Chapter 1 #2
Rangi follows the elders, moving with the same fluid grace that made him legendary in the field. Up close, I catch the subtle scent of linen, camp smoke, and something distinctly him that sends my pulse racing.
“Your Majesty.” He bows deeply to Kit, then turns to me, a twinkle in his eye. “Your Highness.”
“Captain Rangi.” I grin, bowing in response. “Welcome to Astipia Palace.”
His lips quirk slightly—he always did seem to find me amusing. “Thank you for having us, Prince Leo.” His voice carries the same rich timbre I remember, though the steel has softened.
“I believe we agreed years ago that formality was unnecessary between warriors who have shared a campfire,” I say, not liking the barrier my title places between us.
Behind me, I hear Charlotte’s poorly disguised snort of amusement.
“Indeed, we did,” he says with an incline of his head. “It’s good to see you, Leo.” He turns to the attractive man behind him and for a beat I’m overcome with jealousy.
Is this his partner? His husband? His lover?
Rangi gestures him forward. “May I present my brother, Lieutenant Tahma Rangi.”
Relief washes through me, followed immediately by embarrassment at my instinctive jealousy.
The man steps forward, and the family resemblance is unmistakable—the same powerful build and proud bearing, though Tahma’s features are sharper, his expression more severe.
Where Rangi’s warrior markings flow in elegant curves across his visible skin, Tahma’s are more angular, extending higher on his neck and face.
Traditional tribal armour pieces adorn his formal attire, marking him as someone who has chosen to embrace the ancient ways more fully.
“Your Highness,” Tahma says with a formal bow, his voice a slightly deeper echo of his brother’s. “An honour.”
“Lieutenant Tahma will be assisting with the sacred sites security assessment,” Rangi explains. “He oversees our mountain territory protections.”
I extend my hand in warrior greeting. “Welcome to Astipia Palace.”
Tahma looks momentarily surprised by the informal gesture but clasps my forearm with a firm grip. His eyes, darker than Rangi’s, assess me with unnerving directness.
“My brother spoke highly of your military service,” he says, his tone neutral yet somehow conveying that he remains to be convinced of my worth. “I look forward to our negotiations.”
I gesture toward the palace doors. “Please, allow me to show you to your quarters. The blessing ceremony isn’t until sunset, but I expect you’ll all want to rest.”
Kit and Charlotte lead the delegation, chatting easily with the elders as I trail behind. As we walk, Rangi falls into step beside me, close enough that our arms nearly brush. “You look well, Leo,” he says softly in our native tongue. “The years have been kind.”
“As do you.” I risk a glance at him. “I heard about your commendation. Sounded dangerous.”
His expression softens. “You kept track of me?”
“I...” I falter, caught between honesty and propriety. “It’s my duty to stay informed about military matters.”
“Ah.” Something flashes in his dark eyes. “Duty. Always duty with you.”
Before I can answer, Victoria, Kit’s personal secretary, appears, tablet in hand.
She’s temporarily serving as my support while my assistant is on parental leave.
The woman is a study in contradictions—her navy suit is crisp and perfectly tailored, yet her dark hair remains perpetually askew, as if she’s been caught in a windstorm on her way to a meeting.
One side of her stylish oversized glasses is held together at the hinge with what appears to be a paperclip, a makeshift repair that I doubt will be fixed anytime soon.
She catches my eye, making a beeline my way.
Even from across the room, I can see the ink stains on her fingers—ink stains which always confuse me considering I rarely see her using pen and paper instead of her tablet.
Yet despite these small chaos markers, Victoria Fleming is unquestionably the most competent person in the palace—possibly in the entire kingdom.
“Your Highness.” She stops before me, bowing slightly in deference to the occasion. “The tribal elders from the Moohiahju clan are arriving.”
I catch Tahma’s watching her, his stoic expression flickering briefly with something that might be interest as he takes her in.
Victoria doesn’t notice his attention, already turning to Rangi. “Captain, if you’ll follow me, I’ll escort you to your quarters. I can give you a summary of the next few days while we walk.”
“Thank you,” Rangi says, but Tahma speaks before they can move.
“I’ll need access to the security overview for the meetings,” he states directly to Victoria, bypassing the normal chain of command.
She doesn’t miss a beat, reaching into her giant tote to extract a folder from her stack.
“Already prepared, Lieutenant. Along with maps of the palace grounds and clearance for the ceremonial weapons you brought.” She hands him the folder.
“I’ve also arranged for a tour for you and your brother with our chief of security to assist with your assessment. ”
A flicker of surprise—and perhaps respect—crosses Tahma’s stern features. “Efficient.”
“I try to be,” Victoria responds, pushing her glasses up with one knuckle and leaving a smudge on the lens that she doesn’t seem to notice.
For a moment, I think I see the ghost of a smile touch Tahma’s lips, but it’s gone so quickly I might have imagined it.
“My brother takes our traditions very seriously,” Rangi comments quietly beside me. “He rarely leaves tribal lands, so this is... significant.”
“I’m glad he’s here,” I reply, meaning it despite Tahma’s clear reservations about me. “We need all the expertise we can get for this project.”
“Just be prepared, Tahma doesn’t believe in diplomatic niceties. If he thinks something will threaten our heritage, he’ll say so—loudly and repeatedly—regardless of royal protocol.”
“Sounds like someone else I know,” I observe with a raised eyebrow.
Rangi laughs, the sound warming something in my chest. “I’ve mellowed with age. Tahma is still young.”
“The meeting, Your Highness?” Victoria prompts.
“Of course.” I bow to the delegation. “If you’ll excuse me?”
“Actually,” Charlotte interrupts, appearing at my elbow, “I was hoping to discuss the heritage gardens with Captain Rangi before the meeting. Since they border several of the sites under discussion.”
The delegation and Tahma continue on while Charlotte, Rangi and I linger. I recognize my sister’s suspiciously innocent expression. It’s the same one she wore when she used to “accidentally” lock Kit and me in a closet when we were children.
Rangi’s attention shifts to my sister, his expression warming. “Princess Charlotte. I heard congratulations are in order.” He nods at the ring on her finger. “Your husband is a lucky man.”
“Please, call me Lottie.” She grins up at him. “Anyone who made my brother curse in three languages during military training deserves to use my first name.”
I choke. “How did you—”
“You wrote about it,” she says sweetly. “In your letters home. Something about an impossible training exercise in the rain?”
“The mountain navigation challenge.” Rangi’s deep laugh hits me right in the gut. “Your brother’s creativity with profanity was impressive. Especially when he slipped half-way down a cliff-face.”
“I seem to recall you weren’t far behind me,” I counter, unable to help myself.
He grins, tossing me a knowing look. “True. But I made falling look good.”
The way Charlotte’s gaze bounces between us makes me nervous. I’ve seen that calculating glance before.
“The gardens,” I remind her firmly.
“Of course.” She loops her arm through Rangi’s, ignoring protocol completely. “You must tell me about yourself, Captain. Leo’s letters were always frustratingly vague about his fellow soldiers.”
“Were they?” Rangi asks, raising an eyebrow at me.
“The meeting, Leo,” Victoria prompts, tapping her foot anxiously.
“Yes, the meeting,” I agree quickly. I lean in to press a kiss to my sister’s cheek, whispering in her ear. “Charlotte, please for the love of all that is holy, don’t say anything embarrassing.”
“I make no promises.” She winks at me. “Come along, Captain. I want to hear all about my brother’s military adventures.”
He inclines his head, but his eyes hold mine. “We’ll speak later. I’m sure we have much to catch up on.”
As they walk away, I hear Rangi’s rich laugh again. “Well, there was this one time with a boar...”
I groan internally. Between Charlotte’s matchmaking and Rangi’s presence, I might not survive this visit with my dignity intact.