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“Dirk!” Sabrina’s tone chided her husband, and he gently patted her arm

“Don’t worry, Bree I’lanced back at Juliana “Am I” It wasn’t a question

“No” Her voice was husky “But he’s not going to have ain

“Want round for you?” he teased

She laughed as he had intended her to do, although a little shakily “I’ll fight lanced froain Both ht, and in superb physical shape But still “If I were you,” she drawled, teasing hihter He trained with the Zakharian National Forces, and he doesn’t look as if he’s lost his edge”

Dirk spluttered with laughter and looked down at his wife “Did you hear that, Bree? I think she just insulted my manhood”

Noas Bree who patted his arh for me, honey, and that’s all that counts” Husband and wife stared into each other’s eyes, private s as they retreated to their own little world, and a pang of pain darted through Juliana when she saw the unshadowed love for each other in their faces

Andre watched Juliana fronized as Dirk DeWinter, the actor ould be portraying his legendary ancestor in King’s Ranso cold and deadly when thefashion Juliana’s name had never been linked romantically with DeWinter’s Nevertheless, Andre didn’t want hi else If anyone was going to comfort her, it would be him

His bodyguard tonight, Captain Lukas Branko, stood two feet away, alert to any sudden betraying shift in the crowd, his eyes constantly on the move Andre forcibly relaxed his tense —anything—else, and his bodyguards’ warnings came to mind

This kind of duty in a large, diverse crowd of people was a nightuard, Lukas and Damon had told him more than once, nment as they were It wasn’t just the devotion of subjects for their king, Andre knew It wasn’t just the devotion to duty of men for whom duty was honor Lukas and Damon were not without ambition, but their ambitions for the past three years had all centered around one object—keeping King Andre Alexei IV alive Alive and ruling over Zakhar for many years to come No

It was the “die trying” part neither Lukas nor Dauards, die trying was an excuse to theiveness They would keep their king safe, nothe law into their own hands Even if itwhose as law to them

Their stance on the subject had amused Andre at times, so much so he’d even discussed that contradiction in ters But Zax hadn’t been amused, Andre remembered now And he wondered why that hts

He searched the throng of people for his cousin’s face Maybe Zax can help me keep my mind off Juliana But he couldn’t spot hi hiaze wandered inevitably back to Juliana, still standing with her friends where he’d left her

He stared at her across the distance that separated the more than to sweep her into his ar crowd into the quiet sanctuary of his bedrooed to do since the first ht Wanting nothing more than to make Juliana see what she was to hi to erase that hard, bitter edge he didn’t understand but that he knew had to be an act, revealing the genuine, loving woman he remembered

But she had to come to him He could not force her He could not et her this far, but that was as far as he could go Noas up to her He could only do whatever lay in his power to convince her she belonged here in Zakhar With him