The Princess's Guard ✔️

18

Word Count: 1694

~Kiva

I stare at my bedroom door as I settle into bed, knowing who is behind it.

How I'm still not used to Ark's guard after all these weeks is beyond me. Only one wall between us isn't enough.

Rolling over, I switch my lamp off, bathing the room in darkness.

I'm only blessed with a few moments of unbothered rest before the sound of my window scraping open has me sitting up in the darkness.

Panic seizes me first. Is it my mate? Or worse...

With shaking fingers I switch my lamp back on, bathing a portion of my room with enough light to reveal the meek state of my only true friend.

"Louis, what are you doing?" I whisper frantically, glancing at the door Ark stands behind.

Louis ruffles a hand through his hair, pointing at the window. "That is quite the climb."

"Keep your voice down," I whisper, pulling myself from the bed.

"Everything okay?"

He steps towards me, the weight of him causing the floorboards to creak. I wince, hoping Ark is excusing the sound as me getting up to use the bathroom.

"My guard will murder me if he finds someone in here," I tell him lowly, jerking my thumb at the door.

Louis looks distastefully at it. "He's made it impossible for me to come see you."

My heart flutters. In the flurry of the past few weeks, I've neglected my usually frequent visits to the downstairs porch where Louis meets me.

And if Ark found me with Louis again...I'm afraid he may hurt him.

I smooth my hair back with both my hands, sighing. "I know...it's frustrating."

"How long is he around for?"

"Until I am strong enough to fight off an attacker," I tell him. I'm getting more adept with my fighting skills, but my mate pinned me down with strength I'm not sure I'll ever compete with.

Louis steps closer. "Your father is insane for hiring someone like that. How can you trust him?"

I nearly laugh. Trust Ark?

Maybe if I knew him beyond his job as a mercenary I would consider it, but he is yet to reveal anything about himself, even when I press him on it.

"I have no other choice."

Louis rubs a hand over his eyes, clearly stressed. "I'm just happy to see you. I know that much."

"Yeah, I missed you. These past few weeks have been insane." I reach out to him, drawing him in for a hug.

He smells of snow and sweat from his dramatic climb up the fragile trellis. But he also smells familiar, like many nights of freedom that I've treasured.

When I pull away, his grip around my waist remains tight. His eyes flutter closed as he leans toward me.

For some reason, I stiffen, jerking away from him.

"Woah..." I mumble, leaving a generous distance between us. I'm not disgusted by him, nor am I offended that he wants to kiss me, I just don't want it. Since realising I have a mate, I'm not interested in mindless trysts with him anymore.

He blinks. "Everything okay?"

"I...I just think we should be friends. Platonically, I mean." I stumble stupidly over my words. My stomach is hollow seeing the hurt in his eyes.