The Found One

Chapter 3

Rowan POV

His fingers rubbed his temples, the migraine had been growing all day, pressing harshly against the back of his eyes and beating on his skull. His ministrations offered little relief for the pressure and so with a sigh his hands dropped to his sides. "How much longer?" He asked. Not turning to face Isaac to address him.

Isaac and Noah had been with Rowan long enough that the Prince's sometimes gruff and abrupt manner didn't offend or affect them. Not only were the two wolves Rowan's personal Guardians, but together they lead and headed the contingent of Royal guardians assigned to the Crown Prince. Trained by the head Guardian himself since they were boys, they had officially taken over the responsibility for the young Prince's safety when they turned 16, and for more than a dozen years had guarded and watched his back. "We leave for Silva in the morning."

Rowan sighed heavily, "Hiems was supposed to be the most difficult, and yet here I am wanting to bash my head against a wall."

"Alpha Spesso merely wants to demonstrate her loyalty, Your Highness." Noah responded. His voice level and calm, neither man ruffled or disturbed by the political waltz happening around them.

"Yes, they are very loyal. I got that message when they fell to the ground reciting the Oaths of the Bond before the dust had settled around my car." Rowan muttered sarcastically. Normally he wasn't so harsh, and worked to be understanding at the ceremony his presence dictated, but the travel and political games were starting to wear on him. Alpha Elizabeth Spesso's overenthusiastic and accommodating measures grated on the Prince's frayed nerves. Dinner had been so ridiculous and exhausting Rowan had been forced to excuse himself before the main course arrived, the fear of slapping the absurd smile from the woman's face driving him to seek the solace of the quiet night air.

"Can you really blame them Your Highness?" Noah asked.

"You know their history with your parents, their unhesitant loyalty the last two dozen years is all that has kept their heads attached to their bodies." Isaac added in. Of the two he was the talkative twin, often filling in or expanding on his brother's words.

"I know Zac, I know." Rowan muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose this time in hopes of relief.

"Our brother has never let them forget their past, and you being here is a very vivid reminder of the part they played against the Queen." He continued, eyes softening at the mention of Rowan's mother. To say the two brother's adored their sister-in-law would be an understatement of ridiculous proportion. Their lives dedicated to the protection of her only son and heir being only one of many testaments to their devotion to her through the years.

"I know your right, it's just-" Rowan trailed off, unable to think of the word apt enough to describe the show he had been forced to star in for the past six days.

"Arduous."

"Grueling."

"A spectacle."

"Ridiculous."

"Outlandish."

"Absurd."

"Ludicrous."

"A sham."

"You know I hate it when you two do that," Rowan said squinting at his Guardians. Noting again just how much they looked alike, they stood like two nearly identical copies, the only differences in Isaac's slightly longer hair and the small crook that marred Noah's nose (a result of a childhood training accident). Both twin's coloring matched their brother, the King's, dark blue black hair, tanned complexions, strong angular jawlines, the only divergence from the other Salvatori siblings coloring was in their twin green piercing eyes. "but yes, all of that."