They had all blended into the background, pretending to be ordinary guards when Ekene, Abuchi and the rest ordered them around.
But now… now they were in Lionara, in the shadows again, and the lines of loyalty were easier to walk. As much as they were standing before the Second Princess, they also had orders from someone ranked higher, the eldest prince.
And those orders couldn't just be discarded.
One of the guards finally took a half step forward and bowed slightly, his voice low and respectful. "Second Princess, we understand. But we beg of you, please, don't make things difficult for us."
She raised a brow.
"We're under direct command from the Eldest Prince. You know how he is. You've seen what he's capable of. If we disobey him, we won't just be reassigned, we'll be replaced. Permanently."
