Free A Royal Engagement: The Young Royals Book 1 by Emma Lea

a while."
    I sat back in the armchair and looked at him with surprise.
    "Really?   I had no idea.   Jordan hasn't said anything."
    "Maybe not, Your Highness, but I know that Jac...His Royal Highness hadn't seen Lieutenant Wicks for three years or more."
    "He was out of the country," I said, making an excuse for Jordan, but not knowing why I felt the need to.
    "Yes, Your Grace, he was, but he was home plenty of times too."
    It didn't make any sense.
    "They hadn't even been in the same proximity for months until the hunt."
    "Jordan was on the hunt?"   I asked, breathless.
    "Yes, Your Highness.   Jacob, I mean, Prince Jacob wasn't very happy to see him either."
    "But why?   Do you know what happened between them?"
    "No, Your Highness, I don't.   I just know that Lieutenant Wicks was persona non grata around the Prince."
    I sucked my bottom lip into my mouth and tried to sort out the mess in my head.   What could have possibly happened between the two friends.   I'd thought it strange when Jordan had told me that he and Will had had a falling out, but to find out that he and Jacob had as well was doing my head in.
    "What about Lord Darkly?" I asked, "Was Jacob still speaking to him?"
    "Yes, Your Highness," Carlos replied, "They had a standing appointment every week and Prince Jacob never missed it."
    So maybe Jacob had taken Will's side in the argument he'd had with Jordan, but that didn't make sense.   Why would Jacob do that?   It had nothing to do with him, and if anything, Will had been in the wrong.   So why remain Will's friend but not Jordan's?
    "Thank you Carlos," I said, standing.
    "Yes Your Highness," he replied, standing also.
    "Is it going to be a problem for you to be on my team if I continue to socialise with Lieutenant Wicks?" I asked.
    His jaw worked and his eyes hardened, but he shook his head, "No, Your Highness," he replied.
    I reached out and laid a hand on his forearm.   "I know you and Jacob were close," I said, "And I know how hard this must be for you at this time.   If you need some time off..."
    He shook his head, "No Your Highness, I don't.   The Prince and I were close and I am devastated that he is gone, but I want to be here.   I don't want to frighten you, but I don't believe that what happened to the Prince was an accident and it would be remiss of me to think that there is no longer a threat to the crown. Until we know what really happened on the hunt, I need to be here, close to you.   I think you're in danger and I want to do for you what I couldn't do for your brother."  
    He bowed and then turned and left the room leaving me feeling off-kilter.   On top of everything else, was my life in danger too?

    I couldn't concentrate on the constitutional reading I'd been doing and instead found myself staring out the window.   I just couldn't reconcile Carlos' story with what I knew of Jacob and Jordan.   Will had always been a bit of a hot head, so I could understand that, under the influence of grief, he might have said some things to Jordan that he shouldn't've, but that didn't explain why Jacob had cut Jordan off too.
    But maybe Carlos had it wrong.   Maybe it was simply friends growing apart or the fact that Jordan had been gone for so long and with Jacob's increased responsibilities the time needed to maintain the friendship was not there.
    Whatever it was, it wasn't helping me learn the ins and outs of the constitution.
    I stood from my chair and walked into the outer office where Alex was hard at work.
    "I'm going for a ride," I said to her.
    "Okay," she replied.   "Is everything okay?" she asked looking up at me.
    I shrugged, "Yeah, I just can't stand to read that crap anymore.   I'm brain fried."
    I gave her a wave and headed for my bedroom so that I could change.   I really wanted to pull on my Levi's, but they weren't black, so instead I pulled on a pair of black jodhpurs and a black t-shirt followed by my riding boots.   I beelined for the stables and wasn't