His Stolen Innocent's Vow (Mills & Boon Modern) (The Queen's Guard, Book 2) by Marcella Bell

Author:Marcella Bell [Bell, Marcella]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Mills & Moon Modern
Published: 2021-03-18T18:39:29+00:00

The answer was as easy as it was painful. “We named it for our friend who didn’t make it back from its discovery.”

The frown that furrowed Helene’s face, shadowing her eyes in the process, was one of understanding. “I’m sorry.”

Drake shook off the sympathy. “It was a long time ago. Yance, Malik and I graduated from the naval academy and entered the king’s navy the same year. It was Prince Malik’s first command. We were outgunned by a human trafficker and Yance was hit and we were boarded.”

Helene’s eyes widened. “You lost the ship?”

He shook his head. “I didn’t say that. We were boarded. We fought them off, but Prince Malik was nearly killed and ended the battle unconscious. I led the retreat. The luck of the sea was with us that day, but even though we discovered the island, we lost Yancy. We buried him in the fort’s courtyard grove and named the island in his honor.”

Moving quietly through the water, she came to his side and placed a hand on his shoulder. “I’m sorry.” The blue of her eyes, as tempestuous as the ocean, was deep and serious, and he was once again reminded that a soldier hid beneath the pretty mask.

Not just a soldier. A commander. Someone who could understand this particular pain. The kind that gnawed and ate at you from the inside, clawing to get out but too tender for the light.

“I miss him still,” he said. “But that was a long time ago. Long before duty called Malik back to the capital and I retired.”

“You mentioned he was a prince?”

He smiled, a teasing glint coming to his eyes. “Helene, are you angling for an introduction?”

Her snort in response was the furthest thing from being blue-blooded he could imagine, and yet, coming from her, the noise was upper-crust. “Spare me. I just wanted to make sure I got it right and you were talking about hobnobbing with Prince Malik of Sidra.”

“More fishing with every word...”

She splashed him again until he raised his palms. “Yes. Prince Malik. Though we only call him that when he’s being particularly pretentious.”

Helene smiled again, the real one she’d graced him with before—the one that stopped him in his tracks. “It can be so trying to pal around with royalty.”

This time Drake snorted. “You must know from experience, niece and cousin to kings, as you are.”

She didn’t bother to deny it. “Where else would I come off making a statement like that?”

“Odd sentiment for a royal guard.”

Rising to on her back, she let her long body bob in the water while she stared at the stars above. As mesmerized as she appeared by the heavens, he, too, could not seem to take his attention from her. “Not all royalty is created equally,” she said. “Zayn, the cousin you mentioned, is as insufferable as you might imagine—intelligent, handsome, excellent at everything—but Mina is different. She was born common, didn’t even know she was going to be wed to the king until the day of their wedding.

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