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Her thoughts in turmoil, Juliana entered the outer office, where three uarded entrance to the inner sanctu but unshakable resolution “I am sorry, Miss Richardson,” the appointments secretary told her “His Royal Majesty is extre I could make an appoint the calendar there “Three o’clock to her acquiescence, his next question merely a formality “Would that do?”
Juliana stood her ground “His Majesty asked ht if I would fil to the landslide The sooner, the better, I thought Could you ask hiive me any details e spoke”
“Of course, Miss Richardson Excuse me a moment” The secretary slid from his chair, knocked on the door to the inner office and waited for a response before opening the door, entering and closing it behind him He was back in less than a minute “Please come this way, Miss Richardson,” the appointments secretary said And while he’d always been respectful, there was a different intonation now, a deference that hadn’t been there before
Andre was on the phone when she entered, but he smiled his faint smile as soon as he saw her and indicated a chair in front of his desk Juliana seated herself and looked around the roo been in the inner office before, but she iined it had been completely redone when Andre ascended the throne, because it didn’t look like the kind of office the old king would have had
The furniture here now suited Andre somehow Not modern, not casual, but not stiffly forined he spent a lot of tie country—probably equivalent in size to the state of Verh evena country wouldn’t be a sinecure, not if you threw yourself into the job heart and soul, the way Andre did
When she turned her head all the way to the right she saw Andre’s bodyguard—not the one who’d accoht, a different one—sitting ht about it for a uard who’d been on duty the night of the reception She remembered him because after Andre had spoken to him he’d faded back into the crowd, but his eyes had never left the ht of it, he was also the one who’d been on duty outside the little library the evening she and Andre had confronted one another
She gave the bodyguard a friendly snition, but he didn’t sed her s of his expression, and with Andre still on the phone her thoughts went on a tangent
Bodyguards She’d gotten used to the necessity in the United States There were crazies out there, and no one recognizably fauard here in Zakhar, but then again, she was just an actress She wasn’t in Andre’s shoes Even though Zakhar was fiercely loyal to the ht try to assassinate him There had been two attempts on his life since he ascended the throne—that had been front-page news; it had been i she could about Andre over the years But judging fro, Andre was in good hands
Only one bodyguard, though? she thought, suddenly worried for Andre’s safety, reents who surrounded the US president whenever he went anywhere Shouldn’t Andre have at least two people guarding him? Or more? Maybe he didwhen he was outside the palace No, that can’t be right, she reuard in evidence at the cemetery
Andre made one last forceful stateh Zakharan to know he didn’t agree hoever was on the other end before he hung up the phone with a decided bang She raised her eyebrows in a question, and Andre made a derisive sound “That wasits feetagain” She saw the struggle for patience on his face “As usual, Niko is But that is not why you are here, Juliana,” he said with another faint s so quickly to help with the disaster relief But are you not needed on the set today?”
She shook her head “I’ed the schedule so Dirk can leave earlier”