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Highness, there’s been a disturbance. I would advise that your guards escort you and your family to your quarters at once.”
    My father smiled at London. “This is a little unorthodox, don’t you think?” he asked with an unconcerned chuckle.
    â€œYour Majesty, I believe you to be a man of some intelligence, therefore, I expect you are wise enough to follow my suggestion. Please, Sire, do as I say.”
    Turning to the captain, London brashly issued an order. “Come with me. We must secure the palace.”
    Cannan’s brows drew together at London’s blatant, though not uncharacteristic, disregard for chain of command, but given the urgency in the Elite Guard’s voice, he said nothing. Instead, he glanced around for Kade, the sergeant at arms in charge of the Palace Guard, who was already moving our way. Upon his arrival, Cannan gave the sergeant his orders and then set off with his deputy captain. Fear swelled within me as I watched their retreating backs, for this night, my home was not safe.

CHAPTER 3
ENEMIES REVEALED
    I ONCE AGAIN PACED IN MY PARLOR, TOO intrigued and perplexed to sit down or rest. I had been escorted to my quarters for safety, with one guard stationed inside the room with me and two more in the corridor. The guard who had temporarily taken over for London stood in front of the windows, trying not to look uncomfortable in my quarters. He wore the uniform of the Palace Guard, and the sword that had been issued to him upon completion of the training regimen hung from his belt. He was no more than a few years older than Steldor, and clearly had not expected to end up protecting the Crown Princess of Hytanica.
    â€œDo you know what is going on?” I boldly inquired, breaking the nerve-racking silence.
    â€œI’m afraid you have a better idea of what this is about than I do, Your Highness.” He shrugged, but I could see curiosity in his eyes. “If you don’t mind my asking, Princess Alera… What exactly did happen in the garden?”
    I stopped pacing and relayed the entire story to him, including London’s identification of the intruder.
    â€œCokyrian?” he repeated.
    â€œThat’s what London said.”
    â€œWhat are they doing here?”
    â€œWell, actually, there was only one of them.”
    â€œThere’s never just one of them, Princess.”
    â€œBut what does this mean?” I grumbled, feeling as though we were playing a game.
    A dramatic pause followed, and I would have laughed at his histrionics if not for his next words.
    â€œIt means the war could begin again.”
    His statement hit me with sufficient force to expel the air from my lungs, and I finally understood London’s reaction. I knew enough of the tragedy and the horrors of the war that I had no desire to experience such things firsthand, and most definitely not during the reign of my future husband.
    â€œWe haven’t seen or heard from the Cokyrians in sixteen years,” he continued. “The fighting stopped with no victory for either side and no treaty signed, which means the war could resume just as suddenly as it ended.”
    I nodded, then resumed my pacing, clenching my fists to the point where my fingernails pressed into my palms. I drew up short at a rap on the door, but it was only a servant to start a fire in the hearth, for a chill was now descending upon the room. Eventually, I took a seat in a gold velvet armchair and flipped through a book in a vain attempt to distract my mind from the slowness of the passing hours.
    When my tolerance for waiting had been all but exhausted, there was another knock on my door, and London entered, dismissing the young man who had been standing in for him. The guard bowed to me and departed, as London appeared to be in a foul mood.
    â€œWho is she?” I clamored, springing to my feet, the book sliding off my lap onto the floor.
    â€œI assume you mean the woman in the