THE BODYGUARD

[LUCA]

The princess's birthday party just came to an end.

I had kept my eyes on the princess during the entire affair, constantly being alert for anything suspicious. It was my duty to guard her while I kept myself invisible. I was in charge of her protection.

She was safe within the palace walls, but I was never complacent. I was always ready for anything.

The last guest finally left the palace.

I had been standing the entire time, like the other palace guards, and my stiff legs welcomed the movement as I followed Lena up the stairs, keeping some distance between us. I hadn't eaten supper yet. I would eat after I made sure she was safely inside her room for the night.

But instead of going to her room, I saw her sneaking out to another passage that branched away from her bedroom corridor.

I smiled.

No surprise there. I knew the party drained her. She didn't like social gatherings at all. She would often complain about it. I knew she was just looking for an escape. Some place to clear her head.

I didn't stop her, but I continued to follow her through the passage and up the spiral staircases to the western tower. She hadn't seen me. I was good at hiding my presence. I remained in the shadows within the staircase, giving her space.

It wasn't my job to tell her what to do. My job was to guarantee her safety, and for the moment, she was safe.

I let her be, for now. She deserved it.

My name is Luca Auger.

From the moment I was born, it was my duty to protect the princess.

I came from a family of royal guards that had always protected the Lavien royal family for generations. My father was in charge of the late Queen's protection. He was the captain of the Queen's Guard. He was to Lena's mother, what I am to her now. I haven't reached his rank yet, but eventually, I will.

Since I was born, it was my duty to protect the princess. I still have a vague memory of when I found out about it.

I was six at the time. A child.

I remember my father taking me to the palace gardens. It was nighttime. We were walking along the cobblestone pathway with the bright moon casting a glow on our path.

We headed to the large pavilion in the middle of the pond, where the Queen was sitting with her ladies-in-waiting. She was carrying a tiny bundle in her arms, and she smiled when she saw us approaching.

"Leon," she greeted my father warmly. Then she smiled at me. "This must be your son. Luca, is it? Hello, Luca."

It was my first time meeting the Queen face to face. She was beautiful, and her smile was kind. But her presence was also overwhelming. I averted my eyes shyly. It felt like I was in the presence of a goddess.

My father gave me a nudge and told me to greet her back.

"Greetings, Your Majesty," I mumbled, trying my best to sound like an adult. My squeaky voice betrayed me.

"He is a little shy," my father said apologetically.

"Oh, no worries," the Queen replied with a tinkling laugh. "How old is he?"

"Six."

"Oh, that's perfect! He'll be old enough when Lena grows up," she said excitedly.

I knew why I was there. My father had begun training me about our family's obligations, and he explained to me that it was my duty to be the personal guard for the royal heir of my generation.

But at that time, I was still too young to have any sense of duty. In fact, on the way there, I was sulking. I hated the idea of being forced to do something. I didn't care about the newly born princess, who I knew was the tiny thing bundled up in the Queen's arms.

I hated that little thing even though I still hadn't seen it. That thing was the reason why my future was set in stone.

"Come, Luca. I'd like you to meet my daughter."

I tried my best not to let my loathing show in my face as we approached the Queen.

"She's beautiful, Your Highness," my father said cheerfully. "She looks just like you. She has your eyes."

I didn't look at the bundle.

"Oh, look! Luca, she's looking at you!"

I kept my ground and kept my eyes lowered until my father forced my head upward.

I found myself staring at a pair of large, bright sapphire eyes, too large to belong in a tiny baby's face. Eyes filled with wonder as she looked at me. She was still a baby, just a few months old, but there was comprehension in their depths. Or was it recognition?

Then, she smiled.

The tiny baby smiled at me.

My eyes widened in surprise. I didn't know why, but her smile warmed my heart. My face softened and I unthinkingly smiled back, my hatred forgotten.

How could anyone hate such a precious, tiny thing?

I was suddenly overwhelmed with a strong sense of protectiveness over this defenseless, tiny being. It felt natural. No one shall harm her. Not under my watch.

Her eyes sparkled as she stared at me. She gave me a knowing smile, as if she was aware that she'd caught me under her spell. She raised her tiny chubby hands and held them out to me.

I glanced at the Queen for permission, and she nodded. I turned back to the precious baby and held out a finger to her. She grasped it in her tiny little hand and gave a delighted giggle.

"She likes you!" the Queen gushed happily at me. "This is a good start. I'm sure you'll get along well when she's grown."

"And Luca will give his all to protect her, My Queen, just as I have with you," my father said, bending his knee and bowing respectfully to the Queen. He pressed down on my shoulders to do the same.

"Yes, when the time is right," she replied, smiling. "Thank you, Leon. We can always count on your family. I know you'll train him well." She then turned to me. "Can I trust you to have her under your protection, Luca?"

This time, I didn't falter when I answered sincerely.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Suddenly, the Queen started coughing uncontrollably. She looked like she was in pain. Everyone there bustled over her in alarm. She handed the baby over to one of her ladies-in-waiting while another one attended to her.

"Come on, Luca," my father said quietly, nudging me away. "It's time to go."

Sixteen years later, here we are.

A strong gust of wind blew through the staircase. If the princess stays in the cold for too long, she might get sick. I stepped away from the shadows and entered the tower.

Lena was facing the window with her eyes closed. I noiselessly approached her and leaned against the wall beside the window. I waited.

As if sensing my presence, her eyes flew open, and she jumped when she saw me.

"Luca!" she exclaimed. "Don't scare me like that!"

I shrugged. "I wasn't even doing anything."

"Yeah, but you can't creep up on me like that. Make some sound when you walk, jeez."

"Sorry. I can't help it."

I'm a pretty tall guy, but because of how I was brought up, I've learned not to make any sound while moving. It's a useful skill to sneak up on unsuspecting enemies.

"Yeah, whatever," she mumbled. "Are you here to take me away again?"

I could tell she was still mad at me for bringing her back earlier.

"If I hadn't," I said. "The King would've sent out his entire army to search for you. Would you rather have that?"

She scowled and said nothing.

"You know you should be in bed, Lena. You're not supposed to be here."

"Can't I have five minutes of peace to myself?" she grumbled.

"You'll get a cold."

"No. I won't." She looked up at me with defiance in her round blue eyes, the only part of her that hadn't changed in sixteen years.

Blue eyes weren't that rare, but the kind of blue in her eyes was just different. Vivid. More striking and deeper than the regular blue. They would shift to different shades depending on the lighting. This time, they were gleaming like refined azurite under the moonlight.

I've only seen that mystifying eye color on three people in my lifetime — Lena, the late Queen, and the Queen Mother. A hereditary trait, unique to the Lavien royal family.

"Please?" she demanded. "You owe me." She folded her arms on her chest and tried to look as intimidating as possible, despite the huge difference in our heights. The top of her head barely reached my chest.

It reminded me of an image of a kitten squaring up to a dog twice her size.

I hid my amusement. "Fine. But just a while."

I shrugged off my uniform jacket and wrapped it around the princess's frail shoulders. The jacket was too big for her tiny frame, but at least it would keep her warm.

The annoyance on her brows softened. "Thanks, Luca."

"Now, can you stop being mad at me, please? Your Highness?"

"Call me Lena," she responded automatically. "I'm not mad at you," she added quietly.

"So…" I began. "Did you enjoy your party?" I said it with a straight face, but she knew right away that I was teasing. Her face scrunched up into a look of disgust, and she punched me weakly in the arm.

I laughed. Sometimes I wondered if she was capable of running the kingdom. It was her destiny as the only heir to the royal family. Lena may be rebellious at her age, but I believe that when the time comes for her to take the throne, she will be capable of handling it.

And when that time comes, I will always be there by her side, protecting her.

She began to vent, like I expected she would, complaining about how boring and frustrating it was. After watching over her for most of her life, I understood her completely. I listened. I knew that was the only thing she needed. Someone to talk to. Aside from keeping her safe, I also want to keep her happy.

A while later, we left the tower with the princess looking a lot more cheerful. I escorted her back to her room and bade her good night, confident that she wasn't sneaking out anymore.

I crept down to the kitchen, hoping that there was still leftover food I could scrounge up. Now that my duty was done, I was suddenly hungry. I found a fellow palace guard there, who had also just finished his shift, being served a tray of food by a kitchen maid.

"Over here, Luca," he called out, beckoning me to join him. "Let me guess, did the princess sneak out again?"

"Nope," I replied with a smile.