He wanted to go to sleep. He said I couldn't join him. I went and reported to Officer Nancy in her palace office.

I knocked, and she told me to come in. It was a nice little place. Lots of books and a good-sized desk on a deep purple rug. She sat behind the desk working on something.

"I wanted to report back about the night."

She nodded and pulled out a notepad.

"What did he look like?" she asked.

"Older man. Tan, taut skin. Squinty eyes."

"Hair color?"

"Grey."

"Thin? Heavy-set?"

"Very thin, but strong. I'd say he was about five-foot-nine and maybe one-hundred-and-sixty pounds. Pure muscle on him. Not bulky."

She shook her head.

"Did he speak with an accent?"

"He didn't say much."

She nodded as she scribbled something down. I noticed she didn't have a computer in her office. It somehow felt empty. "Maurice gave a similar description. He apologized, too."

"What for?"

"Evidently, the guy came in right after you two. He must have followed you. He offered Maurice fifty Aldonian dollars if Maurice would tell him which room you were going to. He told some long-winded story about how he always wanted to meet the Prince."

I felt so stupid. "He must have been following us from the moment we left the palace," I was supposed to be guarding the Prince and, yet, I hadn't taken care to make sure we weren't being tailed. "Any idea how he got the gun here?"

"Any number of ways. Guns aren't allowed in Aldonia, but we don't do much to prevent people from bringing them in because they've never been a problem."

"Sounds like that's about to change."

"Possibly, but I doubt it. Our country is built on a foundation of peace. If we start treating everyone like criminals, they'll start acting like criminals," she closed the notebook and pushed it aside. "I'll have a sketch artist contact you in the next day or two. This guy doesn't sound familiar to me. He might be from elsewhere. I'll tell my officers to be on the lookout for someone matching the description you gave."

"Thanks," I said.

"Anything else happen while you were there?"

Everything happened while we were there. "No," I said.

"You should go get that looked at," she said, indicating my arm.

"I'm sure it's fine. I've had worse."

"Quit being a tough guy and go talk to the palace medic."

"Fine."

There was a medic on duty at all hours in the palace. I went to go see her. She disinfected the wound and rewrapped my arm, shaking her head at the poor job Beau had done.

"You're a lucky man," she said. "Easy in and out. You'll be fine."

My arm would be fine. That much I knew. By this point it was three in the morning and I couldn't sleep, so I stood guard outside Beau's room, part of me hoping he’d come out and invite me in. He didn't.

I knew something was wrong. He hadn't been himself when we were walking home. He was lethargic and lifeless, pensive and closed off. I knew I came on too strong. We weren't on the same page with this at all. I just wish I’d known ahead of time.

Sex had always been a bonding experience in my mind. There was no such thing as, "just a fuck" for me. I couldn’t ignore my feelings toward someone once we'd bonded that way. It was why, no matter how much I'd like to be mad at Jane, part of me still cared for her and worried about her. I legitimately hoped she and Erik were happy.

Beau stayed in his room all night and through the morning. I kept waiting for him to wake up, telling myself he was bound to come out any minute now. How long could somebody sleep?

I kept staring at the door through the night, then past sunrise. I'd stand up and pace but stop when I thought I heard something from inside the room. Then, after a moment of silence, I'd continue pacing.

Around lunchtime, I gave up. I was exhausted and retired to my room, saying hello to Foofers before falling asleep. If Beau left to go anywhere, somebody would alert me.