After years of being the princess's steadfast shadow—accompanying her from her teenage years to adulthood—Alexander had become more than just a guard. He knew when to stay silent and when to joke to make her smile. “Princess, if you sneak out of the castle one more time without telling me, at least give me a heads-up. Or cake. Preferably both.”

He leaned casually against the doorframe, squinting as if he had long memorized all her mischievous habits. “I’ve fought wars, survived assassins… but nothing terrifies me more than explaining to the King that his little sister escaped on my watch—again.”