Free Jacinda's Challenge (Imperial 3) by M. K. Eidem

like that, Javiera.”
    “Jacinda.” Javiera walked over and hugged her. “Don’t be a stranger. You know you are always welcome in our home.”
    “I know and know that you and yours are always welcome in mine. Montreux isn’t that far from Pechora. Amina will always be welcome in my home if she needs to get away or just wants a home-cooked meal.”
    “Thank you, Jacinda. I will let her know. Maybe it will convince her to go.”
    “What do you mean? I thought she wanted to go. Is there a problem I can help with?”
    “No. Not really. She’s just working on something with her father. I can’t talk about it, but she may put off Montreux until it’s finished.”
    Jacinda looked at Javiera and realized whatever it was, she was upset she’d brought it up.”
    “Well, no worries. No one will hear anything from us. Will they?” Jacinda looked to Kia and Palma, who she both knew could keep a secret.
    “Of course not,” they immediately responded.
    “You just let her know my offer is open-ended. Whenever she gets there, she is welcome in my home.”
    “Thank you, Jacinda. Now I have to go. Oh, I will send you that visual.”
    “Thank you, Javiera. Give Leander and Dell a kiss for me.”
    “I will.”

Chapter Five
    “Hello, gentleman.” Jacinda smiled as she walked up to the two guards who were dressed in the colors of the House of Protection. They were protecting the door that led from the Public Wing to the more private wings of the Palace and she stopped several feet away. “I am Jacinda Michelakakis and I have something for Prince Barek.”
    The guards’ hard stares traveled over her for a moment before moving to the package she carried. One lifted the comm attached to his wrist.
    “We’ve received no notification to expect you,” the larger of the two told her.
    “You won’t have. I didn’t contact anyone to let them know I was coming.”
    “We can’t let you pass, Madame Michelakakis.”
    “Of course not, I totally understand.”
    As Jacinda spoke, the door behind the guards opened and Captain Deffand followed by Prince Barek stepped out.
    “Madame Michelakakis! How wonderful to see you again.” The serious look on Barek’s face turned into a blazing smile as he spoke.
    “It’s good to see you too, Prince Barek, and I thought you were going to call me Jacinda.”
    “Of course, I’m sorry, Jacinda,” Barek blushed slightly to Deffand’s amazement. “What brings you to the Palace today?”
    “You do.”
    “Me?”
    “Yes,” Jacinda laughed at the confusion on Barek’s face. “I returned from visiting my sister yesterday and have something for you.”
    As she offered the package she carried to Barek, the two guards immediately stepped between them knocking her back.
    “What do you think you are doing?!!” Barek angrily shoved his way through the guards to find Jacinda standing several feet away, her face pale. The package she had been carrying lay on the floor. “Jacinda, are you alright?”
    “I…” Swallowing hard, she took a deep breath trying to calm her racing heart. “Yes. Of course, I am. I don’t know what I was thinking.”
    Barek spun around to confront the two guards, but before he could, Deffand spoke. “They were doing their job, Prince Barek.”
    “Since when is shoving a woman their job , Captain?” Barek’s rage was easily heard.
    “Prince Barek,” Jacinda’s soft but firm voice interrupted him and pulled his furious gaze from the Captain to her. “Captain Deffand is correct. The fault is mine. It goes against every protocol for me to directly hand you a package that hasn’t been inspected by your security first.”
    “That gives them no right…”
    “It gives them every right,” Jacinda again interrupted. “They do not know me and were protecting their future King, as they should.”
    Leaning down, she picked up the package of visuals she’d gotten from Palma, along with one she’d ‘accidently’ slipped in and extended it to