Chapter 3 King's Guard

EVELYN I stopped. I knew I should have simply walked out the room. Normally, I tolerated remarks like that without pause, but today… I just couldn’t accept it. Agitation flooded through me. I walked straight toward Melanie, and her rosy cheeks went pale as she gulped in surprise. Panic painted her expression as I stopped in front of her and stared into her eyes coldly. “What—what are you—” she began to say, but I cut her off before she could finish her statement. “Mr. Barrett is outside of this room,” I said harshly. “What do you think he would do if he heard you all gossiping about the King and his private affairs? Do you think he would be pleased to hear your insults?” All around me, the others stiffened at once. As Melanie’s lower lip quivered, I leaned in closer and spoke just low enough for her to hear. “You should mind your tongue if you don’t want to lose it,” I threatened. The maid grew even paler, surprised by my growl. Her eyes glanced at the door, as if checking to see if Mr. Barrett was indeed there. “It was only a joke, Evelyn,” she muttered. I considered speaking further but denied her the satisfaction of a reply. I turned on my heels, and before I left the room, I glanced at Elsa. Her head was still down. Her big eyes remained on the ground, unwilling to meet mine. A pang shot through my heart. I had expected this, hadn’t I? I was used to being alone, and I should never have held the foolish hope of having any friends in the palace. I walked out the door without another glance. Mr. Barrett was just outside of the door, standing in the corner. I was certain he had heard everything, and beneath his gray mustache, his lips were drawn into a thin line. Though his expression remained emotionless, I knew he hated being used as a threat. “I’m sorry for mentioning your name,” I apologized quietly. He turned forward and continued to walk without saying a word. I followed him silently down the black marble corridor. We never spoke when he escorted me to the King’s chamber, and his face always remained unmoving. I could never decipher what he was thinking but I was sure he wasn’t happy. The head servant had never seemed happy a day in his life. This palace had a way of stripping people of their optimism. Not to mention, accompanying a maid to the King’s chamber for His Majesty’s promiscuous fun was hardly a glorious mission. Just as we turned a corner, a young servant rushed over to Mr. Barrett, nearly tripping in the process. His face was flushed, and a sheen of sweat covered his forehead. “Mr. Barrett, there’s an emergency situation,” he spoke, nearly breathless. “Mrs. Porter wants-” Mr. Barrett flashed the servant a deep glare and held his hand up to cut him off. “Stop your shouting at once. This sort of display is uncalled for in the palace.” The young man’s face turned redder, and he began to stammer an apology. Mr. Barrett gripped his shoulder. The head servant guided the younger a few feet forward and then glanced back at me. He didn’t want me to overhear their conversation. They spoke in lowered voices at first, and then, a minute later, Mr. Barrett raised his volume. “That is nonsense!” he said angrily, and my eyes blinked in surprise. There was hardly anything that could make him so angry. His composure remained intact at all hours, no matter the issue, but whatever the younger servant had mentioned to him seemed to elicit a stern reaction. The younger servant shrank back as if he expected to be struck, his eyes watering with tears. I pondered what to do and then approached the pair, stopping a couple of feet away. “I can go to the King’s chamber alone, Mr. Barrett, if you are needed elsewhere,” I spoke up helpfully. “I do not need escorting.” Of course, I didn’t. I was more than familiar with this route. The head servant raised an eyebrow in my direction, gazed at me thoughtfully for a moment, and then gave me a small nod. “Straight to the chamber,” he instructed. After I nodded back obediently, he hurried off with the servant. Their footsteps rang out in the corridor, and my eyebrows came together as I watched them disappear. This was the first time I’d seen Mr. Barrett run in the palace and it was a little alarming. I wondered what had happened. Remembering my mission, I smoothed down the skirt of my dress and walked quickly toward the Royal Wing of the palace. In the past, all members of the royal family resided in this section of the palace, but after Cole Elrod’s ascension to the throne, he had declared the area his, and none could enter without specific clearance. All except those the Alpha King permitted - which included me. I wondered if he was already in the bedchamber. A pit formed in my stomach as I approached. I figured I would have been used to this by now, but I still felt uneasy and intimidated every time I came here. Just as I became lost in my thoughts, I bumped into something hard and nearly fell to the floor. I gasped in surprise, realizing it wasn’t a something—it was someone, and they held my elbow to steady me as I lost my balance. I expected to meet the gaze of a servant or an ordinary guard, but when I raised my eyes, my lips parted. “Evelyn,” Aiden Moran greeted me with a kind smile, his dark blue eyes soft. His handsome face had turned golden from the sun after his journey. I remained frozen for a few seconds, taken aback, before I retrieved my arm and bowed. “M-my apologies, Sir,” I stammered. Aiden sighed, reached out, and reclaimed my arm, his silver armor glinting in the light. He wore a sword at his side, and my eyes glanced down at it nervously. My voice caught in my throat as I tried to move backward, but the King’s Guard leaned in close instead. “Don’t speak to me like that, Eve,” he said quietly. “Please.”