My body was buzzing with calm as I pressed Bryce close against me.

The covers of the bed were a mess, and her torn dress was in a pile on the ground. The memory of her body close against mine came back to me again, the way her skin felt, her tight pussy wrapped around my cock.

I took a deep breath. “I’ve been needing that,” I said.

“Glad I could be of service.”

“You always can be of service to your king.”

She laughed. “Don’t start that.”

“Seriously,” I said, kissing her, “I’ve been thinking about that since the moment I first saw you.”

“I know. You told me.”

“And you slapped me.”

“I sure did. I don’t regret it one bit.”

“Neither do I. That just made me want you more.”

She smiled as I gently rolled off the bed, standing up. “I’m going to shower. Want to join me?”

“Actually, do you have something I can wear? It looks as though you destroyed a perfectly nice dress.”

“Sorry,” I said, grinning. “I can’t help myself.”

“I can see that.”

“You can wear something of mine,” I said. “Closet is there.” I pointed her to a door next to the bathroom door.

She got out of bed, and I got a nice view of her bare body. I loved the way she moved. I felt my cock stirring again, and I knew we weren’t done for the night.

I grabbed her hips and caught her, pulling her against me. I kissed her softly on the neck.

“Already?” she asked, laughing.

“Maybe,” I murmured in her ear. “I could be convinced.”

She smiled and looked up at me.

Just then, I heard a sound in the other room. It was the door opening and softly shutting.

I cocked my head, my eyes narrowing at the doorway. “Yes?” I called out. “Al? Do you need something?”

There was no immediate response. The hairs on the back of my neck began to tingle, and a bad feeling welled up into my gut.

“What’s wrong?” Bryce asked.

I didn’t have time to answer. A man appeared in the doorway, his gun out. I could only react, my military training taking over. I grabbed Bryce by the shoulders and shoved her down to the ground near the bed, and I toppled over on top of her.

The man’s gun went off once, twice. I felt pain flare up in my shoulder as we hit the ground, putting the bed between us and the attacker.

Bryce screamed.

“Stay down,” I said, shoving my hand underneath the mattress. The man was moving, but not fast enough.

I felt the cold steel of the gun I kept there. Ever since I’d joined the military, I slept with a gun, loaded and ready, underneath the mattress. It wasn’t exactly safe, but it made me feel better. I wasn’t a crazy person, but I did live with a healthy dose of paranoia. Anyone who lived in the public eye had to, and that went double for monarchs.

And I was sure fucking glad I did it, too. I pulled the gun and fired off some shots. The man turned and stumbled backward, firing wildly.

I took better aim and fired again. I caught him in the arm and then the chest. I fired three more times until he fell to the ground.

“Stay,” I said to Bryce, walking over to the man. I put another bullet in his head from a distance.

Seconds later, Al burst into the room.

“Your Highness!” he yelled. “What happened?”

“An assassin,” I hissed at him. “Al, how the fuck did he get in here?”

Al shook his head, shocked. “Nobody came in or out of the castle today without authorization.”

“Where were you?”

“Next door, Your Highness.”

I nodded, my jaw tight. I’d forgotten I had relieved him. “You did well getting here so fast, Al.”

“Your Highness, you’re bleeding.”

I checked my shoulder. He was right.

“Surface wound,” I said. “He clipped me. Take care of this.”

I tossed the gun aside and quickly went to Bryce. She was huddled on the ground next to the bed, her eyes wide.

“It’s okay,” I said to her. “It’s okay. I’m going to get you some clothes and then we’ll get out of here. Okay?”

“Who was that man?” she asked.

“An assassin,” I said. “This was probably the real plan. The attacks were just a distraction.”

“Trip,” she said softly, “you saved my life.”

I shrugged and got up as more security people started to come in.

“Everyone,” I barked, “get the fuck out. Secure the perimeter. Search the castle room by room. Any unauthorized people are to be taken to the dungeons. Lock the doors. Nobody in or out until I say so.”

The men reacted to my command instantly, relaying orders over the comm system. I got a pair of sweatpants and a shirt out of the closet for Bryce and handed them to her before getting dressed myself.

Once she was clothed, I helped her up. She threw her arms around me and hugged me tightly against her.

“It’s going to be okay,” I said to her. “I promise, assassins are not a common thing these days.”

“Trip,” she said, “you killed him.”

“He’s not the first man I’ve killed,” I said softly.

I pulled her back and kissed her lips gently. “Come on. Let’s get into the other room, away from him.” I picked her up, swooping her off her feet, and carried her into the living room. I didn’t want her to have to step over him, or risk her stepping in his blood.

Once there, I put her down on the couch. I got her a blanket and began to make tea.

“Sir,” Al said, “the castle is locked down. We’re beginning the sweep now.”

“Update me every five minutes,” I said. “When the sweep is complete, update me every fifteen.”

“Understood.”

“And get someone to clean up this fucking body.”

“Yes, Your Highness.” Al disappeared back outside.

Once the herbal tea was finished, I carried it over to Bryce and placed it down in front of her. I sipped from my cup, frowning at her.

“Are you okay?” I asked her.

“I think so,” she said. “I mean, I’m not hurt. Just in shock.”

I nodded. “Of course. That sort of thing should never happen here.”

“It should never happen anywhere.”

“Of course, but my security failed. I was too cocky.”

“Trip, this isn’t your fault.”

“I wanted privacy,” I said, angry with myself. “I dismissed our guards because I wanted to be completely alone with you. That was foolish.”

“It’s not your fault,” she said. “It’s this war.”

“It is this war,” I said, feeling the anger rise. “It’s this war and those violent bastards in the south.”

“Are you sure it was them?”

I laughed, nodding. “Of course.”

“I heard someone say that nobody unauthorized was allowed in or out of the castle today,” she said.

“That’s true.”

“So how did that guy get in here?”

“I don’t know,” I admitted. “We’ll find out who he is soon.”

“Trip, what if someone let him in here?”

I stared at her for a second. “Only ministers and high-ranking officials were allowed in here today,” I said slowly, “plus you and your family.”

“We didn’t let him in,” she said.

“Then someone in my administration did.”

She nodded but was silent.

I stood up. “Fuck,” I said. “Fucking fuck.”

Who would betray me like this? There were so many possibilities. I knew some of my ministers had democratic leanings, but I didn’t think any of them were out-and-out traitors.

I knew I was unpopular. People wanted Leo, my perfect older brother. They thought he would have been the perfect king and ruler, but they were stuck with me. Nobody was happy about it, least of all the ministers and the democrats.

But I never in a million years imagined that my own ministers would try to have me killed. Or at least I never thought someone would turn against me like this.

“Who do you trust?” Bryce asked me.

I clenched my jaw. “Max. Lynette. Richter, to an extent.”

“Bring them here. See what they know.”

I looked at her. “Are you giving the king advice?”

“I’m trying to help Trip, not the king.”

I cracked a small smile. “Very well. I’ll consult with them. For now, you need to go back to your room. I’ll have George stand guard.”

“No,” she said. “I’m not leaving you.”

I went to her and knelt down in front of her. I took her hands and kissed her knuckles. “You’re strong,” I said, “but you’re a foreigner still. This is a crisis, and right now I can’t have whispers about you. Do you understand?”

“Yes,” she said softly. “People might think something bad about me.”

He smiled and nodded. “You hit me once already.”

She smiled softly. “True.”

I stood up and walked to the comm panel. I hit some buttons. “Send George,” I said.

A minute later, there was a knock. I let George into the room.

“Your Majesty,” he said.

“George, would you die to protect Bryce?” I asked him.

“Yes, sir,” he said. “If commanded, I will obey.”

“George, take Bryce to her room. Put her inside, close the door, and stand guard. Nobody enters or exits for any reason. Understood?”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“Put a similar detail on her parents’ room.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“Wait outside.”

He left. I walked over to Bryce. “Okay,” I said. “You should go.”

“Okay.” She stood and frowned at me. “I’ll be okay.”

“I know.” I kissed her quickly and then she left the room. I caught a glimpse of George leading her back to her room, his weapon at the ready.

She’d be safe with George. Besides, Bryce wasn’t the target.

I was.

Somebody wanted to kill me. I knew that in the abstract many democrats in the south wanted me dead, but there was a dead body in my room, someone sent to kill me. We only survived because he didn’t respond when I had called, and because I happened to be a fucking paranoid sleeper.

I shook my head, angry and confused. I didn’t know how this had happened.

But Bryce was right. I needed to consolidate my power, and quickly. I called for Max, Richter, and Lynette, and then I got an update from Al.

We’d come up with a plan, the four of us. We’d figure out who the traitor was, and quickly.

And then we’d hang that fucking bastard from the ramparts for the whole fucking city to see what we did with traitorous dogs.