Rachelle McCalla - Royal Heist

What could she tell him? I’m sorry. The words burned in her throat, unspoken.

“Are you going to report this incident to headquarters?” Elias asked.

“Right away,” Galen assured the older guard. “I was just hoping to have an image to send along with my report.”

“I should head back to my apartment and get out of your way.” Ruby took a step toward the door.

“Wait.” Galen stood. He raised one hand as though to reach for her, then returned his arm quickly to his side. “Do you want someone to walk you home?”

Ruby felt her heart swell with a mixture of regret and appreciation. Even though she was within the protective walls of the palace grounds, beyond the reach of the man who’d attacked her and run away, she still hadn’t been keen on stepping out into the darkness alone. How thoughtful of Galen to consider her feelings.

Before she could muster up words, Elias stepped forward. “I can walk her home. You’ve got a call to put in and a gatehouse to keep secure. I’m off duty.”

“That’s right.” Galen looked the tiniest bit disappointed as he accepted Elias’s offer. “Thank you.”

And though Ruby felt grateful for the older guard’s willingness to see that she arrived back at her apartment safely, she couldn’t help feeling the slightest bit disappointed, too. She told herself it was simply because she’d hoped for another opportunity to thank Galen, but her heart wouldn’t believe it.

She wanted him to walk her home, though she dreaded discussing the way they’d left things, and she’d told herself a thousand times to keep her distance. It was precisely the reminder she needed. Galen was a distraction she couldn’t afford, not with all the long hours of hard work that lay ahead of her, both in Lydia and back in the US. Perhaps it was best to leave things at that.

“Thank you,” she whispered, the words inadequate after the blows he’d taken on her behalf.

“Just doing my job.” He kept his face to the screen, but she glanced back to find him looking after her, too far away now for her to read his expression. She might have thought she saw a glimmer of longing, but it was surely just a trick of the light.

* * *

“You abandoned your post.” Jason Selini, the captain of the Lydian Royal Guard, glared at Galen.

“That guy was going to carry off Princess Anastasia’s assistant. Besides, Elias had the gatehouse covered.” Galen wished the royal guard had enough men to have two guards posted at the gatehouse at all hours, but following the attack on the royal family at the beginning of the summer, they’d had to let go any guard with ties to the insurgents. Rebuilding the force would take time.

“Elias was off duty. You should have called for backup.”

“And waited while that man—”

“Guards could have arrived in under a minute. If that attack had been a ruse to draw you away from your post, you fell for it. You left the whole palace vulnerable.” Captain Selini flopped a file open on his desk.

Galen recognized the pages with a sinking heart.

“Last month,” the captain continued, “you let Duchess Julia through the gate without a guard. You have breached protocol twice in less than a month. That alone is grounds for suspension.”

Galen felt as though a cold hand had clenched him in its grasp. He wanted to protest, but the captain clearly wasn’t going to listen to his defense.

“In light of the events of last evening, Princess Anastasia has requested an evening escort for her assistant. She specifically requested you.” Selini raised a skeptical eyebrow. “Do you have any idea why?”

“Because I fought Ruby’s attacker?”

“Because you and Ruby have a history together, according to the princess. I looked into this history.” Selini flipped back several pages in his file.

Galen’s heart sank. He knew what those pages held. During the tenure of the former head of the royal guard, Galen’s infractions hadn’t been considered much of a concern. But the former captain had been engaged in the treasonous conspiracies that had led to an ambush on the royal family, and had nearly toppled the monarchy. Jason Selini had taken the traitor’s place and seemed determined to restore the royal guard to its former glory by wiping away every trace of misbehavior.

“It seems two years ago,” the captain summarized from the report, “you made an unauthorized journey to the archipelago in a royal guard motorboat with the princess and her friend at night.”

Galen recalled the event distinctly. Princess Stasi had wanted to watch a meteor shower far away from the lights of Sardis. Galen’s plan to borrow the boat would have worked perfectly if only the engine hadn’t refused to start when they’d tried to head home. After attempting to row back to the marina with little success, he’d ended up tying a rope from his waist to the prow and swimming back to shore, tugging the disabled craft behind him. They’d arrived at the dock shortly after daybreak, an hour after the boat was reported stolen.

The former head of the guard had laughed heartily when Galen had explained the story.

His new boss didn’t laugh. “Compounded with your recent infractions, these reports provide sound basis for your immediate dismissal.”

Galen couldn’t speak. Would he really lose his job? Jason Selini, appointed in the wake of the ambush in June, had terminated any and every guard who’d been linked to those who’d conspired against the Royal House of Lydia, determined to defend the royal family even from those hired to protect them.

Captain Selini obviously had no qualms about firing guards. And while Galen had wholeheartedly supported his boss’s decisions—supported every move that would restore the royal guard to its former glory—he hadn’t expected the captain’s zealous housecleaning to threaten his job.

Selini ran his hands through his thick hair, revealing a few gray roots that had sprung up in recent months. His face, too, had lost its former easygoing expression, replaced with a stern grimness impressed by the weight of his newfound responsibilities. “I’ve got six new recruits scheduled to start in two weeks, as soon as they can be officially transferred over from the Lydian army. I can’t afford to let you go just yet. You have two weeks left.”

With a pounding heart, Galen listened to his supervisor’s words, waiting for the final verdict. The treason among the ranks of the guard had dealt a horrific blow to their prestige. Galen’s own brothers ribbed him mercilessly for wearing the same uniform as those who’d tried to overthrow the monarchy. Galen had vowed to help reclaim the royal guard’s reputation.

He couldn’t do that if the captain fired him.

How could he ever face his older brothers if he lost his job? His family had served in the Lydian military for generations. His brothers were all men of rank. After serving four years in the Lydian Army, Galen had become a guard—in part to escape his brothers’ constant scrutiny and the reminder that he could never measure up.

If he was fired from the guard, he’d never be able to show his face at a family gathering again. Worse yet, he wouldn’t be a part of the guard he wanted to help restore.

The captain glared at Galen as he continued. “For the next two weeks, I’ll be keeping close tabs on everything you do and every choice you make. If, at the end of that time, I determine that these protocol lapses are typical of your judgment, then you will be terminated. However, if you can prove to me that you have what it takes to be a royal guard, then you can keep your job. Agreed?”

Galen nearly sagged with relief, and panted to catch the breath he’d been holding the entire time Selini had spoken. “Agreed. Thank you. You won’t be sorry.”