"How so?"
Evangeline's shoulders slumped slightly, the weight of whatever she was about to share visibly heavy upon her. "With Alexandra gone, everything has changed. Mother has clarified, I can no longer pursue my veterinary dreams indefinitely. After I graduate, I'll need to step into Alexandra's role immediately—all her royal duties, her preparations for eventual succession." Her voice grew quieter. "Mother isn't getting any younger, and the stress of recent events has aged her. She wants to ensure the transition of power is smooth when the time comes, which means I need to be ready much sooner than anyone expected."
"That is a significant change from what you'd planned," I said, watching the way her shoulders sagged under the weight of unexpected responsibility.
She nodded, looking away toward the distant mountains. "Not what I had planned for my life, but duty calls. Alexandra was prepared for this. She'd been trained since birth. I was just the spare, allowed more freedom because I wasn't expected to rule." A humourless laugh escaped her. "Funny how life works."
I wanted to say something comforting, something meaningful, but what could I possibly offer? What words could ease the burden of an unexpected crown?
"You'll make a good queen," I said finally, meaning it.
She looked back at me, surprise flickering across her features. "You think so?"
"I know so." I held her gaze steadily. "You're stronger than you realise, Evangeline."
Something in her expression softened at the use of her name. For a fleeting moment, the princess disappeared, and I saw just the woman—vulnerable, uncertain, but braver than anyone I'd ever known.
"Thank you," she whispered. Then, as if catching herself, she straightened, the royal mask slipping back into place. "But you understand now why what happened between us must remain in the past. My future is set. I have responsibilities, duties that can't be shirked."
I nodded, ignoring the hollow feeling spreading through my chest. "I understand, Your Highness."
"Good." She began walking again, her pace brisker than before. "Then we're clear. Professional relationship only. What happened in Luxembourg stays in Luxembourg."
"Perfectly clear." My voice was neutral, belying the turmoil inside. I was angry—at her for dismissing what we'd shared, at myself for caring so damn much, at the circumstances that made anything more between us impossible.
We walked back toward the palace in silence, the distance between us much greater than the few feet separating us physically. I watched her profile, committing it to memory—the elegant slope of her nose, the curve of her lips, the way sunlight glinted off her hair. She was untouchable now, more so than ever before. A future queen. And I was just her security detail, a man who had held her for one night before reality came crashing back.
As we approached the palace entrance, she paused, her hand resting on the ornate door handle. "James?"
"Yes, Your Highness?"
She hesitated, something like regret flashing across her face. "I'm glad you came back."
Before I could respond, she was gone, disappearing into the palace with the graceful efficiency that marked everything shedid. I stood alone in the winter sunlight, feeling the familiar weight of longing settle over me.
My secure phone buzzed—a message from Harrison, my former commanding officer who now worked private security contracts. 'Heard you're back in Bellavista. Need to discuss the Kozlov situation. Some intel you should know about.' I'd worked with Harrison on several high-profile cases; his information was usually reliable. But something about the timing of his message, coming just as I'd returned to Evangeline's side, made me uneasy.
Nine days since I'd left her bed. Nine days of trying to forget her. And now I was back, agreeing to maintain a professional distance while staying by her side through her sister's funeral, her graduation, her eventual coronation.
Despite my better judgment, overlooking past actions and everything associated with them, my professional ethics, my self-preservation instincts—I couldn't bear the thought of being anywhere else.
Nine days away, had been enough to teach me that much.
It was going to be torture. Pure, exquisite torture.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Evangeline
Luxembourg greeted us with a blanket of fresh snow; the city transformed into a winter wonderland during our absence. From the car window, I watched students trudging between buildings on campus, their colorful scarves providing the only relief against the pristine white landscape. After the suffocating formality of the palace and Alexandra's funeral, returning to university felt like finally exhaling.
James sat beside me in the car, silent and stone-faced. We'd established boundaries in Bellavista — agreed that our night together was simply that. One night, nothing more. Yet the space between us crackled with tension, with everything we refused to acknowledge.
The penthouse felt cold and abandoned when we finally entered. My plants had died, the milk had spoiled in the refrigerator, and dust had settled on every surface.
"Everything is secure," James reported after his methodical inspection. "I'll bring up the luggage."
I nodded, sinking onto the sofa as he disappeared into the hallway. The past weeks had been a blur of grief and royalobligations—Alexandra's funeral, the state dinner I'd attended in her place, endless meetings with advisors about the transition of responsibilities. Through it all, James had been my shadow—present but unreachable.
