Suck it up and keep moving forward.
For her.
Hollywood Hot Scoop
Royal Super Soldier’s Identity Revealed!
AstheCandoranelectioncreeps closer, Princess Freya has been making the rounds through her home country in a desperate attempt to appeal to the regular crowd. We all know how well she does among the rich and famous, but it’s clear she has no idea how to interact with normal people. Check out the slideshow below to see her donning an apron and pretending to cook, posing with a book at an orphanage, and nearly getting her hand bitten off by a sheep doing who knows what. Nice work, Your Highness, but I don’t think staged do-gooding will get people to vote for you.
But here’s what you really want to know: the name of Freya’s super hunky bodyguard!
That’s right, we have all the details! Turns out he’s one of America’s finest heroes (in all senses of the word, am I right, ladies?) and only recently retired from the US Special Forces. The last time I was this invested in a soldier was back when the scrumptious Seth Hastings traded his camo for cashmere and handed off his badge to take up a new career as a private bodyguard. But instead of protecting a metaphorical King of Art,like Hastings did, our new favorite soldier has an actual, real-life princess under his care!
Elliot Reid, 26, left his role as a Sergeant First Class and now holds the coveted title of Senior Protection Officer for Princess Freya Alverra. We’ve tracked down a partial list of some of his most impressive ops (see the link below), but we all know he’s gotta be the G.O.A.T. if he’s been entrusted with the princess’s safety. Even just looking at this man of muscle, it’s clear why he got the job. I’m sure we’re all wishing we needed a bodyguard so we could get a man like him all up in our business!
And with the way Little Miss Princess looks at Elliot like he’s the only man she needs in her life (see the rest of the photos in the slideshow below), I’m predicting some trouble brewing among the Glam Gang. Derek Riley is likely going to be replaced as Freya’s leading man, so there’s only one question we want to know: will the rest of the gang follow their fearless leader, or is Derek going to have to fight for custody of his friends? I don’t know about you, but if I knew a princess/bodyguard duo like this, I wouldn’t want to give them up.
Not even for the likes of Derek Riley.
The longer I look at Elliot, the more I think there might be someone to give Derek a run for his money as the sexiest man alive. Derek’s reign as the king of our hearts might be ending as Freya’s uncertain reign begins.
Stay tuned for more of Elliot Reid’s backstory and how he ended up becoming one of the most important people in the world! XO
Chapter Nineteen
Freya
“Forthelasttime,Mum, I am doing the best I can.”
“Lady Falkheim was extremely disappointed by your lack of manners, Freya, and I do not understand why you felt the need to rudely leave her garden party after being there for less than two hours.”
Pressing my phone to my chest for a moment, I sigh and settle against the back of my seat, exhaustion pulling my eyes closed. I knew I should not have answered my mother’s call, but generally one does not ignore a queen. Even if the queen is one’s overbearing mother. I suppose I should be grateful that she lasted more than a week before butting her nose into my campaign, but that does not make this conversation any less tiring.
I was already exhausted, made worse by the fact that I am stuck in a horse-drawn coach because Elliot thought it too dangerous for me to be on horseback through the mountain pass to get to the city of Skalridge.The pass is too narrow and rugged for automobiles, so a portion of my entourage is taking the cars the long way around to meet us at Lynholm two days from now.
Everyone else is in a saddle.
Lifting my phone to my ear once more, I try for a controlled tone. “I left because the orphanage could only accommodate me during a set time frame. I intended to return to the party as soon as I was finished, but the rain ended Lady Falkheim’s fête early.”
Mum exhales sharply. “You cannot blame everything on the weather, Freya.” I imagine her alone in her office, her fingers pinching the bridge of her nose. I know she is alone because she has me on speakerphone, and she would never allow anyone to overhear a conversation like this. “I thought your whole purpose of this trip was to interact withallof your people, and yet you have neglected nearly every nobleman and woman you have encountered.”
This argument has been going on for almost half an hour, and at some point I should probably feign a bad connection and hang up. “They’re going to vote for me either way,” I mutter. Nothing about Markham’s platform would be appealing to those already in possession of power and wealth, so I firmly believe the nobility will be on my side no matter what I do.
Unless, of course, I choose to accept Grimstad’s proposal. Something tells me the noble class would not appreciate that political move.
“Mum,” I say, louder, “I am doing everything I can to win the hearts of the Candoran people, and addressing the complaints of an entire county of farmers is a far more valuable use of my time than listening to Lord Mossley prattle on about his stamp collection.”
Across from me, Elliot poorly stifles a snicker as he watches the mountainside roll by. He has been pretending not to listen to this conversation, but I would not be surprised if he has heard every word my mother has said. She has not been quiet this afternoon.
“Freya Isolde,” Mum sighs. “While I am aware that you are your own person and will not follow in my footsteps exactly, you must take care not to make too many waves. Your position in the polls is precarious at best, and the more you deviate from tradition, the more you will be seen as a liability.”
Elliot’s eyebrows pull together—he can definitely hear Mum—and I have to bite my tongue to keep from saying something petulant to my mother.You and I must be looking at different polls.
As of this morning, popular opinion is trending in my favor after a continuous climb over the last four days. I am almost confident about the upcoming election, though I keep reminding myself that a good deal could change in a week.
When I have no response for my mother, she sighs heavily. “I had another reason for calling this morning.”
“Oh?”
