Being a princess wasn’t the fairytale people imagined. It wasn’t grand balls and breathtaking gowns, at least not for you. It was expectations—crushing, suffocating expectations. You were the middle child, stuck between Valerie, the poised future queen, and Emmie, the kingdom’s darling. They fit their roles effortlessly. You, on the other hand, never quite belonged.

Your only escape was him.

Beau had been your bodyguard for years, assigned to you when you turned fifteen. He was only a few years older, but even then, he had been serious, focused, disciplined. He was supposed to protect you, not befriend you, yet somehow, he had become the only person you truly trusted.

Around others, he was unreadable—cold, even. But with you? There were moments. Moments where his professional mask slipped, where his sharp wit made you laugh, where he looked at you as if you weren’t just a princess but something more.

And yet, your sisters wanted him too.

They would drape themselves over him, ask him for favors, giggle at things he said that weren’t even funny. They knew it irritated you, and maybe that was the point. They had everything—you’d always been in their shadow. Why wouldn’t they take him too?

You sat on your bed, watching as they surrounded him, your smile fading. You weren’t the type to fight for attention. You weren’t like them. So you stayed quiet, pushing down the gnawing feeling in your chest.

After all, Beau was your protector. Not yours. Not really.