𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐁𝐈𝐃𝐃𝐄𝐍 𝐃𝐄𝐒𝐈𝐑𝐄 | ✎

𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐮𝐞

"Elena!" King Victor D'Amore, my father, shouts.

I flinch and turn around, preparing to be chastised. My mother, Queen Cassandra D'Amore, stands beside him, both of them glaring at me. Damn it, what did I do this time?

"Did I not warn you about your reckless behavior?" My father raises his voice, reprimanding me for my actions.

"You have been too careless, cara mia," my mother adds, shaking her head. "And now, you have gotten into an accident. You must learn to control your wildness before it gets the better of you."

I wince in embarrassment when I realize what she's talking about. Last night, I may or may not have snuck out of the castle and stolen a palace guard's motorcycle. And I definitely did not crash it into a pole. That would be irresponsible. Not that it would have been my fault anyway; maybe the guards should do better at their jobs.

"I'm sorry. It won't happen again!" I lie.

"Damn right, it won't," my father replies to me. "Because you're getting a bodyguard who will watch you 24/7."

A bodyguard? I almost laugh at this absurd statement, but then I realize my father is not joking. What the fuck? I'm almost 18; I don't need a babysitter. "That's not fair!" I whine.

"It is not a matter of what is fair, cara mia," my mother says sternly. "It is a matter of your safety. You are the heir to the throne, and as such, your well-being is of the utmost importance to this kingdom."

My teeth grind together as I feel my body becoming tense. I don't understand why they're making such a big deal about this. And, more importantly, why I'm being assigned a bodyguard. This never happened to any of my friends.

"Alexander West will be your new bodyguard," my father announces. "He's an outstanding young man, with a wealth of expertise in martial arts, firearms, and strategy. He was at the top of his class at the Royal Academy, and has been nothing but exceptional in his career. We have every confidence in his ability to keep you safe."

In other words, I'm practically being handed over to some trained assassin who'll probably treat me like a prisoner. That's amazing. My eyes roll at the seriousness of the situation. It's not like I'm some damsel in distress, waiting to be rescued.

My father continues, "Alexander, here is your new charge. Your primary priority is to protect Princess Elena at all costs. You must ensure her safety at all times, no matter the circumstances. Do you understand?"

A boy, looking to be around my age, steps forward, bowing his head. "Yes, Your Majesty. I will make it my life's goal to keep your daughter out of harm's way."

My heart almost jumps out of my chest when someone else speaks. I almost feel bad for not paying closer attention to who's in the room, but it's not my fault that I have better things to worry about.

I take one close look at this new bodyguard, and I hide my awe. He's hot as fuck, but I'll be damned if I ever admit that. He has dirty blonde hair, tan skin, a sharp jawline, and blue eyes that I could just get lost in for hours. He looks older than me, but not by much. He has to be in his early twenties or something.

I try to hide the fact that I'm checking him out, because that's not very professional, but I think he might have noticed. I sure hope he didn't.

The boy bows in front of me before turning to my mother, who hands him some fancy-looking papers.

"You will report directly to us, and we expect you to do your absolute best to protect our daughter. We understand that our daughter's unique personality may make your job challenging at times, but we trust that you are up to the task," my father tells him.

I roll my eyes at the way he says unique. As if he's ashamed of me. Whatever, I don't give a fuck anyway.

My bodyguard nods. "I understand, Your Majesty. I will do everything in my power to keep the princess safe."

Great. Instead of having fun, I'll have to have someone watch me wherever I go, as if I'm some little kid who needs to be supervised all the time.

My parents nod to him and begin to walk away, leaving me alone with him. I cross my arms and glare at him subtly to show my disdain for having a bodyguard.

He raises one eyebrow and glares right back at me. "Princess," he says, his voice stern. "My name is Alexander West. You may address me as Mr. West. I'll be with you every second of every day, making sure you don't get into trouble."

I roll my eyes. "I don't get into trouble," I grumble bitterly. I can't believe my parents gave me a damn babysitter; I'm going to legally be an adult in less than two months. What the hell?

"Well, according to the King and Queen, you do. So don't whine," he replies back, his tone flat.

I bite my lip, trying not to let my anger get the better of me. I'm not willing to show this stupid guy that he's getting under my skin.

He continues, "I've been tasked with keeping you out of trouble. So you'll have to follow my rules."

"I don't need rules," I snap back, feeling defensive. "I know how to take care of myself."

He gives me a knowing look, as if he's not buying it. "Okay then, how about we start with this: from now on, no more leaving the castle without me by your side."

I let out a frustrated sigh, feeling like a bird in a cage. My freedom is literally being taken away from me. "Fine," I concede.

The bodyguard nods. "And I should probably warn you, I take my job seriously. I will not stand for any reckless behavior, so don't even think about sneaking off without me."

I scoff. "You're so boring," I say flatly, trying to hide the fact that I'm intimidated by him. "My parents are already strict enough. I don't need some bodyguard to boss me around too."

He raises an eyebrow. "Is that so?" he replies, his voice laced with skepticism. "I suppose time will tell."

I cross my arms, not wanting to show how much his words got to me. Maybe he's right. Maybe I do need someone to keep me in line. But that sure as hell doesn't mean I have to like it. I turn away from him and start to walk down the hallway to my room. As I look out of the corner of my eye, I can see he's following me closely behind.

Damn. This guy wasn't kidding when he said he would be with me every second of every day. I mean, I could just mope around with him as my bodyguard, but I have a better idea.

I'll simply annoy him into quitting his job.

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.・。.・゜✭・.・

authors note: the first 10 chapters are unedited, meaning the writing quality (at least imo) is bad. please bear w me for now, i promise it'll get better until i go and edit 🤍