After the simple but surprisingly delicious food, Ronan walked her to her room and instructed her to stay put until he came to get her. He refused to leave until he had her verbal promise.
Now, she had nothing better to do but pace inside her room in the palace. Her phone had no signal, and she hadn’t brought her laptop because she hadn’t believed she would have time to work, nor the ability to trust those around her. There weren’t even books in her room.
She needed something to do, or her mind was going to constantly go back to last night and Ronan. Or she would obsess over her sudden concern that he might be hurt by her family.
If she couldn’t keep her mind and body occupied, she would have to face everything she was thinking and feeling. She wasn’t ready to do that. She would never be ready for it because it meant giving someone else power over her.
Dominique didn’twantto care about him. And she shouldn’t. Not after he essentially blackmailed her and put them both in this perilous position.
Just as Dominique began another circuit of her room, there was a knock on the door. She froze, one bare foot hovering in the air. She’d kicked off her stilettos as soon as Ronan ditched her in her room. As much as she loved her high heels, they weren’t suitable for pacing a hole in the floor.
She lowered her foot and tiptoed toward the door, her steps silent. There was another knock, but still, she didn’t call out. She couldn’t risk it. If it was Ronan, he would have used the closet that adjoined their rooms.
“Dominique, it’s Aisling. Please open the door.”
She hesitated. She knew that Ronan trusted his sister implicitly. The way he spoke of Aisling, and the way he treated her, made it obvious.
But Dominique had also made a promise not to open the door for anyone but him. Indecision wasn’t a sensation she was familiar with, and she despised it. When Aisling knocked again, Dominique couldn’t stand it any longer. She didn’t want Aisling to think poorly of her. Why she cared, she couldn’t explain. But she did.
She marched over to the door and cracked it open, looking out at Ronan’s younger sister. “Hi, Aisling. Is everything okay?”
The younger woman studied her with the same blue eyes as her brother’s. And, like her brother, she saw too much. As soon as Aisling saw Dominique’s face, she wedged her body through the door, forcing Dominique to back up. Her guards sputtered and tried to follow her inside, but she slammed and locked the door in their faces. The door rattled in the jamb, but Aisling ignored it.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
Dominique tried to adjust her expression as she answered. “Nothing. Just a few pre-wedding nerves.”
Aisling gave her a dry look, appearing much older than her nineteen years. “Don’t lie to me, Dominique. My brother disappeared right after breakfast, and now you’re hiding in your room. Your family is trying to sneak around the castle and bribe the staff for any tidbit of information they can.”
Dominique stared at Ronan’s sister. “Let me guess…Jessel trained you as well.”
Aisling shrugged a shoulder. “I’m actually still in training.”
Dominique decided this was a good thing. It would give her a chance to warn Aisling about her family.
“My parents are determined to become the ruling family of this kingdom by whatever means they can use. They won’toutright rebel or betray your parents or Ronan when he ascends to the throne, but they would use magic or herbal drugs to keep them in line. They’ve never done it before, but I’m not entirely sure they wouldn’t stoop to murder if they were sure they could get away with it.”
Aisling listened and nodded as Dominique spoke. “I see.”
Dominique was beginning to understand why Ronan thought his sister was ready for the throne. She gave nothing away in her response. She seemed so cool, calm, and collected.
Aisling reached into the pocket of her skirt and pulled out a cell phone. Dominique watched in confusion as the young woman tapped the screen a couple of times and lifted it to her ear.
“Yes, brother, I know you’re busy,” Aisling began. She paused, listening to him. “Yes, I know I can’t just lock my guards outside of a room without letting them clear it first, but your fiancée needs to be fitted for her wedding dress.”
There was a pause as Aisling listened to whatever Ronan was saying. “I’m in her room right now.” Another pause. “Yes, the guards are outside and we’re in here alone.”
Dominique didn’t physically wince, but internally, she took a huge step back. This wasn’t good. Ronan was going to be upset that she let Aisling into her room.
“I know, big brother,” the princess said. “Jessel trained me the same way she trained you. Actually, she was harder on me because she realized all the mistakes she made with you.”
Dominique couldn’t hear Ronan’s reply, but she did see the wicked twinkle in Aisling’s eyes. Clearly, Aisling and Ronan enjoyed teasing each other. If she wasn’t so stressed, she would smile.
“I won’t let her out of my sight,” Aisling said. “You know she’ll be safe with me and the four guards our parents saddled me with.”
Aisling listened for a few more seconds before holding the phone out to Dominique. “My brother would like to speak to you.”
She took the phone and lifted it to her ear. “Yes?”
