Guarding His Queen

Chapter 7

I was going to die tonight. I was sure of it. There was no way I could go into a local bar on a Friday night and hope that no one would notice me. And there was no way that one man, even a man like Jasper with his size, could keep a hoard from getting to me when everything undeniably turned south. If people were shooting at me when I had dozens of guards around what would they do when they didn't think I had a single protector nearby?

So why was I getting ready anyway?

I didn't know, but that didn't stop me either. And though my anxiety was heavy and thick, it didn't squelch the fluttering in my stomach. I couldn't remember the last time I had been outside of the palace without a grand parade or a thousand photo opportunities. And the idea of going out with a handsome man at my side only made it more enticing. For a couple hours I could be normal. I could forget my crown and my duties and just pretend.

And picking apart my closet for all the fun pieces had me in seventh heaven. I pushed past all the various shades of grey and found a mustard yellow cable sweater. Tucked into a black skirt, it looked like I was ready for my outing. 

But Jasper didn't seem to think so when I opened my bedroom door.

"What are you wearing?" he groaned. "Do you understand the point of not attracting attention to yourself?"

"What's wrong with this?" I asked, running over my outfit again. Then I looked him over. A varsity hoodie, shorts, and a baseball hat with a Canadian hockey team's emblem on it. "Am I supposed to look more like you?"

"There's a reason I'm not wearing a suit, kitten. We are going to a pub. It's the place where people unwind after work weeks. I know you probably haven't experienced it, but maybe you've seen it on television," he explained, shouldering past me and moving into my room. His eye flashed over to the pile of clothing on his bed and he rolled his eyes before moving into the closet. A moment later a pair of my workout pants were thrown at me.

"Get out of my room, this isn't proper. And I can't wear these in public. These are for the gym!"

"Kitten, girls wearing leggings with everything now. Do you have a sweater like this?" he asked, pinching the seam of his top in between his fingers.

I shook my head.

"Fair enough. I can't imagine it goes too well with crowns and jewels."

Then, he grabbed the bottom of the hoodie and pulled it over his head. I might've been engaged, but I was not immune to the way his shirt rose as well, exposing the skin just above the waistband. Smooth tanned skin was revealed and was that the edge of hard muscle. My mouth went dry as Jasper tossed the sweater at me.

"Put it on with the leggings. That's going to the only outfit that we can manage to make you look half regular."

"You can't be serious," I protested.

"I am." He spun around, his back to me. "Hurry up and change so I can get you back here before midnight. I want you to be the opposite of Cinderella tonight. The risk of getting caught is coming from the inside this time and you're going to look like you spent the whole day sweeping soot."

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" I asked, partly to distract myself from the idea of being almost naked with him so close by. Partly to soothe the anxiety that still pulsed through me. I had been shot at and now I was going into the world with only one guard who wasn't technically supposed to serve my country.

"You wanted to learn why people are after you, didn't you?"

I sucked in a breath of cinnamon and cedar as I tugged his sweater over my head. It hit me mid thigh. I ditched the skirt and yanked on the pants I only wore when I was sweating in the gym. I had never felt so undressed in my life. And wearing another man's clothing felt scandalous, what would Edmund think if he saw me like this?

"Yes, I want to know why, but couldn't you do this alone?"

"I could, but that wouldn't be nearly as fun. And, it's time for you to get to know your people. How can you rule over these people without even knowing how to dress like them? I've decided that it's time for you to see the real world."

I said nothing, staring at my feet. He was right. How was I supposed to know what my people needed if I didn't even know them? But this was how it had always been. This was tradition. My father and mother had done the same, watching over, but never living with their country.

Maybe it was time to change all that.

"I'm ready," I announced.

Jasper just laughed. "Not yet, kitten." Then his fingers were in my hair, tugging at the pins that kept my tight bun in place. Before I could even ask him what he was doing, he got hold of the elastic and unwound it. My blonde hair fell to my shoulders. His eyes moved over my features, taking in my blue eyes and pale skin. Then he went to my vanity. His fingers skimmed over the collection of lipsticks that I never used, brushing against the magenta, the purple, the burgundy. He grabbed the bright red lipstick I eyed everyday. He flicked it over in his large hand, reading the bottom of it. "They named the colour danger. I think that's oddly fitting, don't you?" he teased, thrusting the tube towards me.

Ten minutes later Jasper and I were settled in a car, driving down the winding road that lead us further and further away from the palace.

"Are you sure this is a safe thing to do? What if someone recognizes me?" I asked. the idea had been fun at first, but now, I could feel my heart thundering away in my chest. This was real. 

"No one is going to recognize you. When was the last time the public actually saw you, not just blurry photos shot by photographers from thirty meters away? Besides, given your history and traditions, if someone wanted to kill you today they would target the palace. You're going to be much safer and much less expected in a pub," he reasoned, driving the vintage car with impressive skill. At the sight of his hand on the shift I was reminded that I hadn't driven myself in years. 

"I can't believe that someone tried to kill me," I said. Though my heart quivered at the thought, my voice came out strong. "We've been peaceful for as long as I can remember. Our gun laws haven't changed in years because we haven't had any murders or accidents in decades. As far as I know, they can only get guns if they were with the palace or police officers."

"People who want guns will get guns, it's as simple as that," Jasper muttered, stopping for a red light. When a car pulled up beside me, I quickly turned my face towards Jasper, hoping I hadn't been seen. 

A few moments later, we pulled up to a short, run down building. I rubbed my sweaty palms on my thighs. Just as I was about to turn to Jasper and demand that he take me home, he pulled off his baseball hat and pressed it down over my blonde hair. 

"There, perfectly normal, kitten," he murmured. A finger tucked a few stray hair back under the hat. "Ready?"

"Ready."