She nodded. “I know.”
I’m going to get better at that. I swear.
Evelyn found Leo in the front entryway with King Tristan. To her surprise, Rory stepped up to them first.
“Your Majesties.” Rory bowed. “May I have a minute of your time?”
“Of course,” King Tristan agreed. “Flynn, isn’t it?”
“Yes, Your Majesty. Rory Flynn.”
“What can we do for you, Rory?” Leo asked.
“I request permission to transfer my duty to the Kingdom of Gryon so that I may remain Princess Evelyn’s personal guard after she marries.”
“You don’t want to return to Carrowmore?”
“Carrowmore is my home, but I no longer have any family there. I served the Kennedy family faithfully for three centuries.Now, I wish to use my skills to protect Princess Evelyn here as she becomes a queen.”
“That’s very generous of you.” King Tristan beamed. “I think it’s a fantastic idea! Alexander?”
“I won’t say no to a loyal guard,” Leo replied. “Simon, perhaps you could show Rory to Magalie’s office? She knows better than I do what protocols are necessary.”
Simon practically bounced on his feet. “Yes, Your Majesty.”
I’m glad Simon and Rory have become friends. So much of their job is utterly boring, but I’ve caught them chuckling together.
Rory bowed again with a look at Evelyn, who smiled appreciatively at him. Then he and Simon left to find Magalie.
“Father—” Evelyn started.
“I should write to Rowan and let him know about the changes,” King Tristan said before walking away.
Evelyn’s shoulders drooped. “He’s avoiding me.”
“I’m sure he’s just busy,” Leo reassured. “There’s a lot going on.”
“What were the two of you talking about this morning?”
“Updates on the wedding preparations. Guests will begin to arrive this afternoon.”
“I wanted to talk to you about the wedding, actually.” She gestured toward the stairs. “Can we go somewhere private?”
“Should I be worried?”
“No! There’s a detail I want to discuss.”
Leo led her upstairs to his library.
The last time we were here, I held Leo as he cried over his father’s death. So why am I more nervous now?
After magically lighting the fireplace, Evelyn took a seat on the couch. She reached into the envelope and took out only the parchment with the spell, carefully avoiding the note from Haydn.
Beside her, Leo wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “What’s that?”
“It’s…” Evelyn faltered. She handed over the parchment.
Leo frowned as he read the words. “This looks like the spell we’ll use for magic at the wedding tomorrow… but it’s different.”
