone in, but at the same time, every nerve in my body told me not to leave at a moment like this. She grabbed onto the edge of her seat, sniffing once. I opened my mouth to say something, I moved forward to do something. What? I don't know. But I stopped myself and took a step back when Atlas walked into the room, searching for his sister. I kept my hands behind my back, watching them. 

He walked over and stood in front of her, sighing. He took one hand out of his pocket and flicked her forehead. 

She groaned, looking up at him while wiping her face with the back of her hand. "What?" she huffed. 

"Stop crying," he nodded. 

"You always tell me to stop crying," she scoffed, rolling her eyes and looking away. 

He stared at her for a minute. "A princess doesn't cry." 

"Of course, she does. I actually think princesses cry the most," Grace argued. "We're not living in a fairytale, Atlas. And even if we were, princesses are trapped in towers and castles, they're usually targeted by the people closest to them, and they're just waiting for a prince." She stood up. "Princesses are useless. They have no reason to exist apart from their family's reputation and finding a husband." 

"Grace..." He paused, thinking of the right way to say it. "You really don't want to marry Lucas?" 

"I don't want to marry anyone I don't love. And Lucas is someone I can never love." 

"At least try it," Atlas suggested. 

"Marriage doesn't have a trial run. Once I'm in it, I know nobody will ever let me out." 

"What do you really want then?" 

"To get out of this mess that is my life," she chuckled dryly. I stared at her, processing what she said and thinking back to the multiple times she's suggested she stepped down as princess. Maybe she really does want it. To live a normal life. "To stop being a princess," she mumbled before shaking her head, "Forget it. I'm going to take a nap." She walked past Atlas, their shoulders bumping. 

He looked over at me while grinding his jaw in thought. I nodded downward as a greeting before following Grace upstairs. I caught up to her near the staircase and walked behind her until we reached her door. 

She spun around abruptly like she always does, but I'm used to it by now so I stopped in time. "Will you um..." She scratched her brow. "Will you just be guarding the door?" 

I nodded. 

She took a breath to say something but then hesitated. "Can you come inside? I need to ask you something." 

I scanned her face, hoping she wasn't about to question the exchange we had behind the screen. "Okay." I opened the door and she walked in with me following suit. 

"Where are we going?" she asked immediately as I shut the door. 

"For the getaway?"

She nodded. "Can we go as far from Astella as possible, please?" She kicked her heels off and sat on the two-seater. 

"We're not leaving Astella," I sighed. 

She groaned and fell back onto her bed, throwing her arms over her eyes. "Then where the hell are we going?" 

"Home." 

She sat back up, frowning at me in confusion. "Home?" 

"My home," I nodded, shrugging softly. "We're staying at my house." 

She blinked in surprise, clearly not expecting that. "Nobody knows where I live in Astella. Well... nobody knows that house is actually mine. So, that's where we're going. Home."

.

.

.

.

.

Chapter 20

let's hope they have fun

next chapter: research